Who is God? Jehovah Elohim “Our Creator”

Who is God?

Jehovah Elohim

“Our Creator”

  

FOREWORD

               Many people grew up hearing the name, “GOD,” and have associated it with various ideologies. If asked: “Who is God?” you would receive many different answers; most of which, may be contributed to a person’s upbringing. Some people believe that He is the Creator of all things as written in the Bible. Others believe that He is an intelligent being that is subjective to the perception of the individual. There are some who have the belief that God is neither male nor female but is a state of mind. And others refuse to believe in any type of higher intelligent being who controls the universe but would rather think of themselves as gods who control their own destiny. Regardless of what perception people have of God, there is one true way to understand who He is and why He is. That is none other than through the Word of God. 

               In this lesson series, we are going to search the scriptures to understand who God is and why it is important for us to know about Him and His character. We will begin by breaking down some of His various names and the significance of their meanings as we grow in the knowledge and wisdom of Who God Is.

Genesis, the first book of the Bible, tells the most beautiful and powerful story of creation. It outlines step- by-step what God did to bring this world into existence. The Bible gives us a clear summary of what started out as a blank canvas, with there being absolutely nothing in space, until God spoke it into being. After which, we learn of His pleasure at its completion, upon the seventh day of the week, where He finally took a rest. Genesis 2:2-3 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (NIV) God took nothing and made it into a marvelous something, for He is the Creator of an original design.

               Scientists have tried over the centuries to solve the “mystery” of creation. They have desired to get into the mind of the Creator and find a scientific explanation as to how everything was brought about. Their theories range from Darwin’s big bang to countless others. Nevertheless, God’s mind is so beyond what humans could possibly imagine that even the most brilliant physicist would have a difficult time understanding the mind of God in its entirety. Science, however, will never give up trying, but we as God-fearing believers can have a better understanding of God by reading about Him in His word. 1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” (NIV)

               The Bible lets us know that we were formed in the image of God; therefore, God has features that we are a reflection of, and even though He is Spirit and doesn’t have flesh and blood as we do, we were still made in the image of Him. Unfortunately, due to sin, no one can see God’s face and live, but we can still look to ourselves to have an idea of God’s features and attributes not in the sense of a human being that is 6 feet tall, but in the view of us being created in His image or likeness. Genesis 33:20 “But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (NIV) Sin separated us from seeing God as He truly is, but this text lets us know that God has features such as an actual face. God also has eyes for He sees everything that takes place in the world and He had to see in order to create man. Genesis 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him….(NIV) God has ears to hear for He hears the prayers of His people. Psalms 34:17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. (NIV)

               We can see from the previous texts that God has a face with eyes and ears, but what about the rest of Him? Well, God has a mouth for He speaks words of wisdom to His children. Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (NIV) God has hands with which He created all things and brought them into being. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (NIV) God has feet to walk for He walks with us so that His glory is known. Exodus 33:21-23 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen. (NIV) Most important, God has a heart to love. For God loves all of His creation, but many times, God’s heart is broken due to the sin and rebellion against Him. Nevertheless, God loved His creation enough to not allow man to die in sin but have Salvation through Jesus Christ. 1 John 4:7-12 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (NIV) This is why we were made in the image of God – to be an example of who He is. His love is shown all throughout His creation through the mighty wonders of His hand. 

               Oftentimes, when we think of God, Jehovah Elohim (our Creator) and creation, we tend to just have a tunneled vision of God creating only the heavens and the earth, and an ending upon Jesus return, where the devil finally gets his reward. Although, those events did and will take place, prior to God making the world, He created perfect and wonderful angelic beings, which we can read about in the Bible. These heavenly beings were the first of God’s intelligent creations. 

               The book of Job lets us know that before the universe came into existence, God created the angels who would be the ministering spirits to its inhabitants and the angelic host sang as He laid the earth’s foundation. Job 38:4-7 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone – while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (NIV) God took great care and love to form and create them as He did with all His creation after them. We find evidence of this with how He designed Lucifer with a uniqueness like no other heavenly being in the Word of God, which we are about to go into more details with regards to the creation of the angels.