06/11/2024
The Value of Words
I once heard a sermon that referred to the following verse in Revelation:
Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come. (Rev 4:8, CSB)
In the sermon, I came to understand that these creatures’ sole purpose was to praise the Lord God. They were to do this day and night and forever non-stop. What are they praising the Lord God for? The minister went on to say that the creatures were receiving a new revelation of who God was, who God is, and who God will be and these revelations never stop, never. The minister then said that this is what the word “awesome” applies to, any other use of the word except in reference to God is the wrong use of the word.
After this I have not used the word “awesome” in reference to anything or person except God. I also began to look at other words as well, like “good.”
Just then someone came up and asked him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” he said to him. “There is only one who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Mat 19:16-17)
Here Jesus was implying that the word “good” is to be used for God as well. There are many more words that should be used exclusively for God. A good place to start is to look for these words and check for the words that describe God. In Revelation 4:8 (above) we can find at least two, “Holy” and “Almighty.”
Why should we reserve these words for God? First, by using these words in our regular communications with others we begin to devalue these words, and by doing this we devalue God. We bring God down to our level.
Second, when Jews write the name of God, they don’t write the vowel in His name, YHWH had the ‘a’ and ‘e’ removed. When we write about God, pronouns and His names have the first character capitalized. Why do this? Reverence and worship. If we reserve these words exclusively for God, these words become part of our reverence and worship of God. When we set these words apart from other, they become Holy onto God.
