Ministry Resources

Hallowed be Thy Name, Part 3

Author: The Journey Online Team

God is our Provider.

The account of Abraham’s journey with God is recorded in the book of Genesis beginning in chapter 12. It is a fascinating story of God’s favor, human error, trials of faith, and God’s miraculous provision.  At one point, Abraham was instructed to make a sacrifice of his beloved son, Isaac, on an altar to God.  In obedience, Abraham prepared the altar, tied Isaac to it, and had his arm raised to pierce the boy with a knife.  At that moment, an angel spoke to Abraham to not kill his son.

Genesis 22:12-14 NIV

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

The Lord Jesus, Jehovah-jireh, our Provider

The understanding of the Law of Moses begins with the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They lost their place of fellowship and provision with God and received curses on their lives.

God gave Moses His laws by which the Jews could be acceptable to God.  The Mosaic Law was a covenant of works which was impossible to keep, because the people were not empowered by the Holy Spirit to perform it perfectly.

The blessings and curses of the Mosaic Law are listed in Deuteronomy 28.  This situation brought frustration, hopelessness, and a life of certain failure.  Jesus changed all of this because of the righteousness which we receive by faith in His finished work on the cross and His defeat of death, hell, and the grave.

Galatians 3:13-14 NIV

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[a] 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

It is recorded in Genesis that Abraham was to be blessed to be a blessing and that he had blessings of silver, gold, and cattle.  In general, he was blessed in all things, Genesis 24:1.  The blessing His seed was to be to all people is an early reference to Jesus, the Messiah.  Genesis 12:3

The Apostle Paul used similar language in Romans and Corinthians to describe God’s desire to bless those who believe in His Son, Jesus.

Romans 8:32 NIV

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV

20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

What a blessing that Jesus has redeemed us from failure and insufficiency.  He has become our source of success and blessing. In Hebrew, Jehovah-jireh means “the Lord Who Sees” or “Jehovah’s Provision Shall Be seen”. He IS our Jehovah-jireh.

Suggested Prayer:  Acknowledge God as your provider, your Jehovah-jireh, thank Him for your perfect provision and His gracious love and favor on your life. Be specific in your requests for provisions you need.  Believe it is His will to meet all your needs because it is His nature to provide for His children.

Jesus , our Jehovah-nissi, our Banner

Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah My Banner is the name given to the altar built by Moses recorded in Exodus 17:15.  The Israelite army under the direction of Joshua was engaged in a long battle against the Amalekites.  During the battle, Moses, Aaron, and Hur watched from the top of a hill overlooking the battlefield.  When Moses held up his rod, Israel prevailed, but when he lowered his rod, the Amalekites advanced.  As the day went on, Moses grew tired, but Aaron and Hur held up his hands, and Israel ultimately won the battle.

Exodus 17:15 NIV

15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.

Banner could be translated “pole, ensign or standard”. It sometimes meant a miracle. It was a point of encouragement, hope, and renewed effort. The banner represented God’s cause, His battle, and was a sign of deliverance and salvation.

The connection of the Old Testament “banner” in physical battles and Jesus being our Jehovah-nissi in the New Testament was prophesied by Isaiah.

Isaiah 11:10 NIV

10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

Matthew records the genealogy of Jesus and in it we find that Jesse was one of His ancestors and was the father of David. The following scriptures state the position of victory that we have when we are in Christ.

Romans 1:3 NIV

regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life[a] was a descendant of David,

John 16:33 NIV

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Ephesians 1:19-22 NIV

19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV

57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:10 NIV

10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Suggested Prayer:  Lord, I thank you for being my banner in life’s battles.  I thank you for the victory over this challenge I am facing.  I will keep my eyes on you and your promises until I see the victory you have planned for me.

 Our Good Shepherd

Jehovah – Rohi or Ra-ahThe Lord is my shepherd, companion, friend.

One of the most famous and familiar Old Testament passages is Psalm 23.  In it the character of Father God is compared to a person who takes outstanding care of his flock of sheep, who are very vulnerable animals, completely unable to care for or defend themselves.  The good shepherd removes any lack in their lives.  They have choice pasture, and the best watering places.  They have no need to fear danger from any source, because the shepherd is always with them.  He has defensive weapons, a rod and a staff, that he uses to protect them.  Even when danger is near, he sees to it that they are well fed.  He takes care of their injuries by anointing them with healing oil, and they live in abundance.  They will always live in the care and presence of their shepherd.

The Apostle John recorded the words Jesus spoke which describe His care of those who follow and believe in Him.

John 10:11 NIV

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

The writer of Hebrews described Jesus as “that great Shepherd of the sheep”.

Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV

20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NIV

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”[a]

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:9 NIV

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,

The God of the Old Testament and Jesus of the New Testament are one in the same. Jesus said that he came in His Father’s name, John 5:43.

One of our favorite Old Testament verses is Psalm 37:23.

Psalm 37:23 NIV

23 The Lord makes firm the steps
    of the one who delights in him;

Suggested Prayer:  Read the 23rd Psalm as a prayer of thanksgiving. For example: “Lord, I thank you that you are my good shepherd, I shall not want.  I thank you that you make me to lie down in green pastures, in places where I am well-fed and protected.  I thank you for leading me beside still waters where I can safely drink without fear.”

As we declare the names of God in our prayer, we are submitting all areas of our lives to His Lordship.  He has given us His righteousness.  Therefore, we live as one cleansed from all unrighteousness.  He has called and set us apart for His Kingdom’s purposes.  We belong to Him for He has bought us with His own blood.  Therefore, we live as a person who is a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

Declare your faith in Him as you pray each of the names you have learned.  As you do this on a consistent basis, He will manifest all the characteristics you declare.  You will experience the manifestation whether it is more peace, provision, protection, hope, health, healing, or freedom from fear of death.  You will be getting to know your Father God.

The more we come to understand His names the more weight and significance we accord to His names and the more secure we become in our identity in Him.

Promised Blessings

Scripture states there are promised blessings for those who know the names of God. How amazing it is that the Creator of the universe would declare blessings to people who simply know His names!

Proverbs 18:10 NIV

10 The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
    the righteous run to it and are safe.

Psalm 91:14 NIV

14 “Because he[a] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

This practice of declaring and praying the names of God has proven to be a life-changing experience for our family, and we highly recommend it to all who read this article.

What's Next

We would love to answer any question you have or help suggest next steps on your journey.