© 16 Colin Melbourne
Books Were Opened
Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Mal. 3:16 KJV
The implications of this word of God are staggering; …they that feared the LORD spake often one to another… …and that thought upon his name.
Filled with His Spirit, we bubble over with thanksgiving and love for Jesus, He fills our thoughts, and we cannot but talk about Him to whoever will listen.
This is indeed our experience since we received Him, and afterwards received the power baptism, isn’t it?
Father delights to see we are sharing what He’s given us.
This scripture says; He eavesdrops, and makes notes in His Book of Remembrance. Halleluia!
God’s other Books
Daniel 7 and Revelation 20 mention books bearing record of the deeds of the wicked, to be judged at The Great White Throne, whereafter the dead are cast into the Lake of Fire.
In contrast, the living have their names in the Book of Life, destined for eternal glory in Heaven.
Which are you, quick or dead?
Alive to God and dead to sin, or dead to God and alive to sin?
It’s your choice. Settle it today.
Ungodly Fear
Some Christians fear God in an ungodly way: Afraid of Him, cringing and timorous, as if a divine thunderbolt will strike the moment they err.
They wrongly divide the word, that is ungodly fear, unbelief: They have no peace.
Godly Fear
Fear God the believing-way;
He loves me, came for me, bled and died for me, even whilst I was yet a sinner.
He was resurrected from the dead for my justification, and proved it by coming into my heart and made me a new creature, the instant I repented and believed on Christ.
He put the evidence inside me that nothing can take away or invalidate.
Such love deserves our all.
Freely we have received, freely we give ourselves to Him for His Glory.
We honour, reverence, respect, and delight to obey His word: That is how we fear God.
He’s made us accepted in the beloved, His children forever, one with Him through the Faith of Christ.
He’s given us His Name to approach Him, and to get things done down here.
He did all that the instant He saved you.
Are we afraid of our Father?
When He’s proved He loves us to the uttermost: How could we fear Him in such an unrighteous way?
Spake often one to another
We speak together about Him, in loving awe and wonder, because God has spoken to us. Amos 3:8 KJV;
The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
What a joy it is to meet a believer who is walking in the Spirit, whose heart is aglow with His Presence on the throne.
There’s instant rapport because both of you are attentive to Father.
He notes our joy in sharing His heart and word: Literally, He has it recorded in His book of remembrance.
…and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
That’s breath-taking.
Like new parents taking pictures of their toddler’s first steps for their baby scrap-book.
I wonder what He writes?
Perhaps it is the same book, but I understand it as additional to His Book of Life (Phil. 4:3, Rev. 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:15, 21:27, 22:19).
His angels know: We’ll have to wait and see.
That thought upon his name
He delights in us fearing, honouring, and reverencing Him in a godly way, and simply contemplating His Name and nature thrills Him, why else would He record such thoughts?
I take this to mean more than thinking about His literal Hebrew name, the Tetragrammaton: YHWH transliterated into English as “Jehovah”. Meaning I AM THAT I AM (Ex. 3:14) The LORD, Almighty God. The self-existent One.
The Seven Covenant Names of God
Indeed, He invites us to meditate on His covenant Names in the Bible, each representing aspects of His character.
Let us ponder…
- Jehovah-Elohiym: THE LORD THY GOD. De. 28:58
- Jehovah-Jireh: The LORD will provide (literally, see to it). Gen. 22:14
- Jehovah-Rapha: The LORD that healeth thee. Ex. 15:26
- Jehovah-Nissi: The LORD my banner. Ex. 17:15
- Jehovah-Shalom: The LORD my Peace. Jud. 6:24
- Jehovah-Shammah: The LORD is There. Eze. 48:35
- Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The LORD our Righteousness. Jer. 23:6, 33:16
We are to hallow His Name (Mtt. 6:9b), meaning; to respect, sanctify, and honour it as sacred for; who He is, His integrity, righteousness, faithfulness, holiness, judgment, mercy, and for what He has done for us.
God’s Name in The Flesh
The LORD Jesus Christ has embodied His Name before us, literally showed us the Father in His Flesh, in His words, in His deeds, in His nature, and character.
The Bible says of Jesus glorified, Rev. 19:13 KJV;
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Oh Glory! The riches of His Word never end.
Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Working class heroes don’t come any better than the Yorkshire plumber, Smith Wigglesworth. God took him around the world planting, and demonstrating, the power baptism, with spectacular healing miracles. You will learn a great deal from studying this man’s life and preaching: Wigglesworth, the Complete Story: A New Biography of the ‘Apostle of Faith’ Smith Wigglesworth.
© 16 Colin Melbourne
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