The Significance & Importance of a Good Name:

The Psalmist declares in Ps. 8:1, "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" That's a powerful and profound statement! What is it about God's name that's so majestic? Solomon wrote that "A good name is more desirable than great riches; and to be esteemed is better than silver or gold, (Pr. 22:1). What he's saying is, you can't really put a value on "good character".

Our own names as people, whether we like it or not, get attachments. The way we are, the way we conduct ourselves in the various areas of life are soon identified with our name. If someone mentions the name, "Hitler" it immediately brings up a "character picture" in our mind. Character traits attach themselves to our names. Famous people are identified by name but known by their ways. They're known for what they did. Their actions revealed their character and that's what the name now represents. Pr. 20:11 says, "Even a child is know by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right."

For Your Name's Sake:

David was a man after God's own heart, (Acts 13:22) The psalms that he wrote reveal to us great intimacy. This man knew and loved his God with a deep uncommon passion. Nothing meant more to him than his active, progressive relationship with the true and living God. It was him who said, "Those who know your name will trust in you, (Ps. 9:10).

When David talks about knowing the name of the LORD he's not talking about knowing how God's name is spelled and pronounced. He's talking about knowing the character traits that are attached to the name. He's talking about what the name stands for and represents. When we know and understand this, then we are able to commit ourselves fully to him, trusting in His character, trusting in His name.

David often appealed to God on the basis of His name. David understood that God Himself is very purposed in maintaining a good name. That means He must remain consistent with His character if there's to be any credibility to His name at all.

David said:

* Ps. 23:3- He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness FOR HIS NAME SAKE.

* Ps. 79:9- Help us, O God our Savior FOR the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins FOR your name's sake.

* Ps. 109:21- But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me FOR YOUR NAME'S SAKE; out of the good of your love, deliver me.

* Ps. 143:11- FOR YOUR NAME'S SAKE, O Lord, preserve my life,...

David's method of appealing to the LORD clearly reveals that he understood God was committed to acting and responding in a way that was consistent with His divine nature and character. David knew that God would do what was necessary to maintain a credible name, one that accurately represented Him. If know the character traits of our God we can trust in His name.

The Name of the LORD Revealed:

Moses had a deep passion to really know God. He said to the Lord, "If you are pleased with me, teach me your WAYS SO I MAY KNOW YOU, (Ex. 33:13). The answer to this request resulted in an incredible experience for Moses. "Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the LORD," (Ex. 34:5). God came down and stood there! He was in essence taking His stand on the earth and in so doing PROCLAIMED His name! His person! His character!

As the LORD (Jehovah) stood there with Moses He started out by declaring that His name IS IN FACT the LORD or Jehovah which actually means, "The self-existent one who reveals Himself". This in itself, is a revelation of God's person. "He is the God who reveals himself." He's the God that wants to be known. He is not a god hiding away. It's in God's heart to be known and understood by His people. "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, SO THAT you may know and believe me and understand that I am He... (Isa. 43:10).

So in this awesome revelation of the character of God we find that it is His character trait to not hide His heart from us but rather to expose it. He will always be found of people who seek Him, (Deut. 4:9, Pr. 8:17, Jer. 29:13, Mt. 7:7).

NIV Bible:
* compassionate
* gracious
* slow to anger
* abounding in love
* abounding in faithfulness
* maintain love--
* forgiving wickedness
* does not leave the guilty unpunished

KJV Bible:
* merciful
* gracious
* long suffering
* abundant in goodness
* abundant in truth
* maintaining mercy {faithful}
* forgiving
* by no means clears the guilty

This lists the basic fundamentals of the character of God. This is His name. The name that's majestic. When you actually stop and consider these character traits, it's not too long before you feel yourself saying, "AWESOME"! What an awesome Go!. This is His good name and God will go to great extent, seeing to it that His name remains credible. It's, as we understand our God's heart that we can become free to trust Him, knowing that He will remain true to His character, true to His name.

Security in Stability:

We find ourselves living in a world and a society where it seems that nothing stays the same any longer than it takes to change it. In some areas of life this has a way of breeding insecurity and instability. For the children of God it doesn't hurt for us to be reminded from time to time that this world system is not ours. We're a part of God's eternal kingdom and He's our King.

Consistency in character is important for the building of relationship. It's very frustrating in relationship where there's inconsistency. One's never quite sure what to expect or how to approach things. Well, our God is the UNCHANGING GOD. What you see is what you get. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, (Heb. 13:8). When God was expressing Himself through Malachi the prophet He said, "I the LORD do not change (Mal. 3:6).

When the Lord gave Moses the revelation of His divine character, He was also telling us. This is my heart, My unchanging heart. This is what I'm like and this is what I will forever be. Our God will ALWAYS BE: compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. He will always be loving and forgiving. He will always remain just and will always be desirous of revealing more of Himself to us.

Running Into the Name of the Lord:

God's unchanging character is the foundation on which trust is established. Why? Because there's consistency there. Because He never changes, never various, never fluctuates. He's ALWAYS THE SAME. Is it any wonder He's called the Rock?

The Psalmist speaks for all God's people when He says of the LORD, "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand, (Ps. 40:2).

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe," (Ps.18:10). What a powerful truth! The name of the Lord is unmovable. His character is a spiritual fortress. Our place of safety and security is in His name. A place we can always resort to in times of trouble.

In the Rock:

When Moses was being given the revelation of the name of the LORD, the Lord said to him, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand,...(Ex. 33:21).

For us, the Rock is Christ, (1 Cor. 10:4) and our God has placed us in the Rock, (Rom. 6:3). God's person, His character, and nature is like an eternal, unmovable ROCK.

Protection:

Expanding on the thought of being in the Rock Christ. Jesus asked the Father in Jn. 17:17--"Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me." Christ was given His Father's name. Now this goes far beyond the spelling and pronunciation of words. It goes to the depths of the Father's person, to His character and nature. It goes right back tot he revelation Jehovah gave to Moses in Ex. 24:5-7 and reaches deep into the heart of the Eternal God of Glory.

We shouldn't really be too surprise that Christ was given the Father's name because we're told that "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being," (Heb. 1:3). Jesus said that when someone looked at Him, "he sees the one who sent me," (Jn. 12:45). We understand from Col. 1:15 that Jesus "is the image of the invisible God", and that it pleased the Father to have all His FULLNESS dwell in Christ, (Col. 1:19 and Col. 2:9).

When Jesus was praying tot he Father He said in Jn. 17:6, "I have revealed you (your name) to those whom you gave me out of the world" and again in Jn. 12:26 He reaffirms this saying, "I have made you known to them." Christ revealed the Father's heart, His character, His nature. Christ in essence was the Name of the LORD manifest to us. Everything about Christ accurately reveals the character of God.

With this in mind, there's an interesting concept for us to consider from Acts 19:5. It has to do with baptism. It says, "On hearing this, they were baptized INTO the name of the LORD." (See also Acts 8:16). Can you see that to be baptized into Christ is to be baptized INTO His name. It's just like God did for Moses when He put him in the cleft of the rock. We've been placed into Christ, Into His name and the very character and nature of God embraces us. We have an incredible protection! It involves the full nature of Christ. What a security. We've been baptized right into God's compassion, graciousness, longsuffering, love, faithfulness, mercy, forgiveness and justice. What a place to be in a mixed up world.

An Ointment Poured Forth:

Solomon said the name of the LORD, was like a perfume (or a fragrant ointment) poured out, (Songs 1:3). The Father has poured out His name to us through Christ. The character and nature of God has been made available to us. We now have a fortress and a high tower, a Rock of refuge and those who know the name of the Lord will be able to put their trust in Him, (Ps. 9:10). The righteous are able to run into the name of the Lord (run into His character) and there we find that we are lifted above our circumstance to a place of security and stability.

David said, "I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word." (Ps. 138:2) The name of the LORD is trust worthy. We can confidently rest in Him knowing that His name is wonderful.