Jesus in the Old Testament: The Name of the Lord

We see people in the Old Testament call on the Name of the Lord.  

Genesis 4 v 26
At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.

This is a strange detail, which we see time to time in Scripture. The people were calling on the ‘name of the Lord’, rather than calling on God Himself. It seems an odd syntax.

In the Book of Isaiah, we find the Name of the Lord is personalised.  

Isaiah 30 v 27-28

Look! The name of the Lord comes from afar, burning with his anger and heaviness of cloud. His lips are full of indignation, and his tongue is like a devouring fire. And his breath is like an overflowing river; it reaches up to the neck.

Isaiah sees the name of the Lord coming towards Jerusalem. But, if this is a person, who is He? Is this another spiritual entity related to God, like an angel?

In Genesis, we read about how Abraham was in Beersheba.

Genesis 21 v33

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.

This either suggests that the Lord is the Eternal God or the ‘Name of the Lord’ is God. If the latter is true, then which member of the Trinity could this term relate to?

Paul wrote this to the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 1 v 2
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.

This expression, ‘who in every place call upon the name of our Lord’, could be read as though Paul is connecting this with the personified ‘Name of the Lord’ in the Old Testament.

In Genesis, we read how Jacob wrestled Jesus (see the last post), but He never gives up His name.

Genesis 32 v 29

Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

And in Judges, Samson’s parents ask his name too. But He refused.

Judges 13 v 17-18

Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that we may honour you when your word comes true?” He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.

I wonder if Christ was not prepared to share who He was just yet, as the time was not right. At the Incarnation, we can come to understand who the Name of the Lord is, and it is Jesus Himself.

So when we read this phrase in the Old Testament, in our minds, we could instead read the ‘Name of the Lord’ as Jesus. For example:

Psalm 20 v 7

Some boast in chariots and others in horses, but we boast in Jesus (the name of the Lord), our God.