Name Above All Names – The Names of God Advent Study – Week One

Welcome to the 2020 Advent series here at Beautifully Broken. I am glad you are here. This year we are going to spend the next four weeks unwrapping some names of God. Have you ever wondered why there are so many names in the Bible for God? Me, too.

Our names are important, don’t you agree? We have a first name, a last name, and usually a middle name. Then we often have nicknames. It is this combination of names that makes us unique.  Do you remember when everybody’s name and phone number were listed in a phone book? Our names are important because they identify and introduce us.

Called to Greatness

Often, we call people by a name added to them because of something they have done or achieved. We call Elvis Presley “The King of Rock-and-roll”, Emily Dickinson “The Belle of Amherst, and Wayne Gretzky “The Great One”. Some of the Bible’s favorite characters have nicknames that help describe them:

• John the Baptist

• Jonah, The Reluctant Prophet

• Jeremiah, The Weeping Prophet

As we read through the Bible, we quickly learn the Scriptures contain several names for God, too.

One of the main reasons for the many, many names for God is that God is worthy of our honor and praise. He is greater than the best musician in all the land. His Word is more powerful than anything written by a Pulitzer prize winner. And He can outperform the greatest athletes of all time.

God’s many names don’t come close to giving glory and honor to the number of ways God is great, but it is a start.

The Character of God

Each of God’s names in the Bible highlights a specific aspect of God’s character. As we unwrap just a few of the names we hear mentioned in the Bible, we will reveal new and more in-depth knowledge of just who God is.

When we investigate the meanings of these names, we will begin to see what a gift it is to learn more about those names, and therefore more about God.

The Word

Let’s start at the beginning. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” How was the earth created? Each day of creation begins with the words, “God said.” It is God, the Word, who created the universe.

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. Psalm 33:6

In Hebrew Scriptures, the Word was an agent of creation, the message to His people through the prophets, and His law. God is the Word, the world was created by the word of God the Word, His message, the Word of God was created by God the Word, and His laws are written in the Word of God, by God, the Word. Perhaps John expresses this better than I do.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5

The first gift we unwrap this year is all of creation; what a tremendous gift the Word of God created for us!

More Than a Name

This Advent Season, I am going to cover only a few of the names of God. As you can see, we only got through one of them this week. However, studying God’s names is a great way to discover who you are by knowing who God is. Can I recommend an excellent book for learning more? My friend, Liz Giertz, wrote the book, More Than a Name, and it is available HERE. I have found this book to be a quick and thorough study of 31 of the names of God.

The Most Elaborate Gift of All

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the most elaborate gift of all, the gift of the heavens and the earth, for creating us in your image, for the gift of companionship, and the blessing of family. All this you, the Word, created. We thank you for being the light that shines in the darkness and for sending your Son to be the living Word of God who continues to live on in us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.