WHAT'S IN A NAME? ELOHIM

WHAT'S IN A NAME? ELOHIM

When Greg and I were having our children, I remember pouring over names. We wanted to give our boys strong, Hebrew scriptural names that means something. But to be fair, pop culture also played a part in the choosing of at least our first two sons:)
Then name Jacob is actually not a great Hebrew name. It means supplanter or deceiver. And yet, we loved the name because of God's redemptive power over the Jacob of the Bible. God took what was flawed and broken and made a great nation out of it. You can't read the old testament without reading, "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." While Jacob had issues, he was never too messy for God to produced great blessings in his life.
The name Zachary is a derivative of the Hebrew name Zachariah and also Zacharias, who was the father of John the Baptist. The name means, the Lord has remembered. If you know the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth, you will know that they were past child bearing years when God blessed them with a son. And not just any son. The one that was to pave the way for Jesus! I love that even when you think circumstance or time has run out for you, God still remembers. Nothing is ever too impossible for our God!
I'm sure many of you have head the story of how we named Joshua. We went in thinking we were giving birth to Andrew, but due to unforeseen medical issues, I had to have an emergency c-section. It was pretty crazy for all of us and Greg was scared to death. So when the baby came out, Greg named him Joshua because he said he needed someone strong and courageous in the room, and it wasn't him:) We know that Joshua of the Bible was a fierce warrior but his name means Yahweh (God) is my salvation. Joshua's middle name is Daniel which means, God is my judge. So not only does God save, He is also the only person we need to answer to. My Joshua knows that no matter what battle in life he is facing, God has made a way of salvation for him. All Josh has to do is trust and obey because God is his judge.
Brooke's name is not Hebrew, but her name is still so special to us. We named her in memory of her aunt that passed away.
We know that names have meaning and importance which brought me to the point of wondering about the names of God. We know that in scripture, God has many names and each name gives a different understanding to who He is. He reveals Himself and who He is through His different names. In Genesis 1:1, we are given the first name of God. "In the beginning, God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth."
The name Elohim has a few ideas around it. First, it describes God as the Creator. He created something out of nothing. His name tells us about His reputation and accomplishments. God is transcendent in all things, meaning He has supernatural powers such that violate the laws of nature. He is distinct from His creation and from time, which He created, but He is not bound by it. He existed before time and creation and will exist eternally. When reading about God, He is always spoken of in the present. Because He IS. Time is not God's problem, time is our problem. And if you are feeling like God is not in your circumstances RIGHT NOW, you don't know your God! He is present with us at all times and available to help, if only we will let Him.
God is also omnipresent. He is with believers all over the world, yet in the heavens as well. How great is our God?!? We can only think of earth and space, but there is probably much more than we even know and God created it and is there. Mind blowing! Are you starting to understand how immense our God is? We were never meant to figure Him out. If we could, He wouldn't be a very great God, would He? In Jeremiah 23:23-24, it says that God fills time, space and matter. So He transcends all things but He is also near because He exists inside all things.
This all creating, amazing God, who is bigger than our minds can imagine is also a very personal God who cares intimately for us. As God creates in Genesis 1, we are told that what He made was good. In this, we know that God talks, He feels and He creates.
In Genesis 1:26-27, He makes His greatest creation, which is mankind. But the word, Elohim, is used in the plural. It says, "Let US make man in OUR image." This is the first pointing to the trinity in scripture. In Colossians 1:16, it tells us that Jesus was the one who created all things. Jesus! Our savior was there on creation day and was the one responsible for all creation. This makes Jesus more than a good person or prophet - this makes him God!
Do you remember the story of Abraham and Sarah? They were believers in God and He promised to make a nation out of them. But there was a problem; they were past the time of being able to have children. Do you think this was a mistake by Elohim? No! Remember - He is the God who can create something out of nothing! And of course, they had a son, Isaac, who the nation of Israel came from.
We are the mirror image of Elohim, body, soul and spirit. We are made in His image and when He created us, He said, it is VERY good and then He rested. Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." 
Here's another interesting thing about Elohim. When He sent Moses to rescue the children of Israel from their bondage to the Egyptians, He created plagues. But not just any plagues. These plagues were all the gods that the Egyptians worshipped. You see, He proved Himself to be the God of God's by creating havoc over the things they worshipped.
We are currently living in chaos and havoc. But I hope in understanding Elohim, you realize that God proves Himself to be faithful. We just need to have faith and obey His word! If your situation seems desperate, just remember that Elohim can create something from nothing. From the Hubble telescope to our microscope, He created everything and nothing is impossible for Him. Trust Elohim to create the impossible from your beautifully broken life!