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This series shall expound upon the names attributed to God, by God, throughout the Old Testament. There are others; however, these are the ones which are used in combination with the name of JEHOVAH. Through these descriptors, His almighty character and identity are revealed. Just as they gave comfort and reassurance to the Israelites and their descendents, so too are they relevant today in encouraging believers to seek and know the true JEHOVAH, the great I AM.
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH
"The Lord Is There"
May you find comfort in the name of JEHOVAH, "The Lord Is There". He was always "there", He is always "there", and He will always be "there". He is the great Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He was with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He dwelt in the tabernacle as the nation of Israel wandered in the desert. His presence was in the great temple that King Solomon built in Jerusalem. His presence is promised through His son, Jesus Christ, and we have the promise of His presence throughout eternity.
In 1 Kings 8:27, 28b, 29-30a, Solomon asks, "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place." (1 Kings 9:3) The Lord said to him: "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there."
The Lord dwelt amongst His covenant people, the children of Israel in the temple at Jerusalem. When the temple was destroyed, the Israelites were taken captive in Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel's vision was of a "new Jerusalem", "It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there." (Ezekial 48:35)
Christ left His disciples with the admonition that He would be "there". "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH, "The Lord is There", is omnipresent. He has and will always "be". The apostle John, in Revelation 21:2-4 describes what will come, "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
When the daily news gets to be too horrific; when it seems like the whole world is in turmoil; when nation goes against nation, every man seems a foe; when the earth quakes underneath and the skies above thunder; when all questions seem unanswered, remember the name of the Lord, JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH, The Lord is There.
He is. He was. He will always be. AMEN and AMEN!
The following were used as reference:
The Bread on the Waters
