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HEN the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. (Exodus 6:1-3)
The name of our Lord in the Old Testament is Jehovah taken from the Hebrew letters of the tetragrammaton (YHWH). It is the actual name and not a role or office of the Lord. It literally means I am Who is! This is the very description of our Lord in the New Testament as well. We would be no less accurate to refer to our Lord as Redeemer, Prince of Peace, the Branch, the Son of Man, Immanuel, Lamb of God, or a hundred other terms for He is all of these; but the latter terms are descriptions of His office and not his very name. His Hebrew name is Joshua (salvation of God) but is called Jesus in the transliterated name. He represents the express salvation of God.
The term redeemer can be found widely used in the Old Testament but in some cases it refers to a family member who redeems another (such as Naomi and Boaz); or it may be used in a more constricted sense to refer to God’s redemption of His people from bondage such as in Egypt. In other places, such as Job 19:23-27, Jehovah is referred to prophetically as the Mighty Redeemer to come. 23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! 24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! 25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. The Lord did not assume the role as Redeemer fully until He had completed His work of Redemption at Calvary, so the reference by Job is a prophetic reference.
Poor old Abraham finally had the son of promise God had made to him in Isaac. Isaac came by miraculous birth unless you consider it normal for a ninety-year-old woman and a one hundred year old man to conceive and have a son. But God said something seemingly harsh to Abraham just at the moment that everything seemed so perfect: 1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. This seems like a heartless command, doesn’t it. Well it hurt Abraham to his core; but Abraham was faithful unto the Lord even unto death. He obeyed. That Mount Moriah was the same upon which the Temple was later built and upon which the Lord of all Glory was sacrificed. Coincidence? Not at all.
Do you remember the young Isaac’s query of his father at the base of Mount Moriah? And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6-8) What will God provide as a burnt offering in this text? HIMSELF as Lamb – the Lamb of God! And what did Abraham call that mountain? Jehovah Jireh – God will provide! 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
This was a foreshadow and type of Jehovah as Redeemer to come. God reveals Himself to us in His Word, and before the Canon of Scripture was complete, He revealed Himself in measures when needed. God had not revealed Himself as Jehovah yet to Abraham, but when the need arose in Egypt, and a miraculous intercession was needful to save the Israelites from the Egyptian army, Jehovah bared His arm and revealed His mighty power and strength. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. Jehovah Jireh – God will provide! My heart is moved at the very magnanimity of that role of Christ. He knew us then, He knows us today, and He will know i=us forever; and He has PROVIDED for our salvation.
The very given name of Jesus (Joshua in the Hebrew) has profound meaning to us: it means Savior or Deliverer. I do not believe there is some magic formula in how we address our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe whatever term we use that extols His absolute virtues and role as Deliver, Redeemer, Anointed One, El Shaddai, Jehovah, the Lord Almighty, Creator, or whatever other office He owns that is suitable to the purpose. I do not like to call Him simply by His given name, Jesus, since that seems too informal for His dignity. I prefer Lord Jesus Christ, but Redeemer is also suitable along with any other significations of His name. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. (Isaiah 12:2-4) I can recall no more beautiful lines in literature or Biblical Writ than these.
I am a preacher of the Gospel and the Bible. I do not take exception to being called by that title even if I am not such a one of any considerable renown. His Majesty, the Lord Jesus Christ, could be called by that title as easily as any other. He is our Shepherd (another role) and we are the sheep of His pasture. He calls us by name and we know His voice. He is our Redeemer, too, because He was our near-kinsman who redeemed us when our next of kin, Adam, was unable. We enjoy a blood relation with our Lord even if it is not a bloodline relation.
We are adopted by choice to be His, and that not by accident of birth. . . . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. (John 10:7-14)
Please note the repetitions of the Lord’s special designation as I AM. It occurs time and again in Scripture. The I AM’s of the Gospel identify that same ‘I AM’ of the Old Testament. Not being restricted to His created Time-Scale, He is forever ‘I AM.’ ‘Then Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’ (John 8:58) Most assuredly, He was, and is, and will be! 10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Isaiah 43:10-1)
Regardless of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is my Deliverer, my Shepherd, My Lord and King, and the Rock of my Salvation, He is forever my Redeemer in whom I have placed my trust and faith. In all these titles and roles, He is MINE across all levels. I love to call the Lord Jehovah my Redeemer for it is the sweetest title I know when it refers to my near kinsman who died for my redemption. I hope He is equally YOUR Redeemer, Lord, and King as well.
Mark this counsel carefully: 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12) Knowing this, we can say with Job, For I know that my redeemer liveth.
