A Revelation of God and His Character By His Names, Part 2

A Revelation of God and His Character By His Names

Part 2

Believers in Christ should study the Names of God in the Old Testament for they provide another insight into who God is and how the believer can trust that he will be and do everything he has promised to do! Some believers greatest failures simply comes down to really not knowing him like we should. The Names of God in the Old Testament unveil different aspects of his goodness and character that assure the heart of his people that his good Name is worthy to be praised. “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee (Psa 9:10). The Proverbs again say, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Pro 18:10). It is the Name of the Lord that delivers those who call upon it:

 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: (Joel 2:32a).

I.               El Roi, El Elohe Israel, El Olam (Isa 40:28, Gen 16:13, Gen 33:20). As we begin, we need to consider context by which these revelations come of God’s Names. Our first in this lesson is ‘El Roi.’ In Genesis 16, the Bible reader is introduced to “the God who sees.” Hagar the maidservant of Sarai has been mistreated and beaten by her mistress over jealousy while pregnant. Hagar fled because she had been mistreated due to the family feud over Sarai’s barrenness. It is not recorded, but possibly some insensitive word may had proceeded from Hagar’s lips that provoked her mistress to deal with her so harshly, nevertheless Hagar had been wronged by Sarai and the LORD sent an angel to meet with Hagar and counsel with her over the distress of her heart and quiet her fears. The angel asked her why she was on the path to Shur, what had happened to cause her to flee from her master’s house. Hagar poured out her complaint to the angel and the LORD comforted her by promising her that her seed would be prolific and would become a great multitude. Possibly she had feared that she might have a miscarriage if she went back and was beaten again by Sarai. The angel told Hagar that her son’s name would be Ishmael and that the LORD had heard her affliction. The name Ishmael means “the LORD will hear,” reminding Hagar of this encounter and that God was watching over her and the seed in her womb. God said that Ishmael would be a wild man, too bad she did not petition God to make him an obedient man. It is here that we see the name of God “EL ROI” revealed at the well Beer-lahai-roi, “the LORD sees.” God tells her to return and submit to her mistress and that it will work out. The child of God can rest in the Lord that he sees us at all times and his eyes are continually upon us. This brings comfort for those who are afflicted, but fear to those who desire to sin. For he loves us so much that he cannot take his eyes off us. The proverbs say, “ The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Pro 15:3).  There is no greater commendation in the Old Testament than someone did right in the sight of the LORD, and condemnation than he/she did evil in the sight of the LORD (2 Chron 25:2, 2 Chron 26:4, 2 Chron 34:2, 2 Chron 36:5). God has seven eyes, for all seven continents he sees it all and knows all, “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth” (Rev 5:6). The elders and unbelievers said in Isaiah “who seeth us, who knoweth us” (Isa 29:15), God sees and knows each of us and is keeping record in his book, He is omniscient-knows all things, omnipresent-present everywhere, omnipotent-all powerful (Read Amos 4:13). When Nathaniel was brought to Jesus, Jesus proclaimed to him that he had seen him under the fig tree before Philip brought him to meet Jesus (John 1:48). Now Nathaniel was so moved by what Jesus said that he proclaimed him to be the Son of God, and Messiah the King of Israel. What was it that Nathaniel was doing under the fig tree, could it have been prayer? Whatever it was, it was so convincing that he knew who Jesus was, and that he sees and knows us! Jesus is EL Roi, the God who sees me!

To Be Continued...!