Ma’on (Dwelling Place)

As a general rule, I’m pretty terrible with names. Being a preacher has made this particular shortcoming all the more obvious. To try and correct this, I have found giving nicknames to people vastly improves my ability to remember them. Many times, I will call people anything but their real names. I call Ivan our “Ivan-gelist” I call Liz, “Lizard”, Justin, “J-Town”, you get the idea. I’ve been given several nicknames in my life as well, including the all too popular “Garebear” to the very rare “Girt-the-Dirt.”

With people having multiple names they are called, it should come as no surprise that God had many names throughout the Bible as well. Many of them are much more flattering than “Lizard,” but interestingly, all of God’s names describe a different aspect of His character. One of these is Ma’on, or “Dwelling Place.”Moses, a nomad from the beginning and throughout his life, calls God his “Dwelling Place.” We often make ourselves at home in a world that is temporary and transient, forgetting that we are most at home in the presence of God. What do we learn about God as our “dwelling place”?