Psalm 54 - The Name

Psalm 54:1-2, 4, 6-7 NIV

Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. 

Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. 

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. 

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; 

I will praise your name, Lord , for it is good. 

You have delivered me from all my troubles, 

and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

Psalm 54 is another one of those psalms in which King David had been betrayed by people who gave his whereabouts to his enemy, King Saul. He was living among them seeking safety, but they sided with King Saul, hoping for reward. The song includes hopes that God would destroy these betrayers.

One thing that grabs me in Psalm 54 is the mention of God's name. God's name has power. God's name is good. King David trusts in the name of the Lord.

The name of Israel's God is Yahweh or, as the old English translations rendered it, Jehovah. Any time you see the English words The Lord, it is Yahweh. Jewish scribes so revered the name, they started using a substitute name so that they wouldn't misuse the name of the Lord. That substitute name is Adonai.

Names carry history. When you hear of someone named Elvis, you think of the king of rock 'n' roll. Jesus (pronounced Hey-soos) is a popular name among Latino familIes. We can't help but think of the King of Kings. There's a hymn entitled "His Name is Wonderful." It's wonderful because the name of Jesus has a wonderful history.

But history isn't simply old stories passed down from generation to generation. David has his own personal history with the Lord. The power of God's name is an immediate history of God's faithfulness, God's providing and protection in David's own life.

You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes. (Psalm 54:7)

What's your history with the name of the Lord? The name of Jesus means "Yahweh saves." How has the Lord saved you? And more importantly for what divine purpose has He saved you? What does the name of the Lord mean to you? Does the faithfulness and mercy of your creator cause you to want to give God glory with freewill offerings and praise for His name?

May your reverence for the name of the Lord sustain you always.