EmmDev 2022-09-30 [Attributes and Names of God] Adonai and Sabaoth

Adonai and Sabaoth

To end our series we'll be looking at two last names.

The first is Adonai which means "my Lord" and in the NIV is often translated "Sovereign."
As a young Christian I worked with another youth leader in the church. When he talked about Lord, he always talked about "the Boss." This was never flippant, but absolutely serious - I have seldom met someone who was so willing to be led, guided and prompted by God even when it was hard. One night, at a youth service, when we were invited to bring a symbolic offering to the Lord, my friend, simply put his bunch of keys on the altar: "My house, my car, my office - it's all Yours Boss!"
That's what calling God "Adonai" means.

Interestingly, because the Jews felt that the Covenant Name "Yahweh" (YHWH) was too holy to speak or read out loud, they would substitute another God-name when they were reading the Scriptures. The name they read was Adonai.

One last thought: There are nearly 300 times that "Yaweh"/"Adonai" and "Elohim" are combined with the Hebrew word "Sabaoth" which means "of hosts" or "of armies". This name denotes His absolute sovereignty over every army, both spiritual and earthly. The Lord of Hosts is the king of all heaven and earth.

It's on this triumphant and victorious note that we end our series on the Names and Attributes of God - I hope it has been a blessing.

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (1Sam 17:45) Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD? (2Samuel7:18-19)

P.S. On Monday we switch to our Month of Mission where we will be getting devotions from various ministers in the Presbyterian Church on the theme of Mission. I pray you will find it a great blessing.

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EmmDev 2022-09-29 [Attributes and Names of God] Elohim

Elohim

The name "Elohim" means "strength" or "power". It is often used in the context of creation. It is one of the most common names for God in the OT. It is also used to refer to other gods, kings and other powerful beings.

What is unusual about "Elohim" is that, grammatically speaking, it is a plural but when the OT uses it in relationship with God, it appears with verbs that denote a singular subject.
So, for example, in Genesis 1:1 we read: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
"Created" is the Hebrew verb "bara" which is in a third person singular.
So we have "In the beginning Elohim(plural) (he - singular)created..."
There are many, many instances like this and, in the context of the Old Testament, it may have been a way of saying that, among all the other gods that people believed in, Israel's God was unique.

There is an interesting occurrence later in Genesis one where we read: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...'" Here it is clear in the English and in the Hebrew that the verbs are also plural. And we can't argue that God is conversing with the angels, because then we as human beings would be created in the image of God and angels.

So we may be dealing with the earliest inkling or indication that God is a community (which we call a Trinity - three beings in perfect harmonious community, so close that they are one - a being in which perfect love exists.)

It's interesting that the Shema, the faith declaration of the Israelites, proclaimed:
"Hear O Israel, the LORD (Yahweh) your God (Elohim), the LORD (Yahweh) is One (Echad)."
The word Echad not only means "one" it also means "only one".
So: ""Hear O Israel, the LORD your God, the LORD is the Only One."

Let's sum up:
Elohim denotes strength and power.
The Hebrews saw their God ("Yahweh") as the "God amongst the gods" (Plural Elohim with singular verbs).
There are occasional hints that there was an understanding that God was a community.
With our New Testament eyes, we see an early awareness of the Trinity.

Who is our God?
He is strong and powerful, He is the Only One among all the wannabees and He is a perfect community of Love and we are created in His image and He wants to be in a covenant and communal relationship with us!

And maybe we read this into our text below:
"I will be all the Gods to them..." or "and I will be all the God they need..." or "I will be the only God they need..."

And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be Elohim to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their Elohim." (Genesis17:7-8)

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EmmDev 2022-09-28 [Attributes and Names of God] El Shaddai

(Apologies for the missed devotion yesterday...)

El Shaddai

As we close off our series on the names and attributes of God, we'll be looking at three more Hebrew names that were used for God.

Today we look at "El Shaddai".
This name is used in two ways in the OT: "El Shaddai" appears 7 times and "Shaddai" appears 41 times (with more than 20 of these being in the book of Job). While there is great debate about the origins and possible meanings of "Shaddai", the broad consensus is that the word implies "Almighty" or "Sovereign". This is particularly appropriate in the book of Job where Job is resisting "the Almighty".

There are seven occurrences where "Shaddai" ("the Almighty") is combined with "El" ("God"). Our passage in Ezekiel is one of these. There are a couple of things to note about this passage:

Firstly, "El Shaddai" is used in parallel with "Yahweh" ("LORD" in the text) implying that Israel's "I am" is also "God Almighty". Secondly, this is the very sad picture of the glory of the Lord departing from the Jerusalem temple. It is a reminder that God was not "enclosed" by the temple. The prophet Jeremiah had repeatedly warned the Israelites that their belief that the safety of Jerusalem was guaranteed by God's presence in the temple was unfounded. Ezekiel reminds us that God is Almighty, He is not "trapped" by the rituals and buildings of humankind. Thirdly, we know that the presence of the Lord moves from the temple and appears to Ezekiel at the Kebar river in Babylon and that the "creatures" pulling the "chariot" described by Ezekiel resemble the creatures depicted in the temples of the Babylonian gods. In other words, God is Sovereign and Almighty over all other gods - they are just beasts of burden in His service.

"El Shaddai" appears five times in Genesis where we get a clear sense that He is the God of generations who blesses us with offspring and a future.

So what do we learn?

God is Almighty. Job learned that he couldn't "take the Almighty to court". From Ezekiel we learn that God can't be caged and that He goes where He pleases and is sovereign over all other "gods". Genesis reminds us that He is the God of generations who blesses us with fruitfulness.

Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD. The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks. (Ezekiel10:4-5)

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EmmDev 2022-09-23 [Attributes and Names of God] Immutable

(Apologies for the missed emmdev yesterday...)

Immutable

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews, after celebrating the supremacy of Jesus as our great High Priest and Perfect Sacrifice, says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

God is Immutable - this means that in His being and nature God is constant, consistent, reliable and unchanging. In some senses, this is both logical and necessary:

• If God did change, then He would either be better or worse after the change and therefore would not be perfect.
• If God knows everything, then there is no need to change.
• If God did change, then there would be a time before the change and a time after the change, but God is actually outside of time and so He does not change.

Some will argue that scripture records instances where God changed His course of action. A good example is when God announces to Jonah that He is going to judge Nineveh and then, when the city responds to gastric-acid bleached Jonah's preaching, God spares Nineveh, much to Jonah's chagrin. But this is not a change in who God is - after all, one of His attributes is that He is merciful. This means that when people repent after being warned it is entirely consistent for God to show mercy.

God has chosen to give human beings free will and, as such, their decisions have an impact on how God responds. This flexibility is part of who God is and was taken into consideration when God created us. In His omniscience He knows what He will do no matter what we do and He is ready for every situation. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree God didn't say "Oh my goodness what do I do now!?!" He was always ready and always had a plan.

So God is flexible in His dealings with humankind but this is part of who He is and always has been. He has allowed for all the possibilities and is ready for them all. His nature and character remain unchanged.

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you." (Psalms102:25-28)

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EmmDev 2022-09-21 [Attributes and Names of God] Wise

Wise

Someone said: "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it into a fruit salad!"
God is both knowledgeable and wise. We have explored His knowledge when we talked about omniscience and transcendence. God not only knows more than we will ever know, but He is also wise.

Wisdom applies knowledge for the best possible outcome. Wisdom anticipates the future and provides for it. Wisdom sees what others miss and isn't clouded by emotion and circumstances. Wisdom works with the bigger picture and plays a long game. Wisdom understands what is really going on. Wisdom combines science (from chemistry to psychology) with faith and feelings. Wisdom is able to see all the clues and cues and makes the right call. Wisdom spots the liar and detects traps. Wisdom brings out the best and beautiful in each person and circumstance it encounters. Wisdom ultimately results in gooood. (Word stretched out on purpose to accentuate it...)

Paul told the Corinthians that the cross and God's wisdom would be "foolishness" to those who did not believe. For us who have limited perspective, capacity and focus, God's ways are not always understandable and don't always make sense to us, but throughout Scripture we see those who walk with God acknowledging His wisdom.

Ironically, for us to understand God's wisdom doesn't require more IQ (Intelligent Quotient) but more FQ (Faith Quotient) and the more time we spend with Him, the wiser we become.

By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. (Proverbs3:19-20)

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EmmDev 2022-09-20 [Attributes and Names of God] Sovereign

Sovereign

God's Sovereignty is an incredibly difficult concept for us - especially in the context of a broken world.
On the one hand, if God were not sovereign, then there would be things that are not under His control and then He would not be God and would not be enough. On the other hand, if God is sovereign over everything, does this make Him the author of famine, earthquake, war and all the other things that break our world?

David was no stranger to hardship, sorrow and loss and yet in today's reading we find him honouring and exalting God and recognising that the Lord is "ruler of all things."

So how do we understand God's Sovereignty?

The best explanation I can offer is to draw a big circle and then a smaller one inside. From the center of the two circles draw a cross that extends to the width and top of the outer circle and extends below the outer circle (just so that it looks like a cross and not a plus.)

The outer circle is what God allows in order to give humanity the gift of free will. In this circle are all the things that God allows but does not like. Broken humanity and our broken world are responsible for these things and they are not what God wants for us. They are the consequence of humanity squandering the freedom He gave us. Think about parenting: If parent swoops in every time to protect a child from the consequences bad choices made in their freedom, then the child isn't free and child cannot grow.

The inner circle is what God wills - This is when God is at work and intervenes in our lives. This is when we use our free will to respond in obedience to Him. This is where prayers are answered, needs are provided and people do good and beautiful things.

The Cross is where God through His Son, embraces the pain of a broken world and bears its weight. It is where we can find healing and restoration and where that which God allows can, through grace, love and forgiveness can be brought into God's will.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. (1Chronicles29:11-13)

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EmmDev 2022-09-16 [Attributes and Names of God] The Lord is Good.

The Lord is Good.

God is good.
Good not only in the moral sense of being right, just and correct.
But good in the sense of kindness, mercy and grace.

There is a goosebump story in the Old Testament that illustrates this...

When Hezekiah (one of Israel's last good kings) had the temple refurbished, they found a scroll of the law of the Lord. When Hezekiah read it, he tore his robes in repentance because they had neglected so many of the Lord's festivals and feasts. Although it was too late to hold the Passover at the appointed time, Hezekiah wasn't willing to wait a year before celebrating God's deliverance, and so they had it a month late.
Just imagine Christmas being moved to January!

Because it was all done hastily, the people and the priests hadn't had time to consecrate themselves.
So there was so much that wasn't right.
The time was wrong, the people weren't consecrated, and the priests weren't ready.

But Hezekiah prays for the people, appealing to the goodness of God and God responds with forgiveness and grace.

It's an incredible and beautiful moment!

Our God is Good and His love endures forever!

Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs to the LORD. Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God--the LORD, the God of his fathers--even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary." And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. (2Chronicles30:17-20)

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EmmDev 2022-09-15 [Attributes and Names of God] Merciful

Merciful

Nehemiah helped the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. In doing that, he also helped them to rebuild their spiritual walls by gathering the people together and having the law read to them. The people were deeply moved and returned to the Lord. Our reading today is part of the prayer of covenant renewal which they prayed at this time.

The prayer recalls the ups and downs of Israel's history, with God being responsible for most of the ups and the people being responsible for the downs. Look at the words the prayer uses of the people: "arrogant", "disobeyed", "sinned", "stubbornly", "stiff-necked", "refused to listen" and "paid no attention."

If I were God, I think I would wind this all up and start again on Mars!

But God, while allowing them to experience the consequence of their rebellion, doesn't treat them as their sins deserve. He shows them great mercy.

Mercy:
when someone deserves and has brought great trouble on themselves,
when someone has no rights and cannot leverage any kind of claim,
when someone has used up all their credit and is in debt on every front...
and is still given a chance, then that is mercy.

This is our story (and this is our song!)
God did not end us or abandon us.
He sent us His Son!

You warned them to return to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. (Nehemiah9:29-31)

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EmmDev 2022-09-14 [Attributes and Names of God] Father (and Mother)

Father (and Mother)

When God rescues us and forgives our sin, His Spirit assures us that we are God's children, adopted yes, but fully and legitimately regarded as nothing less than His children. We are doubly children of God: He created us, but we rebelled, and when we could not come back ourselves, He bought us back and adopted us.

God is our Father. Some would say God reveals Himself as Father. That implies that God, wanting to reveal Himself to humanity, looked for metaphors to explain and illustrate His nature to a patriarchal culture like Israel's, He chose the image of a Father because they were familiar with it.

But I want to suggest a different approach... God doesn't reveal Himself as our Father, God is Father. Because we are created in His image, we, when we are at our best, are echoes of His nature as Father (and also Mother.) This resolves a crisis people have when their earthly fathers were abusive or absent. If they start with their earthly fathers as the standard for fatherhood, then God-as-father is a tough image. If they start with God as the "gold-standard" for fatherhood, then they can come to a place of saying: "My earthly father failed to live up to the call to Fatherhood that God placed in him, but in God (and in the godly men in my church community), I can experience Fatherhood as it was meant to be."

What is God's standard of Fatherhood? Compassion, Grace, Comfort, Protection, Provision, Safety, Nurture, Strength and Love. (We could talk about this all day!)

Interestingly enough, God is also Mother. Although there are fewer images in the Scriptures, they are there. In Isaiah 49:15 Isaiah suggests that even if it were possible for an earthly mother to forget a child, it will not happen with God. Earthly mothers too are created in the image of God. God transcends male and female. Both men and women are equally representative of the image of God and each partially reflect the fullness of God.

When earthly fathers and mothers fail, they're not just failing some role society has created, they are failing the role that God's image in them has called them to. When earthly mothers and fathers do well, they are reflecting the fullness of their Creator.

Paul, beautifully explains a close and intimate relationship that we can experience with God through the Holy Spirit's prompting and connection. The Aramaic word "Abba" is an intimate word. People often translate it as "Daddy" or "Pappa" but it is not only used by young children. A young man, turning to his father for advice and counsel, would also say "Abba". Abba means endearment and deep trust.

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to full legal standing as a child and heir of God. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs---heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans8:15-17)

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EmmDev 2022-09-13 [Attributes and Names of God] Immanent

Immanent

Immanent (not "imminent") means indwelling, existing within, operating within or inherent. For example: inherent beauty is not something imposed but something immanent. It means being within the limits of possible experience or knowledge - in contrast to transcendent.

We've looked at God's Transcendence - that God's glory, might, power and knowledge are beyond our grasp and control. We can't comprehend Him, control Him, or predict what He will do, but, in the mystery of His mercy, He reveals Himself to us. He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. He met with Moses in the Tabernacle. He revealed His character in the Law and used nature to display His power, majesty and generosity. He spoke through the prophets and then, in the ultimate act of love, He took on our flesh and came into our world and chose to die rather be separated from us by our sin. Then He chose to take our humanity into heaven and into the Godhead and then He sent His Holy Spirit into our hearts.

Paul puts it so beautifully in Colossians: "To them (the saints) God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col.1:27)

Elsewhere Paul reminds us: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? (1Cor3:16)

Jesus painted a picture the Pharisees couldn't grasp - God's Kingdom is not here or there - it is IN us. It meant that the Transcendent God is amazingly and mysteriously Immanent.

Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke17:20)

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