And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins (Matt. 1:21 KJV)
God revealed Himself in the Old Testament using different names and titles. This teaches us that there is more to a name than just a means by which a person is known. God revealed Himself as Jehovah Jireh to Abraham when He miraculously provided a lamb in place of his son Isaac for the sacrifice. In Exo. 15:26, He revealed Himself to Israel as Jehovah Rapha as the God who heals them from all diseases they had seen in the land of Egypt.
When God showed up in the New Testament, He took up the name Joshua or Jehovah is salvation”. This is the name, Jesus. The angel in Matt 1:21 gave Mary the Name of the child Jesus before He was born. The Names and Titles of God revealed in the Old Testament are still very valuable to us today because they reveal God to us in specific distinct ways. However, we have something better in the New Testament. The Name Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Jehovah titles, and the names of God revealed in the Old Testament! Jesus is the sum total of EL Shaddai or Jehovah Rapha, Jireh, Nissi, etc. When you call on the Name of Jesus, you are calling upon the entirety of God revealed to us by the different Names and Titles of God in the Old Testament. Praise the Lord for the beautiful Name of Jesus!
MEDITATE
What is included in a person’s name? Can you think of two people in the scriptures whose names were changed by God Himself?
APPLY THE WORD
You need to understand what is in the Name of Jesus. We naturally can sometimes get carried away with the blessings of the Names of God revealed in the Old Testament. However, God has moved further. Do not stay in the Old Testament but move on to the next level to fully understand the beautiful Name of Jesus.
PRAY
Thank the Lord right now for the blessing of the wonderful Name of Jesus.
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