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Remember Who You Are
Remember Who You Are (Exodus 20:7, Exodus 3:1-15)
Whatâs in a name? When Juliet posed the question to Romeo, she ascribed all their relationship challenges to his heritage. To her, a name was an artificial and meaningless convention, and whatever one was called had no bearing on who one truly was. If only he had been born a Smith or a Jones and not a Montague, they would have been free to live happily ever after. Family feuds aside, how important are names? Are they simply a social convention?
Most of us receive our names at or shortly after our birth. Perhaps our parents were inspired by an ancestor or other relative, a friend, a famous person, or even simply a creative thought when they chose our name. Some people seem to grow into their name and embrace it; others canât wait until they are old enough to change it. In addition to our given names, we may also be called Mom, Dad, Bro or Sis, Cuz, or even Mr. President, Your Highness, or Your Holiness. Then there are the affectionate names: Sweetheart, Honey, Mâlove, etc. Those words do more than simply name us: they also describe who we are in relation to someone else. And like it or not, our names influence who we become, how we see ourselves, and how others see us. The way people use our name says a lot about what they think of us, so we all hope to hear our name spoken respectfully and not misused.
God has many names. In the Old Testament, the Israelites knew him as The Lord God Almighty, the Most High, Master, Our Righteousness, Banner, Shepherd, and Sanctifier. They knew him as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Everlasting God. Moses asked what name he should tell the people when they asked who had sent him, and God replied, âI AM.â The Eternal One. The One True God. As people we are unique, but unless our parents got extremely creative with the alphabet and punctuation, our name is not likely to be one-of-a-kind. Godâs names, however, like God are unique. Nobody else can claim to be who he says he is. He is holy, and his name is holy. He is powerful, and his name reflects that power. He is loving, merciful, and just, and his name reveals those qualities. To use his name casually is to treat him casually. To curse or swear by his name is an insult to his character. We are commanded to respect his name as we respect him.
Throughout scripture, the Israelites were reminded what God had done for them. He delivered them from slavery. Kept them alive in the desert. Preserved them as a people. Defended them from their enemies. As their Father he also disciplined them. Whenever they forgot who and Whose they were, he reminded them, sometimes in ways we might consider harsh or excessive. But it was crucial that his people remembered who God was and who they were in relation to him: his chosen people. His adopted children. We also need to remember that we are his children. In ways we donât even know or understand, he has delivered us from slavery. Kept us alive in our own desert times. Preserved us and defended us. He also disciplines us, as any good father does, because he loves us. So when we speak his name, it should be reverently, respectfully, and with humility and gratitude. Would we do less for anyone else we love?
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By Westview Church Waukee Iowa RCARemember Who You Are (Exodus 20:7, Exodus 3:1-15)
Whatâs in a name? When Juliet posed the question to Romeo, she ascribed all their relationship challenges to his heritage. To her, a name was an artificial and meaningless convention, and whatever one was called had no bearing on who one truly was. If only he had been born a Smith or a Jones and not a Montague, they would have been free to live happily ever after. Family feuds aside, how important are names? Are they simply a social convention?
Most of us receive our names at or shortly after our birth. Perhaps our parents were inspired by an ancestor or other relative, a friend, a famous person, or even simply a creative thought when they chose our name. Some people seem to grow into their name and embrace it; others canât wait until they are old enough to change it. In addition to our given names, we may also be called Mom, Dad, Bro or Sis, Cuz, or even Mr. President, Your Highness, or Your Holiness. Then there are the affectionate names: Sweetheart, Honey, Mâlove, etc. Those words do more than simply name us: they also describe who we are in relation to someone else. And like it or not, our names influence who we become, how we see ourselves, and how others see us. The way people use our name says a lot about what they think of us, so we all hope to hear our name spoken respectfully and not misused.
God has many names. In the Old Testament, the Israelites knew him as The Lord God Almighty, the Most High, Master, Our Righteousness, Banner, Shepherd, and Sanctifier. They knew him as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Everlasting God. Moses asked what name he should tell the people when they asked who had sent him, and God replied, âI AM.â The Eternal One. The One True God. As people we are unique, but unless our parents got extremely creative with the alphabet and punctuation, our name is not likely to be one-of-a-kind. Godâs names, however, like God are unique. Nobody else can claim to be who he says he is. He is holy, and his name is holy. He is powerful, and his name reflects that power. He is loving, merciful, and just, and his name reveals those qualities. To use his name casually is to treat him casually. To curse or swear by his name is an insult to his character. We are commanded to respect his name as we respect him.
Throughout scripture, the Israelites were reminded what God had done for them. He delivered them from slavery. Kept them alive in the desert. Preserved them as a people. Defended them from their enemies. As their Father he also disciplined them. Whenever they forgot who and Whose they were, he reminded them, sometimes in ways we might consider harsh or excessive. But it was crucial that his people remembered who God was and who they were in relation to him: his chosen people. His adopted children. We also need to remember that we are his children. In ways we donât even know or understand, he has delivered us from slavery. Kept us alive in our own desert times. Preserved us and defended us. He also disciplines us, as any good father does, because he loves us. So when we speak his name, it should be reverently, respectfully, and with humility and gratitude. Would we do less for anyone else we love?
Click Here to Listen
http://www.westview.org/wp-content/uploads/Podcast2017/podcast6-25-17.mp3 | Open Player in New Window