What is a verb anyway? A verb is a word that “denotes an action, an occurrence or a state of being”. Of course God is all of this and more. However, when Moses is confronted by the burning bush and God commands him to go to Egypt to free his people, Moses asks……… “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13)
In Hebrew God tells Moses His name……..”ehyeh asher ehyeh”. In the present tense this means…”I AM”… but also in the future tense is translated, “I will be”. In fact, the three Hebrew words could be translated in a variety of ways “I am who I am;” “I will be who I will be;” or “I cause to be what I cause to be.” These variations preserve the mysterious nature of God. This means that God’s name is not only a noun such as “Father” but also a verb.
So when Moses receives an answer to his question…………it really is no answer at all!! Is God toying with Moses, teasing him? Or does “I will be who I will be” indicate annoyance, even anger on part of God toward Moses who dares to ask such a question?
NO! The mystery of God cannot be captured in a name. For Moses and for us that knowledge is a good beginning for relating to God.
So now the name that is not a name also reveals God’s sovereignty. God is maintaining: the manner of my being is as I will it, not to be caught in one image or only in one name. But I will be present now, I was present in the past, and I will be in your future.
Therefore, God promises His presence at all times. So God’s name remains a mystery. Really beyond our understanding.
God’s name should always be held in reverence. Do you sometimes take His name in vain such as “OMG”? I cringe whenever I hear well meaning people use that expression without understanding. Always remember.
In looking at the various descriptions of God as protector,shepherd, husband etc, we are confronted with more questions that we are given answers. Not every question of man has an answer. As I have written before…… God simply doesn’t owe us any answers. The Jewish mind is willing to accept that. Since God is so much wiser than we are, why should we question?
However, when I get to heaven I would like to know why God created man in His image and then hundreds of years later simply wiped him out and then start the process all over again. The flood really didn’t accomplish what seemed to be the question of evil! Although Noah and his small family survived, the rest of mankind was annihilated. These survivors were not sinless and within a few generations the evil started again……remember the tower of Babel?
But then again, God has always given man choices. Most often we make the wrong choice.
When Noah and family were finally able to leave their little houseboat, God made a new beginning with man. It is marked by a relationship to God known as covenant.
God establishes a covenant not only with Noah and all his descendants but also all other creatures. Never again will a flood destroy all life on earth. God has neither abandoned nor forgotten his creation. “God remembered Noah and every living thing and all the animals that were in the ark and God made a wind blow over the earth and the waters subsided”. (Gen.8:1)
The sign of this covenant with Noah and all creation is the rainbow. A rainbow, is a natural phenomenon that has shape of a weapon (the bow of a bow and arrow). It becomes a sign that God has put away this form of punishment for mankind. He will never again allow the waters of chaos to destroy the whole earth. The bow in the sky becomes both a pledge and a reminder that He is bound to all mortal creatures. God continues healing the wounds of sin that are still with us.
Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
“While the earth remains,
Seed time and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:21-22)
God continues to renew that covenant with mankind. Notice, however, the first line of verse 22…. “As long as the earth remains.” Does this mean that at some point our earth as we know it, will no longer exist? Will this also destroy the covenant that God had made with mankind?
The book of Revelation (chapter 21:1) tells us that there will be a ”new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”
Therefore, I believe, He also will establish a new covenant or will renew the covenant for those who have accepted and put their faith in God’s Messiah …first to Israel and then to those of us who have also chosen that very Messiah for ourselves.
God has bonded himself with all of creation. His rainbow is a sign of that bond.
Look for a rainbow in your own life……….it’s there!
Most of you remember the story of Jacob wrestling with God….or perhaps God’s angel. In Genesis 32: 22-30, we find Jacob on his way home to Canaan after being gone for 14 years or more. He now has acquired two wives, a couple of concubines, 11 sons, and a daughter. He is a rich man…cattle, goats, sheep and lots of shepherds to help.
However, he must meet with his estranged brother, Esau, whom he cheated out of his birthright, or inheritance. Didn’t God tell his mother, that the older would serve the younger? That’s Jacob. He was the younger one. Now he is nervous and upset. He is a cheat, he also got cheated (He wanted Rachael but was given Leah first) and now God has more teaching to do.
Jacob sends his family ahead and prepares to spend the night by himself, perhaps to make plans as to how to preserve his family if, indeed, Esau decides to take revenge and kill him. However, later that night a “man” (God’s angel perhaps) wrestles with Jacob. Jacob prevails although he is injured in the process. He throws his hip out of joint. This story is simple in its telling but there remains many questions as to who the “man” is; why would Jacob need to wrestle him; why did Jacob win the fight? Surely God could have defeated him.
We might not know the answers to those questions but here are some things we do know. Jacob’s story is a retelling of the nation of Israel and the continual wrestling with God. God changes the name of Jacob to Israel and in doing so effects the history of the people that will come from his linage.
If Jacob had not won the wrestling match his name would not have changed. He asked the “man” for a blessing…..which he received in the form of a change of his name.
We are left with a story in which God is bound to this man. Jacob has wrestled and won…….God’s blessing carries with it a covenant of protection. God would be with these people. They were “bound” and would face the future together.
We sometimes “wrestle” with God. It’s our daily struggles in life. God is testing us in many ways by allowing us to challenge His care for us. He sometimes wounds us, just as Jacob was wounded but also blessed.
Can you see yourself in this story?
When have you ever wrestled with God? Have you been both wounded and blessed?
How do we describe the indescribable? How do you imagine God?
My grandmother told me that if I said a swear word…my jaw would freeze closed forever. Well, I noticed that occasionally when someone would say the d…..word nothing happened to their jaw!! One day I hid myself in the closet and said that dreadful word…..guess what? Nothing happened to my jaw. This made me realize that my grandmother’s image of God was not the same as the “real” God.
God is a mystery. As mere humans we will never understand the inscrutable mystery of God; his being or his nature. And yet the only way we have of speaking about God is through human language. God is always more than words can describe. Even the language found in the Bible, is a human expression.
God has many names or metaphors in Scripture. He is a shepherd, a rock, a husband, a father etc. All Biblical images of God are a lens through which we gain some new insight of God. No one lens or image is God. Rather it is a view of God, an angle of vision on God.
The Bible tells us that no one has ever seen God ……yet we have “seen” him in Jesus. He chose to expose himself to the world of his creation in order to draw us near to him.
However, before the Messiah came, God revealed himself through images and word pictures. These images give us humans some understanding of his character. God is known by his attributes.
In this next series of short Abidelines, I will focus on some of the attributes of God as revealed in Scripture.
Hopefully this brief study will reveal more of God’s character and the great love that our Creator shows to all humanity.
God is always more than anything that can be said about him. He transcends all languages, and ideologies. God is beyond all genders, metaphors, and sacred texts. God defies all forms of packaging. This realization develops a healthy sense of wonder about God.
There are so many prayers of praise in the Old Testament that I could spend a year writing about them. My favorites are those found in Psalms. What a glorious book of prayers!
Praising the Lord isn’t always easy for us. We suffer, our families suffer, the world suffers………but that is nothing new. Jesus reminds us……”These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me, ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
In Hebrew the book of Psalms is not called psalms or even prayers, but Praises (Tehillim). This means that in some way, all one hundred and fifty psalms, whether supplication, lament, confession of sin, etc. are meant ultimately for praise. Confessing sins can contribute to praise. We are renewing what God already knows about us. We are rather pitiful after all.
Praise is, first, a statement of faith in God. Biblical prayer is a dialogue where both parties are important. However, God always comes first. Did you know that Alleluia means Praise God?
Here are some tips for more meaningful prayer by using your Bible as a guide.
Pay attention to the vocabulary of prayer ……..such as call, cry out, sigh, praise, extol, recount, giving thanks, supplication etc. See what you learn about the experience of prayer in the passage you are reading.
Look for context……where is the prayer located in the biblical book. How is prayer impacting the people who are praying. Why are they praying and what event is prompting their prayer. They might have similar problems as you do.
Write it down………or highlight in your Bible. Use the names of God or God’s attributes that are mentioned in the prayer. Names such as Lord, Rock, Shield, Shepherd. Attributes such as Loving kindness,Mercy, Almighty. Learn to use these names to make your prayer meaningful to you. Bibles shouldn’t be neat and clean. Use them and mark them. Your kids will know that you have been studying!
Reflect…….. How would you “translate” these attributes and images in your own words?
Look…….. Biblical commentaries are sometimes helpful. These might give you some historical background of the people who are praying. You might not think that this matters but you will feel better looking at their life compared to yours.
Shifts in mood of the prayer……..especially from the beginning of the prayer to the end. Such as from lament to praise or from supplication to trust.
Look for similarities or differences in prayer…… Hannah’s praise (1 Samuel 2:1) compared with Mary’s praise in Luke 1:46-55. Look in the Psalms to see how David submits his prayers to God and the circumstances he faces.
Write out your prayer……… This is where a prayer journal is handy. You might simply reflect on a Biblical passage and what it means to you. Writing out your thoughts might seem tedious but take it from me…this helps to organize your thoughts and focus your prayer.
Hope some of these suggestions will make your prayer life of praise more meaningful.
David is explaining in the famous 23rd Psalm one of the great attributes of the Father….that of a Shepherd. The metaphor of God being a Shepherd is used throughout Scripture and Jesus himself uses the term when describing the lost sheep in Matthew (18:12-14). God loves and protects his sheep.
In this beautiful song, David is singing/praying about the great love of the Father for his “sheep”. That’s us!
In all its simplicity, Psalm 23 appeals to everyone and it has been read and prayed in all kinds of circumstances in life, whether joyful or sorrowful. It speaks to all, even those have never seen with their own eyes a flock in its pasture, or a shepherd tending sheep.
The image of a shepherd was familiar in the rural world of the Ancient Middle East, and the shepherd imagery in biblical narratives is used from the time of Abraham to that of Jesus. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob owned their own flocks and Joseph, Moses, David and prophet Amos were shepherds. Yet, when it comes to shepherding, there is no one, scripture says, quite like God (Ps. 80:2, Ezek. 34:11-16). God is the only shepherd who provides secure guidance to “green pastures” “still waters” and “right paths.” Under such guidance, we find restoration of soul, comfort, and deliverance from fear.
The image of God as a Shepherd is so eloquent that we easily miss another one used by the psalmist: God is also a wonderful Host. The scenery soon shifts from green pastures, streams of water, and darkest valleys with potential dangers to the comfort of a home and the profusion of God’s table. Whether with God the divine Shepherd or God the divine Host, we are in good hands at all times and, to be sure, we “shall not want.”
In what circumstances of life, joyful or sorrowful did Psalm 23 speak best to you?
Please excuse my skipping around in these prayer examples. When one catches my eye I like to explore the prayer in its context and see what comes.
In my last example I focused on poor Jeremiah. He protested to God through all of his suffering. Now if you read this prayer he is complaining that God has “enticed” him to speak to a rebellious people who really aren’t listening to him. He isn’t one bit happy.
O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded;
You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.
I am in derision daily;
Everyone mocks me.
He isn’t going to submit to God easily. You must read these verses to understand that poor Jeremiah isn’t pleased that God has chosen him. “You, (God) have overpowered me……I have become a laughingstock.” His mission is causing him problems…..like being thrown in a dungeon and left to die!!(Jer. 38:6) Who would like to carry out a mission that requires one to cry out “violence and destruction” all the time? No wonder this will cause him to suffer mockery and opposition from his countrymen.
Yet if Jeremiah speaks his heart to God, it is because he still trusts that God is the only one who can bring healing and comfort. The good news is that Jeremiah, despite ongoing suffering and inner turmoil, doesn’t give up. He will indeed keep on delivering God’s oracles and will show great courage to keep hope alive among the people (Jer.27-33).
Are we willing to be ridiculed for our beliefs? As long as we are proclaiming the truth of the Bible then we should expect being labeled as bigots and judgmental.
Just remember.
We didn’t write the Book! We only try to live by its standards.
Many names of God in the Old Testament describe His attributes. In fact the name of God is deemed so sacred that the observant Jews do not pronounce His name…..they only call God by his attributes….such as Ha Shem, Adoni, Holy One etc. Jesus called God Father, as do we, since we have become his “adopted” children. We now can come before Him with our requests. We feel free to ask Him for favors as well as admitting our sinfulness.
There is no limit to what we are allowed to say to God. Jeremiah opens up his heart to God and is not afraid to put forward before God his most intimate thoughts about his mission. It reminds us in many ways of Moses’ lament in the wilderness about the difficulties of dealing with a “stiff-necked people”. (Ex 34:9)
This short prayer tells us a lot about how to be daring when talking with God. The prophet starts off with a statement of acknowledging God’s righteousness: “You will be in the right, O Lord”….granted, the Lord can’t be wrong…. yet the prophet will dare to raise questions to God….. “But, let me put my case to you.” So this matter is extremely serious.
Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you;
yet I would plead my case before you.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
In fact this is a type of lament……”why oh Lord do you allow this?” He asks radical questions of God. David also posed laments and complaints to God such as in Psalm 10. “Why standest thou afar off, O Jehovah? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?”
We also can come before the Lord, pleading our case. We live in a world where Satan appears to have the upper hand. The “treacherous” seem to thrive. We have sickness and sadness around us…..a friend with cancer; broken marriage vows; kids on drugs.
But in our honesty with God, we often question Him……Why?? Suffering always raises questions, “How long, Lord will you allow this?” In other words, is there any hope…. any future?
Yes, you can question God. We are all seeking answers. He will answer. He will give us the hope that we long for.
When I have questions about God’s ways, do I trust that God can hear them?
The opening lines of this chapter tell us of a man who has two wives. You can expect trouble already! One of them has several children. Her name is Peninnah. The other has no children and her name is Hannah. Her inability to conceive, causes great distress for Hannah. Not only because she feels God is punishing her for some reason but her nemesis, Peninnah is constantly berating her for her childlessness.
Hannah is definitely a woman of prayer. Every year, in her annual visit to the temple, she pleads before the Lord to open her womb. She makes a poignant petition that God may “remember” and give her a male child. This prayer is offered in all humility and not out of selfishness. Her husband insists he loves her regardless of her infertility but Hannah wants this child more than anything in the world. However, year after year she remains childless.
Her persistence is rewarded. The Lord respects her faithfulness and grants her request. Hannah keeps her vow and returns the child to the temple to serve the Lord all of his life. This child becomes a great man of faith and is one of the mighty prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures. His name is Samuel.
Hannah’s hymn of praise reminds us of the beautiful of poem of Mary, the mother of our Lord.
Hannah and Mary will sing of the great and mighty works of God. Hannah testifies to a “God who exalts the feeble, the hungry, the barren, the poor and the needy, and who brings low the mighty, and those who count on their riches as a reward. (paraphrase)
The God whom Hannah praises, is concerned with human happiness. He cares about the restoration of human dignity in the lives of the poor and lowly. Jesus repeats this theme in the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…… Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5)
These are the great themes of the Bible. God is concerned for those who come to Him in humility and meekness, relying on His goodness and great love to supply their needs.
As in Hannah’s case, our prayers are not always answered on our timetable. However, faith and persistence in prayer will always result in God’s perfect answer for us.
It is only fitting that we begin our look at prayers in the Old Testament with a poem celebrating the miraculous deliverance of the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage and the miracle of the Red Sea crossing.
This poem is sung by Moses and will remain the model for future songs of Deliverance.
“I will sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea! 2 The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. 3 The Lord is a man of war;
The Lord is His name. 4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The depths have covered them;
They sank to the bottom like a stone.
Moses begins his song of praise with this great event in history.
The realistic account is a narrative of God over throwing the great and mightiest of men……Pharaoh’s chariots and his army sinking in the sea. This illustrates that the great and powerful on earth have no control over the forces that the Lord uses to oppose the wicked.
God has no army and uses no weaponry. It is creation……wind, mighty waters and earth…..that comes to the rescue of His people.
This song of victory is so meaningful for us as well…….read the whole of the song and you will note there are three confessions of faith (Vs, 2-3, 11-12, 18)…… celebrating God as unique and incomparable. “Who is like you, O Lord among the gods?” (note that there were those among the people who had only known Egyptian polytheism). “Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders?” These phrases will become the trademark of biblical prayer.
Can we count on God to be with us as He was with those escaping Hebrews?
Yes, God is on our side when we come to Him in faith and repentance. He can still provide a way of escape for us. He still “divides the waters” that prevent us from reaching His rest…….and He still can defeat the forces of evil that attack us.
What have been the greatest deliverances and wonders for which you want to praise God?
AbideLines 