Clearing-the-Fog

Psalm 135 calls for His people to “praise the name of the Lord.”

Psalm 135:1 (NLT) – “Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you who serve the Lord.”

In verse 3 we are given the reason why we should praise the name of the Lord:

“Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music.”

We praise God because He is good. But what’s up with the idea of praising the name of God? Why “celebrate his lovely name?”  Over and over in Scripture we see the phrase “the name of God.” Why is that significant?

Throughout Hebrew Scripture, a person’s name carried with it the character and, perhaps, the destiny of a person. The name was an emblem of the very nature of the person. When we praise the name of the Lord, or when we call on the name of the Lord, or we dishonor the name of the Lord, we are praising, calling on, or dishonoring the very essence of who God is. The term “name” stands for all that God is. We could list attributes of who God is – holy, unlimited, all-powerful, always present, knows everything – but any list would never be enough to cover the whole of who God is. He is beyond our imagination and comprehension.

Consider this: while the word “God” is a noun (person, place, or thing) because it is a label we have put on the eternal Deity we worship, let me propose that the word “God” is also a verb. Let me explain.

In the science of language, a verb is a word that shows action, occurrence, or a state of being. In Exodus 3, when Moses asked God what His name was, God answered with the statement of “I am that I am” or simply “I am.” That certainly is a verbal expression pointing to state of being. In essence it speaks of existence – God exists, has always existed, and will always exist. That’s His eternal nature – He eternally exists with no beginning and no ending.  HE IS!

The Hebrew word for His name is YAHWEH – I am that I am. The name is in the present verbal tense. However, the Hebrew grammar also allows a translation of the name in the future tense.  You might correctly translate the word YAHWEH as “I will be what I will be.” When Moses asked, “What is your name,” God replied, “I will be what I will be.”  The implication is that God told Moses, “Watch what I do; that is who I am.”  And so, to Moses and the children of Israel, God was their Deliverer as He acted to deliver them out of Egyptian slavery.  He provided food and water for them in the wilderness, so He proved Himself to be their Provider.  He protected them from their enemies, thus becoming their Shield and Defender.  Through the cloud by day and column of fire by night, He led them as their Guide. 

God is a verb! He exists – a state of being. And He is action – always at work as Creator, Protector, Guide, Provider, Healer, Warrior, Comforter, Strengthener, Savior, and more.

So, when you call on the name of the Lord, you are calling on Him in the many ways in which He is actively involved in your life. When you praise the name of the Lord you are giving glory to His nature as One who is always acting on behalf of His people. Much of the remainder of Psalm 135 praises God for His activity on behalf of Israel.

Take time today to praise and proclaim the “name” and the “fame” of our Lord.

Psalm 135:12 (NLT) – “You name, O Lord, endures forever.  Your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation.”