“Hallowed be thy name….” What Does God’s Name Mean? (Part1)
I loved strolling the grounds of this beautiful chapel, St. Mary McGowan, outside Astoria, Oregon.
When Jesus’ friends asked him to teach them how to pray, He instructed them to begin by focusing on Father God.
Our Father, which art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name. (Luke 11:2 KJV)
The other morning, I was reading these words from The Message. Eugene Peterson paraphrased this line of The Lord’s Prayer as:
Father,
Reveal who you are. (MSG Luke 11:2)
How do I hallow (honor as holy) the name of my Heavenly Father?
How does my God reveal who he is to me in a way I can relate?
These questions have popped up for me in my faith journey more than once.
While I am not a biblical expert of any sort, in the next two Listening on the Journey… blog posts, I’d like to share insights I have found invaluable about God’s name(s).[i]
Proverbs 18:10 (NIV) says, The name of the LORD is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.
In my quest for increased self-awareness that leads me to greater God awareness, I’ve learned “safety” in relationships is critically important to me. The imagery of running to the safety of God’s name feels momentous.
Throughout the Old Testament, aspects of God’s character were introduced through different names. Becoming familiar with various names of God has been hugely faith-building for me.
Today, I’ll begin giving brief descriptions of some of the names I have found helpful in understanding and worshiping God:
Importantly, I learned many of God’s names begin with “El,” which in the Hebrew language means God or Power.
Emmanuel, a name we’ll soon hear sung in many traditional Christmas carols, is my favorite name for Jesus. It means literally With Us - God.
Elohim is the name for God the Creator. Him in Hebrew (the original language of the Old Testament) is plural, signifying the participation of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the process of creation.
Genesis 1:26 – Let us make [male and female] in our image, in our likeness…(emphasis mine)
El Elyon is God Most High, the sovereign ruler of the universe.
El Roi is the God who Sees and is aware of all that happens.
El Shaddai is All Sufficient God – Literally the “Pourer-forth,” likened to the sufficiency of a mother’s breast to her baby.
In my next post, I’ll unpack a few more names of God. Until then, blessings as we learn how to better honor our holy God…
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[i] Many insights concerning the names of God come from the study, Lord, I Want to Know You by Kay Arthur
