“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1, NIV)
The Name “God”
By far the most common name for God is “God.” That may sound like an unnecessary statement, but it needs to be said. We need to think about why we call God “God” and why God has revealed himself to us as “God.” It’s something we take for granted. We don’t take time to think about what it means when we use the name “God.”
The bible begins by calling him by this name. “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1). In the Hebrew the root word is “El.” This is the common word used for God or gods. This word is used 6,620 times throughout the Old Testament. However, there’s more to the story. In Genesis 1:1 the word isn’t just “El” but is “Elohim,” which is the plural form of the word, which raises some questions.
Why Plural?
Why would the Biblical writers use the plural form of the word while confessing that we worship ONE God? There are many explanations for this throughout the years. Some have said it’s plural because the name is a remnant from a more primitive religion that believed in many gods. Some have said this is an early reference for the Triune nature of God. Yet, when we understand the way Israel used the Hebrew language, there’s a better explanation.
If you want to emphasize something in Hebrew, you repeat it. So, if you hit something really hard, you “hit hit something.” If you want to say that God is the epitome of holiness, you say He is “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Isaiah 6:3). If you want to emphasize that God is the epitome of all gods, you write his name in the plural form.
Fullness of Life and Power
Along these lines, Herman Bavinck says, “All of these plural constructions denote God as the fullness of life and power…it expresses the idea of absolute transcendence with respect to the entire universe” (Reformed Dogmatics, p. 139). When scripture uses the name “Elohim” (used 2,597 times in the Old Testament) it is pointing us to a deity that is the epitome of all life and power. All life finds its fulfillment in Him. All power finds its fulfillment in Him.
Not only do these things find their fulfillment in Him, they find their origin in Him. “Elohim” is the one who created all things by the breath of his mouth (Genesis 1:1). Since He is fullness of power, he can create everything. Since He is fullness of life, all life comes from Him. He is the creator and sustainer of all life.
Speaking The Name “God”
It’s incredible to realize that WE should mean these same things when we use the word “God.” It’s become a common word we use without thinking—it easily rolls off our tongue—yet it’s packed with meaning. When we speak the name “God,” we are speaking about the One who is full of life and power and the creator and sustainer of all life and power. It’s a name we shouldn’t speak thoughtlessly. Our hearts should be stirred to love and worship the One who holds the name.
So, take some time this week to meditate on the meaning of the name “God.” Hopefully, it will no longer be a name that comes thoughtlessly off our lips, but brings us to worship and adore our God.