18 August 2024

ADONAI: MASTER/LORD

(The Names Of God: TNOG 3)

Another Name for God is “Adonai” which means “Lord” or “Master”. This is spelt “Lord” in English while Yahweh is spelt in capitals, “LORD” to distinguish between the two. The devout Jews when writing God’s Name, out of the fear of breaking the commandment, “Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD thy God in vain”, would use the word “Adonai” instead of “Yahweh”. That was how much they respected and honoured the Name of “Yahweh”.

The word “Adonai” means “one possessed of absolute control”. It denotes a “master” in relation to “servants” or “slaves” (Gen.24:14,27).. It is also used of a ruler over his subjects, or a husband as lord over his wife (Gen.18:12). The Greek equivalent is “kurios” or “Lord” in the New Testament: “As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him ‘lord’, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror” (1 Pet.3:6).

In Creation, this word is used in identifying God as “The Lord God” (Gen.2:5-22), signifying that God is the Lord of all. It means that He is sovereign and in control and He decides whatever He wants to do. In the New Testament, Jesus is proclaimed as “Lord of all” (Rom.3:12) and only those who acknowledge Him as “Lord” can be saved: “If you confess with your mouth that ‘Jesus is Lord’ you will be saved” (v.9).

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter told his audience that it is God’s will and purpose that all men recognize the Resurrected and Risen Jesus Christ as Lord and King: “Let the house of Israel know assuredly that this Jesus Whom you crucified, God has made Him Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). The Name “Christ” means “Messiah, Anointed King” .

Even in the Old Testament, the message to God’s people is that they should never forget Who their God is: “They will know that I Am the Lord their God, Who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I Am the Lord their God” (Exod.29:46). Throughout the Bible the emphasis is that “There is only one God Who is Lord of all” and therefore we must worship Him alone: “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose Name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exod.34:14). We cannot worship both God and mammon.

Jesus wants to be Lord and Master of our lives and we must serve Him faithfully. In fact, in whatever we do— in the office or Church, in school or anywhere else, the attitude we must adopt is that we do not serve men with “eye service” but to serve the Lord Christ joyfully, as our reward will come from Him (Col.3:23-24). In all things He must be glorified (1 Cor.10:31).

Then the Bible tells us that because Jesus is Lord, He must have the pre-eminence or first place in our lives (Col.1:18b). He is a jealous God and cannot tolerate anyone else to take precedence in our life and activity. He wants to be the Centre of the Church and of the Christian—if He is truly Lord of all in our lives. Every believer must yield totally to Christ as the Lord of all. If Christ is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all! 

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