Knowing His Name

As many of you know, I love reading the books of the Prophets, especially the ones that are the more obscure. I was reading Micah recently and in the 7^thchapter I read:

“Where is the god who can compare with you—wiping the slate clean of guilt, Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, to the past sins of your purged and precious people? You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long, for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most. And compassion is on its way to us. You'll stamp out our wrongdoing. You'll sink our sins to the bottom of the ocean. You'll stay true to your word to Father Jacob and continue the compassion you showed Grandfather Abraham—Everything you promised our ancestors from a long time ago” (Micah 7:18-20).

Now I want you to read that over, again. This time I want you to savor each word and phrase. It is so easy to simply read these passages I give you and miss what it actually says. Sometimes we just jump over them and don’t even read them. But this one I want you to actually read it.

After I read it, I asked myself (and now, I am asking you), how does our Lord distinguish Himself from all the other gods who are worshiped throughout the world? Of course the answer is simple: first, we know our God is above all others, set apart in every way. However, one clear way to know how the Lord distinguishes Himself from others is by his name! Huh? Oh, let me explain.

Our God is the God who pardons. Scripture reveals our Lord as the God who forgives, the only God who has the power to pardon sin. “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression?” (Micah 7:18).

We see this name of God confirmed throughout the Scriptures.

Nehemiah declared, “You are a forgiving God who is ready to pardon; gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. You did not desert those who deserted you” (Nehemiah 9:17). The proper translation of the phrase “ready to pardon” is “a God of propitiation” or “a God of forgiveness.”

Moses asked the Lord for a revelation of his glory. He wasn’t allowed to see God’s face, however, the Lord did reveal his glory to Moses through a revelation of his name. What was the name of God that was revealed to Moses? “YHWH, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Exodus 34:6–7).

David gives us the same Hebrew description of God. He writes, “You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you” (Psalm 86:5). King Jim renders this as: “For thou, Lord, art . . . plenteous in mercy.”

Do you see a common thread through all of these verses? When David wrote those words, he was speaking from his own difficult personal experience.

Our God is great at giving and forgiving. He is able to supply us with everything good, at the same time that he removes our evil. This is why we can depend on the Lord alone for his joy.

Our God doesn’t hand out his mercy like a puny penny pincher hands out tips . . . No! He pours outthe infinite riches of His mercy! His goodness flows out like a rushing stream of flood waters toward to anyone who calls to Him; anyone who is willing to worship Him. It is like David was standing in the cleft of the rock with Moses, and heard the name of the Lord proclaimed. I say that because in two places in Psalm 86, he almost quotes verbatim the passage in Exodus 34:6—"The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth."

Why can’t we experience this from our Lord? Well, we can. Are you willing to call on His Name? Are you willing to receive His presence and His Glory? Then stop what you are doing and take the time to call out to Him: “Oh Father, show me your Glory! Fill my Life with your Presence and Peace. I offer you my life. Be my Lord and be my God.”

Nickolas