How many names do you have for God? How many names do you have for your father or mother? Names can reveal a lot of information about a
person. Let's see what names people in the Bible had for God.
1. Why did Melchizedek call God "God Most High?"
Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. He blessed him and
said:
Abram is blessed by God Most High,<
Creator of heaven and earth,
<
and blessed be God Most High<
who has handed over your enemies to you.
(Gen 14:18-20, CSB)
2. Why did Hagar call God "God Who sees me?"
The angel of the Lord said to her, "You have conceived and will have a son. You will
name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction. This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and
everyone's hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives."
So she named the Lord who
spoke to her: "You are El-roi," for she said, "In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?" (Gen 16:11-13, CSB)
3. Why did Abraham call God "The Everlasting God?"
After they had made a covenant at Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to
the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting
God. (Gen 21:32-33, CSB)
4. Why did Abraham call God "The Lord Will Provide?"
Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it
as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said, "It will be provided
on the Lord's mountain." (Gen 22:13-14, CSB)
5. Why did Moses and Aaron call God "Lord God of Israel?"
Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my
people go, so that they may hold a festival for me in the wilderness." (Ex 5:1, CSB)
6. Why did Moses call God "The Lord is My Banner?"
And Moses built an altar and named it, "The Lord Is My Banner." He said, "Indeed, my hand is lifted up
toward the Lord's throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation." (Ex 17:15, CSB)
7. Why did Gideon call God "The Lord is Peace?"
When Gideon realized that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, "Oh no, Lord God! I
have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!"
But the Lord said to him, "Peace to you. Don't be afraid,
for you will not die." So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. It is still in Ophrah of the
Abiezrites today. (Judg 6:22-24, CSB)
8. Why did Elkanah call God "The Lord of Armies?"
There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of
Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but
Hannah was childless. This man would go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh, where
Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord's priests. (1 Sam 1:1-3, CSB)
9. Why does Timothy call God "Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords?"
In the presence of God, who gives life to all, and of Christ Jesus, who gave a good confession before Pontius
Pilate, I charge you to keep this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. God will bring this about in
his own time. He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in
unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal power. Amen. (1 Tim 6:13-16, CSB)