Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
9/27/2021
In the last days – Know This in Prayer – My Name if above all names.
In the last days – Know This in Prayer – My Name if above all names. Courageous is tonight – Free Barbeque – 6:30pm Bring a Friend
On Friday we were speaking of the “Our Father” and the seven guidelines within it on prayer. I intended to move on to 4 through 7 today but felt compelled to back up to number two on the name of God.
When judgment came upon Jerusalem because they treated the most precious reality and most precious relationship with contempt. (that being Yahweh – God’s personal NAME)
Jeremiah 2:13
my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.”
When Ezekiel says that judgment is coming so that they will know that “I am the Lord” (5:13 12:15) It intends for us to see the magnitude of God’s name, the Lord – Yahweh. 72 times in the book of Ezekiel the prophet says that God does what he does, ”so that you might know that I am the Lord.”
10 more times he said,” I am the Lord.”
Have you noticed that both terrible punishments that came on Israel Ez 33:29 and a thrilling salvation 20:44 are rooted in this motivation:
“that you may know that I am the Lord”.
Those words are to be reminders of the great “I am” of Exodus 3:14
Even in our day today we are missing it. Great calamities occur on the earth, and we deny the existence of God with the logic of how a good God could allow this to happen. Yet we struggle with the belief that sin has set all of this in motion. Celebrities host a great concert to raise money for the impoverished but only a small remnant fall to their knees and pray to the God who is.
The point of Ezekiel prophesying over and over again is, you shall know that
“I am the lord” and that we should live in the conscious awareness that the supreme reality in the universe – in America, China, Brazil, Nigeria, in our bedrooms, and our minds is: Yahweh, the God who absolutely is.
Nothing is more important. Nothing is more pervasive. Nothing is more relevant. Nothing is more glorious. Nothing is more beautiful. Nothing is more satisfying.
Very few say that God’s centuries-long patience (Ezekiel 2:3–5) with rebellious Jerusalem and his finally handing them over to Babylon captivity are both part of God‘s providential purposes. Both were guided by this aim: “that they shall know that I am the Lord”. One day I pray that we will realize that God is unwaveringly committed to the worth and beauty of his holy name –
whether in merciful patience or in just punishment.
But aren’t you glad that mercy will have the last word towards his people? God‘s NAME IS the great treasure he offers Israel and to us for our everlasting joy and for his glory. God is committed to the joy of his people in favoring His NAME, in a way that brings to an end the judgment in Jerusalem for scorning his name:
Jeremiah 33:9 “this city will be to me a name of joy, a praise and glory before
All the nations of the earth who shall hear of all of the good that I do for them”.
Three times in the book of Ezekiel the Lord exalts his holiness and his name is the motive for his mercy in rescuing Israel from exile. He makes this motive all the starker in Ez 36:22 but this restoration is “not for your sake”.
Their restoration was doubly gracious because it was in spite of the presence of sin, and in spite of the absence of righteousness by Israel.
He made crystal clear that the ground of mercy – the ground of his restoration after exile – was zeal for his holiness and his name. HIS NAME. THE GLORY OF HIS NAME. “THAT YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD”!
Are you not humbled? Can you see but a glimpse of what His name is? A relationship with Yahweh must contain worship. When was the last time you thought about the names of God and what they mean to you? Sanctifier, redeemer, righteousness, healer, shepherd, provider, the banner of victory, peace, love. Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord today and in all that you do, lift up his holy name!
Speak the Name Dove Awards Performance feat. Natalie Grant Koryn Hawthorne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7ot7WPhIJc
Excepts are taken from John Piper’s book Providence.
