Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
CREATED
Genesis 2 7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
1 Corinthians 15 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
In our last post, we considered the fact that both Adam and Jesus were created, or that they “became”. At a point in time in history, both men, Adam and Jesus came into existence.
Adam became. Jesus became.
In this post, I would like to consider that the similarities for these men ends at that point. Adam became a living being. He was a recipient of life. To be alive was not of any meritorious effort on his part. He simply became a living being.
Jesus, in his humanity, became a life giving spirit. Consider the difference for a moment. The one who received life lost it all. The One who provides life, voluntarily gave His life up to provide for the betrayer! How unequal! How unfair! How gracious is He! So much to meditate on, and a fantastic thought to carry through the day!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our next set of names (#4 through #22) are considered His compound names, which typically uses His primary name and attaches a specific descriptor to it. These are the names that originally got me chasing this topic, and now it has developed into a much bigger study than the original intent, but I digress, for I have already mentioned this!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
12
JEHOVAH JIREH (THE LORD WILL PROVIDE)
Genesis 22:14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
What a God we have!
Most of my readers will recognize the background to this famous verse, where Abraham is provided a sacrifice to replace Isaac, his son of promise. Such a wonderful picture of a replacement for our sakes, and a picture of the Father, not only providing a sacrifice for our sakes, but actually becoming that sacrifice, in the person of Jesus Christ.
This self sacrifice that God rescued Abraham from He took upon Himself. He provided the Lamb of God for the sacrifice that was required!
And in the midst of this self sacrifice, He has provided a life line to His creation, being able to provide for us in very specific ways that we can now realize come the the very hand of God. These reminders of His care for us come at just the opportune time, and if in prayer for these specific needs, provide great encouragement to the saint.
As a personal story, my wife and I were living in the USA many years ago, without the ability to work, being in a school for training. We had one child, less than a year old and our food supplies were dwindling at the time. Due to that, our little boy was not receiving the sustenance he needed from his mother and she prayed that night, without my knowledge, that God would provide food for little Josh.
The next day as I was picking up my mail, I noticed an envelope with some coin in it. A very unusual occurrence! As I was pondering what was going on, the finance manager for the school walked by and noticed my puzzlement. He was a super friendly guy and let me know that there had been a currency exchange error with the last gift from our friends in Canada. It was a bit of change in our favor.
If I recall it was $0.87. Ever the complainer, I grumbled that there wasn’t more to help us in our need, but nevertheless I headed home to see my little family. Upon arriving I told wifey of the “cash fall” we just fell into, and she asked me to go to the school snack stand to pick up some milk for little Josh.
Can you guess how much that milk cost for our little boy? I think you know!
Our God is the God who provides in more ways than we recognize, but in those times when He gets specific, it creates an encouragement to trust in His loving care.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our next set of names (#4 through #22) are considered His compound names, which typically uses His primary name and attaches a specific descriptor to it. These are the names that originally got me chasing this topic, and now it has developed into a much bigger study than the original intent, but I digress, for I have already mentioned this!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
11
JEHOVAH EL GEMUWAL (LORD GOD OF RECOMPENSE)
Jeremiah 51:56 for a destroyer has come upon her, upon Babylon; her warriors are taken; their bows are broken in pieces, for the LORD is a God of recompense; he will surely repay.
A bit of background will help in considering this verse
Jeremiah had prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem by the nation of Babylon, and at this time in his ministry, the nation had realized the truth of his message. They had been conquered, and much suffering had been experienced by the people of Israel. In their sufferings, doubts and questions kept rising to the surface for those undergoing this terrible time. One of these questions may have been…
How could a righteous God allow the continuance of this marauding nation to so brutally abuse His people?
In this verse Jeremiah delivers an answer to the people of God in His very name. Remember, a name of someone, in the Word, typifies their character, their essence or identity as to who they really are.
God is a God of recompense!
Jeremiah speaks of a destroyer coming upon Babylon, and that she will experience the very capture and defeat she brought upon Israel. She is not invincible, though we often think of world powers this way. Babylon was on her way out and she would be be shamed and defeated because God is a God of recompense.
When I first found this name, I associated recompense with vengeance, and there is some overlap.
Consider
Deuteronomy 32:35 – Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’
And yet, the term for recompense has an additional component of reward that provides another angle I hadn’t considered.
Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
Notice that Isaiah speaks of vengeance and recompense and associates it with “coming and saving His people”.
My association of recompense with personal judgement against myself may be bad thinking, for the recompense is for those who reject the Living God, who walk away from Him, who refuse to trust Him. For those who cling to the hope of God, as Isaiah promises,
… He will come and save you
Understanding His recompense depends on where you stand in relation to His presence and person.
He is a God of Recompense and because of that believers may rest in the truth that in the end, His purposes will be accomplished and those who love Him will be saved through trusting His heart of love, as seen in the One who hung on the cross for you and I.
Jesus is the God of Recompense and for that I thank Him and praise His name.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
CREATED
Genesis 2 7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
1 Corinthians 15 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
Adam became. Jesus became.
Though both of these men are alike in one manner, in that they both “became”, (were brought into existence at a point in time), the similarities end at that point. We shall consider the differences in our next post, but for this particular post I would like to settle on the thought that both these men “became”. The man Adam, and the man Jesus, both became flesh at a point in time, and lived in a flesh and bone body on the face of this earth, both experiencing the temptations and trials of life in a damaged creation.
Both were “created”, and though both would walk entirely different paths in relation to God, they are the two men in this creation who have influenced this world the greatest.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our next set of names (#4 through #22) are considered His compound names, which typically uses His primary name and attaches a specific descriptor to it. These are the names that originally got me chasing this topic, and now it has developed into a much bigger study than the original intent, but I digress, for I have already mentioned this!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
10
JEHOVAH ELOHIM (LORD GOD)
Genesis 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
Two primary names of God combined together.
We have considered both of these primary names earlier in our thoughts. Elohim and Jehovah (Jahweh)
In combining these two primary names, we have a personal God, as revealed to Moses, yet the strong God of the creation of all things.
Remember that El speaks of power, might, even authority, and when Moses combines the personal name of Jehovah with Elohim, he introduces a tension for the believer to live in.
Is He the almighty, supreme Elohim that is unapproachable, intimidating, beyond our understanding and above all of our thoughts and understanding?
Yes He is!
Is He the eternal, self existent Jehovah (Yahweh) that reveals Himself to men, making the move to open relationship with a broken world, eventually becoming the self sacrificing Messiah willing to die a cruel death for our sakes?
Yes He is!
Brothers – How can we reconcile in our understanding this spectrum of our God? It is too wonderful and beyond comprehension! And yet the Lord promises the believer peace in their understanding, (even if there is tension), a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our next set of names (#4 through #22) are considered His compound names, which typically uses His primary name and attaches a specific descriptor to it. These are the names that originally got me chasing this topic, and now it has developed into a much bigger study than the original intent, but I digress, for I have already mentioned this!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
9
EL ROI (GOD OF SEEING)
Genesis 16:13 So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”
Knowing what we know of the LORD (Jehovah / Jahweh), it seems obvious that He is an all-seeing God. But for a proud woman (Hagar), rejected by her mistress (Sarai), and given up by her husband (Abraham), this verse speaks of the revelation of God who she had heard of from Abraham.
Abraham had taught his household the fear of the Lord, and in this teaching, Hagar must have experienced some influence in her life. Hearing of a God that Abraham knew was one thing. Having this God visit you at your deepest point of sorrow and rejection is another.
What we know of Hagar is that the God who revealed Himself was One that had seen her plight. Few women in this time had been delivered a message from God, and this Angel of the Lord provided her guidance that may not have been too enjoyable.
Sarai had dealt harshly with her, so harshly that Hagar sought refuge out of the camp, away from the community she had been associated with for many years. Yes she had found a spring, and it may have been her hope to find a rescuer at the spring, but the Angel came to visit her before she found an option to choose from.
The stranger brought new that was bad and good.
The bad news was that she had to go back to her mistress, the one who death harshly with her, and was required to submit to her. It seems that the status of being Abraham’s wife went to Hagar’s head, and verse 4 speaks of her looking down on Sarai with contempt. This child she conceived was her opportunity to elevate herself in the tribe, being the only wife able to provide for Abraham a seed. Such an important opportunity provided her a status she had never known, and didn’t quite handle properly.
A continual humbling may be ahead for Hagar, a reminder that she was a second class wife, (at least in Sarai’s eyes), and difficult relationships between the two continued for many years.
The good news was that a young child would be born, that he would be called Ishmael, and that he would be the father of many. The nation of the Ishmaelites grew from this seed, and have been a thorn in Israel’s side for much of her history.
Hagar called the God of Abraham the God of seeing, for He not only saw her affliction at the present, but also her past and future, of her child’s future, and of the leader he would become over his kinsmen.
She saw the One who sees! In her deepest affliction, (brought on by her own contempt and pride), her eyes were ready to see the One who Abraham had spoken of. And she returned to the camp, with a humbled spirit and a willing attitude to do as instructed, for she experientially knew of the God who sees, instead of simply hearing the story of Abrahams God
God is a mysterious One, who uses affliction to open our eyes, and suffering to release the wax from our ears. He is a good God that does not seek to waste any pain we experience in this life, but is willing to take our loss and provide greater good than we can imagine.
Although not directly associated with our name of God for this post, when I think of loss in the believers life, and God’s gracious provision, I usually think of Joel 2:25
Joel 2:25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.
God is good and He is the God who sees, not only our good intentions (few as they may be) but also our weakness, pain, rejection, abandonment and loneliness. He sees us, and for this we must be thankful, for He watches over us, working His good will in the midst of this messy life!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our next set of names (#4 through #22) are considered His compound names, which typically uses His primary name and attaches a specific descriptor to it. These are the names that originally got me chasing this topic, and now it has developed into a much bigger study than the original intent, but I digress, for I have already mentioned this!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
8
EL GIBBOR (MIGHTY GOD)
Jeremiah 32:18 You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts,
Out of the many names I have found in my research for this series, this particular name is one I have not considered in the past. To see the name “El Gibbor” strikes an unfamiliarity to my thinking. Yet I have often read of the mighty God.
In my research this term is often associated with action or reputation. When speaking of men, the term refers to a champion, a warrior, even a tyrant in some instances. Each of these descriptions speak of one who is not only strong, but uses his strength in battle to win wars.
God is a God of war, and as soon as I say that, most may think of blood, death, destruction and horror on a battle field. I would like to suggest that the Lord Jesus has described our warfare in different terms.
Death to self, and life for others. Loving our enemy. Seeking to be peacemakers, (not just peacekeepers!)
He is the Mighty God, who entered into battle for our souls, voluntarily suffering for others. To submit to this suffering in order to obey His Father and win our souls exhibits great strength of will and power of love.
He is El Gibbor, the Mighty God, mighty in His nature and in His doings, showing steadfast love to thousands upon thousands of His enemies, rescuing them through subjection to suffering.
The strength of our God is not to be lightly considered.
Let us thank Him for Him mighty love that broke through our doubts and fears!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our next set of names (#4 through #22) are considered His compound names, which typically uses His primary name and attaches a specific descriptor to it. These are the names that originally got me chasing this topic, and now it has developed into a much bigger study than the original intent, but I digress, for I have already mentioned this!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
7
EL OLAM (THE EVERLASTING GOD)
Genesis 21:33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
This name also uses the primary name El in conjunction with Olam, which, as translated speaks of God’s eternality, or His self existence, without beginning and without end.
As Isaiah speaks to the people of God, he asks rhetorical questions to those who have been under the tutelage of the law. Have you not known? Have you not heard?
My goodness, during the days of Isaiah, if any of creation knows of the God of Abraham, and the God of Moses, it must be the nation of Israel, for they have received the written word, describing the God they are in covenant with, the God who has no beginning and has no end.
It is so easy to condemn those in the past as having dropped the ball when it comes to understanding who God truly is, but I will confess that much of my day is sometimes consumed with the here and now and not the inevitable future where God resides.
I understand I can change nothing about the past, other than to seek forgiveness from those whom I may have hurt, but while in the present, after considering the eternality of God, I can change my future.
Let us reflect on the everlasting nature of our Living God, that He will ever be with us, will never “not be” and has provided His Son, separated from Him for a time, so we may continually abide with the everlasting One.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
LORD OF CREATION
Genesis 1 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Colossians 1 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him.
Adam was provided the right to have dominion over all of creation. He was the master or lord over the creation provided to him from God.
Jesus is the Lord of lords, and as such is seen in Adam in the early pages of the Old Testament. He is the One who has dominion over all dominions, thrones, rulers and authorities!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our next set of names (#4 through #22) are considered His compound names, which typically uses His primary name and attaches a specific descriptor to it. These are the names that originally got me chasing this topic, and now it has developed into a much bigger study than the original intent, but I digress, for I have already mentioned this!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
6
EL ELYON (THE MOST HIGH GOD)
Psalm 78:35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.
This name of God speaks of His loftiness, His elevated status over all of creation. As the creator of all, He is above all of creation by the fact He is outside of the creation, eternal and everlasting. The term also is used in comparison to false idols and gods, in that they can not compete with the Most High.
The term speaks of one elevated, lofty or supreme. There is no other like the Most High God.
It may be that the Canaanites referred to their local gods as el (god), but for the Israeli’s as they understood the truths that had been delivered to them through the revelation of God, would refer to the true God as the most High God, in comparison with the idols in the land.
Our God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and is the Most High God, reigning over all other gods, high above all other beings. He is the only One worthy of this name, and we are privileged to know Him through His death on the cross.
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our next set of names (#4 through #22) are considered His compound names, which typically uses His primary name and attaches a specific descriptor to it. These are the names that originally got me chasing this topic, and now it has developed into a much bigger study than the original intent, but I digress, for I have already mentioned this!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
5
EL SHADDAI (ALMIGHTY GOD)
Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
We have considered Elohim in post #1 of this series, and I would like to consider the secondary term in this compound name, for I have discovered an aspect of “Shaddai” that I had never understood before.
The Hebrew transliteration of the term for Shaddai is šaday, and as I was “rootin’ about”, I clicked on the root word etymology of this term. Blue Letter Bible took me to H7703 – šāḏaḏ.
To be a root word means that all derivatives of the root finds some truth in the root word. Shaddai, as we are considering today, is rooted in the šāḏaḏ.
This is where I became somewhat shocked at what I found, for until this finding, I had always assumed Shaddai was simply referring to God (El) as being powerful, most powerful, all powerful or almighty. And I have no doubt of this fantastic truth.
When we explore the root word šāḏaḏ, it refers to one who spoils, wastes, assaults or deals violently. The term describes the apparent outcome of the power. An example of šāḏaḏ found in the Word, in relation to God’s power being exercised is Jeremiah 25:36
A voice–the cry of the shepherds, and the wail of the lords of the flock! For the LORD is laying waste šāḏaḏ their pasture.
Now before anyone starts calling me a heretic, I am not claiming that the blessed God, who is the Almighty, has evil intent or uses His great abilities simply for destruction! There is no way I believe that. Yet His power may bring about violent happenings, as Jeremiah notes in the verse above, and that which when the shepherds witnessed, brought about crying and wailing. For we must remember that the same God who is described as Almighty, is also described as all knowing, and full of wisdom. He exercises His power in perfect righteousness, without staining His character, though we often struggle with that!
We all will admit we want things to always be peachy keen and for every day to be full of sunshine. We know this is a pipe dream. Bad things happen, and yet our God is the Almighty. Though some of His acts may bring about destruction (from our point of view) faith rises above that and recognizes the God of the Bible as the One hanging on the cross, bearing the suffering we deserved, accepting the shame resulting from our sinful decisions.
He is the Almighty, yet He voluntarily hung on that instrument of death, “powerless” to free himself but for one reason. The power of love, greater than all His suffering and shame, shone forth on that ol’ rugged cross, when the Almighty became weak for our sake.
He is the Almighty God (El Shaddai), mighty in power and love to His creation. Praise His name today!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
HIS WIFE
Genesis 2 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
Revelation 19 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;
Revelation 21 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
In placing Adam into a deep sleep, God took from Adam a rib to make his wife. Adam received a wife out of the experience of death, out of His very body.
How so much more did the Lord create a wife for the Son out of the death He experienced?
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our next set of names (#4 through #22) are considered Hs compound names, which typically use His primary name and attach a specific descriptor to it. These are the names that originally got me chasing this topic, and now it has developed into a much bigger study than the original intent, but I digress, for I have already mentioned this!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
4
ADONAI JEHOVAH (LORD GOD)
Genesis 15:2 ESV – But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
Our first compound name is the combination of two primary names. As an aside, I am thankful that when Jehovah (or Jahweh) is found in the text, the translators provide a clue and capitalize all letters in the English translation. Such is the case in this instance.
He is the Lord (Adonai), One who has authority and power, in the ultimate sense, and GOD (Jehovah), the self existent One, dependent on no one.
In our text, Abraham has been provided a promise by God, but it hadn’t been realized yet. He had been promised a son but had remained childless, and time was running out! Yet in addressing God, Abraham combined two of His personal primary names to emphasize his trust in the Living One.
Abraham had used both these names in addressing the Father before, but not in the same manner as here. In this passage he combined them into one name, specifically emphasizing the power and independence of the Lord. In God’s independent power, He was able to provide “results” based only on His own good will and the requests of those who had his ear.
Abraham had entered into this understanding, and was speaking to God freely, concerning His promise of an heir. He is listening today.
Do you have a sense of his independence and power, that He is free (beholding to no one) and able (powerful) to perform that which is within His will for those who have His ear?
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our first three names are considered His primary names!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
3
ADONAI (LORD)
Deut. 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
In our last post, we spoke of the Tetragrammaton, in other word the 4 letters that we understand represents the name Jehovah, or Jahweh.
In this post we are going to consider the Hebrew word Adonai, as the third and last primary name of our God. Adonai is the Hebrew word for Lord, referring to someone who has power and authority.
As discussed in our first post, Adonai is also used to refer to earthly rulers frequently in the Word, but of course not in the absolute sense as when referring the our God. The Creator and Sustainer of all things is by His very nature the Lord (Adonai) and Master (Adonai) of all things.
We may fight this truth, deny this truth, ignore this truth, but until we submit to this truth, we will never find peace. And the truth of His lordship is not dependent on our opinion of this claim He makes. He is Lord whether we like it or not.
My advice you ask? Submit to the truth, as far as you understand it, that Jesus is Lord (Adonai) and that you want to be a disciple, a learner of what that means in every area of your life.
Peace will find you when you submit. And it is a glorious peace, for you see, He is Lord and He is good, all the time!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
DEEP SLEEP
Genesis 2 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
Matthew 27 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
Adam’s “deep sleep” speaks of the Messiah’s death, of a death that was purposed for the creation of a partner, a new life out of the death.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our first three names are considered His primary names!
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
2
JEHOVAH (LORD)
Genesis 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.”
Exodus 3:14God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: r‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
This name of God, from the Old Testament is of even greater mystery than our first name, Elohim which introduced the concept of multiple persons in the godhead. Jehovah, or as some scholars prefer Yahweh, is our feeble attempt to understand YHWH, the tetragrammatron, (meaning four letters). No vowels. Four consanants.
The problem with knowing the correct pronunciation of YHWH is that out of respect for the God of Israel, the Jews would not pronouce his name for fear of saying it wrong.
The “four letters” were God’s self revelatory illumination to Moses in Exodus 3:14, as to who was speaking to him. He is the self existant One, the only One who depends on no one else for anything. We are created, He is uncreated. We exist in Him, He is self existant. We are empty shells always needing needing needing. He is the self sufficient One.
Up until Genesis 4:1, Moses referred to God as “LORD God”, or the compound name Jehovah Elohim. Until this verse, all activities were describing Gods actions (creation, commanding, taking, causing, banishment, etc) as first person.
Genesis 4 begins referring to the Lord as Jehovah as the primary name, not a compound name. This verse speaks of Eve’s description of God, due to her giving birth to Cain.
For today, it may well be a good reminder that our God is the One who depends on no one out of necessity, He has no one to answer to, and He is the only One who is not created, but the One who is self existant. I expect that to dwell on this truth today will be a stabilizing influence in our lives, and will honor the One to whom honor is due.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
Our first three names are considered His primary names.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
1
ELOHIM (GOD)
Genesis 2:3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
The root word “El” of Elohim denotes strength, and reflects on the creative power of our God.
Elohim occurs over 2,500 times in the Old Testament, and is the Hebrew word meaning “mighty ones” or “gods” Yes – multiple gods! You see, when the Hebrews wanted to indicate a plural form of a word, they would add “him” to the end of the root word. So Elohim basicically means – “god who is more than one”.
Even in the earliest revelation of the Word, God introduced the seed thought of the trinity, at least introducing the multiplicity of persons in the God-head. Much revelation was to come, but God did not shy away from providing a mysterious truth from the start.
It may also surprise some of my readers to realize that elohim sometimes refers to false gods, sometimes to angels, and sometimes to human beings. This should not become a point of confusion, for the name is generic enough to be applied somewhat liberally, and our God will refine our understanding of His person through later and greater revelation.
The root term “El” is also used in what we will describe as compound names later in our study.
For today, let us consider that our God is a mighty God, a God who is mysterious and will not shy away from the truth. He seeks to bring us to higher and higher understandings of His person and character, and this first of His primary names certainly challenges us.
He is the mighty One, the One who created all things “ex nihilo”, out of nothing.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
HIS IMPACT
Genesis 3 17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Romans 5 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned–
Adam’s decision to eat of the fruit brought about an escalating impact upon every descendant of his. The impact of his decision to eat of the fruit is still with us, evident in every child born, every death in nature, every argument and fight we witness or take part in! Jesus’ impact is also with us every day, evident in the new life He provides to those who seek Him, the peacemakers and humble servants He has raised up, those believers who are walking with Him. His impact will be of greater impact than Adam’s for He is the Lord of All.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
As we come to a close of “Old Testament Messianic Prophecies”, I would like to offer my readers a series of posts focused on how the Bible describes the True and Living God. My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
I do not claim to have found every possible name, combination of names, description, or characteristic of the Lord in this series. Having said this, I have found many more than I initially thought possible. The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly was a blessing.
I will present the names in a very similar fashion as the Old Testament Prophecies series, one name/description/characteristic per post, for an opportunity for my readers to meditate on during the day.
Of course I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
#
Name/Description/Characteristic
Bible Verse(s)
Commentary
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
TOOK HIS WIFE’S SIN UPON HIMSELF
Genesis 3 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
1 Peter 2 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Adam took the fruit from his wife, from his wife who had already fallen into death. I often wonder if Adam recognized death in Eve as he took the fruit, and joined her in her sin. We know that the Messiah recognized sin in His bride, and not only joined us in death, but was delivered, resurrected out of death and is bringing His wife out of the death we wallow in!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
STOOPED TO EVE’S CONDITION
Genesis 3 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Philippians 2 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Adam, in joining Eve in her decision to eat of the forbidden fruit, and knowing the word of God in relation to this tree, joined Eve in her condition of death. Jesus also stooped to our condition of death, yet His stooping to our condition was temporary and for the lifting of our lives out of the pit of death. Praise His name!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
GENTILE BRIDE
Genesis 3 20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Ephesians 5 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
Both Adam and Eve were technically non-Jews, and therefore “of the nations” in the mind of the first century believer. With this point of view, Eve may be considered a gentile bride for Adam. The church is made up of Jews and Gentiles, and may be thought of as one entity, one person that has no ethnic distinction, much like Eve.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
BEGOTTEN OF GOD
Luke 3 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Acts 13 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’
To be considered the son of God was Adam’s distinct privilege, until Jesus arrived on the scene, and through His death and resurrection, confirmed for all of humanity that He is the Son!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
ADAM
ENTERED WORLD IN SINLESS STATE
Genesis 1 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
2 Corinthians 5 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
For Adam, He came into existence in a state of innocence, brought into a life ignorant to evil, sin and wrong doing. For the Lord, He entered the world in a sinless state, and maintained this state throughout His life of sacrifice and offering.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Considering the Bible 