Call His name

Posted on by korgrocker

“As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””
Romans 10:11-13 NLT

In our verses today, Paul continues his theme of salvation with two quotes from the Old Testament, from Isaiah 28:16 and Joel 2:32. The first is embedded within a prophetic message from Isaiah, to the people of Israel, the northern kingdom, whose capital was Samaria. It was a prophecy of hope, about the coming King, “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken”. The second of Paul’s quotes was from the prophet Joel. Joel prophesied about the coming devastation of Judah, but through it all, the Lord promised to restore His people. We read, “But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the Lord has said. These will be among the survivors whom the Lord has called”. 

What a wonderful picture of God’s grace! God’s heart of love for people everywhere, even those who have rebelled against Him, and who have rejected and denied Him, nevertheless encourages them to reach out to Him in faith, trusting Him for their future. His grace knows no limits, because he is a generous, unstinting God. And Joel’s prophecy is clear – “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”. Calling on God’s name started a long time before Isaiah and Joel. We read in Genesis 4:26, “Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord”. But what does it mean to “call on the name of the Lord”? We hear many such calls in society today, but mostly they are using God’s name as a swear word, a blasphemy. It’s the devil’s way of diverting the perfect holiness of God’s name into the ordinary and mundane. But we pilgrims call on God’s name in our prayers, our praise and worship, our quiet times. We acknowledge His righteousness and holiness. We express our grateful thanks for all He has done for us and those dear to us. 

We don’t just call on God’s name when we made our confession of faith though. It’s an act that we do continually. We read in Psalm 116:2, “Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live”. It’s a forever life choice. We’re also encouraged to call upon Him when we’re in trouble, – “and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour me” (Psalm 50:15). Above all, though, calling on God’s name identifies us pilgrims as His followers. His people. His children. 

Our tv screens are full of people, calling out slogans and shouting out sound bites integrated with their ideologies. Political activists call out the name of their leaders. In reverent tones, our educators call out the names of eminent scientists, writers and philosophers of bygone ages. But there is only one name that is worth referring to. There is a web site that claims that God has 952 names in the Bible. And it is true that God has so many facets to His character that it will be difficult to find names to describe them all. But we don’t have to get caught up in thinking of all God’s names. As we read His Word, we find out more and more about Him, and, amazingly, we always manage to find hidden treasures buried in the Scriptures. So, we call upon the name of the Lord, for revelation of those facets of His character that He wants us to become acquainted with. And we will find a reward for our searching – salvation for all eternity.

Dear God. We worship You, El-Shaddai, God Almighty. Amen.

Blasphemy

Posted on by korgrocker

“You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth. Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonour God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.””
Romans‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT

Paul wrote a withering and hard-hitting critique of the behaviour of the Jewish Christians in Rome. He pulled no punches and the more sensitive of his hearers would have been squirming in their seats with red faces as Paul’s letter was read out. There is no direct quotation “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you” that the Bible scholars have been able to find, but the nearest one, they say, is from Isaiah 52:5, which reads, “”What is this?” asks the Lord. “Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is blasphemed all day long.”” If that was the Scripture Paul had in mind, then he seemed to be quoting it a bit out of context, but that just adds to the authenticity of his account. The meaning of Isaiah 52:5 fits in very well with Paul’s tirade, particularly when it moves on to verse 7 in the chapter. 

But what is blasphemy? The word is not in common everyday use, even in our churches. But it is a very important word, because it describes the “act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God” (dictionary definition). In Isaiah 52, the background is of a people oppressed by a stronger nation, first Egypt and then Assyria. And the contempt shown to God’s people, the Jews, leads to God’s name being blasphemed “all day long”. In a sense, today, Western Christians are treated with contempt. We are considered to be deluded, worshipping a being that is foreign to the secularists in the society around us. A being they perceive as being more a tradition than anything relevant. A being only found, within old dusty buildings filled with the music and lyrics of a bygone age, long gone. But there’s a strange phenomenon – all these people who don’t know God, who deny His very presence, and who want nothing to do with Him –  they use His name frequently as part of colloquial expletives in conversation. I’ve written before about a lady I used to work with who, although a confirmed, and even mildly aggressive, atheist, frequently punctuated her conversations with “Oh my god”, presumably to add some weight to the more extreme parts of her dialogue. But she had failed to make the connection between her state of God-denial and the use of His name in her conversation. After I had pointed out this anomaly, I never heard her use the expression again. But there are other references to the names of God and Jesus that are frequently used in our society, in a sadly wearying and constant flow of blasphemy.

In some cultures and religions, blasphemy is a capital offence. Apparently, there are thirteen countries in the world that retain the death penalty for the offence of blasphemy. 

But back to our Scriptures in Isaiah 52. In Isaiah 52:6, God introduced a “but”. Don’t we need God’s “buts”! We read, “But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them”. As God’s people, we know it doesn’t matter what those unbelievers around us say, because one day they will be held to account for their words. They can blaspheme all they like. The important thing is that God said He will reveal His name to us, His people. And He says it’s a powerful name. 

One day, all those people who blaspheme God’s name will have a nasty shock. What they considered and used so contemptibly will bring them to their knees and they will have to declare that Jesus is Lord. We read that in Philippians 2:10-11, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. 

Back in our verses from Romans, the enormity of the responsibility we have is clear. Are we pilgrims doing anything, or behaving in such a way, that causes those around us to blaspheme? It’s always a good thing to do a spiritual check up from time to time, to make sure that what we are doing, or the way we are doing it, never dishonours God. 

Father God. We echo the prayer Jesus taught His disciples and hallow Your name today. We honour You. We elevate You in our thoughts and prayers. We declare our love for You, the one and only Mighty God. Amen.

Names

Posted on by korgrocker

O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Psalm 8:1 NKJ

What a tremendous Psalm of praise this is, as it acknowledges our wonderful God. The translator uses the word “excellent’ to describe the Lord’s name. Other translations use the word “majestic”. But no matter how hard we try, our dictionaries to not carry words of sufficient meaning to properly describe God. Looking at verse 2, perhaps His name should be “Child-Teacher” and “Enemy-Silencer”. Verse 3 perhaps “Star-Maker”. Verse 5 perhaps “Human-Carer” or “King-Maker”. It is a useful way of spending time with God, seeing how many different words or phrases we can find to describe Him. You will remember from the passage in Genesis how God brought all the animals to Adam, so that he could name them. So Adam named the giraffe and the zebra, the cow and the donkey. (I wonder what he made of the alpaca – strange looking animal, but that’s just my opinion). But we always have the option to reciprocate, and find words to describe God.

Giving a name to someone or something, tangible or intangible, is an essential part of communication. Dictionaries are constantly being updated with new words or with new meanings to existing words. Often the new word or meaning is helpful and relevant to the society and times in which we live, but sadly there are now old words assigned a new meaning, hijacked by godless people and now to be avoided. 

But back to our Psalm. It was written by David and in verse 3 you can just imagine him lying in a pasture with a flock of contented sheep, looking up at the heavens and musing over how great God is. Looking at the stars, countlessly forming an awesome canopy over him, unspoilt by light pollution and the astronomical familiarity of our scientists. The Psalmist said that the stars were put there by God’s fingers. Wow! This is a mind boggling place to be and totally beyond mankind’s ability to give it justice with our words, our language. It is in this place of wonder that I often find myself during my early morning prayer walks. Looking around at the constantly changing scenery, the leaves so recently formed now starting to drop as autumn advances. Listening to the bird song and the wind rushing through the tree tops. Watching a “V” of geese honking their way South to find pasture more suitable for them than Scottish fields, glens and lochs in winter.

And in my wonder I echo the first and last verses in this Psalm, praising and thanking our excellent and majestic God.