In the adult Sunday school class I attend at the Sunset congregation, we have just finished (2nd Quarter, 2019) a 13 week study entitled, Trusting in the Name(s) of God. I was privileged to teach three of the sessions, and hear some of the best teachers we have at Sunset International Bible Institute teach the other sessions. While I had studied in the past the various terms and names attributed to God, this time was especially rewarding. Over several posts, I want to share some of the resources I/we used as well as the three lessons I presented.
First, let’s make sure we clarify exactly what we are talking about. Consider some of these names and expressions as applied to God:
Ӣ Elohim (God) РWHAT He is! There is no other God but Him.
Ӣ Jehovah (YHWH) РHis NAME as given to Moses at the burning bush.
Ӣ Almighty God (El Shaddai) Рthe POWER of God described.
Ӣ The Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sabbaoth) РCOMMANDER of the Hosts of Heaven and of Israel
Ӣ God Most High (El Elyon) РHis elevated POSITION.
There are many more besides these very recognizable names of God. You will find some lists of them in the various reference materials given at the end of this article.
But it is not just His names; the scriptures make repeated references to the role or centrality of God’s name with expressions like:
”¢ “Call on the name of the Lord”
”¢ “For the sake of His name”
Ӣ Not take His name in vain
Clearly, “there is something about that name!”
Now, to trust in the Name(s) of God means to truly believe and act according to what those names affirm about Him – that He is Eternal, All Powerful, Greater Than All, etc.
Some of the resources that our teachers at Sunset were provided included:
”¢ A study guide entitled “Names of God,” by Larry Brown found on the Embry Hills Church of Christ website.
Ӣ The Names of God, by Ann Spangler.
”¢ The Power of God’s Names, by Tony Evans.
And here are some additional resources I would recommend:
”¢ Bible.org article – “Names of God,” by J. Hampton Keathley
”¢ Bible.org article – “Names of God,” by Gregory Brown
”¢ GotQuestions.org article – “The Different Names of God“
”¢ LoveWorthFinding.org article – “Names of God,” by Adrian Rogers
Ӣ Praying the Names of God, by Ann Spangler Рwhich I found even better than her book listed above
Ӣ The Ultimate Guide to the Names of God, by Elmer Towns
Ӣ The First Person, by Lehman Strauss Рonly available used now, but also part of The Godhead, by Lehman Strauss, also out of print.
”¢ Names and Titles of God, by Dr. Ralph Wilson. Read more on Dr. Wilson’s website at www.jesuswalk.com.
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