Joel M Bradshaw

1We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.–Psalm 75

The oddness of the expression grabbed ahold of me this morning. God’s name is near. Let’s look at Hebrew word usage and see if we can figure this out. For it was something that the psalmist Asaph celebrated and was thankful. In the Old Testament, this exact Hebrew preposition was used 4 other times. I underlined the word’s translation.

1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen…–Ecclesiastes 5

Nearness here is what we would expect: close proximity. There is an expectation here that God is going to speak so you better be prepared and ready to listen. So draw close and ready.

22Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.–Isaiah 13

Nearness here is of time. Things are ready and expect God to act.

3They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot, and we are the meat in it.’–Ezekiel 11

Nearness of time again. This time the people seemed to be looking backwards and not forwards with the near. My kids do this if I cook the same dinner twice in one week. “Dad, we had spaghetti three days ago…”

3For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near—a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.–Ezekiel 30

Ezekiel used the basic word twice here, but I highlighted only the grammatical form that we have been listing. Nearness speaks in a future historical sense. It hasn’t happened yet, but it is so certain that we can speak of its nearness.

So how do we land the plane on today’s verse? Giving thanks because God’s name is near. Let’s use the four. Remember, name also referred to purpose and reputation.

1. God has a reputation of being close to his people. Close in proximity (see Tabernacle) and in relationship. We are thankful for this.
2. God cares for us. He will provide for our immediate problems. He will be near to our situation and struggle.
3. God always has cared for us. He has always been near to us in our situations.
4. God has a plan and that plan will unfold. He will culminate history and that is near and certain rather than far and nebulous.

I like all those. We celebrate the God who cares for our situations. That enters into our messes and provides hope and direction. We look to the second coming of Christ with the same expectation of nearness that Asaph proclaimed. God is faithful and we in expectation turn to him. His very reputation is nearness. He can be known and loved. A relationship we can lean upon and celebrate.

Here are some famous nearness verses in the New Testament.

8Come near to God and he will come near to you.–James 4

22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,–Hebrews 10

13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.–Ephesians 2

31Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.–Luke 21

Thanks for journeying ‘near’ me this morning. God bless.–JMB