This is a very brief comment, on something I noted a few days ago in my journal. The text in question comes from Hosea 2:16 -
And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, [that] thou shalt call
me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
It was the practice of the Israelites, who had long since adopted customs of the people among whom they lived (pagan Baal-worshippers) to call Jehovah "my Baal", adopting the name used by their neighbors, and as we see in many places in Scripture, making a synthesis of the true faith with the pagan beliefs of their friends.
When are WE guilty of the sin of syncretism? I'm not talking necessarily about the overt adoption of pagan practices into Christian practice (although such surely goes on, this isn't my point in this brief note).
God hates the abuse of His name... is it not abuse to consider "Allah" a right name for God? I hear many arguments that converts from Islam ought to simply call the true God 'Allah' since 'Allah' is simply the Arabic term for God.... I'm not sure that there's justification for that, particularly in light of this verse. CERTAINLY, there is no justification AT ALL for the present radical ecumenism that claims that Allah is the same god as Jehovah.
Let us be circumspect and see whether we fall here into lesser evils than the one I mention above.
Secondly, I was struck by a note from Calvin in his commentary on this verse, regarding our witness in the world to God's name:
We ought also to remember that a confession of faith is here commended by the Prophet. It is no doubt the fruit of true penitence, when we testify by the mouth and tongue that the only true God is our God, and when we are not ashamed to confess his name before the world, though it may rage madly against us.
There is nothing like a claim to the exclusivity of Christ that will tick the world off (and many in the professing church!!!). Yet God requires this of us - we must confess, with the prophets and apostles, that GOD is the one who sets the terms of salvation, and that it is in CHRIST's name alone that we are saved. This must be the profession of our lips if it is the confession of our hearts. We cannot fall prey to the radical ecumenical pressures of our society that claims that all paths to God are equally valid. To do so is to mock God and His revelation. To do so is to be guilty of taking on the name of "my Baal" in our interactions with God. Such blasphemy must be far from us. May it be so.