The Untouchable Name

Babylon is the city and power, spiritually, militarily and politically, spoken against in the Bible. Its history as recorded details a concerted attempt to oppose the Yahweh and His purposes. Genesis 10:8-12 and 11:1-9. This city became the foundation and the fountain-head of the occult. Isaiah and Jeremiah have strong word to say about and against Nimrod’s creation. The book of Revelation lays plain Yahweh’s wrath and judgement stored up for a coming day.

Why is the Lord so implacable towards Babylon? It is more than its opposition to the person of Yahweh, for such can be forgiven. The issue is expressed through personalising the city’s boast. Such inflammatory words became a declaration of war. Isaiah 47:8 ‘Now then, listen, you wanton creature, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, “I AM, and there is none beside me…” (Nineveh had same spirit ‘she said to herself, “I AM, and there is none besides me”’ Zephaniah 2:15). To use the words ‘I am’ in such a way is to claim the untouchable Name. It is to challenge the legitimacy of the Lord God’s right to be God alone.

We become aware of God’s unique, untouchable Name in His call to Moses at the burning bush. ‘God said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM:” and he said, “Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel I AM has sent me to you.”’ Exodus 3:14. Here also is His framework for the Covenant the Almighty made with Israel, for it is bound up in His Name. In giving to the Nation (and through them to us) the Ten Commandments God stresses ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain.’ Exodus 20:7.

Mystery Babylon (Revelation 17:5) not only takes Yahweh’s Name in vain, it wants to, plans to, and will fight to claim it. That is why the Scriptures are so loud in their call for people to get out of this city. Its defeat and doom is spelt out in Yahweh’s word. To ignore such a call is to share in the consequences of the judgement.

The Eternal’s defence of His untouchable Name has implications for Jesus. It is recorded, especially in the Gospel by John that the Man of Galilee lay claim to being ‘I AM’. His use of such terms as ‘I am the Bread of Life’ or ‘I am the Good Shepherd’ may seem unthreatening, however, there is no getting away from John 8:58. ‘Jesus said to them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.”’ To His disciples in John 13:19 He makes a similar claim. In the Greek it reads “From now I tell you before it happens, that you may believe when it happens I AM.” Then in Gethsemane when Judas and soldiers came to capture Jesus He twice mentioned that He was ‘I AM’. On the second occasion the soldiers fell backwards and tumbled over.

Now how do we as followers of Jesus Christ know he isn’t on the same trajectory of judgement as Babylon? Have we sure and certain evidence that His claim is valid? Here is where the battle ground of faith is fought. The Bethlehem Baby, the Calvary Christ, is He the Son of God and the ‘I AM’? If so how do we know? By His resurrection from the dead! His claim is vindicated as well as His mission of redemption. Once again we are confronted by the words of Thomas in the upper room when he said “My Lord and My God.”

The untouchable Name will have no rivals. Nor will it allow those who take it in vain or pollute its holiness escape discipline and loss of reward. I AM is the unique revelation of our eternal God and the wonderful, wonderful and amazing fact is, by faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, our Saviour, we honour that Name (Philippians 2:10-11). In it we are baptized according to Matthew 28:19; Go...teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit…’

 

©Ray Hawkins 27^th July 2015

Yahweh in O.T. = Jesus in N.T.

Job, in the book which bears his name, expressed many a person’s dilemma. In chapter 23 are these words ‘Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me.’

There is expressed Humankind’s problem regarding God. Where can he (if God is ‘He’) be found. Where would a person look? If someone stumbled across him, how would he be recognised? What if God never wanted to be found? When all of creation and life is considered, the greatest of all mysteries remains God. Unless he chose to reveal himself we would never find him.

Here is the most awesome, wonderful, and at the same time, disturbing claim of the Judeo-Christian Bible. The unseen God has revealed Himself. How? His existence is proclaimed through creation (Romans 1:20). His character and intent He made known to specific people, beginning with Adam and down the line to Noah, Abraham, Moses and the prophets (Amos 3:7). The Lord God’s self-revelation culminated in the Babe of Bethlehem, Emmanuel (God with us) who was given the Greek name Jesus (in Hebrew, Joshua).

To us, the strange revelation concerning God is that He is a tri-unity. That blows our mind. Some parody the concept (to their judgement) others sidestep it as too hard to grasp. However, God hasn’t left us in the dark on this. Genesis 1:26 and 31 begins the unveiling. The Aaronic threefold blessing stresses this mystery, as does Isaiah’s vision (6:3) Daniel in 9:19, Paul (2 Corinthians 13:13 and the Angels in Revelation 4:8. For me, it is when Jesus cries in agony on the cross “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me” undergirds the uniqueness of the eternal. Why did Jesus break the three fold emphasis? Emmanuel was on the cross!

In John 10:30 Jesus makes an astounding claim: “The Father and I are one.” The Greek word for ‘one’ is in the neuter gender and implies essence. Jesus asserts the Father and He (and the Holy Spirit) are of the same essence.  Here was a charge of blasphemy requiring death. It didn’t happen then but it was the charge that the High Priest used to justify the death penalty on Jesus (Matthew 26:63-65). The writer to the Hebrews in chapter one makes the most astounding statements regarding Jesus. As you read and examine what is written it takes your breath away and at the same time (should) make you bow in gratitude and wonder. It amplifies what Jesus said about Himself in John 14:8-11.

As those who are disciples of the Lord Jesus we may find the doctrine of the Godhead beyond us. It is to be accepted by faith. What we are called upon to believe is the great faith statement of Thomas in John 20:28 “My Lord and my God!” (Psa 35:23). Jesus never refuted it. How then does this Jesus measure up to the revelation of Yahweh in the Jewish Scriptures (the Old Testament)?

Yahweh                                           Title                                       Jesus

Exodus 3:14                                      I AM                                       John 8:58. 18:5-6

Isaiah 40:28.  66:2                          Creator                                  John 1:3. Col.1:16

Isaiah 45:22. 43:11                           Saviour                                  John 4:42. Titus 1:3-4

Isaiah 60:19-20.                               Light                                      John 8:12

Isaiah 41:4.                                        First & Last                           Revelation 22:13

Timothy 1:17. 6:14-16                      Lord of lords                         Revelation 17:14.19:16

                                                            King of kings

These are a selection of passages showing the identity of Yahweh and Jesus to be one and the same. The big issue which determines the truth of this comparison has to be the resurrection of Christ Jesus, bodily. If He didn’t arise then the high Priest was right. It is His resurrection which verifies who He is and what He has achieved.

Next week we will have a brief look at the defining word relating to God. That is ‘I AM’ and Jesus claim on it.

 

©Ray Hawkins. July 2015.

Agony in the Garden.

A garden on Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, East of the Temple mount was a favourite place for Jesus. There He could look at the temple adorned by King Herod but empty of the presence of God’s glory. This is still called Gethsemane and is a favourite place for pilgrims. It was to this garden Jesus and His disciples went to after the Passover meal in the upper room. It was night. The account of this evening is recorded in the Gospels and when put together is full of pathos, intrigue and mystery. In the presence of weary men who fell asleep Jesus wrestled in prayer knowing the cross was waiting for Him on the morrow.

We will never plumb the depths of Gethsemane and Jesus’ prayer battle. He who is called the Son of God/Son of Man was about to become the Passover Lamb. He would also fulfil the meaning of the bronze serpent mentioned in John 3. The Son who said He and the Father were one was on the verge of knowing a separation. The Son of Man who had come to do the Father’s will was about to be made sin and cursed! Not for anything He had done or thought. Jesus became such a hideous spectacle in the sight of Heaven on our behalf. He was about to take our place in God the Father’s judgement of our treason, rebellion, indifference and arrogance towards God and His commands.

I don’t believe Jesus’ agony in the garden was about a fear of failure. It was much, much more than that. The cry on the cross says it all: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” It was at that moment when the Father and the Holy Spirit turned away from beholding Jesus that the horror Jesus wrestled with in the garden took place.

Gethsemane is the preparation and the battleground of the cross. Many are the accounts of brave men and women enduring inhumane treatment and death. Jesus was a brave man but more than that. He endured the wrath of the Father. That was when Jesus became our sin bearer. He endured the taunts of kinsmen, betrayal of friends and the glee of the demonic as He suffered. Jesus became the scum of the universe. No one will ever be beneath Him in this. The One we call Lord became the lowest form of life in all of eternity at that moment for us. This is so important. It means that the lowest of the low can still find hope, forgiveness and understanding from and with Jesus as the risen Lord. No one can say that they are too wicked for Jesus to forgive and make into a new person. Jesus can lift all of us out of our rottenness and being enemies of God and take us up to the Heavenly places!

Gethsemane became the culmination of Jesus commitment to doing the Father’s will (John 5:30). We should be humbled by the words of Jesus ‘”Not my will but yours be done.” It came from the Man Jesus whose body was soaked in sweat and blood, and who would have been weary and aware of what was waiting for Him.

I find it remarkable that in this garden, as the soldiers came to arrest Him, Jesus with a word caused them to fall back in disarray. (John 18:6) What were the words? I AM! There are more than 7 ‘I AM’s’ in John. In Gethsemane is the final one. Our Lord in placing Himself into the bonds of the soldiers did so confessing His eternal deity. This was repeated in a different manner before the High Priest under oath.

It was in Gethsemane that the battle for your salvation and mine was won. As we grow older in our faith and understanding may we become more and more grateful and committed to Him whom we call Lord!

As the festival of Passover draws near and the Easter celebration is linked with it, remember Jesus fulfilled it for you. What is our response to His act of redeeming grace?