LET MY WORDS BE FEW

 Week 5: Genesis 2:4-17

Day 2: Knowing God through His Name

READ: Review Genesis Chapters 1 and 2, marking the names of God, revealed in these chapters

EXPLORE:

As you read and marked the Creator’s name, in Chapter 1:1 – 2:3 you probably observed God’s exclusive name used as “God” or Elohim.  Then, in Genesis 2:4-22 you may have noticed His name seemed to change exclusively to “LORD GOD” or the compound Yahweh-Elohim.  Does this mean the Genesis account of creation is referring to two different gods and their accounts of creation? This concept of some, is not true. 

I would first like to draw your attention to the rest of the Bible and what it says about God.  Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” Look what Isaiah 43:10 declares: “…I am He.  Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.”  Isaiah 44:6 confirms this with “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.” The New Testament also confirms this truth: “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).”  

The two different Hebrew words used to reveal God, in the creation account of Genesis 1 and 2, describe different characteristics of our one true God.  The author is wanting to emphasize the majestic and all-powerful, awesome Creator God, “Elohim” in Chapter 1.  In Chapter 2, God’s character is revealed to His creation/man, as Yahweh-Elohim.  Yahweh (always translated in all capital letters as “the LORD”), is God’s personal name and reveals the desire of God to have a personal relationship with us, His special creation.   

Another Old Testament name referring to God, Adonai, means “my master”, is also translated as Lord in English, but not with all capital letters. These two names translated in Scripture for the name of God (LORD Yahweh and Lord Adonai), can often be confusing.   The context of how the name is used will help clear up any questions. Just as Elohim, Yahweh-Elohim, and Adonai, are names of our one true God, Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Rapha, El Roi, Immanuel, and others, are also used, at times, to help us humans understand God’s nature.  

We can be assured that the Scriptures clearly teach that our God is one, even when He is described by different names. There is no contradiction between the creation accounts, in Genesis 1:1-2:3 and Genesis 2:4-22, merely because two different names and attributes are given us.  

APPLY:  What did you learn about the character of God today? How does this knowledge inspire you to worship and have a more personal relationship with your Creator?