Adventures in Odyssey

Chris: Hi, this is Chris. Welcome to Adventures in Odyssey.

Whit: Oh, hi there. My name is John Avery Whittaker, but you can call me Whit. And this is Odyssey, a place where discovery and excitement are waiting just around the corner. Why don't you come along and we'll have an adventure in Odyssey?

Connie: What does that mean in English?

Whit: A souped-up computer.

Connie: Good grief.

Whit: Well, that's only the beginning. Watch.

Whit: Whit?

Whit: In the Bible room, Connie.

Connie: You've been up here all morning.

Whit: I'm just putting the finishing touches on my new invention. There.

Connie: What is it?

Whit: I'll show you. BEAVERS, say hello to Connie.

BEAVERS: Hello, Connie. My name is BEAVERS.

Connie: That's great. Why BEAVERS?

Whit: It stands for Bible Education Audio Video Research System. BEAVERS.

Connie: Oh.

Whit: Well, it's an advanced educational tool designed to help the user with Bible questions.

Connie: Looks like a souped-up computer to me.

Whit: Oh, it's much more than that. It's a complex series of integrated circuits and microchips coupled with a high-resolution video imaging tube and digital audio playback unit.

Connie: Really? What does that mean in English?

Whit: A souped-up computer.

Connie: That's what I thought. Well, so how does it work?

Whit: Well, first you sit right here.

Connie: Me?

Whit: You're the one who asked. So sit.

Connie: Okay.

Whit: Now pick a topic.

Connie: Like what?

Whit: Anything having to do with the Bible.

Connie: Okay. Like what?

Whit: You aren't going to make this easy, are you? All right. Here's something. BEAVERS, show Connie the names of God.

BEAVERS: This listing of the names of God is broken down into the following categories: proper names, personal names, titles, essential names, descriptive names, and attributes.

Connie: Wow.

Whit: Yep, it's a pretty incredible machine, if I do say so myself.

Connie: Yeah, but I was talking about the list of names. I had no idea there were that many. I just thought there was Lord and God and Almighty, and that they all meant the same thing.

Whit: No, no. In the Bible and even now, names mean something. For instance, Isaac means laughter. I wonder if Mr. and Mrs. Morton realized that.

Connie: I know what you mean, though. My name, Constance, means firmness of mind. Fits, huh?

Whit: Yeah. The point is that just as our names mean something, each of God's names has a specific meaning designed to reveal something about Him. Pick one.

Connie: Okay, let's start at the top. El- Elo-

Whit: Elohim.

Connie: Yeah, that.

Whit: Well, don't tell me. Tell the machine.

Connie: Oh, okay. BEAVERS, tell me about Elohim.

BEAVERS: Elohim is commonly used as a name of God. It is best understood as expressing intensity, revealing God's extensive glory and richness as He exercises power over His creation. It occurs more than 2,500 times in the Old Testament. A complete list of scripture references follows.

Connie: Good grief.

Whit: Well, that's only the beginning. Watch. BEAVERS, reference one, visual.

Narrator: In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was shapeless, and darkness lay upon the face of the deep.

God: Let there be light.

Narrator: Elohim saw that the light was good, and He divided it from the darkness. He called the light day, and the darkness He called night. Together they formed the first day.

God: Let the vapors separate to form the sky above and the oceans below.

Narrator: And it was so. Elohim called the sky heaven, and there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Connie: This is really something, Whit.

Whit: Thank you. You can even highlight a specific scripture reference. BEAVERS, skip to verse 24.

Narrator: And every species of animal instantly appeared. Elohim saw that it was good. Then He made His greatest creation.

God: Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, some to be the master of all life upon the earth and in the skies and in the seas.

Narrator: So Elohim made man in His own image, formed from the dust of the ground. Elohim breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

God: I give you my blessing. Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. You are masters of the fish and birds and all the animals.

Narrator: And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and Elohim blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested.

Guest (Female): Now on the Adventures in Odyssey Club, the search for Wellington Bassett continues.

Guest (Male): I'm in some trouble.

Guest (Female): Wellington, where are you?

Guest (Male): I have to go.

Guest (Female): Difficult questions are raised.

Guest (Male): Was he having money problems? Any debts he couldn't pay?

Guest (Male): The Bassetts don't borrow money, Detective. We make it.

Guest (Female): And painful memories resurface.

Guest (Male): So he was afraid to talk to me and considered running away?

Guest (Male): He did more than consider.

Guest (Female): Secrets come to light and the stakes are raised as The Prodigal Twin concludes on the Adventures in Odyssey Club.

Connie: So Elohim is sort of the word for creator?

Whit: Approximately.

Connie: What about the other names?

Whit: BEAVERS, show us the list of God's names again.

Connie: Okay, let's go for the next one. BEAVERS, tell me about Adonai.

BEAVERS: Adonai expresses faith, assurance, security, ready service, and thanksgiving. It appears 360 times in the Old Testament.

Connie: Okay, Genesis 15, visual.

Narrator: After Abram had rescued his nephew Lot from the five evil kings, the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

God: Abram. Abram.

Abraham: Yes, I am here.

God: Do not be afraid. I shall be your shield and your reward shall be very great.

Abraham: Oh Adonai, what good are blessings when I am childless? Will my servant, Eliezer of Damascus, be my heir?

God: It shall not be Eliezer, but a son born of your own body. Look up in the sky. Can you count the stars of evening as they make their path across the heavens?

Abraham: No, there are too many.

God: And so shall it be with your descendants. I am Adonai, who brought you out of Ur to give you this land.

Abraham: You are great and greatly to be praised. But oh Adonai, how may I know that I shall possess it?

God: Take a three-year-old heifer and a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon, and prepare them as a sacrifice.

Abraham: Sacrifice?

God: It shall signify a lasting covenant between us that I have given this land to you and your descendants forever.

Abraham: I am your servant, oh Adonai.

Narrator: Abram prepared the sacrifice. When night fell, the presence of Adonai passed between the pieces of the sacrifice, making an unbreakable covenant with Abram.

Connie: First Genesis 1, then Genesis 15. These names seem to be coming in order.

Whit: Very good. That's an excellent observation, Connie. Each of the names were revealed or invoked during important events in Jewish history, and while they don't all come in order, you could say that the names of God, at least in part, make up the history of the children of Israel. Speaking of which, BEAVERS, show us Elah.

BEAVERS: Elah is found in Ezra and Daniel during the time of Israel's exile into Babylon captivity. Its root is said to be Alah, which means to fear. Therefore, God as Elah is to be feared and worshiped accordingly.

Whit: Visual. Daniel chapter 6.

Narrator: During Jewish captivity, Darius, king of Babylon, appointed 120 governors to rule throughout his kingdom. The governors were ruled by three supervisors, one of whom was Daniel. He was upright and not corrupt like the other supervisors, and they were jealous of him.

Governor 1: We must get rid of Daniel before he is put in charge of us.

Governor 2: But how? He's so trustworthy. We'll never have a basis for a charge against him unless the charge has something to do with the law of his God. I have an idea.

Narrator: Later that day, they went to the king.

Darius: Ah, my governors, what is your desire?

Governor 1: Great King Darius, you are sovereign among all kings.

Darius: True, true.

Governor 2: So great is your glory, we believe that you and you alone should be worshiped and adored.

Darius: Really? Well, what did you have in mind?

Governor 1: Make a law, greatness, that anyone who prays to any god or man except you for the next 30 days shall be thrown into the lions' den.

Darius: I like it. But do you really think I should?

Governor 2: Who deserves it more, oh King?

Darius: True, true.

Narrator: And so Darius issued the decree. When Daniel heard about it, he went to his room and knelt down in front of the window that faced Jerusalem. Then, just as he did three times each day, he prayed.

Daniel: Oh Elah, thank you for your blessings. Your love is everlasting. You know of this new law. I put myself into your hands. Do with me as you will.

Narrator: Little did he realize he had an audience. The other governors were standing beneath his window. They ran back to Darius.

Darius: Back so soon, my governors?

Governor 1: Yes, great one. And with news about your royal decree.

Darius: How goes it?

Governor 2: Everyone in the kingdom is abiding by it, Highness, save for one man.

Darius: What? Who would dare disobey my edict?

Governor 1: One of the exiles from Judah, oh King. Daniel.

Darius: Daniel? It can't be.

Governor 2: We heard him ourselves, Lord.

Darius: I still don't believe it. Send for him at once.

Narrator: And so Daniel appeared before Darius.

Darius: I have treated you like my own son, Daniel. I plan to set you over my entire kingdom. Can this be true? Have you disobeyed my orders?

Daniel: Oh Darius, I have.

Darius: Daniel. Daniel.

Governor 1: I humbly remind your worshipfulness that according to our law, no decree or edict that you issue can be changed.

Darius: I do not need to be reminded of my duty. Guards, take Daniel and throw him into the lions' den. I am sorry, Daniel.

Daniel: I understand, my king.

Darius: May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.

Narrator: Daniel was placed in with the lions, and a great stone was rolled over the mouth of the den. Darius spent the entire night without food or sleep, worrying about Daniel. At the first light of dawn, the king rushed to the lions' den and called out.

Darius: Daniel! Has your God been able to rescue you from the lions?

Narrator: There was a silent pause, and then a voice.

Daniel: Oh King, live forever. Elah has sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me because I was innocent. I have done nothing to wrong you, oh King.

Darius: Daniel! Guards, remove the stone and lift him out of there! And then throw in the wicked governors who plotted against him!

Narrator: So the evil governors were done in by their own device. Before they hit the ground, the lions overpowered and killed them. Then Darius wrote to all the peoples of the land.

Darius: I hereby decree that my people must fear and worship the God of Daniel, for He is Elah and He endures forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed. His dominion will never end. He rescues and saves. He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.

Chris: Hey parents, you can help Adventures in Odyssey launch its first animated film, Journey into the Impossible. When you give before May 1st, your gift will be doubled. Watch the trailer and donate at focusonthefamily.com/impossible.

Chris: Need even more Adventures in Odyssey? Peek behind the scenes with the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast. When you tune in, you'll learn more about the actors behind your favorite characters.

Guest (Female): Hi, this is Katie Leigh, the voice of Connie.

Chris: You'll hear how the writers come up with their ideas and how the sound designers create all those crazy sounds. You'll also get to hear the team answer questions from fans like you. Find the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, or better yet, visit adventuresinodyssey.com/podcast.

Chris: Want to contact us about the episode you're hearing? Visit our website at adventuresinodyssey.com or talk to someone at Focus on the Family. Call 1-800-A-FAMILY, with a parent's permission, of course. We always love hearing from you.

Connie: So far, all of the names of God have come from the Old Testament, Whit. Are there any in the New Testament?

Whit: Well, as a matter of fact, yes. BEAVERS, visual. Luke chapter 1, verses 26 through 38.

Narrator: Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, and the virgin's name was Mary.

Gabriel: Hail, favored one. The Lord is with you.

Mary: Who is it? Who's there?

Gabriel: I am Gabriel, the angel of the Lord.

Mary: Have mercy on me.

Gabriel: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

Mary: Favor? I do not understand.

Gabriel: Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.

Mary: A son?

Gabriel: He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

Mary: But how can this be? I am a virgin.

Gabriel: The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And for that reason, the holy child will be called the Son of the Most High. For nothing is impossible with God.

Mary: I am the bond-slave of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.

Narrator: And the angel left her. Joseph, her betrothed, had also been told of this. The virgin shall bear a son and you shall call his name Immanuel, which means God with us. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And it is he who will save the people from their sins.

Connie: How could I have been so dumb? Of course, Jesus is the New Testament name of God, the most important name.

Whit: I'm not sure I'd go that far.

Connie: What do you mean?

Whit: Well, even Jesus knew that there was one name of God that was to be revered above all others, even his own.

Connie: Really? What is it?

Whit: BEAVERS, show us Yahweh.

BEAVERS: Yahweh reveals God's nature in the highest and fullest sense possible. It includes the meanings of all the other names and stresses the absolute faithfulness of God. It appears 6,823 times in the Old Testament alone.

Whit: BEAVERS, visual. Exodus chapter 3.

Narrator: Moses fled Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian. One day, as he tended the flocks near Horeb, the mountain of God, Moses looked up and saw a wondrous sight.

Moses: It is a bush that is on fire but does not burn up. I must turn aside to see this sight.

Narrator: So Moses climbed the mountain, and as he got closer, a voice called out of the bush.

God: Moses. Moses.

Moses: Here am I. Who is it?

God: Come no closer. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

Moses: It is done. Who are you?

God: I am the God of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Moses: Oh Most Holy One, why do you allow Abraham's children to suffer at the hands of Pharaoh?

God: I have seen the affliction of my children in Egypt, and I know their sorrows. I have come to deliver them, to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey.

Moses: How will this be done?

God: I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people Israel out of Egypt.

Moses: Me? But who am I to go to Pharaoh and bring the sons of Israel out of the land?

God: Be strong, my son. I will be with you, and this shall be a sign for you. You shall bring the people out to worship me on this mountain.

Moses: I am going to your people to tell them that the God of their fathers has sent me to them, and they will say to me, "What is his name?" What shall I answer?

God: Yahweh. I AM THAT I AM. Say to the sons of Israel, "Yahweh has sent me to you."

Whit: You see, God gave His most personal name to Moses.

Connie: You mean not even Abraham knew this?

Whit: No. In Exodus 6, God told Moses that He appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but He never revealed His name to them.

Connie: Wow. But what does this have to do with Jesus?

Whit: Well, that's where the real significance of the name comes in. BEAVERS, visual. John chapter 18.

Narrator: After Jesus had prayed, he took his disciples to the garden of Gethsemane. Judas knew the place and took a Roman cohort along with officers from the chief priests and Pharisees to meet them. But Jesus, knowing all things, stepped forward and confronted them.

Jesus: Whom do you seek?

Soldiers: Jesus the Nazarene.

Jesus: I am he.

Narrator: The temple guards immediately fell to the ground.

Soldiers: You brute dogs, get up! We came to arrest him, not bow before him! But he has used the name! What name? Get up!

Jesus: I ask again, whom do you seek?

Soldiers: Jesus the Nazarene.

Jesus: I told you, I am he. Let these others go their way.

Soldiers: Right. Take him.

Connie: I don't get it. What does that have to do with the name of God?

Whit: Well, didn't you hear him say it? I am he.

Connie: I am- Yahweh.

Whit: Right. Many scholars believe that's why the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees bowed down before him. Just as God had revealed His name to Moses, so Jesus revealed himself as God to these men. And that wasn't the only time that night that Jesus identified himself as God. It happened later in the dark trial before the Sanhedrin. BEAVERS, visual. Mark 14, 55 through 62.

High Priest: I heard this man say, "I will destroy the temple and in three days rebuild another not made with hands." Well Jesus, how do you answer this charge? Why do you continue to keep silence? You're accused of blasphemy! How do you answer? I charge you by the living God, tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.

Jesus: I am.

Connie: Wow. Now I understand why they got so mad at him. They felt about Jesus claiming to be Yahweh the way we would feel about someone claiming to be Jesus.

Whit: Well, I'm not so sure.

Connie: Why? What do you mean?

Whit: Yahweh is the name that's so special to the Jews, they have stringent rules regarding its proper use, but we don't treat Yahweh or Jesus that way. Over the years, we've lost the true meaning, the reverence of those names. A lot of us have misused and even abused them.

Connie: I know I have.

Whit: Well, so have I at certain times in my life. What we need to do, whether we're singing, praying, or even just talking about God, is to remember what Jesus said in the Lord's Prayer: Hallowed, sacred, revered, holy be thy name.

Chris: One of the ways other people can tell how we feel about something is by the way we talk about it. When you talk about God, do you do it in a way that lets your friends and family know how important He is to you? Do you use His name flippantly or in a bad way? Like Whit said, we need to take great care to use God's name in the most reverent and respectful way possible.

Chris: I hope you enjoyed today's adventure. We sure enjoyed bringing it to you. If you ever want to write to me, the address is Odyssey, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80995. In Canada, the address is Odyssey, Box 9800, Vancouver, BC, V6B 4G3. Don't forget to ask about how you can get a copy of today's program called Hallowed Be Thy Name. The address once again is Odyssey, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80995.

Chris: Adventures in Odyssey is a presentation of Focus on the Family. Hallowed Be Thy Name was written and directed by Phil Lollar. Our production engineer was Bob Luttrell and our executive producer, Chuck Bolte. And I'm Chris, hoping you'll join us again next time for more adventures in Odyssey.