Monday, November 30, 2015

2 SAMUEL, Chapter 23, Verse 3-4

³The God of Israel spoke; of me the Rock of Israel said, “One who rules over humankind with justice, who rules in the fear of God, ⁴Is like the light at sunrise on a cloudless morning, making the land’s vegetation glisten after rain.”

The Rock of Israel (Hebrew: צור ישראל‎, Tzur Yisrael) is a concept in Judaism that alludes to God, and in Zionism and politics, to the cultural and historical heritage of the Jewish people and the foundation of the State of Israel.[1]

God fearing leaders are life giving and not life taking for they have a Holy Fear of God. Traditionally in Judaism there are seven names given for God. The seven names of God that, once written, cannot be erased because of their holiness are the Tetragrammaton, El, Elohim, Eloah, Elohai, El Shaddai, Tzevaot.

Tetragrammaton is YHWH or I am that I am.

El simply means God and is used in the names of IsraEL, AngEL.

Elohim means He is power of powers Eloah is the singular form of Elohim.

Elohai means “My God”.

El Shaddai means “God Almighty”

Tzevaot means “God the armies of Israel”.

Names are important. Most of us remember the elementary school playground and the mean names kids called each other. Author and speaker, Kary Oberbrunner[2], states that we all have a secret name that the One who made us gives us. Oberbrunner said, “My name is Kary, and I have a girl’s name.” He was no stranger to mean names on the playground. He went on to say that each of us has three names:

1. Our birth name – the name assigned to us when we arrive in this world

2. Our given names – the names assigned to us as we walk through the world. These names can be positive and negative, ranging from successful, beautiful, star athlete to those names assigned by mean kids, like concentration camp victim, stupid, addict.

3. Our secret name – the name granted to us by God Oberbrunner said the problem is our birth names and given names don’t ever fill up the void inside us. We pretend and wear masks.

What would God call you? When Christ called his apostles; He revealed to some of them God’s name for them. Sons of Thunder for John and James and for Simon son of John, He called him Peter which means “Rock”. Today is the feast of Saint Andrew brother of the “Rock”.