January 24, 2018 WWJWMTD by Steve the son of John

Names of God, Part 4 (more details)

God is Elohim. This name means “Strength” or “Power.” He is transcendent, mighty and strong. Elohim is the great name of God, displaying His supreme power, sovereignty, and faithfulness in His covenant relationship with us. Genesis 17:7,8

Elohim (God)

First seen in Genesis 1:1 – Used 2599 times in the Bible

This is the very first name given to God found in the very first verse of Genesis. This name shows that God is the majestic ruler over all. Elohim is actually a plural word and it’s use as the first name of God and sets him high above all other gods. It also foreshadows the later revelation of the triune Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)

First seen in Genesis 2:4 – Used 6519 times in the Bible

Yahweh is the promised proper name of God. It means Lord and Master. By Jewish tradition, this name is too holy to pronounce or write. Therefore they just wrote four letters without any vowels: YHWH. Jews stopped saying the name altogether in the third century AD. They stopped saying this name because they were afraid of violating the fourth commandment that prohibits misusing or taking the Lord’s name in vain. Therefore, scholars, today don’t know for sure if the original pronunciation was Yahweh or Jehovah.

El Elyon (The Most High God)

First seen in Genesis 14:18 – Used 52 times in the Bible (sometimes without El, simply as Elyon). El is likely related to the word Elohim and is used in conjunction with other descriptive words to specifically reference a particular characteristic of God. Elyon means highest or most high. Used together El Elyon means The Most High God. It refers to the characteristic of God that is above everyone and everything. This name describes his position as sovereign majestic preeminent God.

Adonai (Lord, Master)

First seen in Genesis 15:2 – Used 434 times in the Bible

Because the Jews have a tradition of not pronouncing nor spelling out the promised proper name of God they often would use Adonai instead of YHWH. Adonai means Lord, Master, or Owner. This name emphasizes that God is in charge of his creation and his people, Lord of lords.

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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