I come from a long line of nicknamed people. My dad's given name was Marshall, but everybody called him "Buck." My brother Jay, who did everything -- talk, walk, eat -- with the vigor of a snail with a broken leg, was nicknamed "Lightning." There was Uncle Sook, Uncle Stud, and even an Uncle Thumbless, who wrote many famous four-fingered songs for the banjo.
I was just kidding about that last one.
Although my nickname since college has been "Skip," I've often wondered about my own given name: Jeff Bartley Chisum. What does it mean, if anything?
Well, I did a little research and found that Jeff is from the French, and it means "God's peace." Bartley -- my middle name -- is Old English and means "like a farm." Chisum (or Chisholm, as it used to be) is Scottish and means "cheese house."
Apparently, my name literally means "God's peaceful farm-like house of cheese."
I'm so proud.
In Old Testament times, a person's name was often chosen to reflect some personal characteristic or trait. "Esau" meant "red and hairy." "Jacob" meant "heel hanger," "supplanter" or "deceiver." "Daniel" meant "God is my judge." And "Jesus" (or Immanuel) meant "God with us."
In the same way, God has also revealed different aspects of His being and the different relationships He has with creation by His names.
If you think about it, our God is so awesome that one name would be inadequate to express:
- His goodness
- His greatness
- His character
- His nature
Psalm 9:10 says: "Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you."
Since God has revealed Himself through His names, according to Psalm 9:10, the more we know and learn of His names, the more we can rely on Him. And with a more intimate knowledge of Him, the more we are going to trust Him.
Jehovah is one of the names used for God. When it is joined with another word, it forms a compound name for the Lord that represents a specific area in which He is a definite help for us in our time of need.
Here are a few specific compound names:
Jehovah-Jireh. "The Lord provides" or "The Lord sees." This name can be found in Genesis 22:14 when Abraham needed a sacrifice, and God provided a ram in place of Isaac.
Jehovah-Rophe. "The Lord that heals." This name was given to Israel in Exodus 15:25 as a promise that if they would keep God's commandments, they would not be susceptible to the disease of the Egyptians.
Jehovah-Nissi. "The Lord is my banner." This name was given to God by Moses as a response to his God-given victory over Amalek.
Jehovah-Shalom. "The Lord is peace." This name was given to God by Gideon after the angel of the Lord appeared to him to deliver Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6:24).
Jehovah-Tsidkenu. "The Lord is our righteousness." This is a prophecy in Jeremiah 23:5-6 about one who is to come, and it speaks to the fact that in all his dealings, He will be (and act) righteous.
How cool is it that God reveals himself through these compound Jehovah names? And unlike man, He will always deal with us in fairness and righteousness. He will never leave or forsake us.
No wonder Paul tells the Philippians that his desire is to "know" Him. To know Him is to trust Him -- and God has not forsaken anyone who desires to know Him.
And that sounds like pretty good news to me.
As for me and my house of cheese, we will serve the Lord.
Be blessed -
Skip