When the World Feels Out of Control

Names of God: Adonai

This is the start of our new series called Names of God. For the next six weeks we’ll look at some of the different names that God holds in scripture.

Jen and I have been talking about doing this series since around last April, but we held off until now. We wanted this to be the first series of the year, to start off the new year developing a different and deeper understanding of God.

One of the ways that we can learn more about God and understand him deeper is to know some of the different names that He holds. There are many names in scripture, each describing something different and unique about Him. I’m eager to see how knowing some of these names deepens our faith, our awe, and our understanding of him over these next six weeks.

The power of Names

Names are powerful. They are often the first gateway to any kind of connection to a new person you meet. It’s often what we lead with, the very first question we ask when meeting anybody new.

Hi, my name is Charles. What is your name? A name is relevant across all time, time, cultures, and ages. You can’t go wrong asking someone their name. It’s probably one of the safest questions that you can ask.

When you know a name, you’re able to attach any kind of information you receive to that person. You have a better understanding of who that individual is. For example, my name is Charles. Right there. you already know something about me. You already have learned something about who I am.

Names have meanings

My full name is Charles Josiah Postell. If you understand the names, you can know more about me. I was named after my father who was named after his uncle.

Names have meaning to them. Charles is supposed to mean wise and manly. Some you’re like, I don’t know about that, but that’s what, that’s what the name is supposed to mean wise and manly. Some might question that. My middle name Josiah also has a couple different meanings. It comes from Hebrew and means fire of the Lord.

My last name Postell. And to be honest, I’m still trying to figure out what exactly that means. When I was younger I asked my dad, “what does our name mean?” I kid you not, he said, “it means one who sits by the post.” I said, I hope not, we need something better. If that’s what it means, Jenna might’ve got the short end of the stick. We might have to change it up for the next generation of Postells.

We often hold many names, each with a meaning.

I have a few different names that I hold that also will teach you something about me. When I gave my life to Jesus, I received one of the most important names I’ll hold in my entire life. I received the title “follower of Jesus.”

In 2023, I received the title Husband. My unofficial name from my wife is “Babe.” When she calls me Charles, I know I’ve done something wrong.

I’m known as “Son” to my parents. I’m known as “a “brother” by my older sisters. Y wonderful niece calls me “Uncle.” Many people know me as “Pastor.” One of my least popular names, in the Colorado area, is “a “Vegas Raiders fan”

Knowing God by knowing His name Adonai

Each name teaches you something different and unique about me. In the same way, how much more can we learn about God when we know His names and know what they mean?

This week, we’ll talk about how His name amongst many is Adonai. It means, Lord. It’s more of a title than a name and it means Lord. Adonai communicates that He is sovereign among all rulers, powers, and authorities. It says that Adonai, the Lord, sits atop them all. His power is unmatched, his authority is incomparable. He’s called the name that fits him quite well and that name is Adenai. He is Lord.

Adonai is the God of Impossible Things

The first time we see this name or title is when Abram, or Abraham, is having this conversation with God. God tells Abram, “Abram, “I’m going to be with you. I’m going to bless you. I will be your very reward. Abram, I’m going to take care of you.”

Abram asked God, “who will inherit all these blessings that you’re going to give to me? I don’t have any children.” That was a very big deal at that time, to have a lot of blessings and inheritance but no one to give it to. So he says, “God, who will inherit all these blessings that you’ll give me?

Before Abram asks this question, he refers to God as Adonai. We see it in Genesis 15:2.

but Abram said, sovereign Lord, sovereign adenai, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my state is Azar of Damascus.

Genesis 15:2

We see that before Abram makes this request of God, he makes sure to address God properly. He acknowledges who God is. He likely wants to acknowledge God as Lord, Adonai, out of respect. It’s also likely an understanding that if anyone can do anything about his situation, it’s going to be the Lord.

If anyone can do anything about Abram’s situation, it’s the sovereign one. Sovereign Adonai does give Abram and Sariah a child even though Sariah at that time was barren. He reaffirmed his sovereignty even over physical impossibility.

It doesn’t matter what the odds are. Regarldess of the situation, Adonai is Adonai. He rules over what we think is impossible.

Isn’t it good news that he can do what we can’t do? His name teaches us that when there is no way out of our situations, Adonai makes a way.

Adonai is the God of majesty

The name Adonai comes up again in the eighth Psalm. This Psalm is a bit different that most of David’s Psalms. Oftentimes he’s asking “God, would you do something about the situation that I’m in?” “God, would you help me overcome this certain obstacle?” Sometimes he’s going through something hard and challenging. He’s lamenting and crying out to God, asking for His comfort and presence.

However, he’s not lamenting or asking God for anything. He’s just expressing praise because of how wonderful he is.

Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth
You’ve set your glory in the heavens
through the praise of children and infants,
you have established a stronghold against your enemies
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you’re mindful of them?
Human beings, that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crown them with glory and honor.
You have made them rulers over the works of your hands.
You put everything under their feet,
all flocks and and herds and the animals of the wild,
the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea,
all that swim in the paths of the seas.
Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth?

Psalm 8

It’s a rich psalm. There’s a lot that he’s praising and expressing gratitude to God for and we’re going to go through it. We’re gonna break this down verse by verse starting again in verse one.We’ll go ahead and look at it again.

Looking closer at how Psalm 8 uses “Adonai.”

The first verse says “Lord” two different times. David uses two different names for Lord. The first is “Yahweh,” the personal name of God. It’s such a holy name for God that many won’t even utter it. The second is Adonai. “Yahweh, Lord, how majestic is your name.” The Lord fills every space and rules over every place. We can’t escape his dominion.

In verse two, David continues to express praise. That the praises of children and infants can silence the foe and the avenger tells us that God can use the weakest of things to defeat the strongest of foes. It reinforces that all battles belong to the Lord.

Verses three and four marvel at creation. In light of the majesty of creation, David asks, “What is mankind that you’re mindful of him? We can imagine that David is on a midnight stroll, and he’s seeing the beauty of creation. He’s thinking, “This is incredible. It’s so amazing and vast that I wonder how you can care about little old humanity.”

In verse five, he talks about how God has empowered humanity. He made us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor. He made us rulers over the animals. One commentary says that man was created as God’s own representative on earth. David was amazed that God should exalt finite man to such a place of honor.

He ends the psalm saying, “Yahweh, Lord, how majestic is your name over all the earth?” David paints this incredible contrast between God and man, between what God can do and man cannot. And yet, He gives man this special place.

Responding to the majesty of God.

Understanding God’s majesty is such a blessing.

When we’re tired, or feeling alone, the Lord is ruling that place. Wherever we go, He reigns. In the midst of our weakness, He reigns. In fact, He is willing and able to use our weakness to accomplish his purpose. The battle belongs to him.

When we call Him Adonai, we say “your name is majestic.”

Our name is not majestic. I like my name, Postell, but it is not a majestic name. His name is majestic. We don’t have any glory other than what God gives us. God has the fullness of his glory in heaven and yet his glory still reigns over earth. We have the weakness that God uses to accomplish his purposes.

The only reason we have authority to rule over the earth is because it was given to us. It’s not by some innate quality of ours, but that we have been empowered. It’s that great contrast between us and God that makes him Adonai.

Jesus is named Lord, or Adonai

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue acknowledged that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

This passage gives to Jesus the name that was given to God. Read that passage over again, but this time use Adonai: “Jesus Christ is Adonai, to the glory of God, the Father.”

His name is Adenai. He rules over all. The glory of his name fills the earth. He reveals his strength in our weakness. He created the wonders of the earth and beyond and rules over all. A day is coming when every tongue will confess and every knee will bow before Adonai, the Lord. This is His name and it is powerful.

How Understanding Jesus as Lord can bless us:

Knowing and understanding the depth of the names of God blesses us. I’m excited about taking time to get to know God better by knowing His names better will impact our faith. I believe that going into this year forming a deeper understanding of who he iswill set us free from some things we’ve carried around for some time. It will make a mark on our faith.

Knowing Jesus as Adonai can do something to our faith. I want to look at some ways He can do that. You may resonate with each one, or the Holy Spirit may have you focus on one. He may do some things I haven’t even thought of. I ask you to be open to what God is saying, that he’s saying “This is what my name is gonna do for you and your faith.”

Knowing Jesus is Lord (Adonai) helps you follow Him more

Knowing Jesus is Adonai might help you follow Him on your journey of faith. Being reminded that He is Adonai might help you follow him more.

If you’ve been on this journey of faith for any amount of time and you’ve been trying to follow Jesus, you know that in your faith you will be pulled in several different directions. You’ll have times when you experience hardships and challenges. You’ll be tempted to pull back from your faith, to choose something other than Jesus.

Remember that he Adonai. Remembering that he is sovereign Lord might help us continue following him on this journey of faith when it’s tempting to back to an old way. When tempted to go back to something other than Chris, you might remember that He is Lord over all. He is Sovereign. That might help us continue to follow Him. It might be the encouragement you need in your faith. He’s sovereign, He’s Lord, He is the one to follow.

Knowing Jesus is Lord (Adonai) helps us feel secure in an insecure world.

Knowing Jesus is Adonai can help us feel secure when the world is insecure. It can be the encouragement or reminder that, even though the world is unsteady and seems to get crazier by the day, you can rest in the sovereignty of God.

You can feel steady and secure in an unsteady and insecure world because you know who is ruling over all of it. You can engage this new change because you know who is Lord.

I know that there are things that we will encounter in life. We will encounter good things and bad things. We’ll encounter times when we know all the facts, and times we’ll know none of the facts. There are blessings and trials of life. But we can say, “I know I can face all these things with security. I have the promise and presence of Adonai. No matter what I experience, He is Lord over all of it.” That can make us feel secure in an insecure world.

Knowing Jesus is Lord (Adonai) helps us release control

As humans, we love to be in control, right? We love it and we hate not being in control. We feel like we should be in control, and when we’re not, something in our flesh often desires to rebel or reject authority. Being humbled by life’s circumstances often reminds us how little control we have.

Nonetheless, something within us wants to take our hand and grasp for control. We refuse to let it go. Clenched fist and all, we want to hold on to every ounce of control that we can. Yet, when we can remember the grace of Adonai, we’re reminded who is really in control. We see His character, love, and intentionality for us. That lest us uncurl our fingers and release control to the one who has authority over all.

We can give him control. We don’t have to worry about what we’ve worried about for so long, to live in dread or keep grasping for control in life. Instead, we can entrust the one who has true control to rule over our situation. He can do it better than we ever could.

Knowing Jesus is Adonai might help us release control. How many of us just need to know that whatever we’re holding onto, we can let it go? If you’ve been holding onto control for some time in your life, trying to make it happen and force something, you can let that thing go and give it to the one who has control.

You can trust Adonai, as he’s ruling over it already. You can release control and let him rule. Your soul can find rest in the sovereignty of God.

Knowing Jesus is Lord (Adonai) helps us submit to Him

We don’t tend to like the word “submit.” It reminds us of releasing control. Then there’s the added step of following His desire, not ours.

However, there’s that posture of saying “not only will I release control to the Lord, but I’ll also do what he says. I’ll follow his plan because I choose to understand and remember who is in charge. If he tells me to go right, I’m gonna go right, if he tells me to go left, I’ll go left. If he reveals something in scripture that I need to do, even if it makes me unpopular or uncomfortable, I’ll do it.”

With that understanding, if He tells us something during prayer time, we’ll follow through regardless of whether it’s hard or challenging. When the Holy Spirit convicts us to say something or make an apology that we’ve needed to make for years, we’ll do so out of submission to the authority of Adonai.

Knowing Jesus is Adonai helps you submit to him.

Knowing Jesus is Lord (Adonai) helps us Love Him More

The more we can know Him, the more we can love Him. Understanding His place as Adonai helps us adore him. It’s the awe and wonder David had in Psalm 8, understanding God’s majesty and creation. Recognizing how he empowered us to rule over creation, using our weakness to reveal his strength.

the more David understood about God, the more he was able to love him. Knowing Him more, knowing his names and his character can increase our love for Him. It can remind us of His love for each of us. It can grow the love we have for Him.

How does knowing more about Adonai impact you?

We discovered the majesty and power of God through understanding his name: Adonai. We’ll discover more of His character as we work through this series.

You may discover a name of God that will minister to you in a specific way. It may happen now or years from now. He may impact you in ways I never expected in developing this series.

God may reveal Himself to you in a way that surpasses a bullet point on a screen. I want you to lean into whatever the Holy Spirit stirs within you. Even if you only dwell on a small part of this message because you’ve latched onto one thing about God, that’s okay. Let His Spirit lead as he reveals more of Himself to you. Let Him minister in the way He wants to minister.

Today, allow yourself to be moved however He wants to move you by remembering this: His name is Adonai, and He is Lord.

In researching this series, I found an article that spoke to every name we’re discussing. If that’s not a work of God, I don’t know what is. It was the same list of names I’d settled on weeks ago. For each name, that article has a prayer to the specific name. Keep in mind, it’s not a prayer to a different God, but instead praying to the One God using a name He revealed to us. I’d like to conclude by praying the prayer to Adonai from that article.

Adonai, one day with you is better than a thousand in the palaces of kings. You are my Adonai, my Lord, and Master. You call my name and a flood of joy overflows. You command my life and a fountain of confidence takes over. You are my Lord and I praise you today. Amen.

Prayer to Adonai