Name Above All Names

Name Above All Names

In medieval Jewish and Christian tradition, the name of God was treated with extraordinary reverence. Jewish scribes used a different pen to write the divine name, and if they made an error, they could not simply erase it — the parchment had to be set aside. The reasoning was theological: the name was the person, and the person was holy beyond correction. For Christians, this reverence for the name extended to the name of Jesus — 'the name above every name' (Philippians 2:9). A tradition of invoking that name in prayer and in crisis — 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me' — has sustained believers in every generation and every kind of extremity.

Proverbs 18:10 uses a military metaphor: the divine name is a fortress, a tower. In ancient cities the tower in the center of the city was the last refuge when the walls were breached. Running to the tower was the act of someone in genuine danger seeking genuine protection. 'The righteous run to it' — not walk calmly, not consult it as an option, but run. There is an urgency in the image. The name of the Lord is not a password or a formula; it is the Person behind the name — all of God's character, power, and presence, available to those who run to it. When everything else has been breached, the name remains. Run to it today.