Apr. 07, 2021

“THE POWERFUL NAMES OF GOD”

“ADONAI-THE GOD WHO RULES”

GENESIS 15:1-5

The name Adonai is found more than 400 times in the Bible and is full of meaning. The name comes from the singular word Adon, which is translated “master” or “ruler.” It contains the concepts of dominion, rulership, and ownership.

Thus when God is referred to in Scripture with the plural Adonai, He is seen as owner. 

Psalm 97:5 “The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord,

At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.”

God is not only the Creator (Elohim) but also the owner (Adonai), God reveals this ownership in His Word.

Psalm 50:10 “For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.”

The Biblical Concept of Ownership

1 Peter 3:6 “as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.”

Sarah called Abraham “lord.” The Greek word translated “lord” in this passage is “kyrios,” which is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word “Adon,” the singular form of Adonai, a plural name of God.

Ownership has much more to do with responsibility than with mere dominion.

God, in His role of Adonai, fulfills all the responsibility of ownership. He provides, protects, guards, leads, care for….and much more.

Abram’s Aged Body

The first usage of the name Adonai in the Bible occurs in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 15:1-2

Genesis 15:4-5

Abram believed the Lord, and that was counted to him as righteousness. Then Abram appealed to God once again as master and ruler when he asked:

Genesis 15:8 “And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”

Genesis 15:18 “On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—“

Abram’s submission to God as master, ruler, and owner throughout the entire conversation recorded in Genesis 15 opened the path for him to hear more, for God to give more, and for the covenant to be reestablished on that day.

Moses’s Mumbling Mouth

Exodus 4:10-13 “Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

Moses recognizes that despite his insecurities, God is in charge, God owns him.

God doesn’t always call the equipped, but He always equips the called.

There is nothing quite like experiencing God Himself doing something through you that you don’t have the background, gifting, or education to do yourself.

If you want to see God freely unleash His power in and through your life, never use “no” and “God” in the same sentence.

Gideon’s Paltry Pedigree

When Gideon recognized God as Adonai, his own story changed.

Judges 6:2 “And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains.” 

The Israelites called out to God (Jehovah) for relief and deliverance.

Judges 6:6-7 “So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.

And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites,”

When they did, the angel of the Lord came to Gideon and said that the Lord (Jehovah) was with him and that Gideon was a “valiant warrior.”

Judges 6:12 “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

Yet Gideon felt like anything but a valiant warrior.

Judges 6:13-14 “Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

Judges 6:15 “So he said to Him, “O my Lord (Adonai), how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

Judges 6:16 “And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

Gideon goes on to defeat the Midianites in God’s name and with His power. I love Gideon’s story because it is such a graphic illustration of God’s ability to use any of us despite our backgrounds or which side of the tracks we come from.

When you or I surrender before our owner, the all-powerful Adonai, and lay our insecurities, doubts, and hesitations before Him, we will be amazed time and again as God shows up in the most unlikely places and uses the most unlikely people-you and me.

No Plan B

Whatever it is, God often allows this so that we can truly discover He is in charge and dependable-that He is the owner of all.

Acknowledgment Versus Surrender

Scripture tell us that each of us came into the world with nothing and that we’re going to leave this world with nothing. Everything we have here on earth is on loan.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Spiritually speaking, surrendering to God as Adonai is the password for the unveiling of Jehovah in your life. “Surrender” is the password that allows God to express, reveal, and manifest Himself in your life.

Luke 6:46 ““But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”

Jesus As Lord

Acts 2:36 ““Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior (that is, when you believe), His righteousness immediately becomes your righteousness. You are saved for eternity. Yet when you make a public confession of Jesus Christ as your Lord, you receive His deliverance in the here and now, in history. The word “saved” in this context means to be rescued or delivered.

“Jesus is Lord” means He is your supreme ruler and master. He calls the shots, and you acknowledge Him in everything you do. The problem is that too many people want a Savior but don’t want a Lord.