chapters 1-3

What You Should Know About GOD

by J. W. Jepson, D.Min.

Contents

The Name Of God

"What's in a name?" asks the old saying. A rose by any other name smells just as sweet. So it is with names that only identify. But names that have qualitative content and significance in themselves are a different matter. Such names are important in themselves.

This is especially true with God. Both in itself and in all of its various forms and expressions, God's name stands for the reality of Himself--His Person, position, nature, character, purposes, and works.

These forms and expressions of God's name in Scripture do not indicate that the covenant people worshiped different "gods" at different periods of their history. Neither do they signify that their concept of God "evolved." True, revelation in Scripture is progressive; but it is progress in divine revelation, not merely the development of human religious understanding. It is progress in truth, not into truth. That is, as God revealed Himself, what was revealed was (and still is) all truth, but it was not all of the truth. More remained to be revealed. The progress was from truth to truth. Nothing else is true revelation.

The variety of forms and expressions of the name of God demonstrates the multiplicity and scope of the qualities and actions of the one true and living God.

In the Old Testament God is seen more as Judge than as Father. In the New Testament the reverse is true. This does not mean that God has changed. He cannot change. Neither does it mean that the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament. It is a matter of emphasis and relationships. God is both Judge and Father throughout the Bible.

God's name expresses His nature and works. It reveals His qualities and character.

In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, the name of God takes three basic forms: El, Jehovah (Yahweh), and Adonai. El signifies power and authority. It often takes the plural form, Elohim. Frequently it joins another word, as in El-Shaddai (God Almighty).

"The LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless'" (Genesis 17:1 NASB. Also 35:1-1).

"The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting" (Psalm 50:1 NASB).

In Revelation 4:8 the four living creatures "rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

When God spoke to Hagar in the wilderness, she called Him El-Roi, "God is seeing" (see Genesis 16:7-14).

Adonai means "Lord," and "Master." It emphasizes God's authority and our corresponding responsibility to Him. In this authority-responsibility relationship we experience care and intimacy.

Often Adonai was either substituted for or connected to Jehovah (Yahweh), the covenant-name of God. This is the sacred tetragram (four letter word), made up of four Hebrew consonants, YHVH or YHWH (the "W" being an alternate pronunciation of the Hebrew letter VAV.) It is said that the ancient Hebrew scribes held this name in such high reverence that they avoided pronouncing it, substituting Adonai instead. As a result, the original pronunciation has been lost. A variety of vowels have been added to the four basic consonants. This accounts for the variations in spelling (along with alternate pronunciations of two of the consonants). One could just as correctly say "Yehwoh" as "Yahweh." The most familiar form is "Jehovah," used in the King James Version of the Bible.

As was stated, this is the covenant-name of God. In the third chapter of Exodus we read that God called Moses to bring Israel out of Egypt. Moses prayed, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" (verse 13 NASB). God's answer to Moses is a profound self-revelation:

"And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.' And God, furthermore, said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations" (verses 14,15 NASB).

The name, Jehovah, comes from the same verb, being the third person, singular of "I AM." God says "I AM." We respond, "HE IS." This means that God is Who He is in Himself, and He is what He chooses to be in relationship to His creation, particularly to us. God exists and is active here and now in intimate involvement with His covenant people however He chooses to be and however we need Him to be.

"And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD; and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them" (Exodus 6:2,3. "LORD" is "Jehovah" in the Hebrew).

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were aware that Jehovah is God's name, but they did not know the full covenant relationship embodied in His Name.

"I am the LORD; that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images" (Isaiah 42:8).

Jehovah, God's covenant name, signifies who He is in specific, practical ways to all who are in covenant relationship with Him. Jehovah is who He chooses to be and what we need Him to be in every life situation. The gracious provisions of God toward us expressed in the hyphenated forms of His name are part of His imutable nature. That is, the elements of God's name are unchanging qualities of His very nature. Thus God is:

Jehovah-jireh, the God who sees (provides), the Providing God. "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh; as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen [Provided] (Genesis 22:14).

Jehovah-nissi, the Lord our Banner. When God gave Israel victory over Amalek, "Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi" (Exodus 17:15).

Jehovah-shalom, the Lord our peace. When God called Gideon to deliver Israel from oppression, "Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah-shalom" (Judges 6:24).

Jehovah-sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts. "Our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 47:4). "The Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name" (Jeremiah 32:18).

Jehovah-rohi, the LORD my Shepherd. "The LORD is my shepherd" (Psalm 23:1). This is a beautiful revelation of God's personal relationship to us. He lovingly, carefully, tenderly watches over us. He leads us, feeds us, protects us, and brings His own into His house there to dwell forever.

Jehovah-m'qadesh, the LORD who sanctifies. "And you shall keep my statutes, and do them; I am the LORD which sanctify you" (Leviticus 20:8).

Jehovah-shammah, the LORD who is present. "...and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there" (Ezekiel 48:35).

Jehovah-rapha, the LORD who heals. "I am the LORD who heals you" (Exodus 15:26 NKJV). He is the healing God. It is His very nature to heal, and no dispensational considerations can change that fact because they cannot change Him. He is immutable.

Jehovah-tsidkenu, the LORD our Righteousness. "...and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jeremiah 23:6. See also Jeremiah 33:16). This is a direct reference to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is "Jehovah our Savior." "And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

Jesus Christ is the Second Person of Jehovah (The God-head; the Holy Trinity). All that Jehovah is is present in Him and is mediated to us through Him. He is "the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in him,..." (Colossians 2:9,10). "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Who is Jehovah? He is "my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower" (Psalm 18:2). "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1). "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; in him will I trust" (Psalm 91:2). "But the LORD is my defense, and my God is the rock of my refuge" (Psalm 94:22). "The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation" (Psalm 118:14).

Jehovah is our everything. HE IS! Whatever you need Him to be, that is what He is--right now. So, come to Him. Trust Him. Open up to the fulness of who He is and what He wants to be in your life. "Trust ye in the LORD forever, for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength" (Isaiah 26:4).

He is God of gods and Lord of lords, great and mighty (Deuteronomy 10:17).

He is the eternal God. "The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27).

He is the Most High. "I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High" (Psalm 9:2). "...the most High uttered his voice" (2 Samuel 22:14). "The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice" (Psalm 18:13). "That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth" (Psalm 83:18). "...the most High rules in the kingdom of men" (Daniel 4:17).

He is the Holy One. "...to thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel" (Psalm 71:22). "For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 43:3). He is "the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy" (Isaiah 57:15).

His name is Jealous. "For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" (Exodus 34:14). Believers in Christ are God's covenant people, His bride. His heart belongs to us and our hearts belong to Him. Because He loves us, He will tolerate no unfaithfulness, no flirting with sin and the world. Let us be true to Him, because He is a jealous God. What a joy it is to know that He loves us that much.

He is the Judge. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25).

He is the living God. "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you" (Joshua 3:10). "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:2. See also Psalm 84:2). "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). "...who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26).

The fact that God is our Father was known in Israel in Old Testament times. But it was Jesus who fully revealed God to us as our heavenly Father. And so He taught us to pray, "Our Father which art in heaven..." (Matthew 6:9).

God honors His name, and we are required to do the same. God honors the covenant commitments of His name. He is faithful to us for His name's sake. "For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake" (1 Samuel 12:22). "He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake" (Psalm 23:3). "For thy name's sake, pardon my iniquity" (Psalm 25:11).

"For thy name's sake, lead me and guide me" (Psalm 31:3). "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name" (Psalm 79:9). "Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power known" (Psalm 106:8). See also Isaiah 48:9-11 and 63:12-14.

Remember that when we are refering to God, the name is the reality. Psalm 111:9 says that His name is holy and reverend (awesome). God solemnly comanded, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain" (Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11). In Leviticus 18:21 He warned, "neither shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD." See also Leviticus 19:12.

In Leviticus 24:10-16 we read the sobering account of what happened to a man in Israel who blasphemed "The Name."

The cursing, swearing and blasphemy that swirls around us and reaches the ears of God as an abusive roar is nothing short of sheer madness! What insane folly! Thoughtlessly, recklessly, people play the fool before the Majesty in the heavens! How the angels must look on with horror. See that madman flippantly calling on God to damn everything in sight? He seems totally oblivious to the dreadful frown of the One Who sees his every thought and hears his every word. He cares not about the condemation that is piling up against him daily in the court of Heaven for the insult and injury that he continually heaps upon the Lord God Jehovah!

If we have a proper awareness of the holiness of God and a true regard for the honor of His name, profanity should always shock and outrage us.

We who name the name of Christ must be so very careful how we speak His name. Let us never use "God," "Lord," or any other form of the holy Name as a by-word or a mere exclamation. Let the "damns" and "hells" that pour like sewage from profane hearts and mouths never occupy our sanctified tongues! Even slang words--"minced oaths"-- seem totally out of place in His holy presence.

Also, our actions can either honor or dishonor His name. In 1 Timothy 6:1 we read: "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed."

As professed Christians, we carry the honor of God's name with us everywhere. May God's honor be safe with us at all times.

The highest and most noble motive in intercessory prayer is concern for the glory of God and the honor of His name. When Israel was defeated at Ai because of sin in the camp, Joshua interceded on their behalf: "For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt thou do to thy great name?" (Joshua 7:9).

King Solomon's dedicatory prayer included this petition: "Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calls to thee for, that all the people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel..." (1 Kings 8:43).

Jesus expressed it simply and perfectly when He prayed, "Father, glorify thy name" (John 12:28). And the Father's answer should bring joy and anticipation to everyone who truly loves God: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name" (Matthew 6:9). Wherever that is the expression of a pure heart, it will also be the rule of a pure life.

We can trust God's name. It is our defense and our victory. When David came against Goliath with only a sling and five stones, he was relying totally on the name of the Lord. Remember, David was putting his life on the line. The name of the Lord was more than just a religious term to David. It embodied the very reality of God's presence and power in his life. That is why he could say to the Philistine with settled confidence, "You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied" (1 Samuel 17:45).

This personal, experiential knowledge of God is expressed in the psalms. "The LORD hear you in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend you; ...in the name of our God we will set up our banners... Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:1,5,7). "For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name" (Psalm 33:21). "...through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us" (Psalm 44:5). "Save me, O God, by thy name" (Psalm 54:1). "I will wait on thy name" (Psalm 52:9). "Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 124:8). "And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee" (Psalm 9:10).

When the Ethiopians came against Asa, king of Judah, "Asa cried to the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest in thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude" (2 Chronicles 14:11). And so God gave Judah a great victory. God always honors His name, and He will always honor faith in His name. So, if we truly know His name, our hearts and minds can be at ease because our trust rests solidly in Him.

Again we read the testimony of the psalms: "Thy name is near" (Psalm 75:1). "...thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name" (Psalm 138:2).

When we sign a contract or an agreement, we put our name on the bottom line. In this way we legally establish everything above our name and pledge ourselves to it. Just so, God has given us His written word and has put His name to it. The word of the Lord is guaranteed by the name of the Lord. It is backed up by the full reality of all that He is. For this reason we can safely put our complete trust in His word. Speaking of the person who dwells in the secret place of the most High, Psalm 91:14 says, "Because he has set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known my name." God's name is a safe refuge, for it represents His saving and keeping power. Proverbs 18:10 assures us, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe."

There is salvation in His name. Quoting the prophet Joel, Peter declared on the day of Pentecost, "...whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21). The same promise is repeated in Romans 10:13.

In His high-priestly prayer for us, recorded in John chapter seventeen, our Lord prayed, "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are... While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name" (John 17:11,12).

The name of the Lord is the ground of our confidence. By putting our trust in God through Jesus Christ, we lock in by faith to all that God is and all that He can do. Our commitment of faith is backed up by all the resources of Heaven. The name of the Lord keeps us, upholds us, and will see us through. We can trust Him. His name will not fail us, because His name embodies and represents all that He is. And God cannot and will not fail.

We are to proclaim the name of the Lord. Moses said, "I will publish the name of the LORD" (Deuteronomy 32:3). The psalmist said, "I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations" (Psalm 45:17). Jesus said, "I have declared to them thy name, and will declare it" (John 17:26). He commanded us to baptize new disciples "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). There is power in the proclamation of His name in the act of water baptism. It declares that we have eternal life because we know tho Father and the Son (John 17:3).

Glorify His name. "Give to the LORD the glory due to his name" (Psalm 29:2). "And blessed be his glorious name forever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory" (Psalm 72:19). "All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name" (Psalm 86:9). "I will glorify thy name forever" (verse 12). "Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to thy name give glory" (Psalm 115:1). "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?" (Revelation 15:4).

Exalt His name. "...blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise" (Nehemiah 9:5). "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together" (Psalm 34:3).

Fear His name in loving reverence. "Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name" (Psalm 61:5). "But to you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (Malachi 4:2).

Love His name. "Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee" (Psalm 5:11).

Remember His name. "I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law" (Psalm 119:55).

Give thanks to His name. "Surely the righteous shall give thanks to thy name" (Psalm 140:13).

Bless His name. "Sing to the LORD; bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day" (Psalm 96:2). "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise; be thankful to 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). "I will extol thee, my God, O King; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name for ever and ever" (Psalm 145:1,2).

Praise His name. "According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise to the ends of the earth" (Psalm 48:10). "...let the poor and needy praise thy name" (Psalm 74:21). See also Psalm 44:8; 54:6; 99:2,3; 113:1-3; 135:1-3; 148:13; 149:3.

Sing praises to His name. "I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High" (Psalm 9:2). "Make a joyful noise to God, all ye lands; sing forth the honor of his name; make his praise glorious" (Psalm 66:1,2). See also Psalm 7:17; 18:49; 61:8; 68;4; 69:30; 92:1.

First Chronicles chapter sixteen contains a psalm that David gave on the occasion of the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to the place that he had prepared for it. This psalm includes a four-fold praise to the name of the Lord. "Give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name" (verse 8). "Glory ye in his holy name" (verse 10). "Give to the LORD the glory due to his name" (verse 29). "Save us, O God of our salvation, ...that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise" (verse 35).

Psalm 63:3 and 4 reads, "Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live; I will lift up my hands in thy name." Do it. It is Scriptural.

The name of the Lord is as lovely perfume to those who know and love Him." ...thy name is as ointment poured forth" (Song Of Solomon 1:3).

"The desire of our soul is to thy name" (Isaiah 26:8). O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:1 and 9).

The name of the Lord shall endure forever. Earthly names rise and then fade, but the name of the Lord shall shine forever. There shall be no diminishing of its glory. "Thy name, O LORD, endures forever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations (Psalm 135:13).

Psalm seventy-two is a prophecy of the kingdom of Christ. Verse seventeen says, "His name shall endure forever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun."

"For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the heathen, says the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 1:11).

In this gospel age God is calling out a people for His name (Acts 15:14). He is calling us out of sin, out of darkness, out of bondage, out of the lusts of this present world-system. He is calling us to Himself, to eternal life, to walk with Him in the light. He is calling us into a personal relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ, a relationship of love and holiness. He is calling us to complete and eternal compatibility with Himself in love. He is calling us to victory, to be overcomers by His grace over the world, the flesh, and the devil. "Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God; and I will write upon him my new name" (Revelation 3:12).

In Revelation 14:1 we view the triumphant scene. There on the mount Zion stands the victorious Lamb, "and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads." What a prize! What a high calling! What a glorious hope!

How exalted is the name of God! His name is so great and all-encompassing that it cannot be expressed in merely one form, but must be seen as embracing many nominatives. O Father, hallowed be Thy Name!

Let us call upon His name with all our heart and with all our soul. Call upon Him in all sincerity and truth. Call upon Him in faith, for "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

The psalmist expressed it in such beautiful simplicity: "What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD" (Psalm 116:12,13).

Symbols Of God’s Person And Presence

As was noted earlier, the moment we say or imply that God is like something, distortion sets in. Because God is not like anything, the attempt to liken Him to something tends to limit Him in our thinking to the limitations of the thing we use as a comparison.

Nevertheless, the Bible does use symbols in refering to God, their built-in limitations and dangers notwithstanding, because they are useful up to a point and their potential for meaning is greater than their potential for misunderstanding. It should be emphasized, however, that such references are specific and are made within the total body of Biblical teaching about God. If they are understood within the full context of the Scriptures, they will be understood correctly.

The Scriptures employ several symbols to express the Person and works of God. These symbols in themselves are not part of the Divine essence. That is, they are not what God is. They are used because something about the symbol conveys to our understanding something about God.

Although God is a Spirit-being, the Bible at times speaks of Him in human, physical terms. He is spoken of as having hands, arms, eyes, ears, a face, and so forth. These references to God in human, physical terms are called anthropomorphisms. They do not by any means teach that God has physical arms, hands, and so forth, except as Jesus Christ now possesses a glorified body. This form of speech is employed in the Bible only to make the character and works of God more vivid and meaningful to us by relating them to human features and actions that express themselves in and through a physical body. God is a Person functioning without a physical body. We are persons functioning in and through physical bodies. The use of anthropomorphisms makes His Personhood more understandable to us by comparing it with ours.

It should be noted at this point that God is sexless. He is a Spirit-being, and spirit-beings are sexless. He is our heavenly Father, and the masculine pronoun is used in reference to Him throughout the Bible. But masculinity does not necessarily imply sexuality. Masculinity in this sense is defined as that which acts upon, as distinct from that which is acted upon. Masculinity initiates action; femininity receives the action, processes it, and produces the result. This is true both in nature and in our spiritual relationship with God. So we use such terms as Heavenly Father, and Mother Earth. Christ is the Bridegroom; believers are the Bride.

A number of years ago I heard a minister relate a personal experience on this very point. It seems that he had been around a group of Christians who were constantly receiving what they believed to be "Divine guidance" in the details of living (what suit to wear, what to cook for dinner, etc.). At first it all sounded very spiritual, and he began to wonder why he was not close enough to God to receive such up-to-the-minute directions in his own life. And so he went to prayer and sought the Lord earnestly about it. He asked God why He did not guide him in such daily matters. The answer came clearly to his mind, "Because I am your Father, not your mother!"

Sometimes the Biblical symbol is taken from nature or the forces of nature. At other times the reference is to an inanimate object, or something functional. We have already noted this in some of the names of God (e.g., Rock, Fortress, Shield, High Tower). We see, then, that the names of God themselves embody much symbolism. In this chapter, however, we are focusing on specific objects and how they are useful in teaching us about God.

Fire

Fire signifies judgment, purification, stimulation, illumination. In Exodus 3:2 through 4:17 God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. Also, on the Day of Pentecost tongues of fire accompanied the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3). When associated with the Holy Spirit (the Third Person of the Holy Trinity), fire indicates illumination, conviction, purification, and stimulation. Fire also speaks of judgment. "For our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29).

Wings

Wings symbolize speedy deliverance and protection. God said to Israel, "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself" (Exodus 19:4).

Boaz said to Ruth, "The Lord recompense your work, and a full reward be given you of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you are come to trust" (Ruth 2:12).

In Psalm 17:8 the psalmist prayed, "...hide me under the shadow of thy wings." And in Psalm 36:7 the psalmist worships God in these words: "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings." Also, Psalm 91:4 promises, "He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings shall you trust."

Of course, these Bible verses do not teach that God has physical wings (much less feathers!). They convey the truth of the overshadowing protection of God. They are metaphors intended to help us understand more fully God's loving care for His people.

Voice

Voice signifies personality and communication. Only persons truly speak. God is not a quality or an idea. He speaks. He is a Person. Adam and Eve "heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day" (Genesis 3:8). On Mount Sinai "Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice" (Exodus 19:19).

Later, Moses said to Israel, "Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live?...Out of heaven he made you to hear his voice, that he might instruct you; and upon earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire" (Deuteronomy 4:33 and 36).

God communicated with Elijah in "a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12).

The ancients compared the authority of God's voice to the booming of the thunder. Elihu said, "...he thunders with the voice of his excellency. ...God thunders marvelously with his voice" (Job 37:4,5). Later, God Himself asked Job, "Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like him?" (Job 40:9). It was in this context that the psalmist declared, "The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty" (Psalm 29:4).

On the mountain, when Jesus was transfigured before some of His disciples, "there came a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" (Matthew 17:5). Peter, who was one of the eye-witnesses of this glorious event, wrote many years later, "For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (2 Peter 1:17).

When Jesus prayed to the Father, asking that the Father's name be glorified, the voice of God answered, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again" (John 12:28).

In Hebrews 12:25-and 26 we are warned, "See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth...."

The voice of God is the voice of authority, of rebuke, and of warning. It is also the voice of comfort and of promise.

The fact that God communicates implies that He is immediately concerned with human affairs, and that He designs that His will be known and obeyed. "And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard" (Isaiah 30:30). "And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east; and his voice was like the noise of many waters, and the earth shined with his glory" (Ezekiel 43:2).

Eyes and ears

The meaning of these symbols is obvious. God sees and God hears. He is all-wise and all-knowing. Nothing escapes His attention. He is not a casual observer, but knows all things thoroughly and purposefully. And it should be emphasized that God does not know by process, but in Himself.

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His" (2 Chronicles 16:9 NASB).

"The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men" (Psalm 11:4).

"The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil" (Psalm 34:15,16. Peter quotes this passage in 1 Peter 3:12).

"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).

"Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men" (Jeremiah 32:19).

"In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God; and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears" (2 Samuel 22:7).

"Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cries, and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth" (James 5:4).

Arm

The arm of the Lord is an oft-used metaphor that represents the extension of God's power and protection. God assured Israel, "I will redeem you with a stretched out arm" (Exodus 6:6). Isaiah 63:12 reports that God "led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm."

Referring to ancient Israel's deliverance, the apostle Paul said, "The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm brought he them out of it" (Acts 13:17). See also Deuteronomy 5:15.

God asked Job, "Have you an arm like God?" (Job 40:9). In Psalm 89:13 the psalmist said to God, "Thou hast a mighty arm; strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand." And Psalm 98:1 urges, "O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand, and his holy arm, has gotten him the victory."

In a prophetic reference to God's saving power in Jesus Christ, Isaiah 53:1 says, "to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?"

In Isaiah 51:5 God declares, "My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait for Me, and for My arm they will wait expectantly" (NASB). Here "arms" signify God's ability both to judge and to uphold.

God's arms are also a symbol of His integrity. Isaiah 62:8 says, "The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by the arm of his strength."

The "arm" of the Lord represents His strength, assistance, security, the removal of obstacles, and firm but gentle guidance. It signifies His extended power and ready assistance--real, actual, and not just potential. It is the assurance of His present provision. God's power extends to our need right where we are, no matter where that might be. We do not stand alone and defenseless. The arm of the Lord--a present, all-powerful, committed assistance--is constantly undergirding and sustaining all who trust Him. "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27).

Hand

Whereas the arm of the Lord symbolizes the extension of God's power, the hand of the Lord symbolizes the application of that power. It is the power of God working in behalf of human need.

In Isaiah 48:13 God affirms that His power in creating the universe was direct, not indirect: "My hand also has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spanned the heavens." And in Psalm 119:73 the psalmist confessed, "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me."

The hand of the Lord signifies God's direct action in judgment, chastisement, adversity, and also conviction for sin. God said, "I will stretch out My hand, and strike Egypt..." (Exodus 3:20 NASB). "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst" (Exodus 7:5 NASB).

Referring to Israel's forty-year wandering in the wilderness, Deuteronomy 2:15 says, "For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them."

In her discouragement Naomi complained, "the hand of the LORD is gone out against me" (Ruth 1:13). 1 Samuel 5:6 reports, "the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them."

And Job begged his friends, "Have pity on me, O ye my friends, for the hand of God has touched me" (Job 19:21).

Conviction of sin is likened to the pressure of the hand of God upon the offender. David remembered vividly how he experienced this when he attempted to keep quiet about his sin with Bathsheba. "When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me" (Psalm 32:3,4 NASB). "Thy hand has pressed down on me" (Psalm 38:2 NASB). "Because of the opposition of Thy hand, I am perishing" (Psalm 39:10 NASB).

When Elymas the sorcerer interfered as Paul was preaching the gospel to Sergius Paulus, the Roman official, the apostle rebuked him with these startling words: "The hand of the Lord is upon you and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season" (Acts 13:11).

Certainly, "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).

God holds our very breath in His hands. Part of God's indictment against Belshazzar, the Babylonian ruler, reads as follows: "And the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, have you not glorified" (Daniel 5:23).

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:6).

His hand is also a hand of guidance. Concerning Ezra the scribe, Ezra 7:9 reports, "on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him." (See also Ezra 8:18 and Nehemiah 2:18).

God's "hand" is also a hand of encouragement. "In Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the word of the LORD" (2 Chronicles 30:12).

It is also a hand of blessing. "Thou openest thine hand; they are filled with good" (Psalm 104:28). "You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Psalm 145:16 NKJV).

It is a hand of protection. The prophet testified, "He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me" (Isaiah 49:2). In Isaiah 51:16 God assures His people, "I have covered you in the shadow of my hand."

His is a hand of salvation. "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear" (Isaiah 59:1).

God "stretches out His hand" to heal. During a time of opposition, the early disciples prayed, "Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant to thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy hold child Jesus" (Acts 4:29,30).

The "hand" of God is a hand of assistance. The psalmist testified, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me" (Psalm 138:7 NKJV).

As the early Christians went out preaching the gospel, "the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord" (Acts 11:21).

In Jeremiah 1:9 the young prophet testified, "Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth."

When John the Baptist was but a child, "the hand of the Lord was with him" (Luke 1:66).

The hand of God sustains those who put their trust in Him. In Psalm 37:24 we have this reassuring promise: "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the LORD upholds him with his hand."

A promise that believers have always found to be especially comforting is found in Isaiah 41:10. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (NKJV).

Jesus assures His sheep, "And I give to them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28,29). Obedient sheep remain securely in the hand of the Shepherd. Blessed assurance!

Jesus Christ holds the seven stars (His ministers) in His right hand (Revelation 1:16 and 2:1).

On Calvary those very hands in human flesh were nailed to a cross, and forever they will bear the marks of that sacrifice of love. Thus our gracious God says to us, "I have graven you upon the palms of my hands" (Isaiah 49:16). By faith we are securely protected in those hands.

chapters 6-7