Divine Names and Titles

It would suppose great want of even natural observation in a reader of the Bible, to imagine that he had not noticed that there are many names used by the Spirit; who, through the inspired writers, indited Scripture, for the God with whom we have to do. God; Lord God; Jehovah; Jah; I AM; God Almighty; God of Abraham- of Isaac-and of Jacob; God of -Israel, etc. etc., occur in the Old Testament; and those of God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; LORD GOD Almighty, etc. etc., are too observable in the New Testament for any one that at all knows the book not to have noticed them.
The believer, moreover, will be conscious of there being, not only many names, but of a difference in the variety which the number presents. He may have thought of God, in time past, merely as " GOD all-mighty," and of the Lord Jesus as "the appointed Judge of quick and dead"; but now he knows, as having tasted, the grace of this Almighty Creator, and Jesus is owned by him, not only as Judge for a day to come, but now, as Lord and Savior. His earliest lessons in the school of Christ have enabled him to discern the difference between the God of Righteousness at Sinai, proposing that, which, while it described the Perfect Man (and, there never was since but One such) measured and condemned every mere child of fallen Adam,- and, the God of Grace at Calvary, sheaving Divine Perfectness in the seed of the woman, the Man Christ Jesus on the cross, and there teaching the remedy for ruin, as it is written:-" But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished.: but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:7-18). His early lessons thus have taught him a difference between the glories proper to God as the Creator, as the Upholder (God of Providence), and as the Savior-God; while his very possession of salvation supposes some knowledge, at least, as to the places, and offices, and works respectively peculiar to the Father, the Son, and the. Holy Ghost, in the work of redemption: and, further, the plain teaching of the double glory to be given to the person of the Mediator, God manifest in the flesh, a glory celestial and a glory terrestrial, a new heaven and a new earth, in [both] which [ἐν οἴς, wherein, or in which] which, in plural] dwelleth righteousness, must, early in his learning, have come before him:-"Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him" (Eph. 1:8-10). " For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven" (Col. 1:19,20).
That some names, as being descriptive of that which is essential, are and must, in the nature of things, be incommunicable to any save Deity; and that others, descriptive of offices or works, or even a parts of character or attributes, may, in a secondary sense, be communicable, will not surprise us. Perhaps name would be the more accurate appellative for the former, and title for the latter; for, correctly, a name should describe its subject, and it alone; whereas a title has a more adjectival character, as being descriptive of a known subject, and frequently, therefore, shared by that subject in common with others. The Jews considered, correctly as to the fact, that the name of Jehovah, or LORD, was a name of essence, and incommunicable to any other; and the facts as to the use of the name prove this (as we shall see), and prove the Deity of Jesus of Nazareth, too; for this name belongs to Him, as the Messiah prophesied of as both to come and suffer about the time that man crucified Him, who is now the Lord Jesus. But of this more in its place; compare Zech. 10:12, 13; Matt. 26:15 and 27:3-10; also Zech. 13:6, 7; Matt. 26:31; Isa. 6:6, 10; and John 12:40, 41, as showing that Jesus is Jehovah.
On the other hand, our Lord's own word will show us that the title "God" is not always a title of the Supreme Being. " Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods. unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?" (John 10:34-36).
Now, whether, or not, we understand this " calling of them gods, unto whom the word of God came," matters not for the argument: " the scripture cannot be broken," and the term " gods" is used, by our Lord Himself, concerning those to whom the word came.
The list of names might easily be given, and the distinctive peculiarities of each (as likely to have been felt by the believer) noticed; but this would be to anticipate: enough has been said to bring before the mind of any simple person the two thoughts, that names divine are many, and that they vary in their significancy.
It is this subject, however, into the details connected with which I desire to enter, persuaded that, blessed as are the vague thoughts which the Scripture reader feels to attach to these various names, yet much blessing is to be found in the clearing away the vagueness and obtaining the power of presenting our thoughts definitely with " Thus saith the Lord," or " It is written," as the known basis, the firm stones in the pavement, beneath our imaginings. It is not, however, as a teacher, that I would write; but rather I would seek, as being myself, on this subject, really an enquirer still, to hold that place while writing; the place of an enquirer with those who will inquire with me. And blessed is it to know the fullness of the field of revelation, the richness of the harvest, and yet know our liberty either to reap or glean in it, under the hand of the Boaz to whom it belongs. No human heart or mind, though divinely fed and taught, could, surely, ever contain all the fullness of the testimony which the word of God presents as to our Lord: and yet it is the blessed privilege, of even the least of the saints, to glean their individual modicum, and to enjoy it, too, in the renewed affections they have received; and, conscious of their Lord's sympathy in their joy, to communicate the little they may have observed to their brethren. I would present, then, my own observations in the word, thankful, if I state the thoughts of my own mind instead of the truth of the word, to have this pointed out; and thankful if the perusal of this leads others to add 'fuller and more perfect instruction, or even only awakens, in some, inquiry upon subjects, surely blessed subjects in themselves, to which attention had not been awake.