Names of God #2 Elohim

PODCAST

Elhohim: Powerful God

The Beginning

In the very beginning of creation, there was God.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Light And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Genesis 1:1-3

Elohim (ee-lo-heem’)

There in the beginning was God, and even before was God-from everlasting:

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.

Psalm 90:2

As God begins creation, He shows up as Elohim, the all powerful God, “He is The Power over Powers.”

The word is used for: the true God, false gods, supernatural spirits (angels), and human leaders (kings, judges, the messiah).

When used of the true God, “Elohim” denotes what is called by linguists a plural of majesty, honor, or fullness. That is, he is GOD in the fullest sense of the word. He is “GOD of gods” or literally, “ELOHIM of elohim” (Deut 10:17; Ps 136:2).

Hebrew Streams

Power denotes strength. No surprise when we think about Elohim at the creation of the world. Who but God could speak in to existence all that is and ever has been known to us on and from this earth? Power of all Powers, GOD of gods, ELOHIM of Elohim.

We are inundated from every side with the world’s feminists mantra: women are strong! Of course we are; God made us in His image! But, Friends, if life hasn’t yet shown you, let me help you here. No matter what the world screams, the truth is, we are not strong enough.

Not strong enough

  • Stricken with cancer throughout her young body: she’s not strong enough.
  • Left a widow in the prime of raising a family: she’s not strong enough.
  • Sleeping next to her husband only to wake up alone, abandoned. she’s not strong enough.
  • Desperate from years of infertility only to stare into her precious stillborn’s face: she’s not strong enough.
  • Crippling pain from physical shortcomings with new, old and unknown diagnosis each day: she’s not strong enough.
  • Several hungry children and not two pennies to rub together: she’s not strong enough.
  • Abusive husband makes heartfelt promises that are broken, like is her heart, before the sun sets each night: she’s not strong enough.
  • Her sweet child is born requiring lifelong full-time care: she’s not strong enough.
  • A horrific accident took the life she once loved with all her heart: she’s not strong enough.
  • The daily stresses pile on to the point she can’t decide if she even wants to go on, and when she does-she doesn’t know how to: she’s not strong enough.
  • All the kids were left orphaned in just one breath, and they need her: she’s not strong enough.
  • Suddenly her husband is forgetting things more & more: she’s not strong enough.
  • The fear of what if’s are haunting her day and night putting her anxiety in over-drive: she’s not strong enough.
  • Wandering away from who she believes God is and trying to find her way back: she’s not strong enough.
  • Begging God to answer her prayers and losing hope waiting: she’s not strong enough.

God’s Grace is Sufficient

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Elohim: Power of Powers

  • Stricken with cancer throughout her young body: God is strong enough.
  • Left a widow in the prime of raising a family: God is strong enough.
  • Sleeping next to her husband only to wake up alone, abandoned; God is strong enough.
  • Desperate from years of infertility followed by a stillborn baby: God is strong enough.
  • Crippling pain from physical ailments: God is strong enough.
  • Several hungry children and not two pennies to rub together: God is strong enough.
  • Abusive husband and broken promises: God is strong enough.
  • Her sweet child is born requiring full time care: God is strong enough.
  • A horrific accident took the life she once loved with all her heart: God is strong enough.
  • The daily stresses pile on to the point she can’t decide if she wants to go on: God is strong enough.
  • All the kids were left orphaned in one breath, and they need her: God is strong enough.
  • Her husband is more & more forgetting things: God is strong enough.
  • The fear of what if’s are haunting her, day and night: God is strong enough.
  • Wandered away from who she believes God is: God is strong enough.
  • Begging God to answer her prayers and waiting, still: God is strong enough.

Elohim of elohim: Power of all Powers

Elohim of elohim: Power of all powers. How we need you. Hopeful hearts and hurting hearts alike, YOU, Elohim, are the power we need.

SEEK Him~ Elohim

Did the day start off with hope and dreams filling your heart? Seek Him: Elohim, Power of all powers, and walk with Him. What a story He has to write over your life, and mine. We can trust Him. Praise the Lord!

Whatever is on your heart today, whatever your deepest need or scariest fear, whoever did that horrible thing to you, the impossible health issues you are facing-Elohim is powerful enough to help you.

Elohim God More Powerful than your Weakness

That anger you realize as you are helpless to change the situation that is trying to kill you, and anything else you are spinning around your head, tell yourself again, Elohim God is more powerful than your immense weakness. It’s right there in your weakness, and in mine, He tells us He will be strong. Even His name says so!

Elohim: The Power of All Powers

Elohim. He spoke the world to be. He is good. He loves you. Dream big, friends! Grab hold of your heart’s desire and take it to The Power of all powers! Believe He’s going to work it out as you seek Him, first.

We Were Never Meant to Live Life Alone

Tamara henion

Trust me, I know life is too much on our own, but we were never meant to live life alone.

It’s ok that you, and I, can’t…He can. He is strong enough. He IS Power of ALL Powers: Lean on Him. Elohim.

21 Names of God, #3 Jehovah Jireh

PODCAST

Jehovah Jireh My Provider

No Spoilers Needed

An altogether familiar passage of scripture to most anyone who has been following the Lord for some time, and yet one worth spending some time when considering who God is. No spoilers needed, we know what happens, but before we get there, we will stop here and examine the journey Abraham and Isaac are taking together.

And it came to pass after these things, that God did test Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Genesis 22:1-10

God’s Test

In the KJV the word tempt is used; it means test. God is not tempting Abraham to sin, He’s proving the man He knows him to be, the man of faith developed through the years, the man grown and changed by the Lord.

 I cannot imagine a greater test than that which the Lord applied to Abraham. The Jews usually say that Abraham was tried ten times. Surely on this occasion he was tried ten times in one.

Spurgeon

Immediate Response

I have a son, (and he comes by this honestly), whose immediate response to most any direction was always, “No.” It didn’t have to be an instruction or a request, just the sound of something coming his way would garner up a full-fledged ruffled feather’s response: uninterested and unwilling.

Thankfully, with a lot of prayer and godly teaching, he’s learning and his heart has softened to our voice, and more importantly, to God’s voice.

God’s Voice

Abraham heard God’s voice when the angel spoke. In that moment, the Lord had his full attention and, as we know from scripture, his full cooperation.

His immediate response is one each of us should desire to imitate, “Here am I.” Whatever was to come his way, Abraham was ready and willing to participate with the Lord.

Worst News

Fear didn’t override Abraham’s attention or acceptance to the news, even this worst news, from his God. Does it get much worse? Pretty much, your son is going to die at your hand…

 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Genesis 22:2

The Love of a Father for His Son

Did you know that it’s here in Genesis where God first mentions love? God’s introduction of love to His people comes by way of the love of a father for his son.

I can see a glimpse of this in my own family. There are a few things regarding my husband of 33 years of which I am completely sure, but one of those is his absolute love for his sons.

Abraham loved Isaac. God loved them both.

With the worst news I can imagine as a parent, Abraham accepts God’s word for him. Somehow. What faith!

Before God’s Provision

The angel shows up. Abraham shows up. But before God’s provision does the same (but not really), there’s much more to this part of Abraham’s life story than we often take time to see.

Many sermons are much this same to this point: The angel tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and Abraham, a man of great faith, obeys…then, God provides a lamb.

None of that is wrong, and it’s a great picture of God’s provision for us, too, but it’s a bit too fast-forward for me. Abraham is a very busy man between the angel’s initial visit and the presence of the lamb.

He Prepared

 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering…

He Preceded

… and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 

Genesis 22:3

He Performed

 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:so they went both of them together.

Genesis 22:4-8

Everything Abraham meant when he said, “Here am I,” he was implementing. He not only prepared and also preceded with God’s plan (that’s a big deal to me because I have been known to take a good cop-out when fear grasps hard), he performed it to the end all while never losing his faith.

Abraham Knew God’s Faithfulness

Seems not only did God test Abraham knowing his faith, Abraham personally knew, and lived, God’s faithfulness.

Jehovah Jireh

And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Genesis 22:1-14

And there’s God, Jehovah Jireh, our provider. He was there from the beginning, but Abraham displays a great illustration for us to emulate.

Fully Convinced God would Provide

Abraham headed to the altar knowing God would provide a lamb and assured his son would return again with him to the bottom of the hill. Yet, he went up the mountain equipped with every little thing needed, ready to do what he knew the Lord had told him.

Abraham shows us it’s possible to life faithfully in the midst of unbearable circumstances. With no shadow of doubt, he was fully convinced God would provide a lamb and fully prepared to complete the instruction he had received from His God.

Does this even make sense? How is it possible to both believe God to be Jehovah Jireh, the One who would provide a lamb for sacrifice, and walk toward the altar taking every next step and raising his knife above his son’s body bound to the altar?

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Genesis 22:9-10

Oh, may I be like Abraham as I choose obedience to the Lord even in the hardest things knowing God is faithful, Jehovah Jireh.

Jehovah Jireh, Provider God

Because God is God, before the first syllable was uttered to Abraham, we know He had a plan all along. Just like in the Garden of Eden, God’s plan wasn’t designed based on the responses of Adam, Eve or, here, Abraham.

God’s plan is because He loves us. He is our provider, Jehovah Jireh, because it is who He is not just what He does. Sounds strange, I know.

I am Mom

My oldest and my youngest boys, how I love them both, they’re each uniquely designed-knit together-by their Creator, our God. I know them because I am their mom, and I love them for the same reason. Neither of them can do anything to make me love them more or less-I love them because I am Mom.

I can put them in the same situation and with great accuracy tell you how each of them will respond. For instance, my oldest is a newlywed. There were a few short summer months here in Florida, during lockdowns, to find a gold dress to wear to his quickly approaching wedding.

Instead of visiting dressing rooms across the city, I had the dressing rooms sent to me. Every single time I knew what each of them would say based on the dress I was trying on–because I know them.

All That Glitters is not Gold

I was right: one had exclamations of cheer (especially if it glittered) and the other a quiet shaking head as he walked away hoping for something better coming up next. I had a plan, we just had to get there with everyone’s personal attributes involved.

Same thing whether we’re in a car lot, at a ball game, attending a social event, enjoying a casual family get together etc…doesn’t matter where or when, they’re going to respond based on who they are, and who I know them to be.

We can see that in Genesis both in the garden and on the mountain altar. God knew how each would respond and His plan was already in place based on who He, GOD is. He IS Jehovah Jireh, our provider, because it is who He is. He is our provider God, and I am so thankful. My husband’s prayer every single mealtime includes thanking and praising our God- Jehovah Jireh.

Who He is

When the point of this is God our Provider, why have I spent the entire time talking about Abraham with a cameo appearance from the first people on earth?

Because- this is so important. God is a just God.

It’s a fact, we have not treated our children equally. This is attributed to the limits we’ve had in resources of time, money and maturity over the years, not to mention their needs have not, are not, equal. Therefor, we don’t choose to be fair and equal; doing so would be a real injustice to our boys. Thankfully, neither does God treat us fairly; He is a just God. Fairness would leave us all in the pit of hell.

A Fair God would leave us all in the pit of hell: Thankfully, God is a just God.

Adam and Eve sinned: God’s plan was provision of a savior.

Abraham was faithful: God’s plan was for provision of a sacrificial lamb.

God provided because of who He is: Jehovah Jireh.

That’s Love.

21 Names of God, #1: El

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El, The Strong One

A Picture is worth

The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:2

He is my God. El

Strong as an Ox

The pictogram for El is below, according to hebrews4christians.com, “El appears as strong controller or sovereign.”

El pictogram

Looks like the head of an ox to me, how about you? Strong as an ox. My God is mighty, strong, sovereign.

Mighty

I chose to start here with El instead of any other name of God, because so many other names first note El…my mighty, strong, God.

This name, El, is used in 235 verses throughout the Bible. Strength, mighty, mighty one, a hero, God, POWER…Strong God!

Iit seems we can’t say it enough about Him.

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 17:1

Abram

Abram, to become Abraham, literally has the meaning, “Exalted Father.” When his name is changed to Abraham, it adds in the element of “multitude,” or, “father of multitudes.” Here in Genesis we learn about an elderly man of God, Abram. Almost 100 years old and God has something to say to him.

I have to believe it is something he’s heard before now. The Lord appears to him, announces Himself, and once again gives Abram instruction for his life. The Lord uses the same name here, El, as He does in Exodus 15:2: The Strong One.

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 17:1

Abram has a lifetime of faithfulness in following God to look back on when he hears this message: I am Almighty STRONG GOD; walk before me and be thou perfect.

Be complete by walking before the Lord.

This morning my son was unloading the dishwasher. I’ve kidded him that he missed growing up with Sesame Street and the song game, “One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn’t belong,” when it comes to placing items where they go. (Trust me, my kitchen is very logically ordered, but I digress.)

I just so happened to be right there reordering the refrigerator contents because I had to take out one misplaced shelf before it shattered on the floor as he unloaded the dishes.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked over as he properly placed the serving spoon with its counterparts. And he said, “I put it where it doesn’t go, but when I realized where you were, I decided to do it the right way.”

When we are walking before someone or something we definitely know they are there, don’t we?

First, El

Many of God’s names begin with El. Whatever follows El in all the other names of God first begin: My Strong, Mighty, Sovereign, God and continue from there.

How long have you known God? How long have you walked with Him? Safe to say, not close to 99 years, right? If Abram needed to hear from God in this way, so late in his life, I’d say it’s a sure thing we do, too.

God, El, You are mighty.

Mighty to Save

The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:2

Mighty to save, God, El, You are strong, powerful and my hero-mighty to salvation.

Hero.

Hero… I live in a home where the guys sure enjoy their super heroes, and I don’t mind telling you that I appreciate a love story complete with the hero rescuing his hopeful Love. Yet, I have to stop and think about our own ideas of a hero.

We only know this word in narrow limits and sometimes adulterated way our flesh and minds can comprehend, but none of that limits God. Not at all. Any hero we know or imagine on this earth is minute in every way when compared to the hero we have in El.

El, God, HE is our Hero in a sense we can not even comprehend.

Oh, Lord, remind me often of who You are. Teach me to walk before You. Lord my God, make me complete in You.

El, The strong One.

For women at home

MASTER OF THE SEAPEACEHe still calms storms

He calmed the storm to a

whisper, and the waves of the

sea were hushed.

Psalm 107:29

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