Names of God: Jehovah-mekoddishkem

It's time for another post in the Names of God series. We have done a little study on the names Elohim, El Elyon, El Roi, El Shaddai, El Olam, Adonia, Jehovah, Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-rapha, and Jehovah-nissi.
Today we will discover what we can learn about the character of our God as we look at His name, Jehovah-mekoddishkem.

We are introduced to this beautiful name of God in the book of Exodus.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’ It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”
When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
~ Exodus 31:12-18

Jehovah-mekoddishkem is God's name for Himself that means the LORD who sanctifies you. So what exactly does that mean to us. When we look at the context of this passage of Scripture in which God reveals this name we discover that this is the time when Moses is on the mountain top alone with God. This is when God is giving the children of Israel the Law, the Ten Commandments.

The children of Israel have spent the last four hundred years as slaves in Egypt living under the bondage of slavery and under the rules of a godless Pharaoh. Now they have been redeemed by their God. Now they are free, but they are not free to live to themselves... they have been set free to serve the I AM.

Then the LORD said to Moses,

“Go to Pharaoh and say to him,

‘Thus says the LORD,

“Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

Exodus 8:1

The children of Israel were no longer to look, talk, or act like slaves of Egypt. They were redeemed to be set apart. That is what sanctified means. They were being set apart and prepared and dedicated to represent and serve the One True Living God. They were going to be consecrated and taught by God how to be holy and majestic and to be a people of honor. They were no longer to be slaves... they were now sons. They were to be sons who greatest desire was to honor their Father.

Does this sound familiar child of God through Christ Jesus His Son?

But you are A CHOSEN RACE,

A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION,

A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION,

so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him

who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 

for you once were NOT A PEOPLE,

but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD;

you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY,

but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

1 Peter 2:9-10

The children of Israel did not do a thing to earn their sanctification. They were slaves who had nothing. They did buy their freedom. They could not purchase their own redemption. If you read the preceding chapters of the book of Exodus you also see that the children of Israel grumbled and complained the whole way into their freedom and even as they were walking in it. So they did not become good out of the appreciation of their new freedom. They did nothing to sanctify themselves. They had no ability within themselves to make themselves holy. God had to do it all. Thus He is Jehovah-mekkodishkem, the LORD who sanctifies you.  

I didn't earn my sanctification either. I didn't earn my salvation. I was a slave to sin in bondage to my flesh and Satan held the cords of control. I was bankrupt and broken. I could not set myself free. I could not pay my way out. I had to be redeemed. It would be my Jehovah-mekkodishkem that came to my rescue.

By this will we have been sanctified

through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ

once for all.

Hebrews 10:10

I was not sanctified by my ability to keep the Law. I was sanctified by my ability to be good enough. The children of Israel were not sanctified by their ability to keep God's Law either. Go back and look at the context.

The LORD who sanctifies you reveals this name of Himself as He teaches us of the sabbath.

‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths;

for this is a sign between Me and you

throughout your generations,

that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 

Therefore you are to observe the sabbath,

for it is holy to you.

Exodus 31:13-14

Now why did God say that observing the sabbath would be the sign?

Why not, you shall not commit adultery and this is the sign that you are sanctified? Why not, you shall obey your parents  and this will be the sign that you are sanctified? Why not, you shall never take my name in vain and this will be sign? Why not you shall not make an idol and this will be sign?

Why on earth would the sign be the sabbath?

Oh precious one, God is trying to get a very huge point across to us today... just as He was to the children of Israel then. The point that He alone can sanctify.

The sign that we belong to Him is our ability to rest in Him.

To trust in Him.

To depend on Him.

To believe in Him.

Our sanctification does not come as a result of our work... it is a gift received only by the grace and mercy of God.

For by grace you have been saved

through faith;

and that not of yourselves,

it is the gift of God; 

not as a result of works,

so that no one may boast. 

Ephesians 2:8-9

Oh how thankful I am that God did not make the sign of my sanctification my ability to keep to perfection the rest of the Law. I fail often. I fall often. I miss the mark. But when I do I know that I am His because His Spirit calls me to repentance and to rest in His forgiveness and calls me to remember to trust and to love and not to fear and to start over because I have received mercy.

This is what makes my God, Jehovah-mekkodishkem, different from all other gods... mercy for no reason other than that He loves me. Then out of my overwhelmed relief of His poured out without measure grace I willingly desire and choose to honor my Father by obeying the rest of His commands. So that my set apart life might display His majesty and be used by Him to bring the rest of our family home.

My freedom did not come through my ability to work, from ability to get it all right. My freedom game from resting in Him...

Precious one are you tired? 

Are you tired from working to get it right?

Are you ready to rest in Him?

In Him alone will you find freedom...

The Good Wife's Guide Review

I was asked by Darlene Schacht to read the rough draft version of her new book The Good Wife's Guide. I have been following her blog, Time-Warp Wife, for about six months. I love how she is trying to bring us ladies back to who God created us to be. In the past few decades I have to agree with her that we have gotten off focus as women.

You see I was once queen of the She-Woman-Man-Haters Club. To the point of writing college papers on the subjugation and degradation of women by our society. I researched and filled my head with every bit of information I could gather to fuel and justify my hate of men in general. I had decided that the only one of any count was my Daddy.

I despised the fact of the double-standard that I fully believed existed. I wrote a paper once that I was going to open a restaurant and call it Peckers. The woodpecker would be the store mascot and I would only hire male waiters and they would have to serve shirtless in tight red shorts. You see I decided that men should be just as objectified and degraded as women. Equal degradation was my plan.

My college papers on The Scarlet Letter and Maggie, A Girl of the Streets were asked to be kept by my professors to use as examples in future classrooms. Trust me, I was one fired-up, red-headed female. I was tired of the objectification of women. I was tired of not being physically strong enough to fight off an attacker. I was tired of being sexually harassed. I was tired of a woman being called a whore for the same thing that got a man called the hero of the locker room. I was tired of being a woman.

I was determined that I would never be dependant upon any man. I would never be a "kept" woman. I would do what I wanted, when I wanted, how I wanted. I didn't need a man for anything. I mean nothing. I could even have a child without one if I wanted... they had test tubes for the only part of a man that was worth anything to me.

Oh me, I was tired.
I was tired, mad, and... broken.

I was so tired that I cried when I found out I was carrying a girl when I was pregnant with my Shelby. I stayed in denial the entire pregnancy. I wanted a boy. I did not want a daughter who would have to face this world that I had faced. I was scared to death that she would be hurt, abused, harassed, condemned. I was terrified.

In my terror I surrounded myself with invisible walls of protection and drowned my fears and demons in alcohol (btw-didn't drink when I was pregnant) and "girl power". My breaking point came in my second year of marriage.  My husband and I had been fighting and he walked out the door and he looked at me and said "Your problem is you hate men! Which means you will never really love me because I am a man!"

This hit me like a brick in the head.
This led me to really pick up my Bible for the first time in twelve years.
This truth led me back to the God-Man.

When I fell in love with the God-Man, I began to heal from my hate. I began to fall in love with my husband in a deeper and truer way. I began to learn what it really meant to be a woman. I began to learn how the fact that I was called a helper to my husband by God did not make me inferior to him or any other man.

I learned the beauty in Biblical submission and I learned the peace that comes in shifting a burden that I was never meant to carry over to the one who was designed for it. It has not always been easy nor has the journey always been fun, but it has been beneficial and profitable.

I don't know were you are right now in your womanhood. You might still be a member of the She-Woman-Man-Haters Club or maybe you are a new bride or maybe you have been a bride for a while, but have been trying to pull the groom's side for many years... where ever you are... you are woman. You are created in the image of God and you are of great value and worth and your place as woman in your home and in this world is of vital importance.

Discover what it means to be a woman as God created you.
Discover what it means to be a wife as God created you.
Discover what it means to be a mother as God created you.

A good place to get a start would be with Darlene's new book, The Good Wife's Guide.
There is much truth to glean from the book.
There are some pretty neat tips in how to work on your role as woman, wife, and mother.
No you may not be able to meet all the offered advice... all of our families have different routines and schedules... but you can take her ideas and suggestions and modify them to fit the dynamics of your family.

But precious one first and foremost... the best guide of learning how to be the woman that God designed you to be is found in His Word... back every bit of human advice you ever recieve up with His Word... if it can't be backed up with the absolute truth of God... then throw it out. Declutter! 

Great, Now What!

I am trying to learn to see my trials through eyes that say "Okay God what are you wanting to teach me?" instead of "Great, now what!" Even when that trial is coming in and through my kids...

I am learning to always remember that I am a child to my Father in Heaven. So when my children do things or act in a way that gets all up in my crawl, I have begun to stop and ask God if I behave the same way toward Him.

I began doing this several years ago... but it seems I forget about it for a while... then when I am about ready to knock all my girls out I realize I need to stop and examine myself and my current relationship with God to see if He is trying to teach me something about my relationship to Him or someone else through my relationship with my children.

He has never failed to greatly enlighten me when I come to Him with this question. I don't think He has ever said, "Nope, Nicole, we're great. Your kids are just little hellions and they need their heads pinched off." It usually is a response of opening my eyes to some things that I need to work on.

Sometimes it is to open my eyes to something between me and Him. Sometimes it's something between me and my husband. Sometimes it's between me and my girls. Sometimes it between me and another brother or sister in Christ. Sometimes it's just to teach me so I will be ready because a future issue is coming and God is getting me ready to know how to respond. Sometimes it is just to help me give my children more grace as I sit before Him praying that He will extend more grace to me.

I currently have one child that has been having a whinefest that hangs around the it's-all-about-me-festival and it seems to be becoming a perpetual statute for all days until all eternity and then another that is struggling with truth-telling and truth-doing and trusting to receive the right answer, not one gained by manipulating a situation to get their own way. 

These are all areas that God is constantly pruning in my own heart as well... and as I look at my kids and tell them what they should do, and know that they know what to do, and see them struggle to walk in that knowledge, I learn to give mercy and grace.

And not just to them but to others.
Because God gives it to me.
Now I did not say that I let it slide, that I ignored it, that I don't deal with it... but I do it with mercy and with grace. (And I praise God that He doesn't let foolishness slide with me either.)

It's just that there is a big difference in having knowledge and actually walking and living out what you know to be true and right. This stupid flesh, and the pull of this world, and that old, nasty, sneaky serpent take their toll on our strength and convictions... and they love to offer us up a big ole plate of condemnation when we struggle and especially when we fail.

I have learned that the only sure thing in this life is Christ and all that stems from Him. Like the stem of grace, mercy, faith, love, hope, forgiveness, redemption... I have to keep my eyes on Him at all times... and He's really a beautiful sight... so our eyes on Him should not be that difficult... right?

I have learned that my children will fail. They will struggle. They will desire this world. Their flesh and the desires of this flesh will be used by Satan to tempt them and to lead them to follow the world instead of Christ. But Jesus has prayed for them and we have prayed for them... so that when they fall their faith will not fail. 

So I love them. I learn how to discipline them with "discipleship" mentality instead of "you're getting on my last nerve and I have had it up to here" mentality. I am a trainer at all times. I am learning how to do this because this is how I realize my God disciplines me.

Training me up to serve and to live an abundant life of overcoming victory in and by grace alone.
With much patience my God trains me up...

So when I hit the point that my flesh is screaming "Great, now what!"
I know now to stop.
To just stop and pause for a moment and say "Okay God, what are you wanting to teach me?"

Names of God Study: Jehovah-nissi

It's time for another post in the Names of God series. We have done a little study on the names Elohim, El Elyon, El Roi, El Shaddai, El Olam, Adonia, Jehovah, Jehovah-jireh, and Jehovah-rapha.  Today we will look at Jehovah-nissi and discover what this name of God reveals to us about His character.

We are introduced to this name of God in the book of Exodus. I am going to post the entire passage because this event in Scripture is so very powerful and incredibly relevant for us as believers today. It holds the key to a truth that we all must know if we are going to live in the victory that is our in Christ.

Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. 

So Moses said to Joshua,

“Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek.

Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill

with the staff of God in my hand.” 

Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek;

and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 

So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed,

and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. 

But Moses’ hands were heavy.

Then they took a stone and put it under him,

and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands,

one on one side and one on the other.

Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. 

So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek
and his people with the edge of the sword.

Then the LORD said to Moses,

“Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua,

that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 

Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner; 

and he said, “The LORD has sworn;

the LORD will have war against Amalek

from generation to generation.”

Exodus 17:8-16

Did you see the name of God?

Jehovah-nissi means the LORD is My Banner.

So what is a banner? What exactly does this name of God tell us about His character? What does it mean to have the LORD as your banner? It might help to see a picture...

Those men are raising the banner of the United States of America. When our soldiers go into battle this banner goes before them. They have this banner to remind them what they are living, loving, and fighting for. Notice also that one could not keep the banner up alone... his brothers helped him.

But Moses’ hands were heavy.

Then they took a stone and put it under him,

and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands,

one on one side and one on the other.

This banner is the banner of my earthly nation. I am a citizen of the USA while on this earth. I pledge allegiance to this flag and to this country, but this is not my eternal home. I have a citizenship in a kingdom that has supremacy over my allegiance to this United States.

For our citizenship is in heaven,

from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 

who will transform the body of our humble state

into conformity with the body of His glory,

by the exertion of the power that He has

even to subject all things to Himself.

Therefore, my beloved brethren

whom I long to see, my joy and crown,

in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

Philippians 3:20-4:1

In this kingdom I am to stand firm and the banner I am to be raising is my God. I am to go into the battles of life with Jehovah-nissi before me to remind me what I am living, loving, and fighting for. I am to keep my eyes on Christ and keep Him lifted up before me. 

And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.

 John 12:32

Why do we need a banner? 

Every kingdom on this earth has an enemy. The kingdom of God and those who are citizens of it are not excluded from this fact. So exactly who or what is the enemy?

Do not love the world nor the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

For all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes

and the boastful pride of life,

is not from the Father, but is from the world.

1 John 2:15-16

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.

Your adversary, the devil,

prowls around like a roaring lion,

seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

Did you discover the enemy?

Now scroll back up and read Exodus 17:8-16 again and this time replace Amalek with flesh.

Our own flesh, the world system, and the devil himself are your enemies if you are a citizen of the kingdom of God... and they are your enemy if you are not, because they are doing all they can to keep you from crossing the border into the promised land.

So now that you have met the enemy, how do you fight?

So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed,

and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. 

Israel was winning the battle as long as Moses had his staff lifted up. As long as the Lord was lifted up they had victory. As long as they were being led by God and were focused on Him they were successful in their battle... but when Moses became weary and his hands became heavy and his staff fell then the enemy prevailed. Oh precious one, it is no different with us and our enemy.

 But I say, walk by the Spirit,

and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit,

and the Spirit against the flesh;

for these are in opposition to one another,

so that you may not do the things that you please...

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus

have crucified the flesh

with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:16-17, 24

Therefore,

since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,

let us also lay aside every encumbrance

and the sin which so easily entangles us,

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

fixing our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter of faith,

who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Now I don't know about you... but my flesh is pretty tough, and the pull of the world and all it's glitz and glam and shiny new stuff is pretty catchy to my eyes and well that Satan is pretty darn sneaky and quite persistent... so I get tired in this fight. What am I to do when I get tired? What am I to do when I see a fellow believer is getting tired?

 Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.

Isaiah 35:3

Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak

and the knees that are feeble, 

and make straight paths for your feet,

so that the limb which is lame

may not be put out of joint,

but rather be healed.

Hebrews 12:12-13

God created this amazing thing called the church. Not the building... the body. He said the gates of hell would not be able to prevail against His church. It is here that we find strength, encouragement, hope, help, fellow soldiers... It is here where we find those who gather around us and help us raise that banner. We need each other. We have a real battle, against a very real enemy, and our enemies are strong but...

 You are from God, little children,

and have overcome them;

because greater is He who is in you

than he who is in the world.

1 John 4:4

My friend... before a soldier goes into battle, they make sure their armor is on and they have all their weapons ready... then they are prepared to fight and they are prepared to defend and help others...

Remember to go into each day with your Jehovah-nissi!  

Not Fearing Any Man

Men of God, women of God... look in his eyes... he means what he says and he says what he means... he was willing to lay down his life for the will of God... are you?

I can honestly tell you that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would have walked beside this man. I feel it in the core of my being. Because he stood for the truth of his convictions. He was not swayed by a gallop poll. He did not take back a word he said and re-word it to make people happy.

He wasn't doing what he did, or saying what he said to make someone happy. He was obeying what he believed to the core of his being to be truth and knew God was with him.

Did you notice the end of the video. Dr King walked away and those gathered around grabbed him and were all smiles and reached out to slap him on his back with a "good speech" kind of slap, but Dr King did not return this. His arms remained stiff at his side and he stood firm, solid in his words. He did not say them for the accolades of those around him. He said them because they simply were to be said.

This my dear friends is the picture and the example of a man.

This was not our politicians of today who will only speak what their party tells them too. The ones that don't have the backbone to tell you what they really think. They will not share their own personal stance but will only regurgitate their parties platform. The ones that stand behind a podium with a stupid arrogant grin on their faces making empty promises and speaking flattering lies...

I watch this man, Dr Martin Luther King Jr... and my stomach churns when I see those who claim to be the leaders of our country today. They simply cannot compare.

So I look at him and I wonder is there anyone out there who is willing to stand up and lead us as a nation with as much strength and boldness as this man. Where are the men who are willing to stand up and say that you will not legislate God our Creator out of our nation... because if you legislate Him out then how can the rest of our constitutional rights stand since they are based on the fact that they are endowed to us by our Creator and entitled to us by God?

So men and women of God are we really more worried about losing our 401K rather than our country? Do we really value our paychecks more than our freedom? Our houses more than our homes? Our immediate relief more than our children's future sufferings?

I was in a store once several years ago on MLK day, a store I used to shop in quite often, it was a small antique shop, and there was a group of 4 or 5 people standing there, one of them being the owner. They were discussing Dr King and how he was just a "trouble maker". I was younger then, not a believer, and not quite as bold as I am today. But I loudly placed down my items for purchase and turned and walked out of that store and have not set foot in it again, nor will I ever.

All I can say is we need some "trouble makers" like Dr King in our day. 

If God called you to stand and it meant your job, your house, your comfort, your very life... would you be willing to stand for the will of God?

Something's Missing

My husband works a swing shift. He swings from days to nights. Before the swing shift he worked nights or second shift. I have to keep his work schedule in the kitchen to keep up with when he works and what shift and if he is working overtime or swapping with somebody and he also travels a good bit with his job. So obviously we have never been a family of routines or perfectly kept tight schedules. We don't know if we are coming or going half the time.

With this crazy life we have there is nothing strange about me going to bed alone or waking up alone. On day shift he is up and out the door before I am awake and on night shift he is in the car and gone before most families are even beginning to cook supper. I say all this to share my moment this morning.

It happens to be an out of town time for my husband {so our Amos is going to get to sleep out tonight even though the stupid (this was a bad word in our house until Amos moved in... there is no other word accurate enough to describe him) dog decided he would sneek on the couch a few days ago after we went to bed and then when my husband caught him early the next morning and told him to get down, the dog chose to mark his territory on the couch cushion. I shall brave the possibility of a peed on couch for peace of mind as I sleep and trust the ferocious, yet stupid, beast to pee on any intruders}. Anyway, I woke this morning enough to tell my man goodbye and that I loved him... and then I rolled over to catch my last hour of sleep before my alarm went off.

Then my alarm went off and I rolled over and started my day, I was up and fixing my coffee, and gathering my stuff for church, and considering my plans for the day... and then I realized I had went back to sleep and was dreaming all of this. (Yep, I do that.)

So now I am fully awake, feet on the cold floor, socks in my hand, and heading to the bathroom. I turn on the light and look to the sink and then my heart falls. I see it. I see the evidence. I see my reminder, my sign, that my husband is gone out of town not just to work. His toothbrush is missing. Who would have ever thought that a toothbrush could do that?

For some reason I saw my sign and then my mind went to my grandparents. You see I remember when my Papaw Harris went to be with the Lord. My Mamaw Lola could not sleep in their bed. She had slept on her side with her back up against my Papaw's back since she became his wife close to sixty years earlier at the age of fifteen. Now his back was missing. She chose to sleep on the couch because she could put her back to the couch and when she closed her eyes... she could imagine it was him.

So I saw my sign, my husband's missing toothbrush, and I thought... I will never throw it away. Sixty years from now if the Lord calls my man home before He calls me... don't you dare touch his toothbrush. It will stay in its place and my heart will leap with joy each morning because at least for a moment, before I fully awake I would forget that he was gone. It may seem silly... but it is what it is.

So what's your sign that something's missing to remind you that someone's missing?

You Were Made To Be Courageous

My youngest always wants to know what a song means. We never get to just listen to a song. I have to explain the meaning behind every chorus (thank God we only listen to Christian music on a regular basis. I really would hate to have to explain the chorus to one of today's mainstream songs).

Well the other day we were on our way home from somewhere and this song came on the radio and my seven year old, says "Oh he just sang that they were made to lead the way, just like Jesus leads the way, like Daddy leads us... that's what that song's about... that's what that movie was about!"

That's right man of this generation... even a child knows that you were created to lead them like Jesus...

Are you ready?