What does it mean to "call on the name of the Lord?"

[ELECT]

[h=1]Psalm 145:18King James Version (KJV)[/h]18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

 

[posthuman]

Hagar called Him "El Roi" -- the God who sees me (Genesis 16)

though she did not use the proper name YHWH, did she not call on Him?

 

[ELECT]

What does it mean to "call on the name of the Lord"? This phrase is found throughout the old testament, and a few times in the New testament.. but what does it really mean? I am particularly curious because of this famous quote from Joel, re-quoted in Romans, "those who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved".

What is this "calling"? Is it an audible cry? If so, is this audible cry a prerequisite for salvation? Is it an inward experience? Is it synonymous with placing one's faith in Christ? I would love to hear different perspectives and interpretations, particularly from those here who may have knowledge of biblical hebrew/greek.

Please forgive the huge post, but I've already begun looking into this subject so I went ahead and listed the verses I could find that quoted this popular phrase.

Genesis 4:26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.


Genesis 12:8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.


Genesis 13:4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.


Genesis 21:33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.


Genesis 26:25 Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.


1 Kings 18:24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”


2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.


Psalm 116:4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!”


Psalm 116:13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.


Psalm 116:17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord.


Joel 2:32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.


Zephaniah 3:9 “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.


Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’


Romans 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

What if the person cannot speak thus God deals with the heart

Isaiah 57:15
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabitetheternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

 

[Ariel82]

I believe "calling on the name of the Lord" is to put your whole heart and trust in God when you pray.

 

[Blain]

On the issue of the proper name of God I call him three names and he and I become close to each other anyways. I call God the father father I call Jesus Jesus and I call him Lord a whole lot too more than the other two names. so calling him Jehovah or yhwh seems to be about preference and he seems to be fine with it.

 

[ELECT]

i like I AM THAT I AM

 

[Leslie444]

No matter how far we might have strayed from our spiritual anchor, from the Divine, it is said that we have only to make the first gesture of return and we will be met by the Shechina, God's sheltering presence, who will take us by the hand and lead us back.... if we have missed the mark, this practice shows us the way to return..... in words from our liturgy we say "Let us turn to you and we will be turned - Hashiveynu Elecha v'nashuvah" - the same root as Tshuva, turning, returning....<span style="color: rgb(62, 62, 62); background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);">[video=youtube_share;GAv1Rk0v0Xs]http://youtu.be/GAv1Rk0v0Xs[/video]

 

[just-me]

Many professing Christians today don't even know what God's "name" is. They have no idea because they have been dealt so much falsehood concerning what the truth really is. For instance..................... Take a look at all the threads that have questions about what is clearly defined in the Bible. The name of God doesn't have the term "compromise" in it. If you are to "call on His name" it has to be with understanding what He actually represents and desires for your life.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask , we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
(1 John 5:14-15)

 

[ELECT]

Matthew 7:20-22King James Version (KJV)


20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.


21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.


22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 

[SeaBass]

It means to do what the Lord has said to do...."And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Lk 6:46

 

[vic1980]

Mark 11:9-10 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.


Daniel 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.


The name above all names Jesus Christ our Lord .

 

[Selihah]

Thanks for the responses so far, everyone. I'm pretty fascinated by this topic. like I said before, I'm particularly curious about the phrase "those who call on the lord WILL BE SAVED". I know some people who believe that "calling" is an audible declaration, as opposed to prayer which may or may not be silent, and furthermore, that the Lord's name must be spoken aloud, "called on", in order to be saved.

I'm not saying I agree, but it's definitely inspired me to dig deeper because I've never really thought about it before.

Off the top of my head I'm fairly certain both audible and and non-audible calling or prayer is referenced in scripture. Regardless of how you go about calling it all stems from a single source, your heart, which is something God searches out to see if it matches your words (audible or inaudible). And as my previous post tried to indicate I think too it's extremely important to know who to call upon for salvation. In the Tanach Yehovah my God personally instructs me to return and call upon His name for salvation. Paul on the other hand is attempting to divert me away from that and to call upon another name, which is something I just cannot do.

 

[just-me]

Off the top of my head I'm fairly certain both audible and and non-audible calling or prayer is referenced in scripture. Regardless of how you go about calling it all stems from a single source, your heart, which is something God searches out to see if it matches your words (audible or inaudible). And as my previous post tried to indicate I think too it's extremely important to know who to call upon for salvation. In the Tanach Yehovah my God personally instructs me to return and call upon His name for salvation. Paul on the other hand is attempting to divert me away from that and to call upon another name, which is something I just cannot do.

I respect your input but Paul was a Pharisee and an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin. He was very well acquainted with the Torah and the Tanach. I have never read any diversion in what he ever wrote.

Here is a relationship of Paul to the Torah.

"But if you call yourself a Jew and rest on Torah and boast about God and know his will and give your approval to what is right, because you have been instructed from the Torah; and if you have persuaded yourself that you are a guide to the blind, a light in the darkness, an instructor for the spiritually unaware and a teacher of children, since in the Torah you have the embodiment of knowledge and truth; then, you who teach others, don't you teach yourself? Preaching, "Thou shalt not steal,"do you steal? Saying, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? Detesting idols, do you commit idolatrous acts? You who take such pride in Torah, do you, by disobeying the Torah, dishonor God? - as it says in the Tanakh, "For it is because of you that God's name is blasphemed by the Goyim."For circumcision is indeed of value if you do what Torah says. But if you are a transgressor of Torah, your circumcision has become uncircumcision! Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the Torah, won't his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? (Romans 2:17-26)

Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 "Do not murder."

Isaiah 52:5 So now, what should I do here," asks ADONAI, "since my people were carried off for nothing? Their oppressors are howling," says ADONAI, "and my name is always being insulted, daily.

Ezekiel 36:20 When they came to the nations they were going to, they profaned my holy name; so that people said of them, 'These are ADONAI's people, who have been exiled from his land.'

Deuteronomy 10:16 Therefore, circumcise the foreskin of your heart; and don't be stiffnecked any longer!

 

[Karraster]

Off the top of my head I'm fairly certain both audible and and non-audible calling or prayer is referenced in scripture. Regardless of how you go about calling it all stems from a single source, your heart, which is something God searches out to see if it matches your words (audible or inaudible). And as my previous post tried to indicate I think too it's extremely important to know who to call upon for salvation. In the Tanach Yehovah my God personally instructs me to return and call upon His name for salvation. Paul on the other hand is attempting to divert me away from that and to call upon another name, which is something I just cannot do.

I can understand your position on Paul. Gentiles love Paul, and probably read and quote him more than they do Messiah. I've been no exception, I grew up loving Paul. ...and misunderstanding him because I didn't study Torah.

Studying the miracles of Messiah is illuminating, when considered together with Jewish customs of the day, and it became clear why Yahshua was so popular. His yoke was easy, as He had purified it, eliminating all the added rabbinic stuff. He did not abolish Law or Feasts/Prophets, but challenged His followers to purify their thoughts as well.

I believe He is the Son and came in the Name of the Father. Our Greek/Latin thinking English Bible hides a host of information. Jesus in Hebrew means "the horse". His Name in Hebrew means YaH is Salvation. See, He really did come in the Name of Father.

 

[mailmandan]

In regards to:

Acts 2:21 And everyone who "calls on the name of the Lord" will be saved.

Romans 10:13 for, Everyone who "calls on the name of the Lord" will be saved.

Calling on the name of the Lord to be saved = relying on the name of the Lord, trusting in Him for salvation. When you call upon Jesus to save you to it is that you trust in him to come to your aid. Inherent in your calling upon Jesus is the essential faith that he can and will save you. So, in essence, to call on the name of the Lord unto salvation is to believe in Christ as Lord and Savior, that He alone is the all sufficient means of your salvation and will provide for you eternal life.

 

[Kaycie]

[FONT=Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Proverbs 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Do you have a good name (reputation)? You might say yes, I would. But how about in all things in your entire life? If you have ever sinned your name no longer holds perfect integrity. And if that is what is needed to enter heaven, I fall short. Only God can say He is 100% good (Mark 10:18).

I'm not going to get in on my own merit or my own good name, so I will call on the name of the Lord. For example, let's say that someone dies and leaves a great fortune. I would not qualify to inherit a piece of that fortune because I am not a family member. But if I marry into their family, taking my husband's last name, I now share in the inheritance. The church is the bride of Christ, whoever becomes part of the church shares His name "CHRISTian", and will now inherit heaven.

So how do we get into Christ? How do we share His good name? Acts 22:16 "[/FONT]And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." To call on the name of the Lord means to get saved through baptism. (And of course you have to stay saved/married/faithful). If you divorce Him you lose His name and all the benefits that go with it.

 

[Godmen]

Thanks for the responses so far, everyone. I'm pretty fascinated by this topic. like I said before, I'm particularly curious about the phrase "those who call on the lord WILL BE SAVED". I know some people who believe that "calling" is an audible declaration, as opposed to prayer which may or may not be silent, and furthermore, that the Lord's name must be spoken aloud, "called on", in order to be saved.

I'm not saying I agree, but it's definitely inspired me to dig deeper because I've never really thought about it before.

Amen sister, I am from the Local Church that so called The Lords Recovery . ☺