Title: The Names of God
Speaker: Pastor Bryan Smith
Date: 22nd March 2026
Location: New Plymouth, New Zealand
Summary: “The Lord is my shepherd” is one of the most quoted lines in the Bible, but how often do we pause to ask what that name actually means? This episode takes a close look at several of the Hebrew names of God, unpacking what each one reveals about who God is and what He offers His people today.
Starting with Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness, the episode draws a direct line from Jeremiah’s prophecy about the coming Messiah to Jesus as the fulfilment of that promise. The world is full of corruption and no amount of personal effort can clean that up. Jesus, the exact image of the Father, laid down His life to remove the contamination of sin and restore righteousness to those who trust in Him.
From there, the names keep unfolding. Jehovah Rohi, the Lord is my shepherd, points to a God who knows each person by name, who guides, protects, and provides even through the darkest valleys. Then Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, is traced from a bitter wilderness spring to the cross itself, where healing was secured. Taken together, these names build a picture of a God who is not one-dimensional but deeply personal, multi-faceted, and actively involved in every area of life.
Key Points:
- Jehovah Tsidkenu means “the Lord our righteousness.” Jesus fulfilled this name by dealing with the corruption of sin that no human effort could fix, making His righteousness available to everyone who receives Him.
- Jehovah Rohi means “the Lord is my shepherd.” Just as David drew comfort from knowing God watched over every detail of his life, the same promise stands for believers today, including through fear, uncertainty, and the challenges of a turbulent world.
- Jehovah Rapha means “the Lord who heals.” The tree cast into the bitter waters at Marah points forward to the cross, where Christ bore sin in His own body so that healing, wholeness, and restoration could flow to His people.
Reference Scriptures:
- Jeremiah 23:5-6
- Hebrews 1:1-9
- Exodus 6:2-3, 7
- Psalm 23:1-6
- John 10:11-14
- Acts 20:25-31
- Exodus 15:22-26
- 1 Peter 2:21-25
- James 5:14-16
- Psalm 83