As we continue in our search into the nature and character of God revealed through the meaning of His Names, we come to the second name of God in Scripture: the name Jehovah which is translated in some instances as Lord. We have seen that a name is that by which a person or thing is known. We have also discovered that no one name can reveal all the attributes and character of God. One God, yet revealed in a multiplicity of expressions. If we wanted to know more about David in the Old Testament, we would learn of him as a shepherd, musician, warrior, and king. So also the fullness of God is made known through understanding the complete expression of Himself through all of His Being.In the plural meaning of the name Elohim, we have seen the covenant relationship of Love that can never be broken. However, love that is not expressed in righteousness is not love at all. The name Jehovah reveals the One who, though He is Love, is righteous also, and must judge evil. The Purity, and Holiness of a righteous God must judge that which is contrary to His Being from His creation.
If the righteousness of Jehovah were the only aspect to the nature of God, then the justice of His righteousness would necessitate the destruction of mankind because of the evil of sin. The glorious wonder, and awesome beauty of the nature of Jehovah is that though He must demand absolute righteousness, and holiness, and must judge evil and sin no matter what the cost, the connection with the covenant keeping Love of the nature of Elohim takes the judgment upon Himself.
To discover the answer to the apparent paradox in the seemingly contradictory natures of God revealed in Elohim, and Jehovah is to know God in a more intimate and mature way. For many who only know the Elohim of God never grasp the concept that He must judge sin. They will make statements like: "A loving God would never send someone to hell." Or they might say: "How can God allow suffering if He cares?" For others who only know the Jehovah nature of God will only see His wrath against the evil of sin, and the impossibility of attaining to the standard of righteousness demanded by His nature.
Martin Luther, the "father of the reformation" is a prime example of one who for many years only saw the Jehovah nature of God. The more Martin Luther understood the righteousness of a Holy God, the more he dispaired over the blackness of his own sin. Martin Luther could never feel clean inside. He could never feel less than deserving of the full weight of judgment from God on his life. Though by comparison to any others of his associates he was blameless, yet he was haunted by the ugliness of his own sin darkened heart. Until the day when he read a passage from Romans 1:17, "The just shall live by faith" and his eyes were opened.
What Martin Luther’s eyes were open to, is the balance and revelation of these two names of God revealed in Jehovah Elohim and the application of this truth by faith to his life. It is not that what he had known about the righteousness of God was wrong, but rather it was incomplete without seeing the covenant of Love between the Creator and the creature.
Thus we can see the importance of the vital balance in the relationship of these first two names of God revealed in Scripture. On the one side we have Elohim where the reference is in respect to relationship, on the other hand we have Jehovah, where the reference is in respect to the righteousness of the law. With Elohim there is emphasis on the covenant nature of Love involving all of creation. With Jehovah there is the necessity of the quality of righteousness and obedience. Sin grieves Jehovah and it is because of this necessity of righteousness that Jehovah must bring judgment upon sin. But the righteousness of Jehovah is not complete if it only judges and condemns. The highest righteousness of judgment is not unto destruction, rather it is unto correction. Thus Jehovah is not satisfied until He makes the sinner righteous, and that He does so with His own Righteousness. Jehovah suffers as only righteous love can suffer. Jesus’ cross is the witness of Jehovah’s cross.
It is Jehovah who says: "I will put my law into their mind, and will write it in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." It is through the revelation of Jehovah that we enter into the relationship of grace which exchanges our life for His. "Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." (Rom. 5:18).
Let us be sure not to fall short in our understanding. Though we can study the natures of God separately, they do not act independently of each other. Elohim and Jehovah, and as we shall further see other natures of God as revealed by His Names, are inseparably linked in perfect balance one with the other to reveal the true and perfect totality of One God! One Who is just, and justifier of the guilty, without contradiction.
AMEN.
