Treasures New and Old

Calling on the Name of the Lord: Jehovah Rohi

• Abraham called on the name of the Lord (Genesis 12:8; 13:4).
• The Lord proclaimed His own name before Moses (Exodus 33:19; 34:5).
• Israel was warned against profaning the name of the Lord (Leviticus 18:21; 22:2, 32).
• The name of the Lord was not to be taken in vain (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11).
• The priests of Israel were to minister in the name of the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:5; 21:5).
• The name of God is called “wonderful” in Isaiah 9:6.
• To call on the name of the Lord was to worship Him as God (Genesis 21:33; 26:25).

So – what is His Name?

In this series of articles, I want to explore the various names of the Lord. When we pray and call upon His name, it is good to know on whom we are calling. Does that mean that there are many gods? NO! It does mean that He has many names, and that each has been given to us so that we can pray more specifically and use one of the many characteristics that is embodied in our God. Let’s examine our eighth name this month:

JEHOVAH ROHI – The Lord is my Shepherd

This is the phrase given by David when he wrote the 23rd Psalm. “The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” In Hebrew, this phrase is simply, “WHYH roi lo ehasar” (Gilbrant, The Complete Biblical Library Interlinear Bible). Transliterated it means: “Yahweh [or Jehovah] my shepherd not I will lack” (Gilbrant). “The Lord is my shepherd” is a statement of fact on the part of David and has become, therefore, a name or title of God. When we take the two Hebrew words together as they are in Hebrew, we get what becomes to us a name that is easy to call out, specifically, Jehovah Rohi. Psalms is the only place in Scripture that this title is used, but Jesus affirms for us that He is indeed our shepherd in the New Testament in John 10:11-16. There the Greek uses the word for shepherd which is Poimen. I guess in Greek we could say, “Jesus Poimen.”

So why pray to the Lord my Shepherd? Why call on the name of Jehovah Rohi?

• If the Lord is your shepherd (Jehovah Rohi), then He will make you to lie down in green pastures and not brown patches.

• He will lead you to still (calm and usually deep) waters, and you can drink from the living water, and you will never thirst again (John 7:37-39).

• He is the restorer of our souls. When we are at the end of our rope, the Lord my Shepherd will replenish and refresh us.

• He only leads us down paths of righteousness. We tend to stray a lot. It is our nature. But if we keep to His path, it will be the right path, and He does it for His name’s sake. What does that mean? He will not allow His name to be cheapened by not fulfilling His promises. He will not be the hired servant shepherd. He is quite literally “My Shepherd!”

• He will take us through the valleys of the shadow of darkness and death, and we need not fear or be afraid.

• The valley of the shadow of death implies many things – woes, fears, sickness, depression, worries, loss, etc. But as our shepherd, He is also our light: the “Light of the Word.” Therefore He is quite able to take us through those shadows of death.

• Our Shepherd will not take us out of the valleys, He will not keep us from the valleys, nor He will make us circumvent the valleys, but He will take us through the valleys and not leave us there.

• With Him walking and guiding us, we need not fear the evil surrounding us. Why? Because the Lord my Shepherd is with us through those valleys.

• His rod (for protection) and His staff (for keeping the sheep in the flock) will comfort us.

• The Lord my Shepherd prepares a table of abundance for us. But it is not just anywhere. It is, quite literally, in the presence of those who try to cut us off from provision. He isn’t rubbing their noses in His blessings to us. He is showing the world how much He loves us, and in doing so, some may see it and fear and trust in Him.

• He anoints us with oil. What is that? The cooling, refreshing, and healing oil is provided when we need it.

• Goodness and mercy will follow us as we walk in this path, and this path will eventually bring us into the house of the Lord, and there shall we dwell with Him forever and ever.

That is, if He is your JEHOVAH ROHI or your Shepherd.

If you are not saved, then the Lord is not your shepherd. Jesus knows whose sheep are His own, and He knows them by name, and they know His voice (John 10:3-4). If you are not of His flock, then He is not your shepherd. If He is not your shepherd, you can repent of your sins right now, call upon His name, and be saved.

Romans 10:9-11: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Our Lord Jesus, our Shepherd, our Good Shepherd, our Great Shepherd, is also our provider, our protector, our guide, and our Lord. He is sovereign over all there is in the universe and in heaven which includes the angels, ourselves, and all else. He is in control. As we all learn to “call on the name of the Lord”, let us remember that we serve a Master Shepherd who loves us, provides for us, and reveals truth to us. He is all powerful, in total control, and our Lord!

Until He returns:

May God bless you all!

Bro. Joe

Gilbrant, T. The Complete Biblical Library Interlinear Bible. World Library Press. (2019). Wordsearch Bible. [computer software] . Nashville, TN: LifeWay Christian Resources. (Original work published 1990)

Privacy Policy