The LORD God

Genesis 1:1 and 2:7

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).

That’s how the eternal God begins his story to his people. He introduces himself with the Hebrew name Elohim. El is the name for God, and Elohim is the plural form that turbo charges the name. It’s called a “plural of intensity” or “plural of majesty” and appears over 2,500 times in the Bible. The same “plural of majesty” is used in Revelation when Jesus is described as wearing “many diadems” (Rev. 19:12). One royal crown would be enough for an earthly king, but not for Jesus. His greatness and majesty demand “many crowns.” He is the King of kings. And so it is with God the Father. He is the God of gods.  

When you read Elohim in the Bible, translated as the English word “God,” take your time to consider everything the name signifies. Think absolute power. Think complete control. Think supremacy and sovereignty. Think splendor and glory. In heaven, there will be no need for the sun because “the glory of God will give it light” (Rev. 21:23). 

The superlatives associated with the name Elohim are not literal definitions of God that you would find by his name in a dictionary. Instead, these words describe who God is through what he does. Look again at Genesis 1:1. Elohim created the heavens and the earth. This is a summary statement of creation, using a figure of speech called a merism. On one end, God created the heavens, and on the other, he created the earth. And he created everything in between. He didn’t use existing tools or materials; God created the universe ex nihilo—“out of nothing.” God spoke the world into existence! He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Gen. 1:3). God filled the darkness, formlessness, and emptiness with a perfect structure and systems for life to thrive. Such is his indescribable creative power!

The word “created” (Heb. bara) appears six times in the story of creation and is used exclusively to refer to God’s action. Only God is the creator. And…the Person of God didn’t stop at creating the universe. 

God’s crowning creation was human beings like you and me. When God describes how he made man and woman, he adds a personal name to his name. Until this point, we know him as Elohim. But now things become more personal and relational. It was the LORD God, Yahweh Elohim, who “formed the man of the dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Gen. 2:7). 

To his name Elohim—the all-powerful Creator—God adds Yahweh (translated as LORD in all capital letters). This is the personal name for God, the One who stooped down to breathe life into man. The name Yahweh is found nearly 7,000 times in Scripture. It describes God as the One who enters into a personal relationship with man. He forms a covenant with man and makes promises to him. The name Yahweh comes from the “to be” verb and describes God as the self-existent One. Since God depends on no one or no thing, he can always keep his promises. 

Throughout our study this year, we will follow the lives of men and women who have experienced great blessings and deep disappointments. They struggle in their marriages and face challenges with their children. They mourn the loss of loved ones. Sometimes they become impatient with God and take matters into their own hands. They blame God and others for their shortcomings and bad decisions. They are familiar with anxiety, sleepless nights, temptations, and failures. 

Edmund Clowney says it this way:

Yet while the story is God’s story, and salvation is His work, men and women are not just spectators . . . Because God promise what he will do, His people may joyfully confess that “salvation come from the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). But since God does not do all that he promised at once, the faith of His people is tried and tested. Their longing becomes intense. At times, the promise seems not only distant but illusory. They fall victim to unbelief and cry, “Is the LORD among us or not?” (Ex. 17:7).[1] 

The prophet Jeremiah understood that feeling of questioning whether 'the LORD is among us or not.' Babylon had laid siege to Jerusalem, his city. To make matters worse, Zedekiah, the king of Judah, imprisoned Jeremiah because he disliked the prophet’s prophecies. So, you are in prison, and your city is under attack. Not a good situation. 

Jeremiah cried out to God, and God responded twice. First, God reminded Jeremiah of the Creator’s absolute power. God said, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27) Then, the powerful Creator became personal: “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: Call on me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jer. 33:2-3). 

In his classic book, The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer begins with this powerful statement. “What comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.” My prayer is that when we think about God, this is what comes to our mind—He is Yahweh Elohim, the LORD God, the mighty and personal God who alone deserves our love, worship, and service. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD 
Time in the Word: Read Genesis 1:1 and 2:7— Contemplate the Creator who spoke the world into existence and the person God who stooped down to breathe life into man.  

Talking to God: Thank God for who he is.

Have questions? Please send your questions to our team. We're happy to assist as we explore God's Word together. Submit your question below, and we'll respond soon. If you're interested in learning more about a relationship with Jesus or seeking spiritual guidance, let us help you take the next step.

REVELATION ZOOM CALL
Join us tonight! Zoom link below.
Tonight is our Revelation daily devotion series review call!
🗓️ Monday, January 5
🕖 7:00 pm
🔗 Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4451879552?pwd=WmfwZPjkZbCwGyZJoWM16HXb3AKb3B.1&omn=88323845304
Meeting ID: 445 187 9552
Passcode: LG#devo
See you there!

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SAVE THE DATE: Bible Immersion trip to Israel: November 4-14, 2026.