The Name of God

The Name of God


The names of God in the Bible are numerous.  There seems to be a name for God for every aspect of life and heaven.  Not only in the Bible but in many other writings and teachings.  They are varied and plentiful.  We honor God with these names and they have meaning to us in how we describe and relate to Him.

I could list many, many names but I will leave that to you to look up and find them.  There are lots of places to go to find lists of names and their meanings.  In lots of different languages and lots of different interpretations. I am sure it is helpful and wonderful for a lot of different people.  It helps you to understand God and what he has and will do for us.

But God gave me a question.  He kept needling me about it every time I would here someone start to list the names of God.  As I am fond of saying, this is all well and good and if it helps then go forth and list the names.  Make it work for you and allow his wonder to pass over you when you announce His name.  But he asked, and I say asked but it is more He put it into my mind to ask others, He said, I have a question.

What is wrong with the name God.  Why is simply saying God not enough for people.  Why is there a need to add superlatives and enhancements and generally to say that God is more than God.  He is God.  There are no greater words or adjectives or upgrades you can add that are greater than the word God.  He is everything and the connotations of that word should bring forth in you a joy that does not need enhancement.  He is God.  That says it all.

Now God can understand the need to make it more, to show how much you love God by saying whatever words you can that add to that love.  But if you really love God, then using the word God is sufficient.  He knows what is in your heart. He knows what you mean when you say God.  God is within you and there is no need to add something to how you address Him or show your love for Him.  God says it all.

It should be enough.  When you invoke the name of God, there is no need to make it greater than that.  And here is where I offend people, but this is what God wants me to say.  If you are adding superlatives to the name of God, then you are just showing off.  You are just saying that somehow, your words are greater than God.  That the adjectives or enhancements you have added are more meaningful than just simple saying God.  God asks, why are you doing it.  God knows what his name should evoke and if you simply say the name God, that should have all those meanings and all those connotations already rolled into that simple word.  God.

Now, again, if your understanding of God has more meaning to you by adding things to it, so it reminds you of what God is and what God can do for you, then do it.  God is not saying it is wrong.  But you have to understand that simply saying God should be enough.  That no matter where you go or what you do, by saying the word God, you invoke all that he is and all that he can do.  You are saying that God is the savior and God is what you live for and everything that can be added to it is already present just by saying God.

This also leads into another discussion that God wants me to have but I am not sure if I should do it here or in a separate entry.  I will probably do both.  It has to do with the language of God and what words we use and what we take meaning from when we talk about God or speak the words of the Bible.

What I want to say is, do we really think God speaks English.  I am not saying that God does not understand English or that there is some other secret language that God speaks and we need to learn that.  What I am saying is, the English language is what we use to express what we think God is telling us or what God has created and it is our way of putting that into a language that we can understand.

This blog is written in English.  It is what I know.  But it is a language of man.  It is a way for us to communicate with each other.  There are lots of languages in the world.  English has no special meaning to God and neither does any other language.  If this was written in French, maybe we would not understand it but it does not make it any better or worse.  It is simply a way for us to communicate to each other what we interpret the words of God to mean.

So what does this have to do with the name of God.  It means that all these things we add to the name of God are simply words man has created to express a greater meaning to the name of God than what the name God already means.  The words, written in any language, are just that, words.  If you add a superlative in Spanish, does that make it unworthy to those that speak English or French.  If you say something in Hebrew, is that more holy or less holy than whatever language you know.  God tells me the answer is no.  They are just words created by man.  God understands all languages but more importantly, he understands what is in your heart.  He does not care what language you speak or how many adjectives you use to describe Him or your love for Him.  He knows what you mean, no matter how you say it.

So what I am saying is, we need to make the name God be the highest thing we can say about Him.  It is the beginning, the end and everything that is in-between.  It is the name of God, no matter what language you speak.  We need to make sure that when we say God, we bring all that it means and all that it can mean.  And anytime we say God, we know that it is the highest form of praise we can give.  He is God.