GOD
                                        Focusing On Learning More Of Him!!!

As with any topic of learning, we have been scholastically taught to always seek out 6 aspects of points of focus: who,
what, when, where, why, & how!  In applying this to GOD, we have found this to be an ongoing mystery in explaining
Him.  Too many times man has tried unsuccessfully to learn more about trying to break GOD down like a mathematical
formula instead of trying to obey what GOD has said to do!  However, we can actually explore certain mysteries of
GOD that may help us to further understand His Existence, His Power, His Majesty, His Omnipotence, His
Omnipresence, His Omniscience, as well as the many attributes about Him that we basks in on a daily basis (ex: grace;
mercy; love; blessings; favor; healing; protection; etc…)!  Therefore, for the following weeks to come (how many is still
undetermined), we will be doing further in-depth as possible studies on GOD as far as understanding Him for who He is
and even more appreciating Him for all that He has done, is doing, and will do!  Upon further learning more of GOD
then we will begin to focus in depth on the innumerable attributes of Him!  Therefore, let us now begin this journey into
learning more about our Father by allowing the information contained herein to help us learn more of our Father, our
Creator, our Alpha, & our Omega!!!

        The Historical Names of GOD & Titles ascribed to GOD by man throughout the Bible:

GOD is Elohim (pronounced el-lo-heem’).  This is the Hebrew term from which GOD is translated.  El means mighty,
strong, and prominent and may be more closely characterized with all expressions of the greatness & glory of GOD!  
The name Elohim basically contains the idea of creative and governing power, of omnipotence and sovereignty!  In the
original Hebrew translations, from Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:4, Elohim is the only term used to refer to GOD and it is
used about 35 times alone!  It is Elohim who by His mighty power creates the vast universe!  It is Elohim who is able to
say and it is done just as He has said!  It is Elohim who has the power to bring into existence everything that was not!  
It is Elohim who is spoken of in Hebrews 11:3 when it stated:
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not
made of things which do appear.
This Elohim is the very One whose presence can not be confined by space and whose power never needs any type of
help from man at all!  By this term alone, we learn more about GOD and what He has chosen to reveal of Himself unto
us!  It is Elohim who is able to bring cosmos out of chaos, light out of darkness, habitation out of desolation, and life
even out of death!

Another term used of GOD is Alah, which is said to mean to declare or to swear.  This term is used to imply a covenant
relationship!  Such an occurrence can be found in Genesis 22:16-18 which states:
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, 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 sea shore; 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 hast obeyed my voice.

Another title used to describe GOD is JEHOVAH!  This name is derived from the Hebrew verb havah which means “to
be” or “being”.  This word is almost exactly like the Hebrew verb chavah which means “to live” or “life”.  The near
similarities in the two verbs can easily be seen and their perpetual relationship to each other can also be understood
when we think of GOD.  JEHOVAH is the Being who is absolutely self-existent!  He is the One who in Himself possesses
essential life and permanent existence!  JEHOVAH is the only True and Eternal GOD who always exist infinitely and
forever unchangeable!  In Isaiah 43:10-11; GOD makes a declaration of Himself and of who He eternally is by saying,
Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and
understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.

JEHOVAH has been noted as being used whenever GOD wished to make a special revelation of Himself.  Here then,
the ever-living GOD reveals Himself to His covenant people as the unchanging GOD who remains faithful to His Word
through all generations!  It should then be further understood that ELOHIM is the general name of GOD concerned
with the creation and preservation of the world, which basically denotes His works! However, JEHOVAH is
characteristically the GOD of revelation in the expression of Himself according to His essential moral and spiritual
attributes!  It is as JEHOVAH that GOD places man under moral obligations with a warning of punishment for
disobedience basically by saying “Thou shalt” or “Thou shalt not”!  In JEHOVAH, we find total and true righteousness!  
It is this righteousness of JEHOVAH against which man sins, thus, causing Him whose holiness has been violated and
outraged to condemn unrighteousness and punish it!  It is JEHOVAH who pronounces judgment and metes out
punishment!  This would explain to us why He demands righteousness, justice, and holiness from the very creatures
made in His image.  However, as JEHOVAH He also expresses His unfeigned love toward us!  It is this love that makes
Him grieve when we wrong Him.  This same love causes Him to give unto us 2 certain attributes of Himself that we do
not deserve: grace and mercy!  In grace, we have GOD who gives unto us of what we really do not deserve, whereas
in mercy, we see this same GOD keeping away from us what we really do deserve!  This is why His Holiness condemns
our sins, but His Love seeks to redeem us of those same sins!  He is always seeking ways to bring man back into
fellowship with Himself!  So the love of JEHOVAH does not forsake us when we fall from unrighteousness.  His Spirit
continues to strive with us despite how much wrong we do before Him!  It is this same JEHOVAH that manifests Himself
in covenants and acts of deliverance and redemption.  

GOD also has many titles that have been ascribed to Him from certain situations in which He demonstrated through His
power what He could do for those that trusted in Him!  Upon the completion of the action whatever it may have been,
those that were the recipients of His blessing would look at what it was that He had just performed and even how He
may have done it and assigned a title to that unique attribute of Him that He made known at that particular time!  Many
of these titles directly combine with the name JEHOVAH to show us certain moral and spiritual attributes of Him in many
ways!  They are stated on the next page with the corresponding scriptural references:

JEHOVAH-ELOHIM                                                                                                      The Eternal Creator
(Genesis 2:4-25)

ADONAI-JEHOVAH                                                                                   The LORD our Sovereign; Master JEHOVAH
(Genesis 15:2, 8)

JEHOVAH-Jireh                                                                                                   The LORD will see or provide
(Genesis 22:8-14)

JEHOVAH-Nissi                                                                                                           The LORD our banner
(Exodus 17:15)

JEHOVAH-Ropheka                                                                                                     The LORD our Healer
(Exodus 15:26)

JEHOVAH-Shalom                                                                                                        The LORD our Peace
(Judges 6:24)

JEHOVAH-Tsidkeenu                                                                                           The LORD our Righteousness
(Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16)

JEHOVAH-Mekaddishkem                                                                                       The LORD our Sanctifier
(Exodus 31:13; Leviticus 20:8; 21:8; 22:9, 16, 32; Ezekiel 20:12)

JEHOVAH-Saboath                                                                                                        The LORD of Hosts
(I Samuel 1:3; {this title is used 281 times})

JEHOVAH-Shammah                                                                                                    The LORD is Present
(Ezekiel 48:35)

JEHOVAH-Elyon                                                                                                            The LORD Most High
(Psalms 7:17; 47:2; 97:9)

JEHOVAH-Rohi                                                                                                           The LORD my Shepherd
(Psalms 23:1)

JEHOVAH-Hoseenu                                                                                                     The LORD our Maker
(Psalms 95:6)

JEHOVAH-Eloheenu                                                                                                     The LORD our GOD
(Psalms 99:5, 8, 9)

JEHOVAH-Eloheka                                                                                                        The LORD thy GOD
(Exodus 20:2, 5, 7)

JEHOVAH-Elohay                                                                                                           The LORD my GOD
(Zechariah 14:5)

There are also several titles in the Greek that are descriptions of attributes of GOD.  Some of them, however, describe
certain calibers of people in their relationship towards GOD, whether good or bad!  They are as follows:

Theos                                                                                                                        Deity; The Supreme GOD
(Matthew 1:23; 3:9, 16; 4:3-10; 5:8)

Theomacheo                                                                                                       {used of those who} fight GOD [pl.]
(Acts 23:9)

Theomachos                                                                                                      {used of those who} fight GOD [sin.]
(Acts 5:39)

Theodidaktos                                                                                                                    GOD taught
(I Thessalonians 4:9)

Theopneustos                                                                                                                 GOD breathed
(II Timothy 3:16)

Theosebes                                                                                                                     GOD worshipper
(John 9:31)

Theostuges                                                                                                                        GOD hater
(Romans 1:30)

Philotheos                                                                                                                          GOD lover
(II Timothy 3:4)

Atheos                                                                                                                               without GOD
(Ephesians 2:12)

Kurios                                                                                                               {usually translated} LORD or Master
(Acts 19:20)

Chrematizo                                                                                                                   GOD admonished
(Hebrews 8:5)

Chrematismos                                                                                                                 answer of GOD
(Romans 11:4)

There is one more name of GOD that we would like to consider in the answering of this first question dealing with who
GOD is!  The name
El-SHADDAI reflects GOD as the Almighty One!  It also implies to us in a full significance a definition that simply can
not fully be explained in finite terms.  The full significance of this name means the Ever-existent One, the Eternal; the
Ever-becoming One!  This can be also understood to mean the One who is continually revealing Himself and His ways
and purposes!  Shaddai in itself occurs almost fifty times in the Old Testament and is translated “Almighty”.  There is
another term that is similar to it apparently which has also been believed to be where Shaddai derived from occurs
almost twenty-five times in the and renders the translation “breast”.  As connected with the word “breast”, the title
Shaddai signifies one who nourishes, supplies, and satisfies!  When it is joined with GOD (El), it then becomes the
One mighty to nourish, satisfy, and supply.  Naturally, with GOD the idea would be intensified, and it comes to mean
the One who “sheds forth” and “pours” out sustenance and blessing!  In this sense, GOD is the all-sufficient and the
all-bountiful One!  The term in its entire form denotes GOD as El who is truly our helper and Shaddai who abundantly
blesses us with all manner of blessings (ref. Genesis 49:24-25)!  Thus, in this name, GOD is seen to be the Power and
Shedder-forth of blessings as well as the all-sufficient and the all-bountiful One!  Of course, the idea of One who is all-
powerful and all-mighty is still implied in that only an all-powerful One could be all-sufficient and all-bountiful!  He is
Almighty because He is able to carry out His purposes and plans to their fullest and most glorious triumphant
completion!  He is able to triumph over every obstacle and over all opposition!  He alone is sufficient for all things!  He
is able to subdue all things to Himself should He choose to!  It is in this that we, in order to experience the sufficiency of
GOD, must realize how insufficient we are!  To experience the fullness of GOD means that we have to be primarily
empty!  So we can clearly see that the name El-Shaddai or Almighty GOD speaks to us of the inexhaustible stores of
His bounty!  It speaks of the infinite riches and fullness of His grace in self-sacrificing love which pours itself out for the
benefit of others!  It tells us that from GOD comes every good and perfect gift (James 1:17-18)!  It shows us that
ultimately GOD never ceases to pour His mercies and blessings upon His people!  However, we must never forget that
His strength is made perfect in our weakness (II Corinthians 12:9)!  His sufficiency is most manifest in our
insufficiency!  His fullness is most manifest in our emptiness, that being filled, from us may flow rivers of living water to
a thirsty and needing humanity (John 7:37-39)!  

*Much of the information contained herein can be found in the book Names of GOD by Nathan Stone (copyright 1944
by the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago).  Also, pertinent information and studies were referenced from the Thompson
Chain Reference Bible and the Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible.  However, all information has been made known by
none other than ELOHIM our JEHOVAH who is definitely the Great El-Shaddai for all those who trust in Him!

I Corinthians 2
11.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that
are freely given to us of God.
13.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14.  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15.  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16.  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.


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