Adonai

Adonai. The beautiful name of God that refers to His Lordship and sovereignty. Adon means, “steward administrator, master, or Lord.” The addition of ai to adon intensifies or elevates its meaning, changing it to mean “the ultimate Lord, the Supreme Lord, or Lord of all.” The meaning of Adonai in the Hebrew language, God is Lord, clearly defines our role as servants of our Lord, the God with outright ownership of our life and all things in Heaven and Earth. I have written before about the names of God, but it was this one that enabled me to move forward in my life, in my healing, to leave the past in the past. It is this name that has allowed me to finally forgive those that I still held responsible for the things that happened as a kid. It is in knowing God as Adonai that sets me free.

In the Hebrew culture, a name is more than a name; it is an attribute of your personality. God’s covenant name is YWHW, commonly translated as Yahweh, the English translation being Jehovah. That is the name of God that He identifies Himself by. But, each time he encountered someone, He revealed an aspect of His personality which was then given a name. Much like you have a first name, but you might be a daughter, sister, daughter, mother, granddaughter, aunt, athlete, accountant…the same as it is for God. Because God is a God without beginning or end, with no limit to His goodness, there are a lot of names that He is recognized by.

Jehovah Nissi means the Lord is my Banner. When the nation of Israel would go into battle, they fought under the banner of His name. Often outnumbered by the opposition, Israel would be victorious only through the Lord. It was not unusual for God to put them at a distinct disadvantage so that they would know, without a doubt, that it was Him who delivered them.

Jehovah Rapha is the Lord who heals. I have known Him personally, as the wounds of my heart were cleaned, bandaged, and closed by His hand alone. Nothing I did could stop the hemorrhage of shame and guilt in my life until I let Him get close.

I have met Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides, many times. I know that the Bible tells us that God will provide what we need, but I have seen it and known it to be true in my own life. There was a week when I had one block of time to use for one of two purposes, prepare for a crafting party that would have made me a few dollars, or prepare for Bible study. I chose to prepare for the Bible study and cancelled the crafting party. The next day the phone rang with a chance to do a diaper study and make more money than the party would have yielded. The Lord who Provides showed Himself faithful. He has arranged babysitting opportunities at precisely the right time. He has allowed my husband to keep his job in uncertain times. But, if the job were taken away, I know that He would continue to provide a way for us to survive.

Adonai, though, is the name that makes the difference in my daily thoughts and actions. He is my Leader, my Lord, my Master, the One I surrender to. It is keeping this name before me, written on my heart, and on my body, that inspires obedience to His word, even when I would rather do something another way.