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For example:

• When Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac, God provided a ram for the offering in Isaac's stead, prompting Abraham to declare that he now understood God as Yahweh-Yireh, The Lord Will Provide (Gen. 22:14).
  
• After God empowered Israel's army to defeat the Amalekites, Moses built an altar and named it Yahweh-Nissi, The Lord Is My Banner (Exod. 17:15).
  
• Upon receiving God's call to be an instrument to deliver Israel, Gideon built an altar and named it Yahweh-Shalom, The Lord Is Peace (Judg. 6:24).
  
• Reflecting upon God's faithfulness through both exhilarating victories and depressing defeats, David called him Yahweh-Rohi, The Lord Is My Shepherd (Ps. 23:1).
  
• At the conclusion of the detailed description of the New Jerusalem, speaking for God, Ezekiel prophesied that the place would be called Yahweh-Shammah, The Lord Is There (Ezek. 48:35).
  

God's people came to realize that his resources were inestimable: Every revelation, every miracle, pointed to a different side of Yahweh.

The various names for God that we find throughout the Old Testament are not the invention of men who were struggling to define a hidden and unknowable God. Rather, they are a sort of gift from God—a personal and intimate self-expression of God and a vehicle for our worshipful response to him.

Power in the Names

When we discover the unique emphasis of each new title of God, it is as if we are turning a diamond in our hands and gazing at it as the light of revelation strikes a new and previously unexplored facet of the stone. God's names were a continual unveiling of his character in response to the unique challenges faced by his people.

As I have preached, prayed, and meditated on these names, my understanding of God's Word has been enhanced and my spiritual walk deepened. There are three particular reasons every believer should study the names of God.

• It enhances our worship and prayer. A number of contemporary musicians have, through their lyrics, introduced certain names into our vocabulary of praise (e.g., "El Shaddai" by Michael Card). These songs have greatly enriched praise and worship in many churches. Note how the Psalmist teaches us to sing praise (Psalm 7:17), set up banners (Psalm 20:5), boast in (Psalm 20:7), ascribe glory to (29:2), trust in (Psalm 33:21), exalt (Psalm 34:3');">34:3), wait on (Psalm 52:9), fear (Psalm 61:5), lift up our hands (Psalm 63:4');">Psalm63:4), and rejoice ( 89:16) in the name of the Lord.
  
• It promotes spiritual growth. As I grew to understand the significance of God's names, I better understood God's character as well as his desire for my life. To encourage me in my spiritual growth, the Holy Spirit calls certain names to mind when I pray (and throughout the day). When I face temptation and possible spiritual defeat, I am reminded that he is Yahweh-Nissi, my banner of victory. Yahweh-Mekadesh (The Lord Who Sanctifies You) reminds me that he is constantly transforming me into his likeness (Lev. 20:8). And, of course, all of the names in some way point to the ultimate revelation of God to his people. In the New Testament we find names, such as Immanuel (God With Us) and Abba (Aramaic for Father), that take our relationship with God to a whole new realm. Through Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit, God now dwells among and within his followers.
  
• It reminds us of our witness to the world. God wants his people, who are called by his name, to glorify his name through their daily behavior. The prophet Ezekiel (36:20-23) tells the Israelites that God had poured out his wrath on them because they had profaned his name among the nations. The Babylonian captivity was punishment for disobedience, but the peoples of other nations had wrongly concluded that the God of Israel was unable to care for his own. The Lord declared that he would deliver them from captivity in order to vindicate the holiness of his great name. The end result speaks of global evangelization: "Then the nations will know that I am the Lord."