Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* I Am
* Scripture: Moses asked, "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, NKJV

If you recall the passage from Exodus where God calls to Moses from the burning bush, God concludes by instructing Moses to tell the people that "I AM sent you."
Later, on the mountain, Moses received the Commandments, beginning with the statement, "I am the Lord your God." These first commandments establish a relationship with God, one based on reverence, worship, and esteem. That includes a proper respect and understanding of HIS NAME.
Suppose that you are responsible for translating the ancient writings into a modern version of the English language. There is no one to speak those ancient words, no one still using those symbols that represent speech.
Now add the complexity that derives from a reluctance of those ancients to even speak or write that most righteous Name, and the the scholar is left searching. The scribes would write the letters YHWH instead of spelling out THE NAME. It is called a Tetragrammaton. From it, we get ‘Yahweh.’
About 300 B.C. the Jews began the custom of pronouncing the name 'adonay' (my Lord or LORD) or 'elohim.' Take the various spellings, run the Hebrew through Latin, and we get 'Jehovah.'
According to one of my references (The New Westminister Dictionary of the Bible) the word comes from a verb which means to befall, to come to pass, happen, become, be ; The name accordingly means "He who happens (upon us), he who befalls (upon us), he who in the absolute sense exists and who manifests his existence and his character." (Ex. 3:13-15) - "I AM."
The dictionary further gives these definitions:
'elohim, God, is the creator, upholder, and moral governor of the universe;
'el Shadday, God almighty, is the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their present strength and future existence;
Yahweh (YHWH) is the God of revelation and grace, dwelling with his people, guiding and delivering them, and receiving their worship.
"Lord" in our Bibles came from Hebrew 'adon,' "Master," or 'adonay; "my master", (i.e., "my Lord.") When you see LORD the original was YHWH.
A name is a very personal thing; it identifies who we are. At least for the time being:

"There's a new name written down in Glory,
"And it's mine, O yes, it's mine!"
(C. Austin Miles)

To him who overcomes will be given a new name, according to Revelation 2:17 and 3:12. That will be an even more special name than the one we use now, because it will be given by THE ONE!
January 8, 2006

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* I Am
* Scripture: Moses asked, "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, NKJV

If you recall the passage from Exodus where God calls to Moses from the burning bush, God concludes by instructing Moses to tell the people that "I AM sent you."
Later, on the mountain, Moses received the Commandments, beginning with the statement, "I am the Lord your God." These first commandments establish a relationship with God, one based on reverence, worship, and esteem. That includes a proper respect and understanding of HIS NAME.
Suppose that you are responsible for translating the ancient writings into a modern version of the English language. There is no one to speak those ancient words, no one still using those symbols that represent speech.
Now add the complexity that derives from a reluctance of those ancients to even speak or write that most righteous Name, and the the scholar is left searching. The scribes would write the letters YHWH instead of spelling out THE NAME. It is called a Tetragrammaton. From it, we get ‘Yahweh.’
About 300 B.C. the Jews began the custom of pronouncing the name 'adonay' (my Lord or LORD) or 'elohim.' Take the various spellings, run the Hebrew through Latin, and we get 'Jehovah.'
According to one of my references (The New Westminister Dictionary of the Bible) the word comes from a verb which means to befall, to come to pass, happen, become, be ; The name accordingly means "He who happens (upon us), he who befalls (upon us), he who in the absolute sense exists and who manifests his existence and his character." (Ex. 3:13-15) - "I AM."
The dictionary further gives these definitions:
'elohim, God, is the creator, upholder, and moral governor of the universe;
'el Shadday, God almighty, is the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their present strength and future existence;
Yahweh (YHWH) is the God of revelation and grace, dwelling with his people, guiding and delivering them, and receiving their worship.
"Lord" in our Bibles came from Hebrew 'adon,' "Master," or 'adonay; "my master", (i.e., "my Lord.") When you see LORD the original was YHWH.
A name is a very personal thing; it identifies who we are. At least for the time being:

"There's a new name written down in Glory,
"And it's mine, O yes, it's mine!"
(C. Austin Miles)

To him who overcomes will be given a new name, according to Revelation 2:17 and 3:12. That will be an even more special name than the one we use now, because it will be given by THE ONE!
January 8, 2006

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Peter said, “Everyone who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21, NEB
The moment of crisis had come. The wedding ceremony was completed, the groom had kissed the bride. Now, would she or wouldn’t she - take his last name, or keep her maiden name? It was the age of Women’s Lib, and she had hinted that as she was known, so would she continue to be.
Naturally, everyone was curious, but also too timid (polite?) to ask. Finally, her eldest sister inquired, “What shall we call you?”
With a sweet smile, Mary, the new bride, replied, “Harriet.”
A name is one of the first things we acquire upon coming into this world, and one of the things we leave behind, carved into stone, upon our exit from it. People have been identified by name throughout recorded history.
We may be called Americans, Buckeyes, Christians, Protestants, or Methodists, but so are lots of others. A name is definitely more specific than, “Hey, you!” A physical description, - 5 foot 9, 157 lbs., brown hair - doesn’t narrow things down much, but put a name with that description, and you get down to me, myself, and I. Getting selective, getting personal.
Most of us have at least three names - first, middle, and last. There are a lot of people, and businesses, who are very interested in what those names are. Names have a very significant meaning when applied to a legal document, for example.
Our name represents us. It stands for who we are. One of the greatest of courtesies is to call someone by their name.
The Bible has a lot to say about names. We are counseled that a “good name is more to be desired than great riches (Proverbs 22:1, NEB.) A good name smells sweeter than the finest ointment (Ecclesiastes 7:1a, NEB.)
More important even than the name we leave behind is the name we take with us. That is the name written down in Glory. The Revelation of John has much to say about names, both alive and dead. (See Rev. 2:17 and 3:1) How blessed are those who receive the name of God, and the name of the city of God (Rev. 3:12.)
Woe! to those who receive the name or number of the beast (Rev. 13:17,18.) The penalty for bearing the name of the beast is given in Rev. 14:9-12.
The record of our deeds goes with us. It is written in our name. “This is where the fortutide of God’s people has its place - in keeping God’s commands and remaining loyal to Jesus” (Rev. 14:12b-13, NE
We sing, “Is my name written there, On the page white and fair? In the book of thy kingdom, Is my name written there.” (Is My Name Written There; Mary A. Kidder/Frank M. Davis)
February 16, 2003