the Name of Yahweh

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Psalm 138, 139, 145, 2 Samuel 21:1-14, 9:1-13, Psalm 8

 

David invokes the Name of Yahweh seven times in the eight verses of Psalm 138.  That seems to me like David knew the person he was talking to; he had a personal relationship with Yahweh.  Consequently, these passages in Psalms are loaded down with theological statements:

138:1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;

       before the "gods" I will sing your praise. 

 2 I will bow down toward your holy temple

       and will praise your name

       for your love and your faithfulness,

       for you have exalted above all things

       your name and your word.

 8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;

       your love, O LORD, endures forever—

       do not abandon the works of your hands.

 

139:1 O LORD, you have searched me

       and you know me.

 13 For you created my inmost being;

       you knit me together in my mother's womb. 

 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

       your works are wonderful,

       I know that full well.

 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

       test me and know my anxious thoughts. 

 24 See if there is any offensive way in me,

       and lead me in the way everlasting.

 

145: 1 I will exalt you, my God the King;

       I will praise your name for ever and ever. 

 2 Every day I will praise you

       and extol your name for ever and ever.

 21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.

       Let every creature praise his holy name

       for ever and ever.

 

8:1 O LORD, our Lord,

       how majestic is your name in all the earth!

       You have set your glory

       above the heavens.

You can't just come up with stuff like that.  David said those things out of an overflow of his heart, and his heart was changed because he knew who Yahweh is.  What did he know about Yahweh?

145:8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,

       slow to anger and rich in love. 

 9 The LORD is good to all;

       he has compassion on all he has made.

 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

       and your dominion endures through all generations.

       The LORD is faithful to all his promises

       and loving toward all he has made.

 14 The LORD upholds all those who fall

       and lifts up all who are bowed down.

 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways

       and loving toward all he has made. 

 18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,

       to all who call on him in truth. 

 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

       he hears their cry and saves them. 

 20 The LORD watches over all who love him,

       but all the wicked he will destroy.

Wow, that is RICH!  I want to know Yahweh!  I want to know Him so well that I can say these things about Him from personal, first-hand knowledge.  And if this wasn't enough gold for today, I love this passage in 2 Samuel 9 where King David invites Jonathan's son Mephibosheth to dine with him every day at the King's table.  Mephibosheth, who was crippled at childhood, responds with such humility.  

 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.

      David said, "Mephibosheth!"

      "Your servant," he replied. 

 7 "Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table." 

 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?" 

 9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

The symbolism is so sweet!  The King of the Universe has invited us humans crippled by sin to dine with Him every day at His table.  In addition to restoring our broken fellowship according to the preexisting covenant, He gives us an inheritance and puts us in charge of carrying on the Master's business.  The fields are ripe for the harvest, and we are called to be workers in His good economy. 

 

Oh, how amazing is His love, that He would pay my debt and invite a sinner like me to dine with Him!  How incredible is His mercy that He would give me the opportunity to cooperate with Him in His amazing work of redeeming mankind and defeating the enemy!  Praise Yahweh!  How great is His Name!

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I am humbled that you would call me to sonship and share in the eternal inheritance of your Kingdom.  I pray that my life will glorify your name.  I confess that I am crippled by sin, and I need you to save me and heal me.  I pray that you will sanctify me into the image of Christ.  Please cleanse and wash my mind; conform my motives and attitudes to be identical to yours.  I pray that your will would be done in my life, and I pray that you will use me to glorify yourself.  I want to know you, Yahweh.  I want to honor you through sincere obedience.  I pray that I will abide in Christ, that I may be in harmony with you.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.