Post 15: Revisiting the Thankful for the Many Names of God series!

When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

Luke 13:25

Sweet friends, this post is going to wrap up our series: Thankful for the Many Names of God! I hope this series has led you to a deeper understanding of Who God is and a greater reverence for His name. To close out, it seems most fitting to look at one final name: Adonai which means Lord, Master.

Adonai [ah-daw-nahy] is found 434 times in the Old Testament and is a parallel to Jehovah and Yahweh¹. Some scholars share that Adonai was less “formal” and was used as a substitute for Jehovah and Yahweh to avoid taking the Lord’s name in vain or speaking His name as a sinner or unclean person². The word “adon” is often used in the Bible to speak of men who are lords or masters over other men, but Adonai is reserved for God to acknowledge that He is the ruler over all men².

Let’s examine some verses using Adonai:

Abraham referred to God as Adonai, Lord and Master. So did Moses. And Joshua. Gideon too. Review the verses above again and notice how each of them demonstrates a response to something the Lord has asked of them. God asked the then childless Abraham to trust His promise that he would be the father of God’s chosen nation. He asked Moses to go lead His people out of bondage in Egypt. He asked Joshua to lead His people into the Promised Land. He asked Gideon to lead His people in throwing off the oppression of the Midianites.

God asked and each man’s response began with the clear recognition that God was their Lord and Master. Their use of Adonai demonstrates that these men of God fully understood Who was in charge (even when they didn’t do exactly what He said right away). David and Solomon referred to God as Adonai as did Nehemiah as well as Job and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and countless others throughout the Old Testament.

What does this mean for us today?

Dear heart, wrapping up with Adonai feels so critical because knowing God’s many names in our heads is a good thing and being thankful for them in our hearts is an even better thing, but if we have not committed to God being our Adonai, Lord and Master, then the great and many benefits of knowing Who He is won’t be fully realized in our lives.

Let that sink in:

To fully receive the great and many benefits of knowing Who God is, you must come to know Him fully as your Lord and Master.

Do you want Elohim, Mighty and Strong, Creator of All Things to bring newness to a stagnant situation?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Do you need El Shaddai, All-Sufficient One, to step into an empty area of your life, to fill up a void that nothing else has or can?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Do you want El Olam, The Everlasting God, to redeem your past, bless your present, safeguard your future, and keep you in His hand for all eternity?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Do you wish Yahweh-Nissi, the Lord is our Banner, was the rallying point you could run to for strength and encouragement again and again?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Do you long for the peace that only Yahweh-Shalom, the Lord is Peace, can provide?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Do you need Yahweh-Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, to overthrow the strongholds the enemy has built in your life, the attacks that he hits you with in the dead of night?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Does your heart desire for Yahweh-M’kaddesh, the Lord Who Sanctifies, to wash away unclean thoughts, words, or deeds, to make you whole and wholly His?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Do you have a need that you want Yahweh-Jireh, the Lord Will Provide, to meet for you?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Do you have a mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual hurt that you need Yahweh-Rapha, the Lord Who Heals, to mend for you?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Do you feel alone, overlooked, dismissed or deserted and desperately want to know that El Roi, God of Seeing, is looking after you?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Do you have a tendency to wander aimlessly or flee at the first sign of trouble and need Yahweh-Rohi, the Lord Our Shepherd, to guide you to food, water, rest, and safety?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Do you want Yahweh-Tsidkenu, the Lord Our Righteousness, to fully justify you?

• Surrender to God as your Adonai, Lord and Master.

Beloved, fully embracing Who God is begins with surrendering to His reign in our lives as Adonai, Lord and Master.

To move beyond knowing His names to trusting His character, to boldly cling to Who He is in every situation, to draw the fullest blessing from His infinite supply of goodness, we must learn to respond to what He asks of us with clear recognition that He is in charge.

He is the Lord and all we have is granted from Him to be stewarded well and given back to Him for His glory. He is the Master and we are His servants; our time, talents, and treasure are to be freely given in service to His Kingdom.

Will we always get it right? Um…did Abraham and Moses always get it exactly right? No, they did not. Did David or Solomon? Read my series “We Three Kings” for a look into those gents. But in short, no, they didn’t.

Adonai, our Lord and Master, knows we won’t always get it right. In His grace, He doesn’t expect perfection. Only progress. We only have to look at Romans 5:8 to know that’s true: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Christian, if you’ve not fully surrendered to God as Adonai, Lord and Master, there’s no better time than now, no better place than wherever you are. If you know God closely as Adonai, be vigilant in keeping Him first and foremost on the throne of your heart each day lest the temptations of this world cause your service to stray.

Pray with me.

El Olam, Everlasting God, the depth and breadth of Your character amazes us! Most High God, truly You are all-sufficient and all we could ever want or need. Adonai, Lord, we surrender all that we have and all that we are to Your charge. You alone are mighty and strong, the Creator and Provider who looks after us, providing all that we need exactly when we need it, how we need it. Forgive us Lord when we seek our own way to meet our wants or needs. Forgive us Master when our wants, words, or actions do not bring You glory or serve Your Kingdom. We praise You Yahweh-Tsidkenu for giving us Your righteousness. We ask that You rally us Yahweh-Nissi with Your strength to withstand the temptations of the evil one. Yahweh-Sabaoth, we praise You for the victories we have seen and those we know are yet to come! Yahweh-Rapha, heal us of the troubles and ailments of our fleshly nature. Yahweh-M’kaddesh, set our hearts and minds on the path toward sanctification. El Roi, see us in our hour of need. Yahweh-Rohi, guide your wandering sheep to safety. Yahweh-Shalom grant Your peace to the land of Your people Israel and to all of Your children throughout the world. All glory and honor to Your name forevermore for You alone are God! Amen.

References:

1. Blue Letter Bible. 2022. The names of God in the Old Testament. https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm
2. Got Questions. 2022. What are the names of God and what do they mean? https://www.gotquestions.org/names-of-God.html