My Personal God
“O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger.” Psalm 38:1
O LORD – The Hebrew text does not use the word “Lord” but rather the personal name of God, a name that is never spoken among the Jews. Worshippers were careful to substitute the word “Lord” whenever they saw God’s name written in the text. “Yahweh”, writes David. David does not address God’s status or divine position. He uses God’s intimate name. This God is no stranger to him. They know each other. All the more reason why David should recall his sinfulness. This God knows all about it. This God is closer than his best friend. Closer than a brother. There are no excuses and no exceptions. “Yahweh” signals a conversation from the heart.
Over the ages we have substituted the noun of class for the name of God. “God” is technically a noun that describes the position or rank of a divine being. That’s why the Old Testament can speak of other “gods”. But there is no confusion when the Being Who holds divine status is referred to by His personal name, Yahweh. There is only One God whose name is Yahweh. Of course, today we think of the noun “god” as though it is also the name of God. That fact probably will never be corrected. It’s now a part of our religious vocabulary. But when you read what Jesus said about this God, you don’t find him speaking like we do. He uses “Father”, Abba and Lord. As an orthodox Jew, he would also have acknowledged the sacredness of God’s name. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name” is not the same as saying “holy be the name “God””.
What does David teach us with this address? We learn something quite important. Unless we know God in the same way as the God who knows us by name, we are still one step removed from the intimacy He desires. God knows you completely. He knows your name. He knows everything about that name; its past associations, its reputation, its nature and potential. And the God Who has a name calls you to know Him the same way. To know about His reputation, His history with men and women, His character and His intentions. Unless you know God by name, you do not share that deep relationship that allows David to cry out to his personal God. In that arena, there is trust that the God whose name I know will hear my plea and not reject me.
But how fearful it is to come into relationship with a God whose name I know. This is face-to-face with awful power, with undeniable holiness and with unspeakable majesty. Not one of us can survive in the presence of such a God, unless God knows your name and counts you as His own. When you draw near to this God Who has a name, you tread very lightly. Presumption of favor has no place here. There is a place in worship where the God with a name overwhelms all human existence.
Have you been there recently?
