WHO IS GOD? UNDERSTANDING THE NAME ELOHIM
Sometimes we struggle to understand God or truly know Him. We know He is there in the darkness of life, yet we cannot fully see Him. It is a little like standing outside during a thunderstorm on a moonless night. Everything is hidden in darkness until suddenly lightning flashes across the sky, and for a brief moment the landscape becomes visible. Trees appear, fields come into view, and what was hidden can suddenly be seen.
That is often how God reveals Himself to us. We cannot fully see Him with our natural eyes, yet throughout Scripture God gives flashes of revelation that help us understand who He is. We see Him through creation, through miracles, through His presence, and through His many names.
In studying the Old Testament, there are more than eighty names connected to God. Each one reveals something unique about His character, His power, and the relationship He desires to have with His people.
#1: God’s Names Reveal His Character
Just as white light is made up of many colors, the names of God reveal the beauty and fullness of His character. Some names reveal His power, others His holiness, while still others display His faithfulness, provision, and care. Though finite people can never fully comprehend an infinite God, He has chosen to reveal Himself through Scripture, and His names help us understand Him more deeply. The more we understand His names, the closer we come to understanding His heart.
#2: God’s Names Reveal Relationship
Names often change depending on relationship. One person may know you as a friend, another as a pastor, and another as family. In the same way, people throughout Scripture experienced God differently depending on the season they were walking through.
No one demonstrates this more clearly than Abraham. As Abraham’s walk with God deepened, God revealed new dimensions of Himself. Abraham knew Him as Yahweh, then later as El Elyon, the Most High God. He came to know Him as Adonai, the Master, then as El Shaddai, God Almighty, and eventually as Yahweh Jireh, the God who provides. Each season of Abraham’s life brought a deeper revelation of who God was, and often the greatest revelations came during the greatest tests.
#3: God’s Names Reveal That He Is Our Source and Solution
Throughout the Bible, God frequently revealed a new name during moments of crisis and uncertainty. When people reached the end of themselves, God showed them another aspect of His nature. To the fearful, He revealed peace. To the weak, He revealed strength. To the needy, He revealed provision. Again and again, Scripture reminds us that God is not distant from human struggle. He steps directly into it, revealing Himself as the answer people need in that moment.
#4: God’s Names Lead Us to Worship
The names of God are not merely theological facts to study. They are invitations to worship. When we begin to understand who God is, worship becomes more personal and more meaningful because we are no longer worshipping an abstract idea. We are worshipping the Creator, the Provider, the Sustainer, and the Eternal King. Every name points us back to His greatness.
THE THREE PRIMARY NAMES OF GOD
Throughout the Old Testament, three names appear repeatedly.
#1: Elohim
“The Strong Creator”
This name is usually translated simply as “God” in our English Bibles.
#2: Yahweh [or Jehovah]
“The Self-Existing One”
This name is commonly translated as “LORD” in all capital letters.
#3: Adonai
“Master” or “Lord” This name speaks of authority, ownership, and relationship. And is often translated into our Old Testament as “Lord” with only the first letter capitalized.
THE FIRST NAME OF GOD IN SCRIPTURE
The very first verse of the Bible introduces us to God with the name Elohim.
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Before we learn anything else about Him, we discover that He is Creator. The name Elohim speaks of strength, power, and supreme authority. He is the all-powerful God who created the world, sustains it, and rules over it. This name appears more than 2,500 times in the Old Testament, and in Genesis chapter one alone it appears thirty-one times. In the very first chapter of our Bible, Elohim creates, speaks, blesses, and rules. Everything begins with Him.
WHY DOES OUR BIBLE INTRODUCE GOD, FIRST AS ELOHIM?
The original audience of Genesis had just come out of Egypt. These former slaves had witnessed God devastate the most powerful empire on earth, part the sea, and lead them to freedom. Naturally, they would ask: Who is this God?
Genesis answers immediately.
He is not a tribal god, a local deity, or a powerless national idol. He is Elohim, the Creator of heaven and earth. His jurisdiction is not confined to rivers, mountains, the natural elements, or a single nation. He created all things and because of that He now rules over all things.
That truth still matters today. We are not introduced to one option among many gods. We are introduced to the God, the One who existed before the world began, the One who created everything we see, and the One to whom everything ultimately belongs
Bible References: Genesis 1:1 (ESV); Genesis 1:1–31 (ESV)
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