Today's Reading: Genesis 21
"Calling upon the name of the Lord" is a phrase that is used throughout the Bible to refer to prayer and worship directed towards God. It often implies a deep sense of devotion, humility, and dependence on God. It also implies a sense of seeking God's presence, guidance, and help.
When someone "calls upon the name of the Lord," they are expressing their faith and trust in God, and seeking His help and guidance. It can be a form of a prayer, a cry for help, or a declaration of faith. It's a way of acknowledging and addressing God, expressing one's dependence on Him, seeking His help and guidance, and worshipping Him by acknowledging His unfathomable greatness.
In the context of Genesis 21:33, Abraham is planting a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God as an act of faith, and as a way of asking for God's blessings on the treaty he had just made with Abimelech. It is a way of Abraham showing his trust in God and asking for His presence to be with them and guide them in their agreement.
Jesus, in the New Testament, teaches about calling on the name of the Lord in several ways. He encourages his followers to pray to God, to have faith in God's power to help, to worship Him, and to rely on Him for guidance. He emphasizes the importance of having a personal relationship with God, and that true worship comes from the heart.
One example of Jesus teaching about worship is found in John 4:23-24, where Jesus says "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." Jesus is teaching that true worship is not about following a set of rules or rituals, but about having a genuine connection with God in spirit and in truth.
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