God
Part 1: God
ABOUT CREATION
We often miss the point of creation. When we read the first two chapters of Genesis to understand our origin, we are only scratching the surface. What if we viewed creation to help us understand who God is and what He is capable of doing? He says, “Let there be light,” and immediately, there is something that, to our knowledge, had never existed before. This might seem silly, but have you ever tried to “speak” something into existence? Have you ever “willed” a physical thing to become? The answer is no. But God did. Not only that but keep in mind that everything that was created was done to reflect the goodness of God. Alone, He created order, life, and the means of survival.
Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (ESV).
The Hebrew word for God in this verse is Elohim אֱלֹהִ֑ים, which is the plural form of Eloah אֱלוֹהּ. This name of God means The Strong Creator God, and because it is written in the plural form, it becomes the first place we see the trinity in Scripture. For example, a literal translation could say: “In the beginning, Elohim (God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) created the heavens and the earth.”
In the gospel of John, we see confirmation that Jesus was with God the Father in the beginning when They created everything. John begins his gospel in a similar way to the beginning of Genesis. In some ways, they parallel one another. Look at the similarities in Genesis 1:1-2 and John 1:1-3:
Genesis 1:1-2 "In the beginning God (the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit) created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (NIV).”
John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made (NIV).”
Both passages start with the three-word phrase: "In the beginning," indicating they refer to the same moment—when time started. To refer to God, the writer of Genesis (probably Moses) used the word Elohim (God), while John uses Logos (Word). In John 1:14, we learn that the Word is Jesus.
Both Genesis and John continue with light. Look how it is used in Genesis 1:3-5 and John 1:4-5:
Genesis 1:3-5 "And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day (NIV).”
John 1:4-5 "In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (NIV).”
Notice in the Genesis passage, the light was spoken into existence. This is prior to the creation of the sun, moon, stars, etc. The light came from God’s command. Just as God brought light at the dawn of time, Jesus brings light to restore the chasm between man and God.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
"I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you" (Job 42:2, NLT).
The Attributes of God:
We identify God's attributes so we can know who He has revealed Himself to be and what His character is like. God possesses two types of attributes: communicable (attributes humans can also have to a certain degree) and incommunicable (attributes humans cannot possess). Based on the list on the following page, write down some of His communicable attributes and His incommunicable attributes.
Communicable
Incommunicable
He has aseity: God is self-reliant and not dependent on anyone or anything that He has created. Incommunicable
Eternal: God has no beginning and no end. He has always existed, and He will always exist. Incommunicable
Goodness: God is the standard of good. Anything that is deemed good must be done so in comparison and in light of God. Communicable
Graceful: God is full of grace and gives it to those who accept Him. It is the manner in which He gives us what we do not deserve (i.e., salvation). Communicable
Holiness: God is holy and set apart from the ordinary things. Communicable
Immutability: God will not change His mind, His being (who He is, His purpose, or His promises.) Incommunicable
Infinite: God has no limit in size, space, or extent. It is an impossible calculation to measure because it is endless. Incommunicable
Just: God is fair and always correct. Communicable
Merciful: God shows kindness to those in need and also to those who have done wrong. Communicable
Omniscient: God is all-knowing. He knows Himself and all things that are and all things that are possible. Incommunicable
Omnipotent: God is all-powerful. He can and will do whatever His will is. Incommunicable
Omnipresent: God is present in every place at every time. Incommunicable
Patient: God is capable of enduring without becoming angry or nervous. Communicable
Peaceful: God is distinct from any chaos or disarray through His nature and deeds. Communicable
Righteous: God is the ultimate authority on righteousness and consistently behaves in alignment with it. Communicable
Truthful: God is the standard of all that is true. Communicable
THE NAMES OF GOD
Tetragrammaton is the Jewish four-letter word for God (YHWH). This name was considered so holy that people did not write or speak it. Today, in English, it is written as “G-d” without vowels or represented by HaShem, which means “the name.”
In Scripture, the word "name" is used 1,100 times and nearly half of the time, it refers to the Godhead. Below are the terms used as names and descriptions of God that we know to be true of Him and His character. There are more names to explore, so feel free to do further research on this topic. Choose 5 names that are particularly significant in relation to the character of God and His impact on your life and circle them.
Elohim
The Strong Creator God | Genesis 1:1-2
Jehovah
The English for YHWH | Genesis 2:4
El Bethel
The God of the House of God | Genesis 35:7
El Elyon
The Most High God | Daniel 3:26
El Emunach
The Faithful God | Deuteronomy 7:9
Elohei Tehillati
God of My Praise | Psalm 109:1
Elohim Chayim
The Living God | Joshua 3:10
El Hayyay
The God of my Life | Psalm 42:8
Elohim Kedoshim
The Holy God | Joshua 24:19
El Kanna
The Jealous God | Exodus 20:5
Elohei Ma'uzzi
The God of my strength (strong fortress) | 2 Samuel 22:33
'Ab
Father | Psalm 68:5
Elohim Machase Lanu
God our Refuge | Psalm 62:8
El Maelekhi
God my King | Psalm 68:24
El Nekamoth
The God Who Avenges | Psalm 18:47
El Nose
The God Who Forgives | Psalm 99:8
Elohenu Olam
The Everlasting God | Psalm 48:14
Elohim Ozer Li
The God My Help | Psalm 54:4
El Roi
The God Who Sees Me | Genesis 16:13
El Simchath Gili
The God of My Exceeding Joy | Psalm 43:3
Elohe Tishuanthi
The God of My Salvation | Psalm 51:14
Elohei Haelohim
The God of gods | Deuteronomy 10:17
Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh
I AM | Exodus 3:14
Jehovah Adon Kol Ha-arets
The Lord of All the Earth | Joshua 3:13
Jehovah Chereb
The Lord, The Sword | Deuteronomy 33:29
Jehovah Tsaba
The Lord of Warfare (hosts) | 1 Samuel 17:45
Sar Shalom
Prince of Peace | Isaiah 9:6
Jehovah Jireh
The Lord Will Provide | Genesis 22:14
Jehovah Rophe
The Lord Our Healer | Exodus 15:26
Jehovah Rohi
The Lord Shepherd | Psalm 23:1
Ruach Hakkodesh
Holy Spirit | Psalm 51:11
Jehovah Sali
The Lord My Rock | Psalm 18:2
Jehovah Shalom
The Lord Our Peace | Judges 6:24
Jehocah Shammach
The Lord is There | Ezekiel 48:35
Immanuel
God With Us | Isaiah 7:14
GOD CREATED MAN
In Mark 12, the Pharisees attempt to deceive Jesus in order to find a pretext for arresting Him.
"And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.
And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?’
But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ‘Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.’
And they brought one.
And he said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’
They said to him, ‘Caesar's.’
Jesus said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.’ And they marveled at him (Mark 12:13-17, ESV).”
The creation of man and woman reflects the presence of God’s image and likeness in our origin narrative.
We can see His image and likeness reflected in us, making us His own. Therefore, we should “give back to God what is God’s.”
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them" (NIV).
THE CREATION OF ADAM (MAN)
Genesis 2:7 "Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person" (NLT). Humans are not only created in God's image but also with His literal breath, which sets us apart from everything else that is created.
THE CREATION OF WOMAN (EVE)
Genesis 2:18: "The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him" (NIV).
The word helper comes from the Hebrew word עֵזֶר (Ezer). The word “helper” is not to be viewed as a second-class citizen whose only role is in the kitchen, cooking, or cleaning the house. This term is used for an ally. This term is used for someone who performs acts of valor. An ezer is far more than just an assistant; she is a battle partner.
Although God created men and women with different purposes and roles, they were still created equal in worth, dignity, value, and love.
