Name of God - Adonai: Lord

Adonai: Lord

Daily Verse: “Then I said, ‘O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands,”

☆ Nehemiah 1:5 NLT

Let's Talk About It: This name of God is one of the most said and written, when referring to God. I touched on this briefly when discussing the names Jehovah and YHWH (Yahweh). To not repeat the things already mentioned, I suggest going back and re-reading the post on Jehovah-Go'el. 

Adonai is the plural form of the Hebrew word adon, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia, and means lord or master. I believe that when Nehemiah used this name, he actually understood that God was a triune being, therefore he used the plural form of the word. Some may argue that because God is the Lord of all things in and beneath Heaven, the plural form was used to denote His many areas of Lordship.

When used in Scripture, the word master or lord is used to describe one who has authority as a slave holder, head of household, or someone of high power and influence like a military soldier (a centurion for example). God can check the block in all of these areas. First, slavery back then, for the most part, did not look like it did in America. Slaves represented their masters in appearance, health, and education. The wealthier the owner, the better the slave appeared. The masters would make sure their slaves were educated, healthy, and well dressed. Many held reputable jobs and trades like physicians, builders, etc. So when you read, in Scripture, Paul calling himself a slave to the Lord, I hope this clears up any Western vision of slavery when coming across such verses (1 Corinthians 7:22-23).

When it comes to having supreme power and influence, God has no equal. He is all powerful and everything He says and plans (His will) will come to pass (Ephesians 1: 18-23; Isaiah 46:10). When a man and woman exchange vows when being wed, they are not only entering a covenant between each other, they are also entering a marriage covenant with God. The husband is the head of the family; however, God is the head of the entire marriage.

Yes, we are commanded to obey those who are appointed over us, BUT God’s authority, commandments, and word trumps all, regardless of who your immediate lord (supervisor) is. I can guarantee 100% that whatever consequences you may face for disobeying your earthly lord, it will not compare to that of disobeying Adonai. We read about several examples of such dilemmas in Scripture, two of which we read about are in the Books of Daniel and Esther.

I remember a time when I was a tank commander stationed in Vilseck, Germany. My rank was staff sergeant (E-6). The enlisted person in charge of a platoon is an E-7 (platoon sergeant). Certain leadership positions in the military are not automatic because of rank. They are given when an individual demonstrates exceptional tactical and technical proficiency in the position to be filled. My position and the position of platoon sergeant are examples of this.

Though I was a tank commander and had sergeants and lower ranked soldiers that I oversaw, I got my orders from the platoon sergeant. One afternoon, I was given an order from my platoon sergeant that did not line up with our first sergeant's orders (first sergeant is an E-8 who works side-by-side with the company commander which is a captain, and a captain is an officer) What a dilemma. I chose to obey the person who was my immediate supervisor (lord), which was my platoon sergeant. To make a long story short, it did not go well for me. Let’s just say the consequences I received were much worse than if I had chosen to disobey my platoon sergeant.

When faced with a situation like the one I just mentioned, we should make every attempt to explain to the individual the dilemma that we’re facing. If they insist on you carrying out their task, go into prayer. Seek the face of God and ask Him what is His will in the situation. Then put on the full armor of God, stand firm, and obey Him.

God is our master. Sure, we have people appointed over us (lords and masters) but they have limited authority. Just like a platoon sergeant or manager of a business, they received their rank and position from a higher authority and they too must and will answer to Him one way or another. You can trust in this. There is no higher authority than God. He is The Master, Lord with a capital "L", He is Adonai! There are many masters or lords in the world, but there is none like Adonai (Isaiah 46:9). – Kevin