Know The Divine Titles
What we know about God’s names determines how we receive from God.
· The name Jesus means Yahweh saves. Jesus did not come to condemn, He is here to save. He saves us from the judgment of God.
o Yahweh (the heart of God) is who He is;
o Elohim (hand of God) is what He does.
o Jesus is the Greek version of Yeshua. But His name is Yahweh which means Yah saves.
· In creation He is just God (Gen. 1). God revealed Himself in a progressive way starting at Gen. 1.
· His name is LORD God, Yahweh Elohim (Gen. 2).
The names of God in the Old Testament and of course the name that Jesus came to reveal was “Abba.” The names in the Old Testament also uncover many of the truths that lie hidden there. In fact, we learn the nature of God and what He is like based on the names of God. When God changes a person’s nature, He changes their name. When we say in the Name of Jesus, the devil comes out because the name is the person. God said I will exalt Him because He has known my name (Psm. 91:14). When you know God’s name, good things happen to you.
Genesis 1:1 - The very first name the Bible records is Elohim. When we find G-o-d in the Bible whether OKJV or NKJV it is always Elohim. It is always Creator God, Mighty God, El.
· El means strength and power.
· Elohim means Creator God.
· God in his heart is Yahweh; i.e., L-O-R-D (all caps), that is the name Yahweh. People who speak English changed the Hebrew name. The Hebrew do not pronounce the “J.” God’s name is not Jehovah; people who speak English pronounce it that way. Jehovah is a title. Yahweh is always the God of covenant, who is gracious to us and our friend. Yahweh is the God who shows grace.
· G-o-d is God in his hand and power (creation). Long before you see God’s hand, His heart moves first. You will not find Lord here.
· Adonai (small L-o-r-d) means Master, Owner, Boss. Jewish believers will say Adonai, which has its place. The root word comes from dan which means judgment.
· In Genesis 1 you always see Elohim said, made, saw. God said, God made, God saw; that is Elohim. When it comes to creation it is always Elohim.
Genesis 2:4 - This is the history of the heaven and earth. Now we find Yahweh Elohim (God of grace [covenant], God of power [creator]). Vs. 7 The Lord God formed man and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
When God made man He is no longer Elohim per se, He is now Yahweh Elohim; i.e., the heart of God. Yahweh is the God who shows grace, the heart of God. Elohim is the God of power, the Almighty one. Long before the hand moves, the heart is moved. When we see a beggar begging; our heart is moved and our hand will move to our wallet. The world knows God as Creator and judge. The world does not know Him in covenant fellowship and grace (Lord). This shows how accurate the Holy Spirit is. The world believes in a God of power, the Mighty One, the man upstairs. They use a term that expresses Elohim; i.e. Elohim is the hand of God. That’s why when a Christian says God, the world thinks we are talking about the same one when we are not.
LORD God is never God Lord. It is Yahweh first, the Lord is my shepherd. As we learn this, the Old Testament will open up to us. Very interestingly, the Jewish people because of superstition and fear they take the name in vain will not pronounce the name Yahweh. They change Yahweh to Adonai which means Lord as in Boss, Master, Owner because of a fear that they have. They say Adonai instead of YHVH (Yahweh). Many people think that Yahweh is owner and master, but He is not.
The greatest command in the Old Testament is Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord (Deut. 6:4). If you read carefully it does not say Adonai it says Yahweh Elohim. Gensenius, a Hebrew and Greek scholar, says the Jews from superstition and reverence for the word of God read it Adonai which means a writer from a previous age is in the text. Even Messianic Jews will say Adonai. The problem is that in some places where Yahweh is mentioned, Adonai cannot be used.
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