God, Name o
God, Name of
The God of Israel was known by many different names, titles, and epithets. God's particular names derive both from his revealing his attributes and character to Israel and from Israel's response to him. However, alongside this wealth of names and epithets in the Bible, the concept of God's "Name" itself plays an important role. In the Bible God reveals his Name, puts his Name in a place, causes places to bear his Name, protects by the power of his Name, and Acts for the sake of his Name. People call on, pronounce blessings, minister, preach, speak, pray, believe, take oaths, and wage war in his Name. They may revere, fear, suffer for, blaspheme, misuse, be called by, be kept by, or build a temple for the Name.
As God's image-bearer Adam imitated God's creative speech by naming the creation ( Gen 2:19-20 ): this naming gave expression to the order in the universe and showed Adam's understanding of the character, place, and function of the animals. Adam may well have been able to name other creatures, but only God can assign his own name; only he can fully understand himself and reveal his character and nature ( Exod 3:13-14 ; 6:2-3 ).
God's "Name" becomes a summary statement of his own nature and of how he has revealed himself to the world; it becomes virtually synonymous with the word "God" itself.
God's "Name" and God's "Glory." In studies of the Old Testament it has become commonplace to distinguish rather sharply between the "glory theology" of the cultic/priestly literature and the "name theology" of Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic history (Joshua through Kings). This distinction is ordinarily portrayed as emphasizing either God's transcendence or his immanence. Biblical literature oriented to the activities of the priests and Levites in their duties at the sanctuary is said to emphasize God's immanence, his real presence in the world. The pillar of fire and cloud — the theophany of the divine presence, the Shekinah glory appears physically and materially with Israel in the wilderness and at her sanctuaries.
The tabernacle and temple were viewed as God's dwelling-place ( Exodus 15:13 Exodus 15:17 ; Lev 15:31 ; 26:11 ; 2 Sam 7:6 ; 15:25 ; 1 Chron 9:19 ; Psalm 84:1 ; Psalms 132:5 Psalms 132:7 ). The ark was God's throne and footstool ( 1 Sam 4:4 ; 2 Sam 6:2 ; 1 Chron 28:2 ; Ezek 43:7 ). Wherever the ark went, God went. Israel served "in the presence of the Lord" at the tabernacle and temple. Some have argued that the development of a "name theology" in ancient Israel was given impetus by the loss of the ark itself.
Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic history are then widely viewed as a corrective to this earlier "cruder" concept that God dwelled in a building. Deuteronomy seeks to preserve the transcendence of God with an idea theologically more sublime and subtle. It is not God himself materially and physically who dwells at the sanctuary, but rather God's "Name" dwells there. Deuteronomy is quite clear. Heaven is the dwelling-place of God (26:15). When Solomon dedicates the temple, he says, "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple that I have built!" ( 1 Kings 8:27 ). Solomon goes on to pray that when the Israelites direct their prayers toward the temple, God would "hear from heaven, your dwelling place" (vv. 30, 39, 43, 49). Rather than God's "Glory" the pillar of fire and cloud coming to the city ( Ezekiel 10:1-5 Ezekiel 10:18 ; 43:3-7 ),
Deuteronomy prefers to speak of God as "choosing a place as a dwelling for his Name" ( 12:11 ; 14:23 ; Deuteronomy 16:2 Deuteronomy 16:6 Deuteronomy 16:11 ; 26:2 ) or "putting his Name in a place" ( Deuteronomy 12:5 Deuteronomy 12:21 ; 14:24 ).
The "Name" became a hypostasis for God, an alternative realization of his presence, but freed from the corporeal and physical notions associated with "glory theology"; this substitute way of speaking thus preserved the transcendence of God above and beyond the creation.
God, Name of
The God of Israel was known by many different names, titles, and epithets. God's particular names derive both from his revealing his attributes and character to Israel and from Israel's response to him. However, alongside this wealth of names and epithets in the Bible, the concept of God's "Name" itself plays an important role. In the Bible God reveals his Name, puts his Name in a place, causes places to bear his Name, protects by the power of his Name, and Acts for the sake of his Name. People call on, pronounce blessings, minister, preach, speak, pray, believe, take oaths, and wage war in his Name. They may revere, fear, suffer for, blaspheme, misuse, be called by, be kept by, or build a temple for the Name.
As God's image-bearer Adam imitated God's creative speech by naming the creation ( Gen 2:19-20 ): this naming gave expression to the order in the universe and showed Adam's understanding of the character, place, and function of the animals. Adam may well have been able to name other creatures, but only God can assign his own name; only he can fully understand himself and reveal his character and nature ( Exod 3:13-14 ; 6:2-3 ).
God's "Name" becomes a summary statement of his own nature and of how he has revealed himself to the world; it becomes virtually synonymous with the word "God" itself.
God's "Name" and God's "Glory." In studies of the Old Testament it has become commonplace to distinguish rather sharply between the "glory theology" of the cultic/priestly literature and the "name theology" of Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic history (Joshua through Kings). This distinction is ordinarily portrayed as emphasizing either God's transcendence or his immanence. Biblical literature oriented to the activities of the priests and Levites in their duties at the sanctuary is said to emphasize God's immanence, his real presence in the world. The pillar of fire and cloud — the theophany of the divine presence, the Shekinah glory appears physically and materially with Israel in the wilderness and at her sanctuaries.
The tabernacle and temple were viewed as God's dwelling-place ( Exodus 15:13 Exodus 15:17 ; Lev 15:31 ; 26:11 ; 2 Sam 7:6 ; 15:25 ; 1 Chron 9:19 ; Psalm 84:1 ; Psalms 132:5 Psalms 132:7 ). The ark was God's throne and footstool ( 1 Sam 4:4 ; 2 Sam 6:2 ; 1 Chron 28:2 ; Ezek 43:7 ). Wherever the ark went, God went. Israel served "in the presence of the Lord" at the tabernacle and temple. Some have argued that the development of a "name theology" in ancient Israel was given impetus by the loss of the ark itself.
Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic history are then widely viewed as a corrective to this earlier "cruder" concept that God dwelled in a building. Deuteronomy seeks to preserve the transcendence of God with an idea theologically more sublime and subtle. It is not God himself materially and physically who dwells at the sanctuary, but rather God's "Name" dwells there. Deuteronomy is quite clear. Heaven is the dwelling-place of God (26:15). When Solomon dedicates the temple, he says, "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple that I have built!" ( 1 Kings 8:27 ). Solomon goes on to pray that when the Israelites direct their prayers toward the temple, God would "hear from heaven, your dwelling place" (vv. 30, 39, 43, 49). Rather than God's "Glory" the pillar of fire and cloud coming to the city ( Ezekiel 10:1-5 Ezekiel 10:18 ; 43:3-7 ),
Deuteronomy prefers to speak of God as "choosing a place as a dwelling for his Name" ( 12:11 ; 14:23 ; Deuteronomy 16:2 Deuteronomy 16:6 Deuteronomy 16:11 ; 26:2 ) or "putting his Name in a place" ( Deuteronomy 12:5 Deuteronomy 12:21 ; 14:24 ).
The "Name" became a hypostasis for God, an alternative realization of his presence, but freed from the corporeal and physical notions associated with "glory theology"; this substitute way of speaking thus preserved the transcendence of God above and beyond the creation.