A Daily Devotional

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Compound Names of Jehovah


"In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jeremiah 23:6).

There are seven compound names of Jehovah in Scripture which together provide profound insight into the person and work of our Lord. The first of these identifies Jehovah, the God of the Covenant with the Creator "the Lord God ['Jehovah-elohim'] made the earth and the heavens" (Genesis 2:4).

On finding a ram to sacrifice in place of his son, Isaac, "Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh " (Genesis 22:14).

Contingent upon their keeping the law, God promised the people of Israel that "I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee [literally, 'Jehovah-rapha']" (Exodus 15:26).

Fresh from a miraculous victory in the first battle of the people of Israel, "Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi " (Exodus 17:15).

Once the Lord had commissioned Gideon to lead the people of Israel out of bondage, "Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom " (Judges 6:24).

In a passage concerning the future regathering and conversion of Israel quoted in our text, we see that Israel refers to the "Lord our righteousness ['Jehovah-tsidkenu']."

Finally, in the last verse of his book, Ezekiel describes the absorbing charm of the heavenly city and the One who will preside over it, claiming, "the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there ['Jehovah-shama,' Jehovah the indweller]" (Ezekiel 48:35).

And best of all, He is all seven to us.

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The Father Testifies Of The Son (#19950320)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again” (John 12:28).

This is the last of three remarkable occasions during the earthly ministry of Christ when God the Father spoke directly from heaven concerning His only begotten Son. The first was at His baptism. “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; also, Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). This thrice-recorded testimony was given primarily to the forerunner, John the Baptist, who said: “And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost” (John 1:33).

The second was to three chosen disciples at the transfiguration. “Behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him” (Matthew 17:5). Years later, Peter recalled: “This voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount” (II Peter 1:18).

Finally, the Father spoke in the words of our text for the day, in direct response to the prayer of His Son, at the beginning of the final week before His crucifixion. The message was to His Son, but for the people. Jesus said: “This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes” (John 12:30), as He spoke of His imminent death on the cross.

When God spoke from heaven, the message was to assure and encourage His own dear ones, John, the disciples, and Jesus Himself. But it has also become an exhortation to all people for all time. Jesus Christ is God’s Son, and God is glorified in Him. Hear Him! HMM

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Who Gets Weary? (#19950321)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding” (Isaiah 40:28).

Everyone gets weary, and everyone must rest. Even in Eden, before sin came into the world, there was a weekly day of rest, and each day of work in the Garden was followed by a night of rest in sleep. The Lord Jesus Christ, in the days of His sinless human flesh, occasionally became “wearied with His journey” (John 4:6) and had to rest. On one occasion He was so weary that, during a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, He was “asleep on a pillow” (Mark 4:38) while the disciples tried to keep their ship from destruction. He once advised these fretful and busy disciples to “come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). We sometimes need to come apart before we fall apart!

In the New Jerusalem, with our new bodies, we perhaps will not need rest and sleep, for “there shall be no night there” (Revelation 22:5). In our present frail tents of clay, however, we do need rest, for God made us so. In one area of life, on the other hand, we are twice admonished to “be not weary in well doing” (Galatians 6:9; II Thessalonians 3:13).

And when we do get weary, and perhaps are not yet able to stop and rest, we can draw on God’s strength, for He “fainteth not, neither is weary.” “He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4). “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles: they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:30,31). HMM

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Lacking In One Thing (#19950322)
by Kenneth B. Cumming, Ph.D.

“Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22).

The rich young ruler was following the formula for success—obeying the law. His goal was eternal life, but somehow he felt frustrated with the prescription for attaining the prize! In coming to Jesus, he felt that he would have the answer to what was missing in his strategy. He was right, for Jesus looked beyond the letter of the law and revealed the intent of the law—total submission to the will of God.

Jesus saw and revealed the deficiency in the ruler’s behavioral program. It was not a chaste life, nor care for human life that were missing in his practice. He had not taken anything unlawfully, spoken lies about others, nor been callous toward his parents. Rather, he had somehow reserved his wealth from his commitment to God. This was an error of judgment as to whom this wealth belonged. “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine” (Exodus 19:5).

Very simply He stated the need in this man’s life—“sell all that you have, give the proceeds to the needy, and I will see to it that your heavenly account will be enriched. Then, commit your path to me.” This transaction for the rich young ruler would have been the miracle of conversion not unlike passing a camel through a needle’s eye (v.25), an impossible task for a man, but “things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (v.27). “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). What lack keeps us from God’s fullest blessing? KBC

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The River Of God (#19950323)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it” (Psalm 65:9).

The inexhaustible river of God, watering the whole Earth, is nothing less than the refreshing rains coming down from the heavens, “visiting” the earth on its amazing journey to the oceans, whence it flows back up to the skies again. This river incorporates all the rivers of Earth, yet it is like no other river, for once it reaches the ocean, then it rises into the heavens, there to flow back over the thirsty ground and finally descend once more on its endless journey.

What a wonderful provision is this river of God! Without it, all life on Earth would soon die. Far more valuable than gold, it continually “enriches” the earth on its regular visitations, “to satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth” (Job 38:27).

Thereby does God also prepare corn to feed man and beast. The word “corn” in this and other passages probably refers generically to any of the cereal grains which provide the basic foodstuffs for people and animals all over the world. This is implied in the creation passage itself. “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth. . . . And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, l have given every green herb for meat” (Genesis 1:29,30).

This is God’s wonderful life-giving river. “He watereth the hills from His chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth” (Psalm 104:13,14). The Creator is also the Sustainer (Colossians 1:16,17). HMM

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Singing Garments Of Life (#19950324)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing” (Psalm 65:13).

This is the concluding verse of the beautiful 65th psalm, climaxing a remarkable series of testimonies about God’s providential care of His creation. In this final figure, the lands are pictured as clothed in beautiful, living garments—garments which shout and sing in joyful praise to their Maker.

The figure would be better appreciated in Biblical times, or in certain lands (e.g., New Zealand) today, where flocks of sheep are so abundant that they literally seem to cover the pasture lands in wool. The flocks first provide a metaphorical garment for the pastures, then literal clothing for men and women. Similarly, the fertile valleys are everywhere arrayed in golden grain, which later provides food for both the animals and human beings.

And “the sounds of the earth are like music,” as the song so eloquently expresses it. For those with ears to hear and eyes to see, praise is everywhere being offered up to our great Creator and faithful Sustainer, by the very creation itself.

Jesus also spoke of the beautiful garments of creation: “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28–30).

The verse following our text, therefore, appropriately exhorts: “Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands. . . . All the earth shall worship thee” (Psalm 66:1,4). HMM

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An Early Christian Hymn (#19950325)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (I Peter 2:21).

Some scholars have concluded that the four verses following our text were set to music and sung by the early Christian church. The hymn constitutes a praise of Christ for His nature and work. Let us look at it, with insights from the Greek not always apparent in the English.

Stanza One: His character. “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth” (v.22). The words “no, neither, found,” imply a careful scrutiny, with no sin or guile (i.e., craftiness) found. Total perfection.

Stanza Two: His life. “Who, when He was reviled [i.e., a bitter, heart-rending wound], reviled not again; when He [continually] suffered, He threatened not [even though He had great resources at His disposal]; but [continually] committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously” (v.23).

Stanza Three: His sacrifice. “Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree [carried up the cross and offered Himself as on an altar], that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes [literally, one bleeding stripe. Christ was so brutalized by His tormentors that He was simply one big wound], ye were healed [our healing is past tense, at the point of salvation. It does not refer primarily to physical healing, for in this context, and in Isaiah 53, from which the hymn is quoted, spiritual healing is stressed]” (v.24).

Stanza Four: His mission. “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned [have been turned back] unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (v.25).

He has done it all! He lived a sinless life, and died as a worthy sacrifice, just so He could turn us back into His blessed fold. JDM

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On Eschewing Evil (#19950326)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it” (I Peter 3:10,11).

The venerable English word “eschew” is not used much these days, perhaps because there is not much evil that people eschew any more. Nevertheless, a wonderful formula is couched in this terminology in our text. If anyone desires to “see good days,” then he should “eschew evil,” even in his speech, and instead “do good.”

The Greek word translated “eschew” here is ekklineo, meaning “incline away from.” That is, instead of having an attitude that “inclines toward” evil, as the world does, the Christian’s inclination must be its polar opposite.

The word is used only two other times in the New Testament. “Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). We are not only to eschew evil words and deeds, but also evil men who teach things contrary to God’s word. The other occurrence refers to what ungodly men eschew. “They are all gone out of the way . . . there is none that doeth good” (Romans 3:12). Here ekklineo is translated “gone out of the way.” The ungodly eschew doing good; those who would love real life and see good days must do good and eschew evil.

That such an attitude honors and pleases God is especially evident from His thrice-repeated testimony concerning the patriarch Job, a man that “feared God and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1,8; 2:3), “a perfect and an upright man.” Job saw some bad days, of course, but there were far more good days of great blessing until he finally died “full of days” (Job 42:17). Like Job, let us eschew—shun, avoid, run away from—evil in any form. HMM

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Earnest Of The Spirit (#19950327)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit” (II Corinthians 5:5).

This is a fascinating concept and a wonderful reality. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is said to be an “earnest”—that is, a pledge or deposit—on an ultimate fulfillment of a magnificent promise from God Himself. The word translated “earnest” (Greek arrhabon) is essentially a transliteration of its Hebrew equivalent (arabown), translated “pledge” in the Old Testament (see Genesis 38:17–20).

Now if the guiding presence of God, through the Holy Spirit, is merely an earnest payment, the fulfillment must be glorious beyond comprehension. This “selfsame thing,” as our text calls it, is a wonderful “house which is from heaven,” the spiritual body we shall receive when we go to be with the Lord (II Corinthians 5:1,2).

The phrase also occurs in II Corinthians 1:22: “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” In context, the earnest payment here is associated with the “sealing” of God and the assurance that “all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen” (II Corinthians 1:20).

The third and last use of this word in the New Testament is in Ephesians 1:13,14: “. . . in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.” We are “joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17), and He is to inherit all things.

Thus, the Holy Spirit, a present possession of all who have received Christ as Savior, is also God’s pledge of a glorious future—a perfect body, a great inheritance, and the certain fulfillment of all of God’s gracious promises. HMM

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A Sweet (#19950328)
by Robert Radford

“. . . And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor” (Ephesians 5:2).

In this verse, Paul tells us that Christ gave Himself an offering on our behalf, and that offering became “a sweet-smelling savor to God.”

The phrase, “sweet-smelling savor,” is used many times in Scripture.

In Genesis 8:21, this expression was used for the first time when Noah built an altar upon which he made sacrifices to God out of gratitude after he and his family safely came out of the Ark. The Scripture says, “. . . and the Lord smelled a sweet savor.” Paul tells us in II Corinthians 2:15 that Christians “are unto God a sweet savor of Christ.” In Philippians 4:18, Paul broadens the use of the term when he makes mention of the gifts of money from the Philippian church which Epaphroditus took to him while he was in prison. Paul says these gifts were “an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.”

Paul continues by explaining that it was not so much that the Philippians were supplying his needs, but more importantly, that he desired fruit that may abound to their account. This implies that whenever we give to the work of the Lord, any spiritual fruit that is harvested will abound to our account. Paul is telling them that they were actually sharing in his ministry when they gave. So it should gladden our hearts to realize that when we give to our churches or to worthy Christian organizations, it is considered a “sweet-smelling savor” to God.

For those of us who may give out of limited means, Paul adds this comforting thought: “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). RRR

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A Colony Of Heaven (#19950329)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

The term “conversation” in this verse is from a Greek word (politeuma) used only this once in the New Testament. It is related to the word for “city” (polls) and has to do with the proper behavior of a good citizen. Consequently some translations render the word as “citizenship,” stressing the fact that our true home is not in any earthly city, but in heaven.

Since we are now stationed here, in a foreign land, as it were, one particularly picturesque rendering calls us “a colony of heaven.” We are pioneering settlers, attempting to establish a beachhead for our homeland in a distant, dangerous country. The Lord Jesus prayed to His Father: “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world” (John 17:18). “Go ye into all the world” was His commission, “and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

A similar figure is used in II Corinthians 5:20: “We are ambassadors for Christ.” As such, it is vitally important that our “conversation” (i.e., “life style”) be one which honors the heavenly kingdom and our great King.

Then, when our colonizing efforts succeed and new citizens are added to the heavenly kingdom, they can testify with us: “(The Father) hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:12,13).

As citizens, and colonists, and ambassadors from heaven, we are here only temporarily, of course. Our real home is with our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are looking for Him to establish His eternal kingdom here on Earth, as it is in heaven. HMM

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Never Like This (#19950330)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel” (Matthew 9:33).

In His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus was fully human (except that He did no sin). He probably looked and acted very “average,” yet He continually performed works of healing and other miracles which were utterly different from those magical deeds attributed to the many conjurers of the day. When the man “sick of the palsy” was instantaneously and completely cured, he “went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion” (Mark 2:12). It was no wonder that Nicodemus, Israel’s greatest teacher at the time, acknowledged to Jesus that “no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with Him” (John 3:2).

It was the same with His teachings. When officers were sent to arrest Him because of these teachings, they came back empty-handed, reporting simply that “never man spake like this man” (John 7:46).

His words and deeds were uniquely from God, and those who saw and heard Him should have known this. It was appropriate that, when the time came for Him to fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy concerning the coming of Israel’s king, entering Jerusalem on a donkey, He must “find a colt tied, whereon never man sat” (Mark 11:2) to serve as His kingly chariot. Others before Him had come into the city on a donkey, but never like this, on an unbroken colt.

And when He died, He must be buried in “a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid” (John 19:41). His birth was different, as were His life and death and burial, from those of other men, and “there is none other name . . . whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). HMM

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Preaching Against False Teachers (#19950331)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better better for him that a millstone be hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).

Jude, an earthly brother of our Lord, had become a leader in the early church by the time he wrote his epistle. He had intended “to write unto you of the common salvation,” but instead was compelled by God’s Spirit to write and “exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith” (v.3) against the onslaught of false teachers. He writes, “to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude 15).

Few categories of people are so summarily denounced in Scripture as false teachers, those who teach error from within, and nearly every Biblical writer echoes God’s hatred of them and their work. Here, Jude refers back to Enoch’s ancient teaching to demonstrate the fact that God has always hated false teachers and has assured them of their doom. Unfortunately, many of today’s pulpits and “Christian” airwaves are filled with false teachers and teaching, wolves in sheep’s clothing who lead many astray.

But this is also a lesson to be learned by any who would teach, even born-again, God-gifted teachers. Error is a serious thing in God’s eyes, and a Bible teacher must continually submit to God’s word and Spirit to discern and teach only truth. Evidently it would be better for those teachers, seminarians, and others who espouse errors such as humanism, evolution, and other false concepts, that a millstone were hanged about their necks, and that they were drowned in the depth of the sea than to lead astray those “little ones” in their influence. JDM

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The Serpent In The Wilderness (#19950401)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live” (Numbers 21:.

This might seem an incredible story, but it was confirmed by none other than the Lord Jesus Himself: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14,15).

A plague of poisonous snakes had infested the camp of Israel, sent as a divine judgment because of their complaints and ingratitude, and many people had died. When they confessed their sin and Moses prayed for their deliverance, God in grace prescribed this unique remedy.

There is, of course, no naturalistic process which can heal a deadly snakebite merely by a look. Neither, of course, is there a naturalistic explanation for the salvation of a sin poisoned soul merely by looking with faith upon the crucified Son of man. Both are mighty miracles, with the first being beautifully designed by God to be a prophetic foreshadowing of the other.

The symbolism is striking. The brass serpent impaled on the pole represented the poisonous serpents slain, but it also spoke of “that old Serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan,” eventually cast forever into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:2,10). Thus it also symbolized the judgment on sin itself and its final banishment from God’s creation.

All of this, however, was only the symbol. The real deliverance required Christ to be made “sin for us, who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21). The Son of man must be lifted up on the cross, and then all who see Him, and believe, receive life instead of death. HMM

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Believing God (#19950402)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me” (Acts 27:25).

Most people believe in God—some kind of God—but it’s a different thing altogether to believe God! And our text makes it clear that believing God simply means believing what He says, “that it shall be even as it was told me.” Paul spoke these words at the height of a terrible storm at sea, when it appeared certain that “all hope that we should be saved was then taken away” (v.20). But God had spoken otherwise, and Paul believed God rather than adopting the fears of those around Him. Abraham, “the father of all them that believe” (Romans 4:11), had set the example. “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform” (Romans 4:20,21).

God does not speak to us audibly today as He did to Abraham and Paul, but He does speak far more comprehensively to us than to them through His written word, and we have even less excuse for unbelief than they might have had. It is a terrible offense against our Creator to question His word. This, indeed, was the very sin of pride that led to Satan’s fall and then to the fall of Adam and Eve. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God [literally, ‘is God-breathed’],” and thus should be fully believed and explicitly obeyed, for “He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar” (I John 5:10).

But what about those Scriptures that modern scientists claim to be wrong? “Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:3,4). “For the word of the LORD is right, and all His works are done in truth” (Psalm 33:4). HMM