THE NAMES OF GOD SERIES
#1
“ELOHIM”
Michael Todd Barnett,
March 1, 2008
·
· The Apostle Paul asked the question of the
Corinthians…
11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except
the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God
except the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 2:11
·
· What Paul implied by such a question was that man
knows that he exists by his own consciousness of being, and knows that he
knows.
·
· God’s name is above every other name.
·
· To the Hebrews of old, the name of God meant the
revelation of his nature, hence the various Old Testament names are very
important as showing the different conceptions of the Deity held by them in the
successive stages of revelation.
·
· Moses asked God what his name is.
Exodus
13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the
Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and
they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"
·
· The fourth word in the opening of the Bible is the
first mentioned name in the bible – God (Eohim)
·
· In the First two chapters of Genesis Elohim occurs 35 times in connection with God’s creative
power.
·
· As to its first appearance “ the beginning God,” as well as in
other references, the name is in the plural, and is a foreshadow of the Trinity
acting in unity.
·
·
·
· It
covers all aspects of salvation.
·
· “God (plural) said, Let us (plural) make man in our
image…” Genesis 1:26
·
· Elohim, perhaps the most comprehensive of all divine names speaks of the
function of Deity in creative, judgment, deliverance, and punishment of evil
doers.
·
· Creative glory and power are associate
with this name.
Genesis 1:2 says:
2 Now
the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the
surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
John 1:1-3 says:
1In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He
was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things
were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
1) ELOHIM MEANS: “Fullness of Might”
·
· Elohim often implies “fullness of Might” – a name full of assurance for our
faith.
·
· Elohim is plurality in Unity.
·
· The idea conveyed by Elohim is always that of One
in covenant” and implies one who stands in covenant relationship for the
outworking of his purpose.
Genesis 17:1-8 (pg. 11)
says:
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD
appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty [a] ; walk before me and be blameless. 2
I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your
numbers."
3 Abram fell facedown,
and God said to him, 4 "As for me, this is my covenant with
you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be
called Abram [b] ; your name will be Abraham, [c] for I have made you a father of many
nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of
you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as
an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for
the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after
you. 8 The whole
NOTE: Elohim
refers to absolute, unqualified, unlimited energy and power.
·
· God is ever ready to put forth His power on our
behalf.
·
· Elohim signifies a covenant relationship which he is ever faithful to keep.
Psalm 91 (pg. 42) says:
1 He who dwells in the
shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]
2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my
fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save
you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with
his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and
rampart.
5 You will not fear the
terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence
that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at
7 A
thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe
with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High
your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will
befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command
his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up
in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot
against a stone.
13 You will tread upon
the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the
serpent.
14 "Because he
loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my
name.
15 He will call upon me,
and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I
satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
ELOHIM IS THE PLURAL FOR
GOD AND INCLUDES:
1) 1) The Father (exodus
2) 2) The Son (Colossians
3) 3) The Holy Spirit (Job 26:13)
·
· As to its first appearance “ the beginning God,” as well as in
other references, the name is in the plural, and is a foreshadow of the Trinity
acting in unity.
·
·
·
· Elohim covers all aspects of salvation.
·
· “God (plural) said, Let us (plural) make man in our
image…” Genesis 1:26
·
· Elohim, perhaps the most comprehensive of all divine names speaks of the
function of Deity in creative, judgment, deliverance, and punishment of evil
doers.
2) 2) EL – MEANS: “THE STRONG ONE OR TO BE STRONG.”
·
· While found throughout the Old Testament, it is
discovered more often in Job and the Psalms than other books.
·
· Translated some 250 times as God, el is frequently
used in circumstances which especially indicate the great power of God.
Numbers
22 God brought them out of
they have the strength of a wild ox.
Deuteronomy
17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of
lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts
no bribes.
Genesis 17:1 says:
1 When
Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am
God Almighty [a] ; walk before me and be blameless.
Genesis 35:11 says:
11 And God said to him, "I am God Almighty [a] ; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation
and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your
body.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (pg. 489)
says:
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his
shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, [a] Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his
government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
Psalm 22:1 says:
1 My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
Psalm 22:1 is the NT
crucifixion narrative where Jesus is crying “ELOI, ELOI.
·
· In
his weakness he prayed, “My strength, my strength” for El denotes God as the
strong one and the first and only cause of things.
·
· El is frequently combined with nouns or adjectives to
express the divine name with reference to particular attributes or phrases of
his being which, by usage have become names or titles of God.
·
· El is found in ancient compound proper names as
3) EL ELYON MEANS: “GOD
MOST HIGH.”
Genesis 14:18-24 (pg.9)
says:
18 Then Melchizedek king of
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator [b] of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed be [c] God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your
hand."
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
21 The king of
22 But Abram said to the
king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator
of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing
belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will
never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' 24 I will accept nothing
but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with
me—to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share."
Numbers 24:16 says:
16 the oracle of one who
hears the words of God,
who has knowledge from
the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are
opened:
Deuteronomy 32:8
says:
8 When
the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
when he divided all mankind,
he set up boundaries for the peoples
according to the number of the sons of
Genesis 40:17 says:
17 In the top basket were all
kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the
basket on my head."
Nehemiah
25 and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting
from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh
Ezekiel 9:2 says:
2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of the
upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them
was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and
stood beside the bronze altar.
Ezekiel 41:7 says:
7 The side rooms all around the temple were wider at
each successive level. The structure surrounding the temple was built in
ascending stages, so that the rooms widened as one went upward. A stairway went
up from the lowest floor to the top floor through the middle floor.
Psalm
13 The
LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded. [a]
Psalm 87:5 says:
5 Indeed, of
"This one and that one were born in
her,
and the Most High himself will establish
her."
Numbers 24:16 says:
16 the oracle of one who hears the words of God,
who has knowledge from
the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are
opened:
Deuteronomy 32:8
says:
8 When
the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
when he divided all mankind,
he set up boundaries for the peoples
according to the number of the sons of
2 Samuel
14 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
Psalm 78:56 says:
56 But they put God to the test
and rebelled against the Most High;
they did not keep his statutes.
Psalm 97:9 says:
9 For you, O LORD, are the
Most High over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
Psalms
17 I will give thanks to the LORD because of his
righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the
LORD Most High.
Psalm 47:2 says:
2 How awesome is the
LORD Most High,
the great King over all the earth!
Psalm 83:18 says:
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—
that you alone are the Most High over all
the earth.
Isaiah 57:15 says:
15 For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and
lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Acts
48"However, the Most High does not live in houses
made by men. As the prophet says:
Daniel
25 You will be driven away from people and will live
with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the
dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you
acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives
them to anyone he wishes.
·
· How privileged we are to be counted among, “the
children of the Most High.
·
· If El Elyon is “the pledge
of sure and high blessing, even to priests in virtue of their sonship as “priest unto God,” may we be found giving the
“Most High” the highest place in every realm of life, so that He can fulfill
His will in and through us.
·
· God has revealed himself as Elyon
that e may know and trust and joy in him.
·
· In
all crises we face in life, like Moses, we too, will experience what it is to
have the “Most High” as our shield and exceeding great reward.
4) EL - ROI MEANS: “THE
LORD THAT SEES.”
·
· The only occurrence of this title is in connection with Hagar’s fight from
Sarah’s persecutions.
·
·
·
· Out in the wilderness of Shur, Jehova spoke to her words of promise and cheer.
·
· The distracted woman thought there was no one near to help her.
·
· But one was at hand to console and inspire hope, and she called “the name
of Jehovah that spoke unto her: “Thou art El Roi
meaning, “The well of him that lives and sees.
Genesis 16:13-14 (pg. 10)
says:
13 She
gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees
me," for she said, "I have now seen [a] the One who sees me." 14
That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi [b] ; it is still there, between Kadesh
and Bered.
·
· Roi is from a root word implying” that seeth” or
“of sight”.
5) EL
ELOHE
Genesis 33:18-20 says:
18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, [a] he arrived safely at the [b] city of
·
· Jacob’s alter was called, and dedicated to, El, the
God of
Psalm 48:18 says:
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.
6) EL OLAM MEANS:
“GOD OF ETERNITY”.
·
· While this title is more rare in Scripture than others , but very important.
·
· El Olam is a term
describing what extends beyond our furthest vision, whether we look backward or
forward until it is lost to sight for it means “The God of Eternity” or the
“everlasting God”.
Genesis
“And when God had me wander from my father's
household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show
your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother."
·
· The first occurrence of El Olam is heavy with
special significance.
·
· It
is found in connection with Abraham’s reproof of Abimeelech
over the right and use of wells.
·
· In Genesis
·
· As
an owner of sheep, Abraham often had the task of seeking and recovering
straying sheep.
·
· Now he felt himself as far as the world was concerned to be as the one
astray.
·
· Reaching
·
· His life was insecure, here today and gone tomorrow.
From
From
From Shechem
to
From
From
From
·
· Now at
·
· But the men of Gerar felt
otherwise about this pilgrim and stranger and oust to oust him.
·
· A
new discovery of god was to check any further depressing sense of insecurity –
El OLAM, GOD THE EVERLASTING!
·
· Oppressed with the sense of earth’s instability
Abraham needed a further unveiling of divine sufficiency and it came in the
name assuring him of the fact of God’s eternity.
·
· EL OLAM, the God without beginning, The God who never
will cease to be, the God who will never grow old, the God to whom eternity is
what present time is.
·
· Abraham discovered The
everlasting God as his true home.
Isaiah 26:4 says:
4 Trust in the LORD
forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock
eternal.
Isaiah 63:16 says:
16 But you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us
or Israel acknowledge us;
you, O LORD, are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
Jeremiah
10 But
the LORD is the true God;
he is the living God, the eternal
King.
When he is angry, the earth trembles;
the nations cannot endure his wrath.
Psalm 90:2 says:
Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the
world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are
God.
Isaiah 40:28 says:
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
7) EL SHADDAI MEANS: “THE ALMIGHTY, ALL-SUFFICIENT
GOD.”
·
· God is almighty in that He has power to fulfill every
promise he has made to his people and in his faithfulness in performing every
word he has spoken.
Genesis 17:1 – 2 says:
1 When
Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am
God Almighty [a] ; walk before me and be blameless. 2
I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your
numbers."
Genesis 43:14 says:
14 And may God Almighty [a] grant you mercy before the man so that he
will let your other brother and Benjamin come back
with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."
Genesis 48:3-4 says:
3 Jacob
said to Joseph, "God Almighty [a] appeared to me at Luz in the
Genesis 49:25 says:
25
because of your father's God, who helps you,
because of the Almighty, [a] who blesses you
with blessings of the heavens above,
blessings of the deep that lies below,
blessings of the breast and womb.
·
· WE SERVE AN ALMIGHTY, ALL SUFFIENCIENT GOD – NOTHING
IS TOO HARD FOR HIM.
“Is there anything too
hard for the Lord?”
·
· He can remove mountains even “when the order of
nature offers no prospect of it and the powers of nature are inadequate to it.
·
· God is not fettered by the laws of nature, He is
supreme over them, and free to intervene upon them as
many of his miracles prove.
·
· The name or title El Shaddai suggest that “the
mighty one of resource or sufficiency.
·
· We miss much of the beauty by our rendering ‘God Almighty’.
·
· The idea of almightiness is present but it is not fully expressed in the
word EL.
·
· The word Shaddai goes
further, and suggests perfect supply and perfect comfort, we should reach the
idea better by rendering, ‘God All bountiful,’ or God All Sufficient….To gather
sustenance and consolation from the bosom of God is to me made strong for the
pilgrimage.
·
· Shaddai presents God as the Breasted One.
·
· Why, then should we fret when we have such an All
bountiful God, an unfailing supply of spiritual nourishment.
·
· How sufficient a mother’s breast is to be quiet and satisfy her crying,
restless child!
·
· Our Shaddai says: “Open thy
mouth wide and I will fill it”
·
· WE SERVE AN ALMIGHTY, ALL SUFFIENCIENT GOD – NOTHING
IS TOO HARD FOR HIM.
THE EXAMPLE OF SHADRACH
MECHACK AND ABENDEGO
Daniel 3 says
1 King
Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet [a] wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then
summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges,
magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of
the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors,
advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial
officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar
had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly
proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and
men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn,
flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and
worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6
Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a
blazing furnace."
7 Therefore, as soon as
they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of
music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and
worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some
astrologers [b] came forward and denounced the Jews. 9
They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10 You
have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn,
flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and
worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down
and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are
some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the
13 Furious with rage,
Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14
and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold
I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute,
zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down
and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will
be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to
rescue you from my hand?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to
the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you
in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the
God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand,
O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want
you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of
gold you have set up."
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar
was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered
the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded
some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw
them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes,
trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing
furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot
that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23
and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King
Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers,
"Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"
They replied, "Certainly, O
king."
25 He said, "Look!
I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth
looks like a son of the gods."
26 Nebuchadnezzar then
approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of
the Most High God, come out! Come here!"
So Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and
the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They
saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads
singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar
said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has
sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the
king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or
worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the
people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into
pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can
save in this way."
30 Then the king
promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
in the
THREE LESSONS MODELED BY
SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO:
1) 1) GOD CAN DO THE IMPOSSIBLE
2) 2) GOD WILL DO THE IMPOSSIBLE
3) 3) BUT IF GOD DECIDES NOT TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE THE WAY
WE WANT HIM TO, WE WILL STILL WORSHIP HIM ANYWAY!
Luke 18:25-29 (pg. 742) says:
25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
26Those who heard this
asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27Jesus replied,
"What is impossible with men is possible with God."