Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1086 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Jesus Is God, The Name – Wisdom Wednesday

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase Wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1086 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Creating a Biblical worldview is important to have a proper perspective on today’s current events.

To establish a Biblical worldview, you must also have a proper understanding of God’s word. Especially in our western cultures, we do not fully understand the Scriptures from the mindset and culture of the authors. In order to help us all have a better understanding of some of the more obscure passages in God’s Word, we are investing Wisdom Wednesday reviewing a series of essays from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. He has compiled these essays into a book titled “I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible.”

In our English translations of the Bible, we miss a lot of the meaning of various names in the Bible. This is especially true of the nuances of names in the Old Testament and New Testament with God and Jesus. In today’s essay, we will explore passages that cover…

Jesus Is God, The Name

It only takes a few words to produce dramatic theology. In the short letter we know as 3 John, the apostle is writing to a beloved friend, Gaius (v. 1). He commends Gaius for ministering to fellow believers who were strangers because “they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers” (v. 7). John

doesn’t use the phrase “in Jesus’ name” or “the name of Jesus.” It’s simply, “traveling for the Lord.” Why this phrase? Is John trying to keep a secret?

John isn’t trying to be cryptic. He’s actually drawing on an Old Testament expression. When understood in that original context—and the context of his other writings—John’s wording amounts to a powerful statement on the deity of Jesus.

· The Name in the Old Testament

In Deuteronomy 12:5 God instructed the people of Israel that when they got into the Promised Land, “Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.” God

wasn’t talking about writing His name on a town or a building. He was referring to where the tabernacle, and ultimately the temple, was to be His station. But He wasn’t talking about writing “Yahweh” on that either. Nothing of the sort is ever recorded in Scripture. Rather, God was talking about the place where He would choose to meet Israel personally—His very presence.

The description “the name” actually refers to the presence of God. This presence was at times visibly evident through the so-called “glory cloud” (e.g., 1 Kings [8:10]-11). At other times the name came in human form. For instance, in Exodus [23:20]-23, God tells Moses that He is sending an angel to bring Israel to the Promised Land. God warned Moses that this angel would pardon no transgression since God and the “Angel of the Lord” appear to speak as one.

We learn from Judges 2:1-5 that the angel did indeed lead them to the land. But how could God’s name be in an angel? The answer is that “the name” referred to the very presence of God, His essence. This is confirmed in Deuteronomy 4:37. Here, we read that—instead of the angel being credited as the one who would bring Israel to Canaan—it is God who brought them there “personally.” We read, “Because he loved your ancestors, he chose to bless their descendants, and he personally brought you out of Egypt with a great display of power.”

· Jesus Has and Is the Name

Before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus prays in John 17:11, “Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.” The Gospels are clear that the name given to Mary’s child was Jesus—and that is not God’s name. The idea is that the very essence of the Father was in Jesus. They were one.

For John, ministering “For they are traveling for the Lord” meant spreading the news of Jesus. By using this simple phrase, he linked Jesus with the name of the Old Testament, the very “presence of God Himself.” God’s name had come “in the flesh” (John 1:1-3. 14; 1 John 4:2: 2 John 7). “The Name” now abides in us, the children of God in the form of the Spirit (1 John [3:24]: 4:4).

That will conclude our essay for this week. Next Wisdom Wednesday we will continue in the New Testament as we look at Dr. Heiser’s next essay titled “666 – What Does It Really Mean?” I believe you will find this another interesting topic to consider as we build our Biblical worldview.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer and help you to lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1085 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!