Knowing His Name- Elohim
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
We are going to begin a series on “Knowing God”.
I believe that the biggest problem in the Church across our land, and that leads to other problems, is the fact that people in the Church do not know God the way that He wants to be known.
We will begin the series on “Knowing God” by understanding the Names of God.
The reason that this is important is because the Names of God reveal His character.
The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
We find safety in the Names of God.
We find our meaning in life in the Names of God.
We find our purpose for existing in the Names of God.
Jesus said our chief purpose in life is to love God.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Matt.
We cannot truly know God if we do not know Him.
Names have meaning and by knowing the names of God, we understand who He is, His character and how He works.
So we want to begin the fascinating journey of Knowing our God by looking at His names.
I promise, you will enjoy this and you will know your God better.
Let’s look at the first name; Elohim.
I. The Meaning of Elohim
I. The Meaning of Elohim
The name “Elohim” in the Scripture is the name that it used most to describe God.
The name for God, “Elohim”, is used 4,565 times the OT Scriptures.
The name “Elohim” is derived from two Hebrew root.
The first is “EL”, which means “powerful” or “mighty”.
Interestingly enough it also has the idea of having extended control and sustaining power.
“Elohim”, among other things, can speak of God’s Sovereignty.
Now, the ending of “Elohim”, “him” is plural which is why we have statement like we do in the Scripture.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
See, what you have in that passage is the use of “Elohim” that is translated “God” and then the plural pronoun “us” speaking about the entire Godhead.
We also see it is other passages as well.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
“God” there is that passage is “Elohim” and refers to the entire Godhead being involved in creation.
In fact, every time in the creative process when the English Scriptures speak of “God” speaking something into existence or “God” saying that something is good it is the Hebrew word “Elohim”, speaking in the plural as the Godhead.
In , when Satan came to Eve in an attempt to tempt her to sin, he said.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
When Satan spoke about “God” he used the Hebrew word “Elohim” speaking about the fact that it was the Godhead that gave the prohibition of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Geneis 3 9
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
In that passage we see that it was the “LORD God” or Jehovah or Yahweh that walked in the garden.
Jehovah, which is always signified in the Scriptures by the name LORD being in all capital letters.
When you see LORD in all capital letters, you know that we are seeing Jehovah which is the older English name for the Hebrew Yahweh.
And “Yahweh” speaks of “The Holy One”; so you could say that when you see LORD in all capital letters, we are seeing “The Holy One”.
When you see “LORD God” we are seeing the “Holy Triune God”
Now, following: From to , each time that God is mention it is the name “Elohim”, again plural form, the Almighty Triune God.
All throughout the creative process, it is “Elohim” that is mentioned.
When we get to chapter 3 and Satan and Eve are talking, each one of them uses the Hebrew “Elohim”.
However, notice again verse 9.
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Notice that we have “LORD God” in that passage.
So each time thus far that God has been mentioned, the “Elohim” appears, but when “Elohim” is coming in the garden to talk to Adam, it is “Yahweh Elohim”, the “Holy Triune God.
When, in the Scriptures, when the Triune God (Elohim) had to deal with sin, the Hebrew Scriptures bring in His Holiness; and introduce for us for the very first time, the Holy Triune God.
Now, of course, when you speak regarding the fact that “Elohim” is plural and that we are speaking of a the Triune God, we understand that we are speaking of the Trinity.
Because when you have a plural noun, you either have a Trinity or you have more than one God; or as we call it in theological terms “Polytheism” (multiple gods).
Obviously, we can deduce from Scripture that God did not have in mind many gods.
I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isaiah
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
There, again, you have “LORD” as “Yahweh” and “God” as “Elohim”.
Literally, in the Hebrew, “The Holy Triune God is one Holy One”, emphasis on His Holiness.
Notice this fascinating progression here:
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
Then you do not find “LORD God” appearing together any other time in the book of Genesis.
When yo study then names of God, it really does tell you about the God you serve.
In Genesis, when God was dealing with the first sin, it was the LORD God (The Holy Triunity), but never again in the entire book.
You say, “what about the tines when God dealt with the sin during Noah’s day or Sodom”.
In the days of Noah, when he was dealing with sin, He was not dealing directly with the people that were sinning, He was dealing with Noah.
And in the days Sodom, even the word “Elohim” does not appear until chapter 19.
And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
We are given a overview of what God did, He is not dealing directly with sinners as He was in .
And what I am saying is that in the book of Genesis, when Elohim dealt directly with the sinners, the Bible describes Him as the LORD God, The Holy Triune One.
But keep in mind, that the usage of the plural term for God (Elohim) is an attestation of a plurality of gods, because the Scriptures make in clear that there is one God.
Again, as we have been saying, the fact that Elohim is plural noun speaks of the Godhead, the Trinity.
God is a Tri-unity, three persons as one.
Now, this fact is not fully revealed until the NT.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
God the Father speaking from heaven, God the Son in the flesh, and God the Spirit coming in a bodily form like a dove.
I gave you all this definition of the Trinity not too long, but I will give it to you again:
In the one being that is God, there exists three co-eternal and co-equal, distinct persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
And, as we have seen, it was the Godhead that spoke the universe into existence.
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Now, the word for God there is not “Elohim” (one reason is that Elohim is Hebrew), it is the word “θεός” and it is singular.
Singular, because the fact of the Trinity has been well understood in NT times so the understanding was that when God was mentioned that it is three distinct beings, comprising the ONE God.
It is at the voice of Elohim that the atoms and the molecules are held together.
It is Elohim that brought order to the chaos, light out of darkness, and everything out of nothin.
Listen, just as a side note; a Christian should never apologize for believing that God spoke everything into existence because whatever a person believes about the origin of the universe, they believe by faith since no human was there.
It is not a matter of faith versus knowledge, it is a matter of faith in chance versus faith in a creator.
It boils down to to faith in one of two equations; nothing X nothing - everything, or God X nothing = everything.
Which of these two equations requires faith?
Obviously the first one requires much more faith.
Most people do not have enough faith to truly believe the first one.
So, the meaning of Elohim” basically means, “The Powerful creator and sustainer of the universe”.
II. The Manifestation of Elohim
II. The Manifestation of Elohim
One of the most revealing verses in the Bible is .
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
First, it reveals His eternal existence.
It was in the beginning that God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.
The verse tells us that at the beginning of space, matter, and time God was already there.
Second, the verse tells us that God is self-sufficient.
God has no needs and therefore depends on nothing or no one.
He is the mighty, creative, self-existent, and self-sufficient Elohim.
So, we see the Meaning of Elohim.
We see the Manifestation of Elohim.
III. The Material of Elohim
III. The Material of Elohim
What am I to do with all this material?
How does all of this apply to my life?
How does this name for God, “Elohim”, apply to me?
We first have to understand that God did not create the universe because there was a sense of need.
God does not need you and me or anything else.
There is only one reason why Elohim (the All-powerful creator and sustainer) created anything.
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
“For Him” means “For His glory”.
We exist only for His glory.
This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
One reason that Elohim did what He did; for His Glory.
And because it was the Elohim, the all-powerful creator and sustainer, that spoke into existence the universe and everything in it we know that it was done perfectly.
You are not a product of an after-thought with God.
Because it was the all-powerful sustainer that created me, I know that I am not a shoddy job; you and I were created by an all-powerful sustainer God that does all things for His glory.
And so, we are a product of His glory.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Listen, we can never use mediocrity as an excuse for not serving God because God made us just like He wanted us.
Remember when God asked Moses to go back to Egypt and lead His people out?
How did Moses respond?
And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
This probably does not refer to a speech impediment, but probably speaks of not being quick-witted enough to respond to the pharaoh.
Notice God’s response to Moses?
And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
Why did create us ith flaw?
God did not deny the fact that Moses had the issues that he said that he had.
Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
I know about your flaws, Moses, but I want you to go and I will do the job that needs to be done.
So why does the Elohim, the all-powerful creator and sustainer God, create us with flaws.
Rarely does God use influential people or those with impressive pedigrees.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
God most often uses plain, ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.
That no flesh should glory in his presence.
The reason God creates and uses flawed people is so that we could not glory in our ability but to give the glory to God.
We were created to bring glory to His name.
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
As we look and ponder our Elohim, the all-powerful creator and sustainer, we understand that the creator made me the way that He made me for His glory and so that the world would see His glory through me.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
You and I live in such a way as to make the world glorify God.
So, we see the Meaning of Elohim; the all powerful, creating and sustaining God.
We see the Manifestation of Elohim; this reveals that God is eternal, self-existent and self-sufficient.
We see the Material of Elohim; we understand that we are not a after thought.
That since Elohim is the all powerful One, I am created (even with my flaws) for His glory to show that glory to the world so that they may glorify Him.