JEHOVAH – ROHI!

 

Thursday, February 17, 2022

 

JEHOVAH – ROHI!

 

Ps 23

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord  for ever.

 

The name Jehovah-rohi means Jehovah my Shepherd. It is that most precious designation of Jehovah which begins the Twenty-third Psalm, where it is translated, "The Lord is my shepherd." I can think of no name more tender and comforting to those of us who are the lambs in His care.

 

Alone in the night damps, David sang songs to his Shepherd God. Running from the pursuing Saul and hiding in caves David remembered that the Lord was leading him through the valley of the shadow of death. He feasted at the table prepared for him while his enemy was held at bay. In times of sickness and trouble it was the Lord Rohi who anointed his head with the oil of the Spirit. In times of want his cup ran over.

 

As a Pastor-shepherd, I can think of no greater challenge nor blessing than to be assigned the care of one of God’s flocks. The sheep belong to Him and not to me! Each one is precious, and none must be lost. There is a constant and urgent need to comply with God’s model found in Jeremiah 3:15 which promises: “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Jesus is, of course, our great shepherd who willingly lays down His life for the sheep (John 10).

 

Heb 13:20-21

20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Dear Jesus, may your sheep know your loving care today. May they sense your presence and rest in your provision. Comfort us with both rod and staff today. AMEN

JEHOVAH – TSIDKENU!

 

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

 

JEHOVAH – TSIDKENU!

 

The name Jehovah-Tsidkenu means Jehovah our righteousness. It appears in Jeremiah's prophecy of a "righteous Branch" and a "King" who is to appear; "and this is his name whereby he shall be called, Jehovah our Righteousness" (Jer 23:5,6).

 

Jer 23:5-6

5 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord , that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

6 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.

 

When Jeremiah uttered this prophecy, the kingdom of Judah was hastening to its fall. More than a hundred years before, the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel had been taken captive never to return. But apparently Judah had learned nothing from this lesson, and it sinned perhaps even more grievously than its sister kingdom in the north. Jeremiah's ministry began during the reign of the good king Josiah. Till this time good kings and bad kings, reformations and counterreformations had succeeded each other, a sad reflection upon the unstable spiritual condition of the people and their rulers and revealing a downward moral and spiritual trend which could only end in disaster. The history of the period of the Judges appears to repeat itself here. Jehovah in His goodness and patience raised up pious and devout kings to succeed unrighteous, wicked kings, but it failed to arrest their downward trend.

(From Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.)

 

There is a striking and significant similarity between the name of this Righteous Branch and King of Jeremiah's prophecy and the name of Judah's last king—"Zedekiah," which means the righteousness of Jehovah. His name had originally been ‎Mattaniah‎, which means the gift of Jehovah. Strange to say, his name had been changed to Zedekiah by the king of Babylon.

 

The word ‎tsidkenu ‎is derived from ‎tsedek‎—righteousness. It meant originally to be stiff or straight. There is certainly no more significant word in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word cannot be adequately translated by any one English word. It signifies God's dealings with men under the ideas of righteousness, justification, and acquittal. (From Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.)

 

Phil 3:8-9

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

 

Gen 18:25

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

 

Dear Righteous One, Thou hast made a horrible trade with man. Thou hast placed upon your Son our sin and given to us His righteousness. Thank you for being the Lord, my righteousness. AMEN

JEHOVAH – SHALOM!

 

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

 

JEHOVAH – SHALOM!

 

Judges 6:22-24

22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.

23 And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

 

          I can’t explain the circumstances surrounding the naming of this altar better than the following quote. “It was more than 200 years since Jehovah had revealed Himself to His people as Jehovah-M'Kaddesh, Jehovah who sanctifies. Joshua had long since died. The land had been conquered and divided among the tribes, but nothing approaching national unity had been achieved in all this time. There was no central government or worship. It was a period in which "every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

           

It was a period of alternating prosperity and adversity, of sinning and repenting, of slavery and deliverance. They would grievously sin and be brought very low. In their extremity they would remember Jehovah their God and cry out to Him for deliverance. Jehovah would hear them and raise up a deliverer (a judge) for them. Then after serving Jehovah, Israel would fall away again, and the whole process would be repeated.

            

Gideon was threshing a little wheat, saved somehow from the all-devouring hordes of the enemy, and in the secrecy of the winepress, for fear of them, when the angel of Jehovah appeared to him with a promise of deliverance in response to Israel's cry. Gideon, after some doubt, hesitation, and reassurance, accepted the promise and the challenge. In faith he reared an altar which he called Jehovah-shalom, in confident anticipation of victory and peace.

(From Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.)

 

          It was God Himself who appeared to Gideon who was afraid he would die as a result of seeing God face to face. In Judges 6:23 God assures Gideon that he would not die and in verse 24 Gideon built an altar naming it Jehovah-shalom which means “the Lord our Peace.”

 

John 14:26-27

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

Dear God of Peace, grant calmness of spirit to those who live a life of fear and uncertainty. Make clear your calling and direction for their lives. AMEN