Carolyn E. Jacobs

This week’s name of God is Melek, King. In Genesis 14, we’re introduced to this mysterious king, Melchizedek. And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has handed over your enemies to you.” – Genesis 14:18-20 We don’t learn much more about him in the Old Testament, but it turns out he’s a type of Christ. Types are Old Testament foreshadowings of New Testament fulfillments. James Hamilton’s book, Typology, Understanding the Bible’s Promise-Shaped Patterns, is a great…

Many Jewish prayers start this way: Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam It means, Blessed are you, oh Lord our God, King of the Universe This makes my heart sing. This week’s name in Ann Spangler’s study, Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks, is Melek, King. The concept of a monarchy goes against the American grain. We tossed King George’s fetters off and never looked back. Monarchs, as all humans, are flawed. We’ve got lots of examples of kings unfit to rule, be they biblical, otherwise historical, or modern. Yahweh warned us. Through the prophet Samuel, he said that the king would oppress the people and take the…

There’s refuge in the Name. The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. – Proverbs 18:10 He answers prayer in his Name. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. – John 14:13-14 Even the demons flee in his Name. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ – Matthew 7:22 But Hashem, the Name, isn’t…

I balked, at first, about this week’s name, The Name. Because it’s not a name. It’s a placeholder, if you will. But then my mind went in a million different directions, and I’ve ended up with four blog posts this week to get my thoughts organized. How many times in Scripture do we see, “For the sake of His name,” or For Your name’s sake?” A lot. What are some of the things Yahweh does for the sake of Hashem, his name?” He restores my soul. (Psalm 23) He guides me in paths of righteousness. (Psalm 23) He forgives my wrongdoing, which is great. (Psalm 25) He leads me and guides…

Hashem means The Name. Noah named his son Name. Doesn’t that sound like a Far Side Cartoon? Mrs. Noah, hands on hips, glares at Noah. “You wrote “Name” on his birth certificate?” Noah shrugs and lifts his hands in apology. “The instructions said, ‘Write name here.'”   So why would Noah name his son Name? I’m reminded of Chuck Missler’s study on the names in the genealogy of Adam to Noah found in Genesis 5. Here’s the conclusion. Strung together in a sentence, the names mean, “Man is appointed mortal sorrow, but the Blessed God shall come down, teaching that his death shall bring the despairing comfort and rest.” Boom.…