Word of Encouragement (03/13/2024)

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, ²³ and said, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; ²⁴ you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. (1 Kings 8:22-24)

This is the beginning of the prayer Solomon offered at the dedication of the temple.

He begins by addressing God as “LORD, God of Israel....” As you know, whenever you see the word, “LORD,” it refers to the covenant name of God in Hebrew (YHWH). The Jews do not pronounce this name for fear of breaking the Third Commandment, which is not to take God’s name in vain (Ex. 20:7), and replace it with “Adonai,” which means “my Lord.” English translations have followed this practice. This may have been a practical choice since we don’t know the proper pronunciation of the divine name. (When the Hebrew Bible was being written, there were no vowel points: it consisted exclusively of consonants.)

When Moses asked what His name was, God said to him, "Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD [YHWH], the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations” (Ex. 3:15). The name means “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex. 3:14). It refers to His self-existence and immutability and faithfulness (Geerhardus Vos, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 1). It implies that He is the one and only true God (“...there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath...”), uncreated but creating all things. The one and only true God, YHWH, established a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. He delighted in being known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as the God of Israel.

What a wonderful privilege this is! Imagine someone powerful and famous telling everyone that you are his best friend even though you are a nobody. Wouldn’t everyone see you in a different light? More importantly, wouldn’t you feel grateful if not special? The LORD delighted in being known as the God of Israel. It was not certainly because there was anything comely and worthy in them. God said, “And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born. And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood...” (Ezek. 16:4-6).

Yet, the LORD set His love on them and chose them to be His special possession. He did this not because of what they were but because of what He would make of them: He would make them worthy of His election. The same is true of us in a far greater measure: they received the promise (“the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” who received the promise concerning Jesus Christ); we have received the fulfillment (“the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”). Now, we are related to God through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, not through mere servants. May God deepen our appreciation of this reality and our joy in His special love for us, His people!

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