Knowing God How We See Him Judges 6:22–24
Knowing God • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction:
Names - we all have one. A first name or Given name and a last name or family name. Our name identifies us and makes us different from other people. But at this point there are so many people that names are reused over and over again. For instance there are two Richards in this church. So what do names have to do with anything?
Well, my name is David - it means “Beloved of God” I’m married to a woman named Amy which means “beloved of God.” How cool is that?
Here’s a few other names and their meanings.
Richard means “Brave or Hardy”
James is a variation of Jacob which means “Supplanter”
Linda which means “flexible or tender”
Timothy which means “to honor God”
Pamela which means “all sweetness”
And how about Rosemary which is a combination of Rose and Mary which means “Dew of the Sea”
There are lots of other names depending upon the ethnicity or culture which the child is born into. Of course there are also those who name there children after a place or thing that might have been important in their lives at the time. Or perhaps something crazier like a mathematical equation.
The point is sometimes we turn out like the name means, but not always. And then there are nicknames. When I was young my Uncle used to call me chief. It was the only nickname I had when I was young. And then when I grew up and moved up the food chain in the Army I was called chief again. Strange how that worked out.
Nicknames that stick can be mean or nice depending upon who sticks it to you. It can be an abbreviated version of your name like Dave or your initials. Richard becomes, Dick or Rich, James becomes Jim and Rosemary can be Rosie. Or the nickname can be derogatory and hurtful.
No matter what name a person goes by it is the name that in some way identifies the bearer. You know who you are talking about when you use a name.
So it is for us with God. If we know His names we know who we are talking about and what aspect of God we are talking about. Here are a couple verses that show two of the different names that identify God in some way.
Scripture: Exodus 31:12–13
12 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
13 “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
Jehovah M’kaddesh - The LORD who sanctifies you.
22 When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”
23 The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.”
24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Jehovah Shalom - The LORD is Peace.
Transitional Sentence: So what we think about God depends upon what we know about Him.
Let’s begin with Names.
a. What’s in a name?
A name can reveal the central personality and nature of the one who bears the name. It doesn’t always work with people but with God each name reveals a part of His personality and nature.
Each name reveals how a particular person in scripture recognized God working in their life. Genesis 16:13-14
13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?”
14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
Hagar the Egyptian woman who served Sarah and bore the boy Ishmael to Abraham was wondering in the dessert places when God looked upon her and raised her up from her circumstances. He became El Roi, the God who sees.
b. How His name helps us know Him?
i. A name acts as a point of Identification for a person just like a label on a can of food identifies what is inside the can. We all have labels and the labels point to something about you. Family history, culture, something you do or something you are like. These labels help others perceive who you are.
These labels do not entirely define you but they do help others to understand and know your identity. (Do a label from the bulletin - something about you)
ii. And it is our Identity that defines each of us. But our identity is wrapped up in more than one label. In order to truly be known many of the labels that identify us must be known by another. The labels are pieces of a puzzle. If you don’t have all the pieces you wont know what the whole puzzle looks like.
So by knowing Gods names we can more fully know Him. Each name He has been given carries a piece of His identity. Each is a piece of the puzzle. He is the Mighty One. He is the Self Existent One. He is the Everlasting One. Each of these are a piece of the puzzle, each is a part of Him but not the whole.
So what are some things that can be carried in a name?
1. Family lineage, which can provide a sense of belonging.
2. Cultural association or ethnicity which can provide information about ones origin.
3. A name can carry a positive or negative connotation or assumption about you.
Jacob means “usurper” this doesn’t provide a good connotation about a person.
4. Self-image - a name can change a persons self-image for good or ill.
5. What about a nickname? If you choose your own it can be a good thing, if it is chosen for you it could be a bad thing.
c. Some Names and meanings:
ISRAEL - the name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel Genesis 32:28
28 He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”
This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants.
This name defined him and has been defining his descendants ever since.
JUDAH - praise
This name originated in Leah’s words of praise to the Lord on account of his birth. Genesis 29:35
35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
NABUL - “fool” 1 Samuel 25:25
25 “Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.
And what about my name - David? This name is also Hebrew in origin. It’s meaning is: “Beloved” or “Beloved of God.” Comforting? Absolutely!
What does your name mean? Does it do a good job of defining you?
Enough about names. What about these things we know as:
2. Attributes.
a. So, what is an attribute?
An attribute is a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something.
Attributes are also known as our character traits. Which are the various dimensions of personality, either natural or acquired, that distinguish one individual from another. As an ethical term, character refers to the traits of an individual that may be deemed morally blameworthy or praiseworthy.
An attribute of God is - a character trait of God as revealed in scripture.
God reveals Himself to us through His attributes. John 4:24 says:
24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
This verse tells us one part of what God is like. He is Spirit. He doesn’t have a physical form. He isn’t a part of creation. He isn’t limited to what this physical body can or can’t do.
b. So, How does knowing an attribute help us know Him?
We all have attributes or characteristics that define us and help others know us. We can be:
Loyal, creative, agreeable, confident, conscientious, curios, kind, cooperative, motivated, optimistic, generous or many others. These are all good attributes but there are also many bad attributes. Such as: Imprudent, aimless, narrow-minded, narcissistic, irrational, extreme, critical, cowardly, unreliable, irresponsible and many others.
Which would you rather be?
We can each have a few of these or many of these. They all define us partially but not totally. For someone to really know someone else there needs to be knowledge of many of these attributes. Just knowing that someone is conscientious helps but if you don’t know that the person is also critical then you will probably have a distorted impression of that person.
This is just so with God. If we know only a few of God’s attributes then we will have a distorted sense of who God is. Knowing that God is Spirit doesn’t help us know all that He is, and so we need to learn more.
We must learn all that we can about God, not just the bits and pieces that we want to know. So, what are:
c. some of God’s attributes?
Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence, Eternality, Transcendent, Righteous, Immutable, Just, Kind, Loving, Merciful, Forgiving, Holy, Faithfulness and so many more.
Even if we learn all of these and what they mean for us there are still so many to learn that it could take a life time to learn them.
How then do we:
3. Our Response?
First of all we need to:
a. Know who He is!
Is He an impersonal God who cares nothing for creation and all that is a part of it. Or is He Your Savior, Your Lord, or Your Father?
If He is an impersonal God who cares nothing for you or the creation that we live in then you have no problem. Keep living your life not worrying about God or knowing Him. If He is your Savior then you need to know what makes Him your Savior and how that relates to you. The same goes for Him being your Lord although if He is your Lord you have a lot more to learn because Lordship implies obedience. Therefore you should know the things that He has commanded His disciples to do and do them. Or, maybe He is your Father. If He is your Father then your desire should be to know Him completely.
Because:
b. Knowing helps us to draw closer to Him.
How well do you know your parents? Those who know their parents well are closer to them then those who don’t really know their parents at all. I didn’t know my parents all that well. They didn’t talk to us much, and certainly didn’t talk much about themselves. So we knew what we figured out along the way. But that is only one side of the coin. Maybe they didn’t talk about themselves all that much because we, my siblings and I, didn’t ask all that many questions. We weren’t interested in finding out what we could before we went on our way or they passed away. They may have been very willing to talk if we had been willing to sit down and listen. James 4:8 says:
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
So it is with our Heavenly Father. He has spelled it all out in His word but we have to be willing to sit down and read. We have to be willing to take the time to dig out the information to learn about Him. And we have to be willing to pray, to talk to Him and take the time to listen. This will help us to draw close. This will help us to know Him so that we may have a correct image of who He is.
And when you know who He is you can:
c. Call upon Him. You call upon Him based on the name or attribute that you need the most at some particular time. It’s great to know Him as a Father but sometimes you may be feeling forgotten and unseen. Pushed aside by everyone in your life and you need to be seen? Call on El Roi the God who sees. Genesis 16:13 says:
13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?”
14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
Perhaps you need a shepherd? Someone to help you find food and water, someone who will lead you into a place of peace and rest or maybe you are just tired of trying to do it all on your own. Psalm 23:1-3 says:
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Perhaps you need to feel loved, you need some hope, joy, peace, or simple friendship. He can do all of this. All you have to do is ask. He will comfort the broken hearted, heal the broken of body and bring rest to the weary.
Remember when you are need John 16:23 says:
23 “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.
Exit: So turn to the Father. He is the Mighty One, the Everlasting One, the One who can do so much for us if we only ask. Turn to the One who is capable of dealing with whatever situation you are in. Turn to Him because you know who He is, you know what He can do and because you are willing to humble yourself and pray. You are willing to be still and know that He is God and that you are not. He knows you and He is for you.
Now we are going to put this information into practice.
We are going to call upon Jehovah Rapha, The LORD who heals.
If there is anyone present who would like to come forward for anointing and prayer then step forward. If you would like to come up and pray feel free.
