Knowing God Through His Names

KNOWING GOD THROUGH HIS NAMES So last week we did some thinking about this book, the Bible. We talked about how this book can do several really, really good things for us and I used three objects. (show them again) Do you remember what each meant? : • Can of blueberries – just like our bodies, our spirits (who we are on the inside) get hungry – God feeds us with his word and it is sweet like honey • Teddy bear – Jesus said in this world there would be sad times, but he wants us to know that God’s love never never ends • Lantern – How do we know what is a good way to live, and what isn’t? God said here is a book that will show you, the way a lantern shows you the safe path Tonight I want us to think about another reason God gave us the Bible. And this reason is so we can know who he is. I need a leader to come up front to help me. Now we have a fine AWANA leader here, and if you didn’t know xx’s name, how would you greet her/him? Hello lady with the AWANA shirt… Hello you Hello man with the moustache Will they know you’re talking about them? So let’s try to solve this problem. Why do we need names? Names help to identify us. So now we can say, hello Mr. xxx. Thank you, please sit down. Some people have many names. My name is Mrs. McCormack, but my friends don’t call me that. They call me Mary. My husband sometimes calls me Schatz, which is German for treasure. My children call me – mom. All these names identify me. Sometimes people have nicknames that tell us more about them. My brother in law is very tall and loves to play first base. When a ball comes bouncing towards him, his long arms and legs help him catch balls other people can’t reach, and so his nickname is “Stretch” McCormack. In the Bible, names did more than identify someone. They told something about that person, like “Stretch” does for my brother –in-law, David. So, let’s think together. The very first woman was named what? Eve Her name means “mother of all living things.” Why is that a good name for her? Years later, there was a person named Moses. His name means “to draw out of”. Why do you think the princess of Egypt named the baby she found Moses? So names in the Bible tell us information about the person. Maybe it tells us that person’s character, or his or her reputation, or his or her qualities. Now if I were to count all my names, and titles, maybe I would have 6 or 7, max. (put 6 beans in a jar) Now let’s imagine that this whiteboard is a big, big nametag! Why would I need such a big nametag? Did you know how many names for God there are in the Bible? Over 221! Why do you think there are so many names for God? (God is so great, so wonderful, so magnificent that one name can’t express who he is) And if you were to count all the names, nicknames and titles for God in the Bible, there are over 700! God gives us all these names so we can know who he is. Each name tells us something more about his character, things we need to know. We could spend our whole lives getting to know God and more. Learning some of God’s names helps us know Him better. So here are some of God’s names: Strong creator (Elohim) Yahweh God Almighty (El Shaddai) Master/Lord – Adonai The Lord will Provide – Jehovah-Jireh The God who sees – El Roi The Lord our Healer – Jehovah-rophe The Lord of Hosts – Jehovah-Sabaoth The Lord my Banner – Jehovah Nissi The Lord My Shepherd – Jehovah-Rohi The Most High – El Elyon And more and more… No wonder God needs a big nametag! So let’s look tonight at just one of those names, but a really important one (circle Yahweh) God gives us this name back when a man named Moses was wandering in the desert. Can you get out your Bible and turn to the second book – Genesis, Exodus – and go to chapter 3 While you’re turning, many years ago before there were printing presses, books were copied by hand. Men called scribes would copy the Bible and they would not write the name of God with the same pen they wrote the other parts of the Bible with. They had a special pen they called a “god pen”, used only for writing God’s name. When he came to a part in the Bible with God’s name, he would leave a space for that name, and later he would go back and write in the name of God with the god-pen. Each time he wrote the name of God he would say: I am writing the name of God for the holiness of His name.” If he made a mistake while writing God’s name, he would destroy the whole page and start all over. Why do you think he would use a special pen, say what he did, and destroy the page if he made a mistake?? This name of God – sometimes it’s called Yahweh, sometimes Jehovah, is the name most often used in the Bible. We don’t see it in our Bibles, because even the people printing our Bibles treat it with respect, and use the word Lord, all in capital letters to show us this special name, Yahweh. So let’s look at Exodus 3 – God tells Moses he will deliver his people from slavery in Egypt and was going to set them free, and he was going to send Moses back to Egypt to talk with Pharaoh. Since God is greater than all, he has the right to command us. Do you remember what Moses asked God? (v. 13) How did God answer Moses? – v. 14 Does that sound like an odd name? Let’s think more about what God wanted to tell us about Him. (flashlight with weak battery) What’s going to happen to this flashlight soon if i don’t replace the battery? It will wear out. God is not like this. He never wears out, he never gets used up. Just like the burning bush Moses saw, God never gets used up. God doesn’t need anything or anyone. He exists all by himself. Everything we know wears out eventually, even rocks! Listen to this verse from Psalm 102:25-27: In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish but you remain, they will all wear out like a garment (show an old piece of clothing) Like clothing, you will change them and they will be thrown away. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. Nothing is stronger than God to make him change. What he was in the past, he still is today, and he will still be tomorrow. There are some very , very good things about God never changing, and never wearing out or getting tired. Can you think of some? Lead into prayer of thankfulness.