“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
— Genesis 1:1
As this journey through the Advent season begins, one of the things I wanted to do was to take time to reflect on who God is. Who is the God who became flesh in order to take upon Himself my sins?
One way for me to that is to take a look at the different ways that God identifies Himself in His Word and the ways that others identify Him. By no means will I cover every name, and by no means will I be the definitive answer to the meanings, as greater men than I have different thoughts. As always, please share with me your thoughts at any time in order that I may know my God even better through the knowledge of others.
The first time God is identified is in Genesis 1:1 where he is simply referred to as “God” by the writer. That is also how He is first referred to by another, interestingly enough, by the snake in the Garden of Eden as the snake talks to Eve in Genesis 3:1.
In Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 3:1, the Hebrew word that was translated to “God” is “Elohim”. One source I found was pretty clear that “Elohim” is not actually a name in Hebrew, but it actually refers to the plural of “el” which means “mighty or strong one”. So “Elohim” essentially can be translated as a more general reference to the Trinity as a whole, “Mighty Ones” (1). Another source cited Elohim as “Creator and Judge of the Universe” (2). And God does indeed prove mighty in not only Genesis but throughout Scripture. Creating the heavens and the earth, man and woman, all living things.
How, though, is a Mighty God, Creator and Judge of the Universe, my “personal God”? Honestly, in isolation such as Genesis 1:1 it hard for me to look upon God and feel that personal connection. Those warm fuzzies. But I definitely feel His power, and sometimes that is what I need more than anything: to believe in His power. His power to effect change; His power to heal; His power to be God despite my efforts and transgressions and sin. Some times I want the lion, not the lamb. Someone to fight my battles. Someone to die on the cross for me.
Ours is a God who can and did make something from nothing. How much more can He do if I give my life over to Him anew each day?
BUT, tomorrow, God becomes personal! A Mighty AND personal God!
*Sources:
(1) http://jacksonsnyder.com/arc/2003/godlanguage.htm
(2) http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/Elohim/elohim.html