#ByAnyOtherNAME

"A rose by any other name is still a rose." That little statement is true of roses.You may call a rose something totally unrelated, but you will know it is a rose when you smell it. Inanimate objects can be called by any name you wish and it still remains what it is. This is not true with people or animals or God.

A dog knows when someone calls his name. He responds. If you call him by a foreign name, he will not. My cat knows her name and responds to it, but if I called her Fido I would get no recognition. Names are important to people. Something is triggered when a person hears their name used. I have seen many a smile on a people's faces when I say their name after they put their Rewards number in during a purchase. It is almost insulting to call someone by the wrong name, tho, I have done that when calling one of my children and using a sibling's name accidentally.

Names communicate something about the person's character. Names carry meaning. When Moses asked God what His name was after God told him to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go, God said, "Tell the Sons of Israel that 'I AM' sent you." "The Lord, the God of your fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob has sent you." Ex.3:14 &15

"I Am" is YHWH in Hebrew. It carries the meaning of 'being'. It also carries the meaning of 'being at work'. This is comforting to me for it tells me that God is always working, never resting or sleeping or going on vacation. He is constantly at work. God also added descriptive words to further identify how He works during His relationship with the Israelites. Jehovah-jireh means - the Lord will provide and Jehovah-shammah means - The Lord who heals. There are nine of thee YHWH dash plus names and each one tells us something of His character.

God told Moses what He wanted to be called and it is impertinent and wrong to call Him by a name such as 'Allah'. It is wrong to use His name as a cuss word because His name is Holy, pertaining only to Him, and precious because it declares something about Him.

There is one other name by which God is known and that is the name 'Jesus' which means Savior.  We are told to call upon that name for salvation. Romans 10:13 "Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." He is waiting to hear you call His name.