This week’s post is the start of a two part series on Adonai, God, our Father.
Amazing things have always happened when I see God as my Father and as Adonai He gave me keys to the Kingdom and opened doors that brought me into a deeper exploration of His promises and character, my current digging mission!
Romans 8.15, Galatians 4.6, Matthew 6.9
We can address Father God as Abba, as adopted children, we are to be childlike.
Jesus called God the Father this, term for Daddy.
We can have a childlike, close relationship of trust with Him.
He is our hope and our security, we are secure with Him.
Abba – Father
Av –
Alef Beyt Alef
Strength/Leader House/Family
Tent picture
He is the strength of the tent, as the Father He is the leader of the family. The family name for Father in Hebrew is Daddy, Abba.
Avenu Malkenu – Our Father, Our King
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+103.13&version=NOGPsalm 103.13
This name conveys to us the image of a fatherly God, as merciful and gracious.
He knows how we are formed and He is mindful that we are dust. He knows our weaknesses. He is our divine parent and we are His children.
Adonai – Our/My Lord/Kurios –Lord, Master, Husband, God the Father
Jewish scholars generally refer to YHWH (Yehovah) as Adonai, whereas in fact, Adonai in scripture, actually refers to God the Father as Adonai and YHWH (Yehovah) as the Messiah Pre-Incarnate, incarnated in Yeshua (Jesus).
This is done for several reasons, but one main reason is the Jewish tradition that the Name of God YHWH is too sacred to be spoken and is so replaced by speaking the name Adonai.
In Paleo Hebrew, which is the older picture form of Hebrew, this name has several layers of meaning.
There are 72 layers of meaning to the Hebrew alphabet or Aleph-Beit, so more and more depth and understanding can be extracted to interpret it.
The first of these meanings is interpreted as: The strength of the door leads to life more abundantly.
This is the connection to eternal life; Jesus Himself is the Door!
Secondly: The strength of the hand of my Divine Creator opens the door with such a force that no man can close it. Isaiah 22.22
Adonai is a good master, a firm, strong Lord.
We surrender to Him because God owns everything.
He requires obedience
He invites us into a personal relationship, this is a more personal name, which invites intimacy.
Adon is a name also used for earthly Lords and high-ranking officials, Masters and Husbands and means “Lord”.
He is our deliverer, redeemer, bondage breaker, burden lifter, He knows how to prosper you and cause great things to happen to us.
He will be present like a Father holding your hand – love and power brought perfectly together.
Adonai as Master/Owner
Adon means Lord and Adonai is the plural of Lord, meaning Landlord, Owner, Master of the residence, Lord of the Manor.
The word Lord represents human authority and leadership.
We choose to accept Adonai as our personal Lord and Saviour.
We choose Him and He has also chosen us.
What a joy and privilege to be chosen by Him!
In a slave-master relationship – we become bondservants to Adonai our owner.
When we acknowledge Adonai He endows us with power.
He gives us His power to carry out His will on earth.
If a slave goes to the Master and freely and permanently gives his life to the owner and he doesn’t want to go free, the owner makes a hole in his ear on the doorpost of the house with an awl to show ownership and belonging to the house.
We choose to belong to Him.
Jesus had the awl as nails willingly pierced through His hands and feet on our behalf.
If we accept His sacrifice we dedicate whatever we do to and for Him, as unto the Lord.
We come under Adonai’s protection.
Jesus was protecting the Bride, His wife, and so we come under the protection of the owner of the house.
We ultimately become free in Christ.
Servants or slaves work for free, and are often taken as plunder in battle, when the enemy army has been defeated.
Jesus has defeated Satan on the Cross and we are the plunder from the battle.
Equipped To Do Our Father’s Business
Slaves and servants are occupied with their master’s business, as we should be and Jesus was of His Father’s business.
We follow His instructions and He equips us for the work.
The strength of the servant flowed from the Master, they relied completely on His power and had no power in their own right.
A servant is hired, has limited freedom, he can choose his own boss and work, can resign and leave.
A slave (doulos – Greek) is owned, has no rights, no freedom and his well-being depends on the goodness of his master.
If He is Lord we will surrender to Him, be obedient to Him, be devoted to Him and anticipate His promise in our life.
If we know He is a good master, we can trust Him and be devoted to Him.
In true freedom we can say yes to God and say no to sin.
Jesus IS Adonai – God made flesh.
(Greek) Kurios – Adonai – used to refer to Jesus – Jesus is always Lord, but also Saviour.
Matthew 22.42- 45 -“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” they replied.
He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’?
For he says,“‘The Lord Yehovah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) said to my Lord Adon: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Jesus is referring to Psalm 110.1-2 saying that He is Adonai of the Old Testament.
The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.
Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
This is my command: Love each other.
Adonai – Our/My Lord
Adonai invites us into a personal, life-changing relationship, this is a more personal name, which invites us to intimacy with Him.
We are loved by Adonai, who gives us access to all His resources, we have all His promises, we have His salvation.
He is the Father who welcomes us home, running out to meet us, clothing us in His robe and giving us His ring of sonship.
He supports, encourages, counsels and nurtures us with the tenderness of a loving Father.
We have confidence to approach His throne, we have His grace and joy in abundance, we have His peace.
He is faithful, He will complete the work begun in us, He heals us, delivers us and forgives us.
He turns our sorrow into dancing, He prepares a place for us and a table before us, He is with us to protect us and to guide us and lead us into green pastures, He restores our souls.
He is altogether lovely, worthy and holy.
He supplies all our needs and brings us into His family.
He is our hope, our inheritance and our portion.
This is our hope.
He causes your enemies to be at peace with you.
As this is such a large subject, we will continue this theme in the next blog….