God's Names

One of the things I like when reading the Bible is the descriptive names given to people and to God. English really is a boring language. Other languages, including those of the Bible, have different words for the same word such as "you", which can be singular or plural. Some pronouns and other words are designated male or female making the languages much more descriptive than English. Sometimes we have to use 2, 3, or 4 words to get the full meaning of one Hebrew word.

In Genesis the name used most for God is Elohim, which is plural, and is generally translated into English as God. In Genesis 2 we begin to see LORD God. LORD is sometimes translated as Jehovah because this comes from the holy name YHVH. A name that the Jews would not even speak out of reverential awe for God. We don't really know how to pronounce this name.

When Hagar was pregnant with Ishmael and was running away from Sarai, God found her in the wilderness and promised to "multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude." At that time Hagar said, "You are a God of seeing." The well where she was was named Beer-lahai-roi. Beer means well or pit and lahai-roi means the Living One who sees me. I love that. Doesn't that say so much more than the English word God?

Over in Genesis 17 when God is giving Abram the covenant of circumcision, God says to him, "I am God Almighty...then Abram fell on his face." Just an aside, that should be our response to God as well. We often focus so much on God being Abba, our daddy and friend, that we often forget He is the Almighty.

Genesis 21:33 says, "Abraham...called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God." 

Just these few names in the first half of Genesis tell us God is plural (Trinity-Father, Son, Holy Spirit); He is so holy and so different from us His name was not pronounced; He is living; He sees us; He is almighty; He is eternal. Learning about the names of God gives a greater understanding of who God is in action and in character which should deepen our faith.