1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Genesis 1:1-5
The very first name God reveals to us in Scripture is Elohim.
1 In the beginning, God [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth...
3 And God [Elohim] said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Last week we discussed "What's in a name?" Names tells us who we are or what we do. In ancient cultures when you introduce yourself, you often shared where you came from or from whose line you are from. Names and the words that go with introducing your name REVEAL who you are or what you want people to know about you.
Let's read Genesis 1 again. What you think God desires to REVEAL about Himself as found in Genesis 1?
Elohim is the general name for God and is used in the context of God as creator. It emphasizes that God is immense and powerful. It is used to describe God as the awesome and majestic creator. In our English Bibles, Elohim is translated as God.
Why do you think God chose to introduce himself to us as Elohim, the mighty Creator God?
Elohim is the Creator of everything! DISCUSS: When we say someone today created something, what are we describing?
In other words, what is difference between humans creating something and God creating?
What does it make you wonder about when Elohim created out of nothing (ex nihilo)? When He spoke, that's when atoms and cells were created out of nothing. When He speaks, billions of atoms and cells move at His command. What are your thoughts?
He didn't even use His hands, He spoke creation into place by His mouth, His words.
If this is the power of His words, how might God react when we doubt His ability or doubt His promises?
Think about some of these examples:
Abraham and Sarah - God promised and told Abraham that he would have numerous descendants and be the father of a great nation. Yet they doubted that God could create a child through them at their age. What was God's reply? "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Gen 18:14)
Mary - She wondered how she, a virgin, could bear a child, not to mention the Son of God. What was God's reply? "Nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37)
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God [Ruah Elohim] was hovering over the face of the waters.
Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Elohim is the very first name for God used in His Word. This name comes up at the beginning of our time, but not His time. God does not live in time... and this could be hard for us to understand. He lives outside of time. Elohim has always and forever lived, well before the creation account!
What thoughts might you have about this - the fact that Elohim does not live in time, that He lives outside time, and was before time was even created?
How many things that we are concerned about have a "time" element to it? How could it be significant that God lives and works above and outside of "time".
What situation or challenge might you be facing today that you are trying to overcome, where you need to remember God's name, Elohim?
The mighty creator God does not need raw material to work. He does not need time, for Elohim is above time. He does not use logic or linear formulas. All He needs is Himself.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Genesis 1:3-5
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. Ge 1:9–11.
What verbs do you see God performing in these verses? What does this tell you about Elohim?
God made. God separated. God called. God gathered. God let appear.
How does this reveal the very personal and engaging character of God?
And in Genesis 3:9 we discover Elohim walking in the garden in the cool of the day and calling out to Adam and Eve.
If Elohim is truly a personal God, who is very engaged in His creation, how might that strengthen your faith, or the faith of believers today?
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Gen 1:1-3.
The Hebrew phrase translated “formless and void” is called Tohu wa Bohu.
Tohu (formless) - va (and) - Bohu (void)
This phrase basically means “a wasteland, or garbage dump.” It refers to a location that’s entirely uninhabitable, without form, and void of life.
And the Hebrew word for "darkeness" is Hosek.
Some theologians will say during this time between v.1 and v.2, that this is the time when Satan and all the fallen angels were cast out of heaven. The earth fell into becoming Tohu wa Bohu and Hosek when Satan fell as he is the instigator of chaos (cf. Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 are the passages that describe Satan's rebellion against God and was kicked down out of heaven).
What Satan did in turning God's creation into a wasteland, is what Satan and his demons want to do in the lives of God's children - turn wholeness into a wasteland, turn order and goodness into chaos. What about your life? Can you identify any areas where you are on the brink of falling into chaos and you feel like you're stuck in a wasteland?
But read v.2 again and why do you think the end of v.2 is significant?
2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Satan and his demons turn wholeness into a wasteland... Yet Elohim, (Ruah Elohim) hovered over the darkness and over the wasteland and brought light, and life, and beauty, and order, and restored what the enemy tries to turn into a wasteland.
What areas of your life, or the life of believers, may feel like they are being turned upside down from being right side up? What do children of God feel like when they see areas of their lives turned into a wasteland? How does Elohim being the Restorer help?
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. Gen 2:1-3
What day did Elohim create mankind and is it significant that we were created on that day?
If Elohim means Mighty God, who holds all power, and created the entire universe with spoken word, why would He need rest and why would He make that rest special? When we think about work and rest, when do we cease working and start resting? What can this tell us about Elohim?
Elohim did not rest because He was tired. His might never ends. He rested because He finished and there was nothing else to do. Creation was very good on the sixth day. Then the seventh day, Elohim rested. This day of rest was blessed and sanctified because He completed what He set out to do.
He always completes what He plans to do.
How could that idea affect this promise in our life?
Jerimah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Let's end each of our devotional classes with a time of open prayer. Please ask the Holy Spirit to give you a short prayer of who Elohim is after this study. Refer to God in your prayer as "Elohim", call Him "Elohim". Allow your prayers to only be a few sentences long.