Jehovah Shammah - The Lord is Present
Exodus 48:35 – “The name of the city from that day shall be, the LORD is there.”
Brian La Croix used to tell of when his daughter Olivia would wake up in the middle of the night and need to use the bathroom. It was his job to get up and take her there, so he would get out of bed when she called to find her in the hall outside her room. She would take his hand as they would go to the bathroom, which was about six feet from her door. Did she need his hand to show her the way? No, she wanted to know he was near. Then any fear and apprehension she may have about the dark would go away. She probably didn’t consciously even think about it. It’s kind of the same thing with us. Sometimes we are troubled, fearful or just need some encouragement. What a comfort to know that God is there with an open hand to take ours and lift us up when we are down, encourage us when we are weak, and calm us when we are fearful.
Of all the names of God we have looked at so far – Jehovah Jireh (the Lord will provide), Jehovah Rapha (the Lord that healeth), Jehovah Nissi (the Lord our banner), Jehovah Shalom (the Lord our peace), Jehovah Raah (the Lord our shepherd), Jehovah Tsidkenu (the Lord our righteousness) – none is as precious to the child of God as this one, Jehovah Shammah (the Lord is present). No other promise is as real to the Christian as the promise of God’s presence with us. The British songwriter, Graham Kendrick, tells us, “He is here, and we have come to worship Him, in His presence opening the treasures of our hearts. He is here the centre of our longings, all our restless journeyings are ended in His peace, and God is here with us, our Saviour, Jesus; His mercy covers us. Immanuel is here, so tender, so near. We welcome you Immanuel, adore you more than words can tell, we worship you. Immanuel is here, he is here.”
The context of our passage, here in the last chapter of Ezekiel’s prophecy, puts us at the end of the age. It speaks of the millennial kingdom and tells of the holy city Jerusalem, another name of Christ’s bride, the church. The Apostle John describes the same New Jerusalem in the Revelation – He describes it as a Holy City coming down from above – and here, Ezekiel tells us the name of the city is “the Lord is there [or in the Hebrew Jehovah Shammah].” This is very definitely the name of God, Jehovah Shammah, and He has given His name to the Holy City Jerusalem.
To the child of God, perhaps the most wonderful thing about God’s presence is His promise to be with us in this present age. The children of Israel, when coming out of Egypt were blessed with God’s presence in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. And in Exodus 33:14, God promised Moses, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” To the church Christ promised in Matthew 28:20, “And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Paul tells the church in Hebrews 13:5, “He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Christ promised in John 14 that the Holy Ghost would come – a Comforter – an Advocate – a Spirit of truth. In verse 18 He promised, “I will not leave you comfortless.” And in Romans 8:9 Paul says, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you” – so not only do we have Christ’s presence with us in the Holy Ghost, but we also have His presence in us in the Holy Ghost.
And not only do we have God’s presence with us in this life, but we’ll live in His presence for all eternity. In 2 Corinthians 5:8, Paul tells us, “Willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” In fact, throughout the Scriptures, we are told that it is God’s presence throughout eternity that makes heaven eternal life, and to be absent from God’s presence makes it eternal death, not to mention the flames of hell and the lake of fire. But the promise of God’s presence both here and for all eternity makes this name of God, Jehovah Shammah, the most precious name of all.
Quote – “God is present in all time and at the same time.” – Dr. Harold Sightler
