Jehovah Elohim: Creator God of Everything We See |
Today's inspiration comes from: The God of the Way by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel |
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Being around creative people lights my fire. Painters, actors, singers, and musicians, to name a few, use their gifts to reach deeply into our emotions, touching those hidden spots within our souls, causing us to cry, laugh, and remember. They inspire me. They encourage the world.
As a small child, renowned composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein wasn’t interested in music until his aunt gave her piano to his family. When Leonard sat down at the keys, things just clicked. With a natural ear for music, he could hear a song on the radio and immediately recite the tune on the piano. It was a rare gift.
Leonard Bernstein was a creator. He wrote several musicals, including his most famous West Side Story (1957), and he conducted world-famous symphonies for which he won countless awards and accolades. But nothing he created compared to the works of God.1
There are two primary names for God in the Creation account. The first is Elohim. “In the beginning [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). In Jewish thought, Elohim is associated with God as the Creator who providentially cares for His creation. As the Maker and Master of the universe, Elohim is revealed in and through nature. “The heavens declare the glory of God [El, which is the singular form of Elohim],” wrote the psalmist, “and the sky shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:2). He is the all-powerful God who exercises complete authority over all creation.
Elohim is also associated with God’s attribute of strict justice, or middat hadin in Hebrew. Elohim is both the First Cause of Creation and the Supreme Judge and Ruler of the universe. Initially God wanted to create the world according to strict justice but knew the world wouldn’t be able to endure it. The divine attribute of strict justice, middat hadin, is connected to God holding the world accountable and judging people according to His general revelation in creation and special revelation in Scripture. For this reason, Elohim is the name of God used in the account of the giving of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). Judgment is the natural result when God withdraws His grace and kindness and allows people to reap what they sow. When God’s divine quality of strict justice deals with a person or nation, measure for measure, that person experiences the expected consequences for their actions apart from God’s attribute of mercy.
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The Hebrew word for “name” most often means “sign” or “distinctive mark.” It’s the idea that a person’s name carries with it the nature of the person, describing their essential character. For example, “‘Noah’ means ‘one who brings relief and comfort’ (Genesis 5:29); ‘Jesus’ means ‘savior’ (Matthew 1:21).”2
Elohim derives from the Hebrew word El, which can mean “power” or “might.” For example, we find its use in Genesis 31:29 when Laban confronted Jacob, saying, “It is in the power [b’el] of my hand to do evil with you.” Elohim describes God as an all-powerful Omnipotent One who has absolute power and control over everything. This thought is underscored because, in the alphanumeric nature of the Hebrew alphabet, both Elohim and hateva (nature) have the same numerical value of 86 in their letters.3 Elohim/86 is the One who created and has complete power over all creation (nature/hateva/86).
One Bible encyclopedia says, “Elohim is best understood as expressing intensity. God makes Himself known by this name as the Lord of intense and extensive glory and richness as He exercises His preeminence and power in the created cosmos.”4
There is another significant connection between Elohim/God/86 and nature/hateva/86. The Ten Commandments state, “I am the Lord your God... You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2–3 niv). Strangely, the word used for “other gods” in this verse is also elohim. This doesn’t seem to make sense until one understands that those who worshiped idols in biblical times ascribed divinity and power to them (connected to the El and Elohim/86) of nature/hateva/86.
At the root of all this is the numerical connection between nature and God. The power/86 of God/86 is concealed in creation, nature/86! Creation demonstrates the power and goodness of God our Creator, but sin impacted the ability to distinguish between the Creator and the creation. As Paul wrote,
The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. In unrighteousness they suppress the truth, because what can be known about God is plain to them — for God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes — His eternal power and His divine nature — have been clearly seen ever since the creation of the world, being understood through the things that have been made. So people are without excuse — for even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. Instead, their thinking became futile, and their senseless hearts were made dark. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image in the form of mortal man and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. — Romans 1:18–23
Here again, there’s a connection between the name Elohim, God as Creator, and God as Judge, as Paul related in the above passage. In Jewish thought, Elohim represents God’s attribute of justice, and YHVH/Jehovah/ Lord represents His attribute of mercy and kindness. - Arnold Cheyney, Legends of the Arts: 50 Inspiring Stories of Creative People (Culver City, CA: Good Year Books, 2007), 16.
- Gerard Van Groningen, “God, Names of,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988), 880.
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“Here’s how the Hebrew numeric system works: the first ten Hebrew letters increase in value by a factor of one (aleph is 1, bet is 2, and so on). The next ten Hebrew letters increase in value by a factor of ten (kaf is 20, lamed is
30, and so on). The final Hebrew letters increase in value by a factor of one hundred (kof is 100, reish is 200, and so on) through the final letter, tav, with a value of 400.” Rabbi Jason Sobel, Mysteries of the Messiah: Unveiling Divine Connections from Genesis to Today (Nashville: W Publishing, 2021), 195. - Van Groningen, “God, Names of,” 881–82.
Excerpted with permission from The God of the Way by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel, copyright Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel. * |
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Elohim. How often to you rely on the God of creation, our God of justice, our God of kindness? He’s the one who designed it all, is in control of it all, and yet is gentle and meek. How amazing is that?! Come share your thoughts with us about Elohim. We want to hear from you! |
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Biblical stories and people who changed the world |
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From the authors of the New York Times best seller The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi, Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel bring you an exciting new life-changing message that will help you read the Bible with new eyes and take you into the heart of God's people in Scripture – from Abraham to Ruth to Jesus and His early followers. In The God of the Way, Rabbi Jason shares wisdom from his Jewish heritage and helps us read Scripture in the cultural context of biblical times. Kathie Lee adds personal stories and reflections from her spiritual journey and studies, serving as a companion as you go deeper in your own relationship with God. You will experience: - The God of the How and When: When you don't know the details…God does.
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The God of His Word: When you can't see God…trust His heart and the promises in His Word.
- The God Who Sees: When you feel abandoned and forgotten…God knows and cares about you.
- The God of the Other Side: When you feel overwhelmed and unworthy…God never passes by but crosses over and brings freedom.
Journey into God's word, from the creation of the world through the desert and empty places, the Hebrew nation, and meet Jesus, the disciples, and his followers. As you do, you will see how you are part of God's epic story of redemption – a radiant testimony to the truth that belief in God's promises is never wasted. |
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Don't settle for half of the story! Discover the Jewish roots to the Christian faith. By exploring the Mysteries of the Messiah, you can ignite a new love for Jesus and passion for the Bible that will bring you greater hope and transform your life. |
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The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi |
As a lifelong student of Scripture, Kathie Lee Gifford has always desired a deeper understanding of God’s Word and a deeper knowledge of God Himself. But it wasn’t until she began studying the biblical texts in their original Hebrew and Greek—along with actually hiking the ancient paths of Israel—that she found the fulfillment of those desires. |
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