Names of God: Part Three

ADONAI: SOVEREIGN LORD

Psalm 148:13(ESV)¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.

2 Samuel 7:-22(ESV)¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? ¹⁹ And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! ²⁰ And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! ²¹ Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. ²² Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

1 Corininthians 7:23²³ You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.

Devotional — The ancient Hebrews considered the divine name YHWH(Yahweh/LORD) too holy to pronounce, so they substituted ‘Adonai’, meaning ‘Lord’. This title is written with just the ‘L’ capitalized. This title inherently translates to sovereignty, rulership, and honor, and speaks to His role in our lives: He wants to be our Lord and master.

Sovereignty is the idea of kingship. King David was sovereign over Israel. For David to call God “Sovereign Lord” meant he acknowledged God’s role as ruler over his life. God is all-powerful, creating the heavens and the earth, and all its inhabitants. Does the idea of submitting to an all-powerful God give you pause? It will if you forget one very important fact: God is love. God proved both His power and His love when Jesus died on the cross for our sins; paying for our sins was something only God could do, and because He loves us, He was the only one who wanted to. Reminding ourselves of God’s power and love gives us the ability to say as David did, “Adonai, how great you are! There is none like you!”

Prayer — Give thanks to God for being an all-powerful God for whom nothing is too hard to accomplish. Thank Him for showing His power and love through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Express your trust in Him for every aspect of your life because He manifests His power and love for our good.