The Attributes and Names of God
Blade Small Group In Home Sermons • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Big Idea- Gods names and how He is described in the Bible helps us to understand who He is.
Big Idea- Gods names and how He is described in the Bible helps us to understand who He is.
There are many names throughout the Bible that are used for God. This is because each name also highlights different characteristics or attributes of God and they help us to understand Who God is.
EL, ELOAH (אֱלוֹהַ, eloah): God “Mighty, Strong, Prominent”
They refused to obey, And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them. But they hardened their necks, And in their rebellion They appointed a leader To return to their bondage. But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them.
When we are reading this verse the word that is translated to God is ELOAH which is described as a Mighty God.
Here we see Gods power and Might here where he has the ability to destroy these rebellious people or to simply forsake them. But instead he He chose to be gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in kindness. This Shows Gods Character even in his Might.
It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’
In this passage Laban is speaking to Jacob and he has power over Jacob. But God who is the “Mighty God” is greater then Laban and this shows in the verse when God tells Laban to “be careful that he speak to Jacob neither good nor bad”.
ELOHIM (אֱלֹהִים, elohim): “Mighty and strong, Creator” plural masculine variant of El.
Elohim is very similar to Eloah with the same meaning except for the plurality of the Word. So when it is used it still has the Mighty aspect to it.
Now the plurality of this word is used because of the nature of God and the fact that He is Triune. What this means is that God is one God in three persons, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We see Elohim first used in the beginning of the Bible in Genesis.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
This passage speaks of Gods power to create and His triune nature as we see two parts of the trinity in the first two verses of the Bible. John 1:1-3 also shows the triune nature of God and points out that all three persons of the Godhead were present and active in creation.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
EL Shaddai ( שַׁדַּי shadday): “God Almighty”
I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the Lord, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
When Isiah is referring to the Mighty one of Jacob it is saying the Almighty.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Here this passage also refers to God as El Shaddai, the Almighty. This gives us a good perspective of who God is to everyone and everything else. He is unparalleled, unmatched and mightier than anything else.
ADONAI (אֲדֹנָי adonay): “Lord”
Here seeing the use of the word Lord after the other attributes may seem like less than. But it is not, this title speaks to what God is to all, Lord and ruler of everything including Lord of our lives.
But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
This passage shows that Abram knows that God is Lord and sovereign over all, this includes even how His promises will be executed.
So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
Here we see a similar response as the first passage. Gideon recognized God as Lord and as being the Sovereign ruler over all.
YAHWEH (יהוה yhwh): Known as the Tetragrammaton or the personal name of God also translated as “LORD”
This is the proper name of God, the one Given to Moses by God. The Isrealites held this name in such high regard to ensure that they did not blaspheme that they did not say it out loud and instead used ADONI in its place.
YAHWEH is also sometimes translated in to English and is pronounced JEHOVAH.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
Here we see Moses speaking to Israel using the proper personal name for God YAHWEH. We can also see the acknowledgement that God is LORD.
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
This passage shows God telling Moses who He is. Here in verse 15 when God says “The Lord God’ of your Fathers” that was translated from YAHWEH.
YAHWEH-Jireh: “The Lord Will Provide”
And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
This is the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.
This also informs of of God’s Character, that He is a provider and we can rely on Him to take care of us.
YAHWEH-Rapha, “healer, The Lord who Heals”
Isn't it conforting knowing that we serve a God who has the ability to heal us physically and spiritually?
and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
In this illustration we see that God has the ability not only to heal but to keep us from sickness and disease if it is His will. He heals us in body physically. But he heals us spiritually through pardoning our sins and restoring us to Him.
YAHWEH-Nissi, “my banner, The Lord Our Banner”
And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner;
Moses built this altar to commemorate the victory over the Amalekites. When this is talking about the Lord being his banner it is referring to the Lord being who they represent, the Lord is the rallying place.
What that would look like using today’s examples could be for example is someone was in a gang previously they represented their colors. They lived for and died for their gang.
We represent the Lord, we live for Him and die for Him, this is how He is our banner.
YAHWEH- Miqqedash מִקְדָּשׁ “The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy”
And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”
These verse shows us that only God can sanctify His people and make them Holy, not the law or anything else.
Discussion Questions
1. How do the names of God speak to His Character?
2. Which of the names of God speak most to you?
3. What name is new to you, or stood out to you and how does it deepen the gospel?
