In What Name?

Psalms 113

My late wife and I in a way represented the way an assembly of believers should be. She would SEE needs with her eyes and heart and then I helped her meet the needs (HANDS, HEAD, and FEET). Her heart truly went out with the gospel as she passed out bread to many in our neighborhood. If there were other things that she saw could be done, well, there were times she needed me to do it because of the nature of the work . How was this like the local assemblies of believers?

But now hath God disposed the members every one of them in the body at his own pleasure.

But now are there many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor the head again to the feet, I have no need of you.

1 Corinthians 12:18, 20-21 GNV

In our case often I did not see the needs in the way my wife did. But then she couldn't physically move and help the way I could with my head, hands, and feet. But together we made a team that saw the need and could meet or fill the need.

Yes, Jesus could pray Psalm 113 as a prayer. This psalm is all about His Name. His Name is emphasized in the first three verses, with how His Name is seen in action in the remaining six verses.

From the beginning God gave names of the rivers, Adam gave names to the animals, Adam gave his wife her name. Enoch named a city after himself, but it was Jacob wrestling with God Himself who asked what was his name? Moses asked, what name do I tell your people so they will know it's You? God's answer was "I AM". But later in writing out the Ten Words, the Ten Commandments that God emphasized,

Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain.

Exodus 20:7 GNV

If you live an empty life do not claim God's Name, do not claim that you are a Christian, a "little Christ" without Him being the center of it. The several times the word "Christian" is used in the Word of God it is always a name given by others, not claimed by the individual being called a Christian. We are told:

Only let your conversation (what your life says to others) be, as it becometh the Gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your matters that ye continue in one Spirit, and in one mind, fighting together through the faith of the Gospel.

Philippians 1:27 GNV

Don't live an empty life, a vain life, when you take the Name of the Lord's name, or claim the Lord's Name in your life, as your life.

But also Moses wrote in His farewell address to the children of Israel of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that the Lord spoke about "the place I will choose to place my Name" (beginning at Deuteronomy 12:5 and last in 1 Kings 14:21 (reign of Rehoboam)).

The Levites were chosen to bless the Name of the Lord (Deuteronomy 21:5). There is a call for His people to bless the name of the Lord (Psalms 100, Psalms 103, Psalms 145), bless others in His Name (Psalms 118, Psalms 129) which includes Jesus Himself (Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:9, 10; Luke 19:38; John 12:13) and in His promise of coming again (Matthew 23:39, Luke 13:35).

But the last six verses of Psalms 113 speak of how, like my wife, I can live in the Name of the Lord, blessing the Name of the Lord. We think of what Jesus said,

He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that hath sent me. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophet's reward: and he that receiveth a righteous man, in the name of a righteous man, shall receive the reward of a righteous man. And whosoever shall give unto one of these little ones to drink a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

Matthew 10:40-42 GNV

So when Jesus later spoke of commendation for doing it He said:

Then shall the king say to them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my father: take the inheritance of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I thirsted, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in unto you. I was naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or a thirst, and gave thee drink? And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in unto us? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer, and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me.

Matthew 25:34-40 GNV

This is very much what the psalmist was saying in Psalms 113 about the Name of the Lord. But to make His Word, His words vey clearthroughout all of Matthew 23 Jesus pressed those who often said, "Blessed be the Name of the Lord" in what they thought they were doing to keep the Law. And comparing this to Paalms 113 we see right in the middle of what Jesus said:

Woe be to you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and leave the weightier matters of the law, as iudgment, and mercy and fidelity. These ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other.

Matthew 23:23 GNV

Theoughout the Law and the Prophets, Proverbs and Psalms the Lord speaks of caring for the widows, the fatherless, and orphans. In Psalms 113 the thought of the Lord coming to dwell among me is seen, and Him serving the poor, the needy, and even the barren woman:

Who is like unto the Lord our God, that hath his dwelling on high! Who abaseth himself to behold things in the heaven and in the earth!

Psalms 113:5-6 GNV

(See John 1:14)

He raiseth the needy out of the dust, and lifteth up the poor out of the dung, that he may set him with the princes, even with the princes of his people. He maketh the barren woman to dwell with a family, and a ioyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

Psalms 113:7-9 GNV

But even in such speaking directly to the Jewish leaders had no effect on their hearts because we see this continuing attitude after Jesus was risen by the Father from the dead, and raised back to heaven. Peter and John call healing upon a man who had been lame for forty years. As people came to see this wonder right in front of the temple courtyard gate Peter preached to them of the resurrected Christ. But then entered the same Jewish leaders Jesus had addressed just weeks before.

And as they spake unto the people, the Priests and the Captain of the Temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, Taking it grievously that they taught the people, and preached in Jesus Name the resurrection from the dead. (Yeah, that was a huge problem for the Sadducees!)

And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and Elders, and Scribes, were gathered together at Jerusalem, and Annas the chief Priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high Priests.

Acts 4:1-2, 5-6 GNV

And the question comes:

And when they had set them before them, they asked, By what power, or in what Name have ye done this?

Acts 4:7 GNV

The "name" to all these leaders gathered for this hearing meant exactly that, AUTHORITY. They wanted to know by what venerated grammarian who had done an exhaustive detailed study of the Law, the Pentateuch, and the prophets, which grammarian had given them the authority to preach that way. Peter's answer was that of the Word Himself (John 1:1-3).

Then Peter full of the holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and Elders of Israel, For as much as we this day are examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, to wit, by what means he is made whole, Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye have crucified, whom God raised again from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you, whole.

Acts 4:8-10 GNV

Maybe as a believer, a follower of this Way, the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, I may never command a lame man to rise up and walk in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, but God's heart is to the widow, the orphans and fatherless, and to the poor. May I see so much like my wife saw the opportunity to help the needy, have a heart stirred like hers. Yes, our hearts were stirred together when she saw, she helped me see. She did what she could with her hands and feet, but sought me to help, and do the heavy lifting she couldn't. I may not call upon a lame person to be raised in health, but I can see to it that a cup of cold water can be brought to the one who needs it. I can do that in Jesus' name. We are certainly created unto good works. May that fruit of the Spirit be evident in me, goodness, and that in His Name.