What's in a Name? – An Addendum

I especially love the Hebrew names of God in the Old Testament.  Just uttering them aloud makes me feel safe, due to the solid, steadfast nature of each word.  And I don’t think that’s by accident!  I wanted to share some with you:

• ELOHIM – “God; a reference to His power and might” – Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1
• ADONAI – “Lord; a reference to the Lordship of God” – Malachi 1:6
• JEHOVAH YAHWEH – “A reference to God’s divine salvation” – Genesis 2:4
• JEHOVAH MACCADDESHEM – “the Lord thy sanctifier” – Exodus 31:13
• JEHOVAH ROHI – “the Lord my shepherd” – Psalm 23:1
• JEHOVAH SHAMMAH – “the Lord Who is present” – Ezekiel 48:35
• JEHOVAH RAPHA – “the Lord our healer” – Exodus 15:26
• JEHOVAH TSIDKENU – “The Lord our righteousness” – Jeremiah 23:6
• JEHOVAH JIREH – “the Lord will provide” – Genesis 22:13-14
• JEHOVAH NISSI – “the Lord our banner” – Exodus 17:15
• JEHOVAH SHALOM – “the Lord our peace” – Judges 6:24
• JEHOVAH SABBAOTH – “the Lord of Hosts” – Isaiah 6:1-3
• EL ELYON – “the most high God” – Genesis 14:17-20, Isaiah 14:13-14
• EL ROI – “the strong One Who sees” – Genesis 16:13
• EL SHADDAI – “the God of the mountains or God Almighty“-Genesis 17:1, Psalm 91:1
• EL OLAM – “the everlasting God” – Isaiah 40:28-31

While it’s hard to choose a favorite (I think that favorites come and go in keeping with what’s happening in our lives) I am always drawn to EL ROI.  First of all, I love the story in Genesis of poor Hagar, the servant girl of Sarai (Sarah).  Sarai was Abram’s (Abraham) wife and she was barren.  The Lord had promised Abram that he would one day have a son, out of whom his descendants would be as too numerous to count.  The problem was that Abram and Sarai were getting old.  She decided to help things along and told Abram to sleep with Hagar, and maybe then they could build a family that way.  Hagar got pregnant and this actually made Sarai mad! She mistreated Hagar and Hagar ran away.  Alone in the dessert, an angel of the Lord came to her and told her that God had seen her in her circumstance and would protect her and her son. Hagar proclaimed that she had now seen the Lord “who sees me”. (story found in Genesis 16)

He saw Hagar in a deplorable circumstance that was completely out of her control.  She did nothing to bring it on herself.  She felt powerless and invisible, yet the Lord saw her, promising protection.  He cared enough to seek her out.  And, as the story goes on, He made good on his promises to her and her son.

Today, God is still EL ROI.  He sees us in every circumstance we’re in, whether it’s from our own hand or by someone else’s.  When we feel powerless and invisible, He SEES.  I love that.