So far, we have looked at three different names of God. Each name relates to the Person of God--the power and glory of His Being (as He showed in and through the name elohim, revealed by God Himself to His children, at various times and in different situations as God Himself saw fit. He revealed Himself as a God of righteousness, holiness, love and redemption in the name Jehovah. In the name el shaddai, God showed Himself as beneficent and bountiful Bestower of powers, gifts, blessings, and fruitfulness for service.1.2.3.

            The fourth name of God that we want to look at is the name, or title, of adonai. Basically, this particular name means lord. Adonai is used some 300 times in the Old Testament. It is used to address men about 215 times. It has been translated as master, sir, lord, and even as owner in a number of places. If you will remember, every time the word Jehovah is used in the Old Testament, it is always in all capitals as LORD. This new word we will look at, adonai, is written with a capital L and the –ord is in small letters every time it is used in the Old Testament.1.2.3.

            It is significant that the title or name adonai, used 300 times in the Old Testament, is almost always in the plural and possessive, meaning my Lords. It confirms the idea of a trinity as found also in the name Elohim. This is still further confirmed by the fact that the same word is used when speaking about or to men 215 times and translated variously master, sir, and lord, but for the most part, master, as throughout Genesis 24, where Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, speaks of "my master Abraham," and over and over again says, "Blessed be Jehovah God of my master Abraham." It is important to notice, too, that, although it is generally plural when used concerning God, it is generally singular when used concerning men. The singular form of the word adonai is either adon or adoni.1.2.3.

            Two more significant points concerning the word adonai are as follows. Psalm 110, reads thusly: "The LORD said unto my Lord," or "Jehovah said unto my Adonai, Sit thou, on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool." In this particular passage, David calls the Father Jehovah and the Son Adonai. King David himself therefore addressed two separate members of the Godhead by their distinctive names or titles.1.2.3.

            In the New Testament, Jesus in Matthew 22:41-45 (and also Peter in Acts 2:34, 35; and the author of Hebrews in 1:13; 10:12, 13) refers this striking passage to Himself. How significant then that David, speaking of but one member of the Godhead, should use here not the plural Adonai, but the singular form Adoni: "Jehovah said unto my Adoni," that is to Christ, the second Person of the Trinity!
The first occasion of the use of adonai is right along with the first occasion of the name El-Shaddai, with Abraham in Genesis 15:2. In the first verse of this chapter it is written: "After these things the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." Abram then makes his reply addressing God as Adonai-Jehovah--an acknowledgment that Jehovah is also Master. There should be no question that Abram understood what this relationship meant; probably much better than we understand it today, for those were days of slavery. Lordship meant complete possession on the one hand, and complete submission on the other. As already seen, Abraham himself sustained the relationship of master and lord over a very considerable number of souls; therefore in addressing Jehovah as Adonai he acknowledged God's complete possession of and perfect right to all that he was and had.1.2.3.

            It amazes me how much our idea of our relationship with God has changed over the years. It is understandable on the one hand how we today do not comprehend the master-slave relationship. We have had it drilled into us over the years that this particular relationship is bad. It is not good that one man should own another, especially in today’s world. Back in Abram’s day, however, it was not necessarily a bad thing.

            While Abram himself recognized that God was his master, he understood how great a situation that was since he also was master over others. It was a wonderful thing to Abram to be able to place his entire being in God’s hands. He realized that he had no worries, no fears, no concerns, because God Almighty was his supply, his recourse, his protection, his everything. Abram, in turn, was master over other people. He therefore had no problem seeing God as his Master and himself as God’s servant.

            As I alluded to in an earlier paragraph, Abram had no problem understanding that God, as Master or Lord, had complete possession of and perfect right to all that Abram was and all that Abram had.

            By the same token, Abram understood the concept of his being totally and completely subservient to God, his Master and Lord.

            We today have a much more difficult time with this positioning than Abram had several thousand years ago. We modern Christians do not understand the significance of the master-servant relationship in the same way that God seemed to have established it so many years ago. I am by no means advocating slavery. All I want us to do is at least understand the master-servant relationship in order that we might understand just how much God loves us and how much He is willing to do for us.

            God as Lord is the One who bestows gifts upon and equips His servants for their service. He made some apostles, others prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers--all for the accomplishment of His purpose and will in the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11, 12). Having these gifts from our Lord, Paul exhorts us, let us wait on them and minister them, as faithful servants, with diligence (Romans 12:6-8). God, as Lord, is said to protect, to provide for, and sustain His servants. Basically, God, as Master, gives us everything we could possibly need or want for ourselves and for others. He furnishes everything for us. 1.2.3.

            All He asks for us in return is that we be His servants.

           With God as our Master and us as His servants, we are in an awesome position. Like I said about Abram in an earlier paragraph, when we recognize that we are the servants, we recognize that God has already furnished everything that we could ever need or want.

            The incredible thing about this is that God still goes above and beyond anything that we could even imagine or think about in His love for us. As we shall see next time, when we look at God as Jehovah-jireh, we shall realize just how wonderful God is to us.

To Him be all glory forever and ever!

1) Quotes from "Names of God", Nathan Stone

2) Strong's Concordance

3) Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, W. E. Vine

Continue to: JEHOVAH-JIREH

2009 © JOE KELLEY