God exalts His Word above His Name (2023)

Is it really possible that the power of the word of God exceeds the power of the name of Jesus?

A few years ago I sat in a church service and listened to the pastor's sermon. I don't remember what the sermon was about, but I do remember one thing he said: God exalts his Word above his Name.

Than? How can it be? Nothing is more powerful than the name of Jesus. Is it really possible that the power of the word of God exceeds the power of the name of Jesus?

If you've been reading the Trust in God blog for a while, you've probably noticed that I love God's Word. I don't write a single post without a lot of writing in it. I strive to be like the Bereans, whom the Apostle Paul recommends as more noble than the Thessalonians, because the Bereans "received the word with all diligence, and searched the Scriptures daily to see if it were so" (Acts 17:11). ".

So I went looking for the source of the pastor's testimony and finally found it in Psalm 138:2. In this Psalm of David, King David proclaims: “I will worship your holy temple, and praise your name for your goodness and faithfulness; because you have exalted your word above all things. So my quest was to understand this verse more fully.

As I explain below, the name of Jesus has great power, but it is the word of God that reveals the power of his name!

Examples of people who glorify God

The first step in understanding what it means for God to glorify His Word over His name is to understand what it means to be "glorified." According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to magnify means: 1) to exalt, praise, cause greater appreciation or respect; or 2) increase in importance; intensify. Exaltation means much praise; glorify. Laud means praise; increase. 🇧🇷Enlarge | Definition of magnify by Merriam-Webster (merriam-webster.com), accessed March 29, 2021).

Based on the above definitions, David said that God: 1) praised and glorified his word in his name; or 2) He put the importance of his Word above his Name.

Psalm 138:2 is the only scripture that refers to God exalting his word over his name. However, if we look at other contexts that use this term for “magnify”, which is “Gadal”, we can see what King David said about God glorifying his word over his name.

Josue- The Lord told Joshua that he would magnify him in the eyes of all Israel, so that they would know that God would be with Joshua as he was with Moses (Joshua 3:7). As a result of this enlargement, all Israel was in awe of Joshua and Moses (Joshua 4:14).

solomon- King David and his servants asked God to magnify Solomon and make his throne greater than David's throne (1 Kings 1:37; 1 Kings 1:47). As a result, “the LORD greatly magnified Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and gave himVonroyal majesty like no king before him in Israel” (1 Chronicles 29:25). Furthermore, King Solomon's wealth and wisdom surpassed that of all kings on earth (1 Kings 10:23).

God– God also glorifies himself, which makes people know that he is God (Ezekiel 28:23).

God glorified Joshua and Solomon, thus increasing the importance of their leadership. They grew in the respect and admiration of the people, in wealth and wisdom. God also glorified himself and let people know that he is God. All three situations state that when God magnifies someone, the person's importance increases.

The power of the name of God

As we continue our search for the meaning of God glorifying His word over His name as proclaimed by King David, we must pay attention to what Scripture tells us about God's name.

According to 1 Chronicles 17:24, God's name will be glorified and glorified forever. So far we have looked at various Old Testament scriptures. What does the New Testament tell us about the name of God?

We find in Hebrews 1:4 that the name of Jesus is more excellent than the names of angels. And Philippians 2:9-11 declares that God exalted the name of Jesus above all names.

We also know that there is great power in the name.

1. We are forgiven and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when we are baptized in His name (Acts 2:38).
2. We can ask for anything in His name (ie, within His character and presence) and He will give it to us (Matthew 18:20; John 14:13-14; John 16:13; Mark 16:17).
3. We are taught by the Holy Spirit in His name (John 14:16).
4. We must do everything in his name (Colossians 3:17).

The Key to Unlocking the Power of God's Name

So what does it mean that God glorifies His Word above His Name? Magnifying someone increases that person's importance.

1. When God makes people great, they receive greater respect, wealth, and wisdom.
2. Exalting himself above all men and spirits, God leaves no room for any god other than himself.
3. When we glorify God (through praise or worship), God gains prominence in our own lives, hearts, and minds.

But how does this relate to God glorifying His Word above His Name?

1. God's name will be forever praised.
2. His name is higher than the angels and above all names.
3. His name will cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that He is Lord.
4. We receive salvation (forgiveness, baptism, and the Holy Spirit) through His name.
5. We ask everything in His name and He will give or do.
6. The Holy Spirit teaches us in His name.
7. Everything we do and say must be in his name.

All this is extremely significant. Is it possible that there is something bigger, more important?

Y!!!!! Tausendmal and!!!!

God exalted His Word above His Name! He made his word more significant than his name! He did this because, without knowing his Word, we don't know how to access the power of his name.

We must know the Word of God. It is the key, the meaning to unlock the power of his name!

1. God's Word is a light to our path and a lamp to our feet (Psalm 119:105) so that we can walk in His ways and do all things in His name.
2. For they (the words of God) are life to those who find them, medicine and health to all their flesh (Proverbs 4:22).
3. The word we hide in our hearts keeps us from sin (Psalm 119:11).
4. The Word purifies us (John 15:3).
5. The Word builds us up and gives us an inheritance (Acts 20:32).
6. The Word works effectively in us (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
7. It is the word that bears fruit in our lives (Colossians 1:6).
8. The Word saves our souls (James 1:21).

All praise is to God. He has given us power in his name, and the key to unlocking that power is his Word. We must know his word, pray his word, and live his word in order to live and have faith in the power of his name.

This post is the first of several that I will be posting to focus on God's Word. By focusing on what his Word is, what it does, what we should do with it, and its consequences, we will build our confidence in the power of God's Word in our own lives.

I look forward to immersing myself in the power of God's Word and learning how to more confidently apply it in our own lives to unleash the power of Jesus' Name!