The Name of God and Public Worship by Jack Kettler
Public worship and heavenly reality:
The apostle Paul, makes the statement that during worship we are seated with Christ in heaven, specifically; “and made us sit together in heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:6). Jesus our King is enthroned at the Father's right hand, and we, through our union with Him, are led in heavenly worship by the King Jesus; “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12).
“Our Help is in the Name of the Lord.” (Psalm 124:8)
God's name, elicits praise! We are to Praise His Glorious Name!
A Christian definition of praise to God: is the joyful thanking and adoring of God, the celebration of His goodness and grace.1
“I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.” (Psalm 7:17)
“Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.” (Psalm 66:2)
“Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!” (Psalm 72:19)
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” (Psalm 100:4)
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)
“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised.” (Psalm 113:3)
“Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.” (Psalm 148:13)
The following is an abbreviated list of God's revealed names and attributes:
A Hebrew Name for God is Adonai. Adonai is the plural of Adon, meaning “Lord, LORD, or master.”
Adonai - The Lord My Great Lord
But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, [Jehovah Adonai] what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” (Genesis 15:2)
A Hebrew Name of God is El. The word El comes from a root word meaning “might, strength, or power.”
El - The Strong One
The God [el] who equipped me with strength [chayil] and made my way blameless. (Psalm 18:32)
El Elohe Yisrael - The God of Israel
You, LORD God [elohim Yhvh] of hosts, are God of Israel [Yisrael]. Rouse yourself to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah (Psalms 59:5)
El Elyon - The God Most High
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God [el] Most High [elyown]. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God [el] Most High, [elyown] Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God [el] Most High, [elyown] who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:18-20)
Elohim - The God of Hosts
Restore us, O God [elohim] of hosts; [tsaba] let your face shine, that we may be saved! (Psalms 80:7)
El Olam - The Eternal God
That this is God, [eloheinu] our God [elohim] forever and ever. He will guide us forever [olam]. (Psalms 48:14)
El Roi - The God Who Sees me
So she called the name of the LORD [Yhvh] who spoke to her, “You are a God [el] of seeing, [roi] ” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” (Genesis 16:13)
El Hakabodh - The GOD of Glory
The voice of the LORD [Yhvh] is over the waters; the God [el] of glory thunders, the LORD, [Yhvh] over many waters. (Psalms 29:3)
El Gibbor - The Mighty God
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, [el] Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
El Bethel - GOD of the House of GOD
And there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God [elohim] had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. (Genesis 35:7)
El Shaddai - The All Sufficient One; The God of the Mountains
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD [Yhvh] appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God [El-Shaddai] Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” (Genesis 17:1,2)
Immanuel - God With Us
Therefore the Lord [Adonay] himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
As seen in Isaiah, we run into a prophecy about the Messiah, which states His name will be Immanuel. Immanuel literally means “God is with us.” This is important because Jesus is God in flesh.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . . ,” (John 1:1, 14).
For in Him [Jesus] all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form," (Colossians 2:9).
“I am Jehovah: this is my name: and my glory I will not give to another.” (Isaiah 42:8)
Jehovah (/dʒᵻˈhoʊvə/ jə-HOH-və) is a Latinization of the Hebrew יְהֹוָה, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible.2
Jehovah (YHWH) - “I AM;” The One Who Is; The Self-Existent One
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD [Yhvh] God [elohim] made the earth and the heavens. (Genesis 2:4)
Jehovah-Jireh - The Lord Will Provide
So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD [Yhvh] will provide” [raah]; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD [Yhvh] it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:14)
Jehovah-Nissi - The Lord is My Banner
And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD [Yhvh] Is My Banner [nes]. (Exodus 17:15)
Jehovah-Shalom - The Lord is Peace
Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD [Yhvh] and called it, The LORD [Yhvh] Is Peace [shalom]. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites. (Judges 6:24)
Jehovah Metsudhathi - The LORD My High Tower
The LORD [Yhvh] is my rock and my fortress [matsuwd] and my deliverer, my God, [el] my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalms 18:2)
Jehovah-Rapha - The Lord Who Heals
“If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD [Yhvh] your God, [elohim] and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, [Yhvh] your healer.” (Exodus 15:26)
Jehovah-Rohi - The Lord is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David. The LORD [Yhvh] is my shepherd; [ra'ah] I shall not want. (Psalms 23:1)
Jehovah-Sabaoth - The Lord of Hosts
Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD [Yhvh] of hosts [tsaba] at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD. [Yhvh] (1 Samuel 1:3)
Jehovah-Shammah - The Lord My Companion
The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD [Yhvh] Is There [shammah].” (Ezekiel 48:35)
Jehovah-Tsidkenu - The Lord Our Righteousness
In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD [Yhvh] is our righteousness’ [tsedeq]. (Jeremiah 23:6)
Theos is the Greek word translated “God.” Theos is the principal name for God used in the New Testament.
Kurios is the Greek word translated “Lord.” Stresses authority and supremacy. It is used largely as the equivalent of Yahweh of the Old Testament.
The benediction is an act or pronouncement of blessing, literally, placing God's name upon His people. In the Old Testament, the Aaronic benediction was given to Aaron and his sons as a part of their ministry in God's behalf towards His people (Numbers 6:22-27). The New Testament parallel is the apostolic benediction, (2 Corinthians 13:14) which reflects God's favor toward His people.
In conclusion, at the beginning of worship, throughout the service, including the final benediction, God glorifies His Name and we in response give praise to His Name! As congregates go, the minister places God's name upon the members of God's Church.
Mr. Kettler has previously published articles in the Chalcedon Report and Contra Mundum. He and his wife Marea attend the Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church. Mr. Kettler is the author of the book defending the Reformed Faith against attacks, titled: The Religion That Started in a Hat. Available at: www.TheReligionThatStartedInAHat.com
Notes:
1. Definition from the NIV Bible
2. Definition from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah