101 Journey Flag #4: Name

Remember! When I refer to person in the Godhead in any blog, I am referring either to singular person (one-of-three) or to the collective person (three-in-one) of the Triune.

Closely associated with the great land of Spirit in the terrain of God’s Invisible Self is the territory of Name, and it is a rich and fertile land of identity, initiative and meaning, dear tour companion. Thus here I place the fourth Journey Flag. And it reads:

The 4^th aspect of the invisible self in the Godhead is Name.

Let’s start with meaning in the name of God.

God’s name is a field of being richly sown with meaning. So, first of all, we want to deal with what, therefore, meaning is.

Encarta defines meaning as “what somebody intends to express, either in words or action; what something signifies or indicates; psychological or moral sense, purpose or significance (such as, life is empty without meaning); conveying a significance that is not directly expressed . . .”

Thus the Names of God reveal significance that is not necessarily directly expressed.

First, from His Name can emanate the major component of His Nature—His identity (I AM). Other components of this name (“I AM”) include His purpose (pure goodness) and His being and doing—His reputation (works), His character (virtuous), His behavior (lawful), His attitudes (reasonable, moderate, disciplined and restrained). We know this by the things “I AM” does.

Beyond even meaningfulness and identity, what emerges as most striking in the study of His names is that out of this invisible, powerful, diversely equipped, purposeful, motivated self or person of God there proceeds initiative. Recognition of His initiative is frequently a major component of the names of God.

For example, by definition only God can bara (Genesis 1). God takes initiative and acts and is the first action and first cause for all being, and certain of His names, by definition, include all that information: for example, God, Jehovah, Yahweh, and Jesus Christ are all names explicitly defined as the name above all names.

So you see when one gives God a name—such as when I call Him the Great Gift Giver—I am well within my rights to do so. Scripture is full of reports of grateful individuals praising God by giving Him a name that describes what great works He has done in their lives, names like the “God Who Supplies (2 Corinthians 9:10)” or the “God Who Forgives (Luke 8:49, Psalm 103:3a)” or the “God Who Delivers (1 Thessalonians 1:10b)” or the “God Who Heals (Psalm 103:3b)” or “God With Us (Matthew 1:23)”, and so on. These are names that proceed from that individual’s experience of God.

I am intensely aware of God as my Gift Giver. He regularly showers me and mine with the dazzling blessings of Grace (undeserved favor). In addition to being my Great Gift Giver, I experience God as “God with Us.” He is my very present God.

I suppose you can see, dear reader, that names for God come from the recognition of God by the heart and the senses. For me that heart recognition comes from my experience of an overflowing response of gratitude and appreciation of Him, that He leans near to me and I know it.

To be continued . . .