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Announcer (00:00:00): It is time to think about the Bible like you never have before. This is Christian Questions. Experience more episodes, videos, and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com. Today's topic is, "Who is God?" The idea of God is common throughout history and culture, but the understanding of who He is and what He stands for is in most cases a mystery. The good news is it doesn't have to be. The Bible gives us powerful and layered descriptions of God. Wouldn't it be great to know what they are? Here's Rick, Jonathan and Julie.

Rick (00:00:35): Welcome everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over 25 years, and Julie, a longtime contributor is also with us. Jonathan, what's our theme scripture for this episode?

Jonathan (00:00:46): Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Rick (00:00:53): That's a short theme scripture right at the beginning. Whether we like it or not, or believe it or not, the presence of powers higher than our human understanding cannot be denied. The debate begins and rages when we try to label these powers. Our human perspectives, belief systems, and even how we claim to apply science all come into play here. As Christians, we by definition believe that God is the ultimate source of power. We believe Him to be wise, just, and loving in His expressions of that power. But how do we know this to be true? It's no surprise that the answer to knowing who God is exists in a very broad and orderly fashion in the Bible. Literally starting at the beginning will lay a foundation for us to not only begin to understand God, but also to begin to have a deep appreciation of who He really is.

Jonathan (00:01:51): In this episode, we will find deep significance and beauty by looking at many descriptions of our Heavenly Father in the Old Testament.

Julie (00:02:00): Unfortunately, our English Bibles have hidden some beautiful lessons about God by replacing specific descriptions in Hebrew with simply the words "God" or "LORD." Instead of going through the technical definitions for every one of these words, we're going to simply give their meaning in many cases. We'll put more information in the free CQ Rewind Show Notes that are available on our website and app.

Rick (00:02:23): Alright, so let's go to the beginning. You open up your Bible and you go to the very first line, and here's what you have. Genesis 1:1:

Jonathan (00:02:33): "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Rick (00:02:38): Simple statement. Understanding this verse is the foundation for understanding who God is. I mean, think about that. There's a simplicity and a logic to using this particular verse because it is literally the beginning. One important detail here. While there are dozens of ways the Old Testament describes God, the entire first chapter of Genesis only uses one word to describe Him. Jonathan, what's that word and what does it mean?

Jonathan (00:03:10): This word is "Elohim," meaning "rulers, judges, or divine ones." It is used 2,606 times in the Old Testament and approximately 10% of the time it's not used to represent God. It describes others as well, but it is one of His main identifiers.

Julie (00:03:31): Why would the entire Bible introduce God with a word that's not exclusively used to describe Him?

Rick (00:03:37): You'd think that it would be like, okay, let's get it together. Here's GOD! It's different. Genesis 1 primarily establishes the Creator's power and authority. That's the objective of this chapter. What is the most common denominator of rulers and judges? Jonathan, you said that was the definition of "Elohim" - "rulers and judges." The most common denominator is power and authority. Genesis 1 shows us how God's power and authority combined were the catalyst for our world's creation. The Genesis creative account is only focused on planet Earth. The heavens referenced are the atmosphere that surrounds our planet. This account was written so humanity could comprehend our beginnings and the superior power and authority of God behind the creation of life.

Julie (00:04:31): We're looking at this account of creation from the perspective of a human being on earth observing what happened.

Jonathan (00:04:40): When I read it this time, let me substitute "Elohim" for "God" because this is how God chose to identify Himself. Let's read Genesis 1:1-2: "In the beginning, Elohim (God) created the heavens and the earth (heavens meaning the sky as seen from earth; our atmosphere). The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of Elohim (God) was moving over the surface of the waters."

Rick (00:05:10): Elohim, the power and authority, the spirit of God's power and authority was moving over the surface of the waters. What is this saying? There was no light penetrating through the chaotic veil around the planet. God set nature in motion. That's what it's talking about. The spirit of God moving over the surface of the waters.

Julie (00:05:32): Critics who believe in science and not God, don't acknowledge that God is the Creator of science. His rules for the universe are what drive it in all of its vast and magnificent harmony. Realizing that all of those scientific laws and principles are God's designs allows us to better understand and appreciate the spiritual, the scriptural account of creation. Creation doesn't contradict science, as it follows the specific scientific rules God created.

Rick (00:06:03): With God's spirit setting the laws of nature in motion, I mean, talk about power and authority. God's spirit sets this whole process in motion. We're going to see next light being unleashed to do its natural work of establishing an environment to stimulate growth. There is a process of nature that God is unleashing here.

Jonathan (00:06:28): Where our English word "God" is used, we will use the Hebrew word "Elohim." Genesis 1:3-5: "Then Elohim said, Let there be light; and there was light. Elohim saw that the light was good; and Elohim separated the light from the darkness. Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day."

Rick (00:06:52): You have a real straightforward process. "Elohim says, Let there be light." God's power and authority; that's what we're seeing. That's what we're focusing on here. "Let there be light; and there was." It doesn't say that God went, "Okay, bzzt. Now there's light." He is unleashing the power of the nature that He created. He's saying, "It is time for this piece to move into action." This "let there be light" was not, as we mentioned before, it was not the creation of the sun. It was the introduction of the power of the sun into the formation of the environment of the earth. God is saying, "Let the surface have light." This shows us God's power, Elohim's power in designing nature to develop planet Earth.

Julie (00:07:48): A lot of people get confused on this. The creation of the universe happened before the descriptions start that we read in Genesis 1 and 2. The sun was already in existence. An example of what's happening here is when we open a shade in a dark room. The light outside exists, but you can't see it with the shade down. God lifted up the shade and now there's light.

Jonathan (00:08:11): God describes the process of creation in a basic understandable way. Earth was created as a water-based planet and needed light in order to move forward.

Rick (00:08:21): You see that the spirit of Elohim, the power and influence of God's power and authority, moves things into place. The entire first chapter of Genesis is showing us God's power and authority over this amazing process that we, all of these thousands of years later, are trying to figure out how did it happen? He had it all in hand. Every mention of God in chapter 1 shows us Elohim, God's sheer power and authority. A couple of more examples; Jonathan, let's go to Genesis 1:9:

Jonathan (00:09:01): "Then Elohim said, Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so."

Rick (00:09:09): Again, notice how it says, "Let the waters below the heavens gather into one place." It doesn't say "Bzzt, I'm going to make it happen." He set in motion the process. God created nature. I can't say that enough. His power and authority put this very logical, creative, developmental process all in place. Let's go to one more example of Elohim in Genesis 1. Jonathan, let's go to Genesis 1:24, 26:

Jonathan (00:09:41): "Then Elohim said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind; and it was so. Then Elohim said, Let Us make man in our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

Julie (00:10:08): You read, "Let Us make man in Our image." Who is Elohim talking to? This is Jesus in his prehuman existence. He's called the "Logos" in Greek. He's called the "Word" in English. Can you imagine the power needed to design and create the intricacies and interconnectivity of all of nature? You have mathematics matter, energy, physics, chemistry, biology. We can't even figure out how our own immune system works. Everything is so complex and points to an unequivocal and an intelligent designer. Who is God? Well, He's Elohim, the Divine Being of power and authority.

Rick (00:10:49): Let's put this in perspective. In the first chapter of Genesis, God is introduced and there's one thing that's happening. It is the creation of something that will be a life-sustaining planet with all of the things on it and in it. Elohim, God's power and authority, is featured to show us, "This is what I'm doing." I really truly believe that when you see God having us recognize Him by using "Elohim" only in this chapter is to say, "Look at the power and authority above and beyond and behind all of this. All I want you to see is the incredible power, the incredible authority that puts all of this in place." And I think Genesis 1 gives us a foundation for saying, "Wow, God is something very special." Jonathan, let's wrap this piece up; Grasping the Greatness of God. Before you say a word, I say that almost tongue-in-cheek, because how can you possibly grasp the greatness of God? But let's try.

Jonathan (00:11:59): The Bible begins our comprehension of God by showing us His power and authority. It was this power and authority that drove the entire creative process. To accept this simple explanation is to accept the loftiness of God.

Rick (00:12:16): That's what we are here to try and understand. Our podcast today is about "Who is God?" The first thing we look at is this incredible power and authority that got us here. That's a beginning place. That's a place to start. That's where we can say, okay, now we can build something from there. We are just one chapter into the Bible and we're already in a position to have our minds expanded into wonderful and God-honoring ways.

Jonathan (00:12:46): Genesis 1 tells us the who, what, when, where, and how of creation. It does not tell us the why. So, why?

Rick (00:12:56): Alright, why? Now that we're paying attention, Genesis 2 will reveal some details of chapter 1, but in a very different way. Here in Genesis 2, we're given a second word to describe God that will be used along with the word that displays His power and authority. Because power and authority can be easily and often are misused (and if you look around, how many times do you see power and authority misused in our world; it's almost countless), we are given another way to see God. So throughout the second chapter of Genesis from verse 4 on, whenever we see God mentioned (Elohim mentioned), it's always with two words, not just one. What we will see is that now we have the God of relationship and sheer power and authority being described. Jonathan, let's go to Genesis 4:2.

Jonathan (00:13:56): Rick, that's Genesis 2:4.

Rick (00:13:58): I knew that.

Jonathan (00:13:59): This is from the King James version: "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens." The word "LORD" is "Jehovah," and the word "God" is "Elohim." This is the first time the name Jehovah is introduced. Jehovah means "the Self-Existent or Eternal One" and is by far the most common description of God, used over 6,500 times. A being is eternal if life is not dependent on any outside source. This is how He is also self-existent. Whereas "God" or "Elohim" is more generic and can apply to others, "LORD" or "Jehovah" is specific only to Him in the Old Testament.

Julie (00:14:49): In the Hebrew Bible, this name appears as four Hebrew consonants. It's usually transliterated as YHWH or JHVH, called a "tetragrammaton." Both Jews and Christians throughout the centuries have deemed the name either unpronounceable or too sacred to pronounce. The scholarly consensus is that it should be pronounced "Yahweh," but since at least the 1500s it's been translated into English with the spelling and pronunciation of "Jehovah."

Jonathan (00:15:19): The tetragrammaton, meaning "by letters right to left," is "He was, He is, and He will be."

Rick (00:15:30): That's pretty cool. It really puts God in a whole different perspective. We had power and authority, and now "He was, He is, and He will be."

Julie (00:15:41): If this word means "self-existent or eternal," why do we say that it's showing the God of relationship? What does relationship have to do with being eternal?

Rick (00:15:49): That's a really good question. This description of God is added in Genesis 2 to present the "why" of creation. As we touch on several scriptures from this chapter, what we're going to notice is that Genesis 2 is all about humanity. God's powerful and authoritative creation in chapter 1 was for the purpose of having a human family on earth. When we see the "Self-Existing One," we see it described in relation to, "Here's the reason I did all of chapter 1." Let's go through this. With this additional description, we can now briefly put the puzzle of chapter 2 together. Again, we're going to do it very, very briefly. The first three verses in Genesis 2 show us God's magnificent work was complete. As we requote verse 4, we're going to see that we're presented with a new viewpoint. So far it's been heaven and earth made by the mighty God (Elohim). Now we will see why the LORD Jehovah God (Elohim) made earth and heaven.

Jonathan (00:17:00): Where our English translation says "LORD God," I'm going to use the words "Jehovah Elohim." Again, that's Genesis 2:4: "This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah Elohim made earth and heaven."

Julie (00:17:17): Did you notice the reversal here in the same sentence? You said, "This is the account of heavens and the earth, and then Jehovah Elohim made earth and heaven."

Jonathan (00:17:27): It's a subtle clue that Genesis 2 will start to describe man's relationship to the earth and what God created for his benefit. The focus has changed.

Rick (00:17:38): It has. We need to pick up on that and realize that this is not just showing us more stuff; it's showing us more depth to the character of God Himself.

Julie (00:17:51): We know the who, what, the where, and the how. But here's the why. Earth takes precedent as the home of man who is the centerpiece of this whole creative process.

Rick (00:18:03): That will be the theme of Genesis 2. When we say "the Self-Existing One," no, it doesn't mean a God of relationship. But every time it's mentioned in Genesis 2, that's what it's describing. Hang on to that thought and watch how it just unfolds and shows us a depth to God's character that many, many times we read these verses and we just miss it. Jonathan, let's continue. Genesis 2:5-6:

Jonathan (00:18:32): "Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for Jehovah Elohim had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground."

Julie (00:18:51): Again, here is the "why" of Genesis 2. It's the attention goes now to the plant life and the connection of man as the centerpiece of its cultivation. God would eventually send rain. It would enable man to cultivate the earth. In other words, this is saying, "You will be part of the productivity that will feed you. You're going to have dominion. This planet is yours. It needs mankind to care for it." I'll just say, I don't think we've done a very good job of that. But moving right along,

Jonathan (00:19:19): This is how we see God as a God of relationship. He shows His incredible love for us by methodically and thoughtfully building our home and then putting us in it to cultivate the ground.

Rick (00:19:32): When you see Jehovah (Self-Existing One), that's such a lofty title and it is, and it should be and we need to reverence it. But see it through the eyes of "the high and lofty Self-Existing One did this for you." That's what Genesis 2 is showing us. Let's continue. Man's creation is next referenced in Genesis 2:7:

Jonathan (00:19:58): "Then the Jehovah Elohim formed man of the dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

Julie (00:20:07): Here's the "why" to that. No other earthly creation was so personally created and energized. This proves the personal connection between God and man. The Self-Existing One had a plan for man to be the centerpiece in this amazing creation of earth. Every other form of life was a cycle of nature set in motion. But humans, humans were completely different, which is how we know that the theory of evolution when it comes to man is completely contradictory to the biblical account of man's creation. The cycle of plants and animals, they do show natural evolution. The Bible and science agree.

Rick (00:20:45): They do, they do. In this verse, it's thrilling to me. It says "Jehovah Elohim, the Lord God, formed man from the dust of the ground." You have the power and authority and the Self-Existing One who is saying, "By My specific action, I now create humanity as the pinnacle of what I have put in place here." It sends shivers up your spine when you realize the Self-Existing One was looking for that relationship with the human family. This lavish gift of the Garden and the dominion over it, along with the animals, required both obedience from mankind and maintenance. God gave instructions in the next several verses, which again show His personal connection to Adam. Again, it's a personal connection, the Self-Existing One, a personal connection to the man that He put into this Garden on this marvelous planet. Genesis 2:18-19:

Jonathan (00:21:52): "Then Jehovah Elohim said, It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him. Out of the ground Jehovah Elohim formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name."

Julie (00:22:13): That is exciting. "Here Adam, this is all for you." Here's the "why;" God gave Adam naming authority. This furthers the connection between God and animal and now between man and the animals, all that God provided for him.

Jonathan (00:22:29): These verses are summing up that God made these animals for mankind because man is the centerpiece. They will be a part of man's life and he will name each one of them. This is showing that mankind is made in God's image. Man has authority over things. We aren't working on instinct as animals do. Human beings have dominion over the earth. We are the "Elohim," the "mighty ones" of this planet. Mankind is in a position of authority as rulers. That's the free will aspect God has given man. The name "Jehovah" doesn't mean "relationship," but these actions around the introduction of His name show us His character. He made all of this for us.

Rick (00:23:14): Jonathan, you said earlier that the word "Jehovah" appears like 6,500 times in the Old Testament. Folks, a challenge; when you see that word "Lord" (Jehovah) in the Old Testament, don't just think of "Self-Existing One." Think of the God who made us to have a relationship with Him because that's how He's introduced here in Genesis 2. With all of this, it helps us to understand that He had a bigger purpose than you can potentially ever, ever, ever imagine.

Julie (00:23:54): Who is God? He is Jehovah, the Self-Existent, Eternal One who made us to have a relationship with Him.

Rick (00:24:03): He is. Yet still, in Genesis 2, something very valuable was still missing. Let's go to Genesis 2:22:

Jonathan (00:24:15): "Jehovah Elohim fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man."

Rick (00:24:22): Genesis 1 showed us to first know God as the Almighty power and authority, know what God can do. Genesis 2 shows us to know Him as your Lord and God, Jehovah. Have a relationship with Him. This is God's "why."

Julie (00:24:45): The title of this episode is "Who Is God?" Going over these verses helps us see His incredible power and authority and the fact that all this was planned with man as the absolute centerpiece. We're important to God. Look at the details, look at the planning and the provisions made on our behalf. I feel very small.

Rick (00:25:05): We should. We should feel very small when we realize the extraordinary magnitude. Folks we're in just the first two chapters of the entire Bible, okay? We have just scratched the scratch of the surface to understand how deep the character of God is. We've looked at all of this to just give us a sense. Elohim, God's power and authority and Jehovah, the Self-Existing One who created us, mankind, so He could have a relationship. Hang on to those two thoughts, Elohim and Jehovah. Let's jump ahead with those two thoughts for a moment into the book of Exodus because now we can more clearly see God's motivation and reasoning behind His requirements for the high standards that He was going to require of Israel in Exodus.

Jonathan (00:25:57): This is after the Jewish nation was delivered from slavery out of Egypt. Exodus 20:1-5: "Then God Elohim spoke all these words, saying, I am Jehovah Elohim who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods (lowercase elohim, mighty ones) before Me. You shall not make for yourselves an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Jehovah Elohim, am a jealous God Elohim.

Julie (00:26:38): Humanity through Adam was first the centerpiece. But now Jehovah Elohim's focus would shift specifically to Israel as the centerpiece of mankind.

Jonathan (00:26:48): Israel was given the capacity to be blessed by Him through the Law Covenant, just like He gave Adam the rules of the Garden in order to be blessed. This same God of power, authority, and relationship was now bringing the Hebrews together as a nation to be His people.

Rick (00:27:06): What happened in Genesis 1 and 2 is carried throughout the rest of the Old Testament. That's the point. Genesis 1 and 2 give us the beginning. It gives us God having authority and power, and God, the Self-Existing One, looking for that human connectivity relationship. That's why He created us. When you have this nation of Israel coming into play, He presents Himself exactly the same way. Why? Because He has power and authority, and He was looking to Israel for that relationship, for that human family. That's why He gave them the Law, and that's why He gave them a hard time, because He wanted them to rise above sinfulness. This is the might and power and the glory of God just beginning to be unfolded. Jonathan, I know this is impossible. Let's try it again though. Grasping the Greatness of God; what do we have?

Jonathan (00:28:07): Not only are Genesis 1 and 2 in harmony with one another, together they tell the story of the greatness of God. Genesis 1 shows us His unfathomable power and authority as the designer and catalyst of creation. Genesis 2 shows us that He is a mighty God who is tenderhearted and loving towards His human family. He made the world for us.

Julie (00:28:33): For all God did for us, man has been a disappointment to Him in so many ways; our endless cruelty to each other, our disrespect of the earth, our mocking Him, having the complete opposite of reverence for Him and what He made for us. Hopefully this will inspire all of us to elevate the reverence of Jehovah Elohim, our Lord God, in a bigger way than before.

Rick (00:28:56): That's the point. Who is God? You can't ask that question without digging into this reverential approach to this Creator and these aspects of His wonderful, amazing and fathomless character. Just two chapters into the Bible and we are beginning to see the depth and complexity of God's character and purposes.

Jonathan (00:29:22): God is described to us as powerful, authoritative, and as the Existing One with whom we have a relationship. Does this ever change?

Rick (00:29:34): It does change and it changes in a dramatic way. As we continue to study God's word, we can see that He is described by these two words for a very long time in human history. Then something happens. God's time to establish the lineage of the Messiah arrives, and the father of this lineage is named Abram. This begins a whole new chapter even though we're still in Genesis. It's a whole new chapter, understanding the nature and the character and the name of God. Abram first appears in scripture at the end of Genesis 11. In Genesis 12, it's the first biblical account where God actually communicates with Abram. Here's that communication. Genesis 12:1-4:

Jonathan (00:30:32): "Now Jehovah said to Abram, Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. So Abram went forth as the Jehovah had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran."

Rick (00:31:06): Now this is interesting. Let's pause for a second, because it records this conversation of God talking to Abram. God is recognized only as "Jehovah." You don't have "Elohim" here. You say, why did you leave that part out? Because this is about the relationship. This is about Abram following God. "I will make of you a great nation. Go to a land that I will show you. It's you and Me together." It's showing the connectivity between God and Abraham. It's beautiful. God spoke; Abram followed. This began this special relationship between the two, between God and Abram. Abram, throughout the history of the entire Bible, became known as a friend of God. Think about the honor of title of "friend of God." Jonathan, let's go to James 2:23:

Jonathan (00:32:03): "...and the scripture was fulfilled which says, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

Rick (00:32:13): Okay, friendship. Julie, what is so special about friendship?

Julie (00:32:19): There's an expression about human friendships. It says friendship is knowing all about the person and loving them anyway. People we don't know very well are acquaintances. But we all know about our friends because we have shared experiences with them. We appreciate them. We can rely on each other because we've learned to trust each other. We might work alongside them for a common goal and we want to make our friends happy and in turn we want to feel good in their presence. Abram did all these things and in so doing, he grew in his understanding of who God is.

Jonathan (00:32:53): Abram, who was later renamed Abraham, expanded our understanding of God dramatically. Up to this point, God was known as Jehovah, Elohim, or LORD God. This would now change.

Rick (00:33:08): That's the point. Abram is this catalyst for dramatic change in the understanding of who God is. We're going to see that develop as we move further. Julie, where do we go next with the life of Abram and this unfolding of who God is?

Julie (00:33:27): Alright, let's turn to Genesis 14. When we look there, there's a war going on. You've got four kings, they get together, they conquer Sodom and Gomorrah. They take all the goods and all the people. Unfortunately Abram's nephew Lot was one of those captured. Abraham hears about this. He takes 318 of his servants, he saves Lot and the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abram returns victorious and he's about to be met by the king of Sodom as a big thank you. But he's first greeted by Melchizedek. He is both the king of Salem and a priest. As God's representative, he gives Abram a special blessing to show how honored he is before God.

Jonathan (00:34:10): We are going to get a new description of God at this point; "El Elyon." Two words, spelled "El" and "Elyon," which can be understood as "the most exalted or supreme God." Listen to how God is described to Abram in Genesis 14:18-22, and this is from the King James version: "And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: And he was the priest of the most high God or (El Elyon). And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of El Elyon (most high God), possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be El Elyon (again, the most high God), which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto Jehovah (El Elyon), the possessor of heaven and earth."

Julie (00:35:16): Did you hear what just happened? Jehovah's representative Melchizedek expands the description of God as "El Elyon." The king of Sodom is so appreciative to have his people back that he's offering to share his part of the spoils of war to Abram. Take what you want, just give me my people. Abram immediately uses this new description of God, Jehovah El Elyon effectively saying, "My God is better than your false gods." By the way, Abraham (or Abram at this point) took none of Sodom's goods. He didn't want the king to say that he was the one who made Abram rich. God made Abram rich and God gave this victory.

Rick (00:35:56): He did. I love the way Abram presents this to the king of Sodom. He says, "I have lifted up my hand unto Jehovah." This is something that was already established, and then El Elyon, the most high God. It is a very direct contrast to what the King of Sodom would have been used to. Abram is blunt and straightforward saying, "The Self-Existing One, the most high God."

Julie (00:36:27): Who is God? He is Jehovah El Elyon, the Most Exalted, Supreme God.

Jonathan (00:36:33): In Genesis 15, Abram prays and introduces another new description of God; "Adonai." This is an emphatic form of "my Lord." "Emphatic" means "showing or giving emphasis, expressing something forcibly and clearly." It is a title spoken in place of the name "Jehovah" in a Jewish display of reverence. This word carries a thought of sovereign Lord as displayed by Abram's question in Genesis 15:1-2: "After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great. Abram said, O (sovereign) Lord (or Adonai) Jehovah God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" In other words, "Our sovereign Lord, You are able to make things happen in my life. What do I do now since I don't have children?"

Julie (00:37:34): Yeah, what a beautiful personal description of God's power over Abraham. Again, personally, He is sovereign over me, not just over everything in a broad sense. Abraham shows us how to approach God with this appropriate humble reverence. Who is God? He is Adonai Jehovah, the Sovereign Lord over every aspect of the lives of those who obey Him.

Jonathan (00:37:58): He is their personal God.

Rick (00:38:00): The interesting thing here, the thing to really mark in our hearts and minds is Abram uses the word "Adonai" to identify God Almighty. He doesn't use "Yahweh," he doesn't use "Elohim." It's "Adonai," sovereign Lord. Why? This is the first time we see anybody, I believe in scripture--now, I might not be exactly perfectly 100% right on this, but I believe that this is the first time in scripture we see anybody approaching God in prayer with a name. Abram is showing us, "Here's how you go to the holy highest, heavenly Father, Adonai, supreme, sovereign Lord. I have an issue. You are sovereign. You are above and beyond and over it." It just gives us the sense that this God of authority and power, this God of relationship, has sovereignty over every aspect of the lives of those who choose to follow Him. Let's continue. We've got "Adonai" now as another way to describe who God is. Let's go to Genesis 17. In Genesis 17, God is speaking to Abram. God labels Himself. Now God labels Himself with yet another description to assist Abram in continuing in faith even when things seem hopeless. This next description is "El Shaddai." This word "Shaddai" has varied interpretations and likely refers to "God almighty, most powerful and all sufficient."

Jonathan (00:39:46): The context is, twenty-four years after Abraham was promised an heir, with no child in sight, Jehovah becomes "El Shaddai." Genesis 17:1-6: "And when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD Jehovah appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God (or El Shaddai); walk before me and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God (El) talked with him, saying, As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shall be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name anymore be called Abram, but thy name shall be called Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee." Abram would now become Abraham, and not only would he have a child, but he would become the father of many nations. God was indeed El Shaddai, God Almighty, most powerful and all-sufficient.

Julie (00:41:02): God hadn't forgotten His promise after all, 24 years later.

Rick (00:41:06): The real significant part of this is God tells Abram, Abraham now, "I am El Shaddai. I am the Sufficient, the All-Sufficient, Most Powerful God. Why am I telling you this now? Because it seems like you are in an impossible place and My sufficiency will carry you through." Do you see how the friendship that God has with Abraham unfolds and opens up as Abraham's life goes on? We started out twenty-four years before. Remember twenty-four years ago, Abraham is introduced to God in a new way by Melchizedek as El Elyon. Now you've got this from God Himself saying, "This is who I am to you. You are my friend, I care for you."

Julie (00:42:05): Who is God? He is El Shaddai, the Most Powerful and Sufficient God who can see things through even when they are hopeless in our eyes.

Rick (00:42:15): Do you understand folks? Just pause and consider what's happening through this friendship with God and Abraham, how God over Abraham's experiences unfolds His own character to him so he can see Him and he can hold onto Him in every single aspect of his life. There is another way to describe the Almighty, and Abraham is jumping on these ways because they are connected. That is Jehovah, the Self-Existing One, the God who seeks the relationship with humanity. Jonathan, let's again try Grasping the Greatness of God:

Jonathan (00:43:00): God's friendship with Abram, now called Abraham, revealed much of the character of God to all of us. God is the powerful and authoritative One who created. He is the Self-Existing One who set up humanity to be part of His family. He is the supreme God over all other gods and is sovereign in the lives of those who worship Him. He is most powerful and all-sufficient when we have challenges beyond our capacity.

Rick (00:43:33): In relation to Abram, he was El Elyon, the most exalted or supreme God. Abram called him Adonai, sovereign Lord. God told Abram, "I am El Shaddai. I am almighty and most powerful and all-sufficient for you in your life." Who is God? We are beginning to scratch the surface of understanding what that question really entails. To think that God's true character is being so clearly revealed as a result of His friendship with Abraham; that's an amazing inspiration.

Jonathan (00:44:07): Abraham really did know who God was in some previously unknown ways. Was Abraham given further revelations about God's character?

Rick (00:44:16): I am glad you asked. He absolutely was. This fact should teach us about the importance of obedience and loyalty to God, because Abraham stood out as one whom God could trust. He had the privilege of knowing God in a deeper way, especially as his life progressed. Here's the question; where do you and I stand? Are we in a position to know God more deeply or are we just along for the ride? Think about that. This is, who is God? Abraham's life is showing us who God is. Let's continue. Another name for God in the Old Testament is "Jehovah Rapha," which can be understood to mean "Jehovah God, the self-existing one who heals." While this exact phrase did not first appear in the accounts of Abraham, a very, very similar phrase did. Let's go to the context of this next situation. This next account is a problem, a debacle, with Abimelech. Julie, what's the problem here? I can't even say the guy's name. What's the problem?

Julie (00:45:33): Well, Abraham and his wife Sarah moved to the town of Gerar ruled by King Abimelech. Now there are several men called Abimelech in the Bible, so don't get confused. For the second time, Abraham told people a half-truth that Sarah was his sister. They technically had the same father but different mothers. He did this because he was thinking that Sarah would be taken and he would be killed. The king did take Sarah, not knowing she was married, thought it was his sister, but found out in a dream from God that Sarah was actually Abraham's wife and that he was instructed to return her, which he did along with cattle, servants and money to settle any claim against him. The LORD made all of the women in the household infertile as a warning to Abimelech for having taken Abraham's wife. Once the issue was made right, Abraham prayed. Genesis 20:17-18:

Jonathan (00:46:25): "So Abraham prayed unto Elohim, and Elohim healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid servants; and they bare children. For Jehovah had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife." God healed Abimelech. The verb "healed" here in Hebrew is "rapha." This word later appears for the first time as a formal description for God as "Jehovah Rapha" in Exodus 15:26. Let's read this from the King James version: "And said, if thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah Elohim, and will do that which is right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD (Jehovah Rapha) that healeth thee."

Rick (00:47:25): What you have in the Abraham account is Abraham prays to Elohim. Again, it's interesting he prays to Elohim, God of might and power, because there's a healing to be done here. The scripture says "Elohim healed." In the Exodus account, it is "Jehovah heals." What we're seeing is another way to understand God Almighty. He is greater than we can picture and we need all of these different ways to describe Him because His power, His presence, His wisdom, His justice, His actions are just beyond our comprehension.

Julie (00:48:10): Who is God? He is "Jehovah Rapha," the Mighty and Caring Healer.

Rick (00:48:16): It's a simple statement but it carries more depth. Again, Abraham is the one who brings that sense to us as God being described in yet another way. Now let's go to Genesis 21, chapter after. We're still with Abimelech. In Genesis 21 we have Abraham and Abimelech making a covenant between them.

Julie (00:48:41): They're making a peace treaty, so to speak, so they agree to treat each other well. They agree that Abraham has formal ownership of the well he dug in exchange for seven sheep. The name of the well's location was changed to Beersheba, meaning "well of the oath" or "well of seven." Beersheba becomes an important place for Abraham's descendants. Today it's the largest city in the Negev desert in southern Israel.

Rick (00:49:06): Abraham names the place El Olam, which means "the eternal God." Now what we see is Abraham looking at an event and naming a place for God. You can see that his relationship with his heavenly Father continues to develop and God is woven into everything that Abraham is doing. Jonathan, let's go to Genesis 21:32-33:

Jonathan (00:49:38): "Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba; then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba and called there on the name of Jehovah El Olam (or the Lord Almighty), the everlasting God."

Julie (00:49:59): He planted a grove in Beersheba and it's thought that that means a tamarisk tree. These are special evergreens, hence El Olam, Everlasting God. They grow in the desert, they can grow up to 30 feet tall. They have deep roots to find water and they live over a hundred years. Interestingly, the shade of the tamarisk is said to be much cooler than that of the other trees. What a beautiful way for Abraham to honor El Olam!

Rick (00:50:27): Why did he call that place El Olam? Because he was making a promise and he and Ablimelech came to an agreement. "I promise." His intention was for that promise to always stay in place. Why does he name it El Olam? Because the eternal God is a God of eternal promise. God's promises always stay intact. His human friend Abraham understood that and honored God for teaching him that.

Julie (00:51:02): Who is God? He is "El Olam," God Everlasting, our Eternal God without a beginning or end. When we make binding promises, He is our example and reminder to keep them.

Rick (00:51:15): All of this simply from the life of Abraham. All that we are learning about God Almighty came from Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, and then the life of Abraham. Folks, this gives you a sense (this is why this is more than a one-part series, incidentally), this gives you a sense for the depth of the character of God. When you ask the question, "who is God?" This is not a small question. This is a question that requires us to take a breath and open our minds to pause and consider the incredible depth of scripture as it helps us to see the greatness of our Creator. Our last account for today's episode of God's power, influence, and friendship in Abraham's life is when Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Remember he waited a long time for that son to be born. Then God said, "Okay, now sacrifice him to me." Now we know the account. God stopped that sacrifice. Here's Abraham's response. We're going to go to Genesis 22:13-18:

Jonathan (00:52:22): "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place, Jehovah-jireh (meaning Jehovah sees): as it is said to this day, in the Mount of Jehovah it shall be seen. And the angel of Jehovah called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By Myself have I sworn, sayeth Jehovah, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou has obeyed My voice."

Julie (00:53:24): Jehovah-jireh appears only once in the Bible. God saw, provided, and blessed, as He is mighty and compassionate.

Jonathan (00:53:32): God revealed all these different facets of Himself to Abraham. Abraham in turn proclaims them to us so that we can understand our God better. Abraham gave all the credit to God in very specific ways, as should we.

Rick (00:53:51): In this Jehovah-jireh, it's a special thing because Abraham was extending himself in his trust of God in a very, very, very dramatic way. He knew that God knew that he had faith in Him. As he's lifting up the knife literally and the angel stops him, his response is, "God sees, God knows my heart, He knows me, He takes care of me, He is there." So he names this place Jehovah, the God of relationship. Even though it's the Self-Existing One, Jehovah sees. Just get the sense that when you hear the idea that Abraham and God were friends, you can see why. You can see the understanding one to the other. Folks, we want to be friends of God like Abraham was. We want to be able to grow to the depths of a relationship that can proclaim God to be all of these things in our lives as well.

Julie (00:54:58): Who is God? He's "Jehovah-jireh," "the Lord will see and will provide." He sees all and He responds for the ultimate wellbeing of all. Abraham's extraordinary faith enabled him to see this aspect of God's extraordinary character.

Rick (00:55:14): Moving further, we see that what God started with Abraham, He continued with his sons and with Israel as a nation. God doesn't stop at one person. Oh no, no, no. God is bigger than this. He continues.

Julie (00:55:32): The next account in Genesis 28:10-14 is famously known as Jacob's Ladder because of a special dream that Jacob had. Now, Abraham's son was Isaac, Isaac had Jacob. So Jacob is Abraham's grandson. Jacob grew up in Beersheba but now leaves for Abraham's hometown of Haran to find a wife. On his way, he stops for the night, sets up stones for pillows and falls asleep.

Jonathan (00:55:57): Let's pick up the account in Genesis 28:12-14: "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of Elohim ascending and descending on it. And behold, Jehovah the LORD stood above it, and said, I am Jehovah Elohim, God of Abraham thy father, and the Elohim of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

Rick (00:56:41): You have this promise again repeated, this time to Jacob. Abraham is God's friend and He gives him this promise and God proves His friendship to Abraham. Abraham proves his friendship to God. Then you have after Abraham, it passing on to Isaac and then it's passing on to Jacob. We know that Jacob became the father of the 12 tribes of Israel, which became the nation. So you can see that God's plan was in place and it was not just a plan to say, "Hey, I'm going to have this people, I'm going to do these things." It is to say "I am a God of relationship and I'm going to teach Abraham, essentially the Father of Messiah generations later, I'm going to teach him about Me so he can teach his posterity so they can know who I am." Jonathan, our final attempt; Grasping the Greatness of God:

Jonathan (00:57:41): I ask, can we really ever grasp the greatness of God? God's greatness is beyond human comprehension. It is God's providence that He arranged in the Bible to reveal His own character in increments so we, as such small beings, have a chance to understand. God is powerful, authoritative, self-existing and yet relational. He is exalted and supreme overall and our Sovereign Ruler. His almighty character shows us that He is sufficient for every need and He is a healing God. He is eternal and He sees all and responds to bring the best end result possible for humanity. How can we not praise Him?

Rick (00:58:32): When you look at the magnitude of Almighty God, and again folks, this is just in the book of Genesis. We've got the rest of the Bible to go, but it lays a foundation to say God is bigger, broader, more comprehensive than we can ever get our heads around. One of the things that jumped out to me in this episode was that when there was a circumstance, then when there was a change, when there was a challenge, the description of God exactly matched what the need was. That should tell us, that should tell us about God Almighty. That should tell us what we can look forward to as we continue to serve Him and follow in Jesus' footsteps so we can be closer to that Heavenly Father, the friend of Abraham, the God of all. Folks, it's an amazing study. Next week, Part II, we're going to be expanding into the concept of Israel as a nation. So, "Who is God?" Can't even begin to answer. Think about it. Folks, we love hearing from our listeners. We welcome your feedback and questions on this episode and other episodes at ChristianQuestions.com. As we mentioned, coming up on our next episode, "Who is God?" (Part II). Don't miss it.

Final Notes (00:59:58): copyright @2023 Christian Questions. In addition to this transcript, we provide comprehensive CQ Rewind Show Notes for every episode. They include every scripture quoted during the podcast, as well as graphics, illustrations and bonus material. Click the "CQ Rewind Show Notes" button near the audio player or sign up to receive these weekly at ChristianQuestions.com. This transcript was created using artificial intelligence. While we believe it to be accurate, we apologize for any errors that may exist.