"The Mighty" or "Strong One"
Purpose: To show the power and majesty of our God.
Aim: I want the listener to see God as powerful and therefore see and how foolish it is to oppose Him.
INTRODUCTION: Names are very important in the Bible. How many names do you have? I have three, but they only designate who I am they do not describe who I am. Names in the Bible are used to describe the character of a person. God has dozens of names that He has revealed to us and at least one He hasn't told us about yet.
One of the popular Christian choruses is: "Lord I lift your name on high; Lord I love to sing your praises; I'm so glad you're in my life; I'm so glad you came to save us." That's a great chorus, except we can't lift God's name on high if we don't know what His names are or what they mean.
How many names for God do you know, and do you know what they mean?
Why is that important? We must enrich our understanding of who God is before we can really lift up, or glorify His name.
Glorifying God means: giving an accurate understanding of God's character.
So, HOW do we glorify God's name? Jesus answered that in Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (NAS)
We can't glorify God unless we are living our lives acting as if God is (as we will learn today): "The Mighty" or "Strong One." The bottom line is this: Do we believe that God is strong enough to control our circumstances and our futures? As a rule our anxiety reveals a lack of faith in who God is.
David tells us:
Psalm 9:10 those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. (NAS)
As we approach a study of God's names it is very important to understand that God revealed those names to us. We all received our names from our parents, but this is not true of God. God is self-revealing. These names are not just man's attempt to get to know God, or man's attempt to explain what they think God is like. The names of God in the Bible were given to us by God Himself.
There are three basic names for God in the Old Testament; Elohim, Adonai and Yahweh. Elohim is always translated "God" as in: Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (NAS)
Adonai is always translated "Lord" as in Exodus 4:10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." (NAS)
Yahweh is always translated "LORD" (all capital letters) as in: Exodus 7:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet (NAS) or "GOD" (all capital letters) as in Genesis 15:1--2 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless..." (NAS)
The very first name for God given to us is Elohim; it is also the most common name for God. It is used over 30 times in Genesis chapter one, 198 times in the whole book of Genesis and 2,570 times in the Old Testament. It comes from the root word "EL" which means "strong" or "mighty."
"By itself it refers to a god in the most general sense. It was widely used in ancient eastern cultures whose languages are similar to Hebrew and therefore may refer either to the true God or to false gods. The highest Canaanite god was El whose son was Baal. In the Bible the word is often defined properly by a qualifier like Jehovah: "I, the LORD (Yahweh) your God (Elohim), am a jealous God (El)"
I. What can we Learn from the Name Elohim?
We can learn five things about God from His name ELOHIM.
A. Elohim infers the Trinity
Just because ELOHIM is plural does not necessarily mean that it teaches that God is a trinity, but it does suggest the idea. The "im" ending of Elohim is a plural suffix. This is similar to cherub becoming cherubim, and the plural of seraph being seraphim.
Although the name Elohim is plural, it is often treated as a singular noun. Look at Genesis 1:26-27: "Then God [Elohim, plural] said [singular], 'Let us [plural] make man in our [plural] image, in our [plural] likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God [Elohim, plural] created man in his [singular] own image, in the image of God [Elohim, plural] he [singular] created him; male and female he [singular] created them." So the text seems to indicate that God is both plural and singular! We could say that there is one God who has revealed Himself to us in three persons.
The word trinity is not in the Bible, but the teaching that there is one God who shows Himself in three persons is in the Bible.
1. All three are mentioned together as equals
At Christ's baptism: Matthew 3:16--17 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (NAS)
The great commission: Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (NAS)
The benediction: 2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. (NAS)
The announcement of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit: Acts 1:4--5 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (NAS)
Galatians 4:6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" (NAS)
"TRINITY: The Father gives all authority to the Son and bears witness to Him, as does Jesus to Himself
"The Father serves the Son; the Son serves the Father; Father and Son defer to the Holy Spirit, who in turn, serves and defers to the Father and Son in a oneness that is eternally dynamic and inexhaustible. The mutual love of the triune persons spills over into the creation and is seen in their generous cooperation in saving the lost
Jesus also taught that God was made up of three persons: John 14:15--17 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth.... (NAS)
John 14:25--26 "These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (NAS)
2. All three created all things together
The Father created: Genesis 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. (NAS) Jonah 1:9 He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God [Elohim] of heaven who made the sea and the dry land." (NAS)
The Son created: John 1:1, 3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (NAS)
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. (NAS)
The Holy Spirit created: Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. (NAS)
3. All three are called God
The Father is God: Romans 1:7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (NAS)
Jesus is God: Hebrews 1:8 But of the Son He says, "YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. (NAS)
The Holy Spirit is God: Acts 5:3--4 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God" (NAS)
B. Elohim is absolutely supreme
This plural noun is often used with a definite article. It would be like using the word "dog" to describe a poodle and the plural "the dogs" to describe a Great Dane.
This is like when we use the plural "we" as when a judge says, "We are sentencing you to ten years in prison." The judge is referring to more than just himself, but to the judicial system as a whole.
Elohim is supreme over the earth: Isaiah 54:5 "For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. (NAS)
God is unyieldingly holy: Hebrews 12:28--29 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. (NAS)
Elohim is the supreme and final judge: Psalm 58:11 And men will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely there is a God who judges on earth!" (NAS)
"His work as Redeemer is emphasized in the phrase "God [Elohim] my Savior" (Ps. 18:46). His work as Defender is seen in the expression "God [Elohim] of the armies of Israel" (1 Sam. 17:45)." [3]
C. Elohim is glorious in majesty
The use of this name display's God's transcendent glory. For example, God is glorious in and on earth and everywhere in-between. God is glorious in the past, the present, and the future.
"Some descriptive phrases focus on a particular attribute of God, like the expressions "everlasting [Elohim] God" (Is. 40:28), "living [Elohim] God" (Jer. 10:10), or "holy [Elohim] God" (1 Sam. 6:20)." [4]
Isaiah 6:3 And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." (NAS)
D. Elohim is all powerful
EL means "Mighty strength" or "the Strong One." Deuteronomy 10:17 "For the LORD your God [Elohim] is the God [El] of gods [Elohim] and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God [Elohim] who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. (NAS)
Notice what the presence of Elohim did to Mount Sinai: Exodus 19:16--19 So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, [Elohim] and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God [Elohim] answered him with thunder. (NAS)
E. Elohim is trustworthy
Genesis 9:16 "When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God [Elohim] and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." (NAS)
Exodus 2:24 So God [Elohim] heard their groaning; and God [Elohim] remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (NAS)
Deuteronomy 4:31 "For the LORD your God [Elohim] is a compassionate God [Elohim]; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them. (NAS)
II. How can the Name Elohim Affect us today?
A. Elohim gives real meaning to our lives
Genesis 1:27 God [Elohim] created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (NAS)
Because God [Elohim] created us and all things, we exist to exalt Him. Revelation 4:11 "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." (NAS)
When we give glory to Elohim we are fulfilling the very purpose for which we were made. Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth. (NAS)
Tozer, "One of the greatest tragedies that we find, even in this most enlightened of all ages, is the utter failure of millions of men and women ever to discover why they were born...."
Glorifying God brings us the greatest joy. Psalm 33:21 For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name. (NAS) Revelation 19:7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." (NAS)
B. Elohim will always win
Isaiah 45:9 "Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'? (NAS)
If Elohim has the power to give us life, then He also has the power to end our life or to give us new life. Praise the Lord for matchless power! How foolish to fight against God.
Jacob learned this lesson one night: Genesis 32:24--29 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, ["heal grasper, supplanter" i.e. one who takes someone else's place by force] but Israel; ["A prince of God"] for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him and said, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there. (NAS)
C. Elohim keeps His promises
When Solomon prayed at the dedication to the Temple he said, 1 Kings 8:23 He said, "O Lord, the God [Elohim] of Israel, there is no God [Elohim] like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, (NAS)
God has made many promises, but the greatest promise is that He will dwell with us. 2 Corinthians 1:20--22 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. (NAS)
So when God says, as thy days, so shall thy strength be (Deuteronomy 33:25 KJV) we can relax and safely trust that God will supply what we need today. Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (NAS)
D. Jesus is Elohim
The wonderful truth is that Jesus is ELOHIM. Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. (NAS)
Jude 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (NAS)
Jesus is so glorious that an eternity with Him will unveil even more about Him:
Revelation 3:12 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. (NAS)
Revelation 19:12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. (NAS)
CONCLUSION: Have you ever bowed low before Elohim, the Creator, and the strong and mighty one? Do you live each day joyfully trusting Elohim to tenderly care for you, or do you often fall into times of frustration and fear? The solution is to know Elohim personally and to seek Him daily. Do you hunger to know God better?
"He who does not long to know more of Christ,
knows nothing of Him yet." C.H. Spurgeon
[1]From Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers
[2]From Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers
[3]Charles R. Swindoll and Roy B. Zuck, Understanding Christian Theology, 159 (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003).
[4]Charles R. Swindoll and Roy B. Zuck, Understanding Christian Theology, 159 (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003).
