Elohim – Creator God
September 16, 2011
I love to read. It’s just that simple. I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t read although I am sure I wasn’t born with the ability to sort out letters into words and then sentences. When I was in elementary school, my first grade teacher, Mrs. Northcutt, sent me to the second grade class to help them with their reading skills. During summer vacations, I wiped out entire sections of the local library and right now, I have at least a half a dozen books started and piles of them in every room of my house. And yes, I have an “e-reader” and I love it, too.
When I am on the prowl for a new book, the best way for me to know if it is a keeper is to crack it open and read the first sentence. Many novels have been shoved right back on the shelf because those all-important first words failed to grab and keep my attention. How a book begins can be powerful. Consider these “first words”:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
Talk about power – right off the bat, the Bible begins by showcasing the power of our Creator God. The original word is Elohim and is unique to Hebraic thinking. In the traditional Jewish view, Elohim is the name of God as Creator and Judge of the Universe.
Studying Creator God always seems to take us into the past – actually right to the very beginning. Of course it should point us back to the time when God stepped out into the darkness and issued the call for His glorious light to illuminate the world. But this God seems so distant because it happened so long ago. However, looking more closely and considering the character of a “creator” brings the name Elohim into a close up and personal view.
“I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret… and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me.” Psalm 139:15-16
When God created us in “secret”, while we growing in our mother’s womb, our frame was not hidden from Him. This word frame carries with it more than just the idea of bones and structure; it also includes our strengths, our capabilities, and our potential. God creates with purpose and intention. He is the Master Designer and like every great artist (and great novelist) He knows when His creation is complete.
So, although at some point in the past He created us, He will never stop working on us. In the book of Philippians, we are assured that “He who began a good work in you will perfect (complete) it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6) Because we were carefully created to reflect His glory, He will not stop putting the finishing touches on us until we live and breathe through all the days He has written for us in His book. Now, we don’t know much about that particular book, but what a comfort to know our lives are recorded and will be accomplished by the One Who created us, our Elohim. (CT)