Why are there so many names for God? Why is it important that we know what they are and what they mean? Our finite, human brains cannot fully comprehend the majesty and glory of who God is. Yet through the various names of God, He chooses to reveal Himself to us so we can come to understand the many personal characteristics of God. His names reveal His power, authority, and holiness. The better we understand and know the names of God the more personal He becomes to us and as we pray, we can call on His name that corresponds with our need. Finally, because the Bible instructs us to honor, fear, and respect God and to not use His name in vain, we need to know exactly what His names are and what they mean. Today, we look at the name Jehovah Immeka.
Today’s Name: Jehovah Immeka
An encounter with Jehovah Immeka:
God looked through all of Israel for a person who had what He was needed to be the person to free Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. He found it in a man named Gideon. What was it that Gideon had? Courage. At first it may not seem like Gideon had courage. When we first meet him in the Bible it appears that he’s hiding from the Midianites in a wine press to thresh wheat. However, what we need to see is that his hiding protect the wheat from being taken by the Midianites. He’s threshing the wheat in spite of the fear of the Midianites. So who exactly is this hero, named Gideon?
A courageous, sassy mouth hero
There is another reason we can see Gideon as a man of courage. Just about every time in the Bible when the Angel of the Lord appears to someone, his first words are “Fear not.” That gives us a clue to how those people are feeling at his sudden appearance. But not so with Gideon. The Angel of the Lord appears and says, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon’s response? He kinda sasses back. “If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles?” That is definitely not the response of a person who is afraid. Maybe it was just that the Angel of the Lord was not near as scary as the Midianites. But sassing the Angel of the Lord takes some guts.
When I read stories in the Bible, I like to imagine the scene in my mind so I can fully understand what’s happening. I imagine Gideon secretly thrashing his wheat and under his breath maybe he’s rehashing a conversation he just had moments before with his father. As they sat around the table, they were discussing what a man who called himself a prophet had said. He claimed his message was from God and claimed that they had not obeyed the voice of God. Gideon was probably thinking “What voice? I’ve not heard a voice!” I can then see God rolling his eyes and saying “Did I not send the prophet to be my voice?” Maybe then the Angel of the Lord says, “Are you sure you want that one for this task?” God says, “Yes, he’s the one.”.
The prophet’s message starts Gideon’s father reminiscing about the good ‘ol days and the mighty acts God had done throughout Israel’s history. It wasn’t that his father was a godly man, because we find later that his father has an altar of Baal. However, we know that somehow Gideon had heard the stories about God’s miracles because his sassy response mentions them.
A bold and challenging hero
So as Gideon is thrashing wheat, under his breath he says (in my imagination) something like, “I don’t know what God my father was talking about. I’ve not ever seen any mighty miracles. I sure haven’t heard any voices. Maybe my father is becoming senile in his old age. There sure isn’t any God saving us from these Midianites. Why, I even have to thrash this wheat in secret just to keep them from taking it from us and so we have enough to eat.” In response to Gideon’s thoughts the Angel of the Lord shows up. And Gideon isn’t afraid.
We can see in the following verses that Gideon doesn’t seem to be aware that he’s talking to the Angel of the Lord. The Angel of the Lord tells Gideon, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel form the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” Gideon issued a challenge and God responds by sending the challenger to do the challenge.
A doubting hero
Doubt #1: Why has all this happened to us?
So Gideon issued a challenge to God when he said, “If the Lord is with us, then why has all this happened to us?” He first cast doubt on the Lord’s presence with Israel. Don’t we do the same thing? When troubles come our way we begin to doubt God’s presence? We put God into a box and create what we thing God should be. Then when something in life goes contrary to our preconceived notions about who God is, we feel as if He has abandoned us because how could this have happened if God was with me? We forget that promises of God’s Word, such as: “I will never leave your nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) In John 16:33 Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” Jesus told us we’d face difficult times, but yet we want to say, “If God is with me, why did this happen?”
Doubt #2: How can I save Israel?
The angel doesn’t get angry and zap Gideon dead for questioning him then move on to his “Plan B” person. He acts as if he doesn’t hear Gideon’s sassy, doubting question. Instead he commissioned him to be the mighty warrior that God had called him to be. The Angel of the Lord says, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel form the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” Gideon responds, “How an I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
It reminds me of when God tells Samuel to go to the house of Jesse to annoint a new king while Saul is still king. Samuel goes through all the sons of Jesse, starting with the oldest and working his way down through the line and….no king. Samuel says, “Is this all of your sons?” Jesse responds, “Well, there is the youngest one, but he is out tending the flocks.” Samuel says, “Go get him. We’ll not eat until I see him.” So they send for him. Sure enough when young David arrives, God says to Samuel, “That’s the one! Anoint him!”
God often chooses the most unlikely person for the most difficult tasks. The young shepherd boy was also the boy who killed a giant with just a sling and a stone while all of Israel’s army coward in fear. He chose a young, orphaned Jewish girl to stand before a king to stop the genocide of Israel. He called 12 unlikely mean (mostly fishermen and a tax collector) to be his disciples. He called a single man too old to have children to become a father of many nations. He chose a single man out of all the people of the earth to build an ark and to start over with repopulating the earth. He chose a Israelite baby boy who would grow up in the house of Pharaoh, become a murderer, run away, and then sent back to Egypt to bring the Israelites out of slavery and lead them to the edge of the Promise Land. So if you’re questioning God as to why He chose you for a difficult task, you’re just the perfect one for the job.
Doubt #3: Show me a sign.
The Angel of the Lord, still does not get angry with Gideon. Instead he reiterates the commission: “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” Gideon then asks for a sign. It isn’t the first sign he will ask for. Later in Gideon’s story we find what he is most remembered for: the incident with the fleece. But here, Gideon says, “If I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to Your and bring out my offering and set it before You.” The Angel of the Lord agrees and Gideon goes off to prepare a young goat and unleavened bread. He returns and the Angel of God tells him to place the meat and bread on a rock and pour out the broth. When he does the Angel put out the end of the staff and touched the meat and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and bread. Then the Angel disappears. NOW, Gideon gets it and becomes afraid. He’s probably thinking back to when he sassed and doubted and realizes he sassed and doubted God.
Although the Angel of the Lord has departed, He still speaks to Gideon. Remember that is was Jehovah Immeka, “The Lord is with You” that appeared to Gideon. In the Bible, we see the “A” in Angel is capitalized and that clues us in that this is the pre-incarnate Jesus that has appeared to Gideon. And He still has a point to get across to Gideon – that He is with Gideon, even if Gideon can’t see Him. So while Gideon thinks he’s doomed to destruction because he has seen the Lord face to face (and got sassy with Him), the Lord speaks to Gideon yet again and says, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” Gideaon can’t see the Lord now, but he still hears his voice. Gideon then builds an altar and called it “the-Lord-is-Peace.”
A commissioned hero
Gideon would become the hero that would free his people from tyranny. If we did a “strength analysis” on him, we’d find his strength was courage, but his weakness was doubt. Even though he is commissioned by the Lord Himself and he has a face to face encounter with Him, Gideon continues to have a doubting problem. The task to which he is commissioned would require great courage and he would find the courage he needed in knowing that God was with him.
Encountering Jehovah Immeka today
Just as the Lord was with Gideon, so He is with us today. There is no where we can go that God is not there. There is no trial we go through that God does not walk with us through it. And there is no task He calls us to do that He is not there with us guiding us, empowering us, encouraging us, and giving us the strength we need to complete it. So if you are needing a reminder that God is with you today, then let the voice of the Angel of the Lord whisper across your heart and hear him say, “The Lord is with you.”
Today’s Prayer:
Jehovah Immeka, thank you that you are always with us – that you never leave us or forsake us. Help us to sense your presence with us and know we are not alone. Replace our doubts with strength and confidence that only comes from you and help us fulfill the task to which you have commissioned us to do.
Father, show us who You are as we discover and learn about your many names. Reveal to us why You are worthy of being called the One True, Living God. Teach us to unabashedly love you, respect Your name, and serve only You. Make your character known to us so we can live and walk in your image. Amen.
#namesofGod #JehovahImmeka #WCM
Will you pray and fast with us and lead your
church to pray for God to send a revival to America?
This week, we are preparing for a day of fasting and prayer by focusing on humbling ourselves before a holy God.
#revival #America #Godsholiness #ourhumility #prayandfast
Did you remember to read your Bible today?
Do you have a daily Bible reading plan? If not, we invite you to join us as we read the Bible through in one year. Each day we post the selected Scripture to read with links to read it online. Join us in God’s Word today!.
Today’s verse to meditate on:
Acts 5:3
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
Have you learned this week’s memory verse?
Isaiah 54:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Test your Bible Smarts with our Trivia questions
Test your Bible smarts and see if you can answer our trivia questions. We post a trivia question every other day and the correct answer on the next day. Stop by the trivia page and grab a question or two and see if your friends and family can answer it. Click here to get to the trivia
You can check out our Christian t-shirts for men, women, kids and infants in our Teespring and Spreadshop stores. You can also find the designs on mugs, bags, aprons, hats, and more. We also have some Christian themed canvas art available at Teespring. Browse the stores with the links below:
This week’s new designs available at spreadshop:
Click here for Face My Giants in black print. (also available in white print)
Click here for Face My Giants in black script. (also available in white script)
Click here for Unstoppable God in black print.
Click here for Unstoppable God in white script. (also available in black script)
What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?
This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
- Scripture to memorize and meditate on
- Conversation Starters
- Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages
- Romance Builders
- Relationship Builders
- Personal reflections
- Date ideas
- Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples
Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.
Join the community of couples on Facebook who are committed to intentionally growing their marriage and learning how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.
Need a speaker for your next church or ministry event? We’re booking!
(Due to COVID-19, we are only tentatively booking speaking engagements for events after September 2020 based on the recommendations as issued by the CDC and our government officials.)
We are eager to be a part of your next church or ministry event – regardless of size. We can bring one of our ministry programs to your church, or we can tailor a message to your event theme. To request more information or schedule a booking, fill out the online form at the link below. Or call us at 904.239.8937.Booking now for Speaking Engagements
for church and ministry events.
Check out this week’s featured affiliate products from Christianbook Distributors. We receive 8% commission (without any increase cost to you) for every item you purchase through our affiliate links. Thank you for supporting us.
904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL
Follow us on:
