Remember that old song, “Love and marriage?” Maybe not because it came out in 1955. Here is part of the lyrics, but they wouldn’t be very popular today.
Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage
This I tell you, brother
You can’t have one without the other.
Maybe you did hear this song since the TV show “Married With Children” used it for their theme song.
When I think of these two Names of God, I just think they go together. Thankfully, we don’t have to choose one or the other.
Today we are going to look at Emmanuel (God With Us) and Jehovah-Shammah (The Lord is There).
We are probably more familiar with His Name Emmanuel because we sing about it at Christmas. In Isaiah, we find many prophecies concerning the promised Messiah.
Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
The Lord wanted to be reunited with His children. He also knew we could never go to where He is – so He came to us! Jesus not only came down to earth, but He laid down His divinity and actually became a human being, with all that went with that – except sin. He came to us!
Jehovah-Shammah means God is there. In Ezekiel 48:35 (NLT) we read,
The distance around the entire city will be 6 miles. And from that day the name of the city will be ‘The LORD Is There.’
In this scripture, the Lord is telling Ezekiel to measure Jerusalem, and that He will be there. But where is there? Is Jerusalem the only place?
Here a few scriptures that tells us where.
My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Ezekiel 37:27)
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Psalm 23:4-5)
I can never be lost to your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. For even darkness cannot hide from God; to you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)
And another of my favorites:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
The New Living Translation reads this way, So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
One of my favorite times to remember this Name is when I am praying for someone not near me. For example, when I’d pray for my grandson who was in Mexico, or a family member in Ohio. I used to pray and ask God to be with them. But I was asking Him to do something He was already doing. He cannot answer a prayer like that. But now I thank the Lord that He is there with them.
Where else do we need God to be with us? How about in the future? Let’s see what Revelation 21:1-6 says.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
He is The Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning and the end. So He was with me at the beginning, when I was created, even before I was born, and He will be with me at the end, when I die. But He is also everything in the middle. He is here with me today, and He is already there in my tomorrows. I never have to face anything or anyone alone. So comforting!
Let’s go back to Deuteronomy 31:6. This is a good verse to memorize.
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. … Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
