You can only worship God to the measure you know Him. You can only truly know Him by the measure of your experience with Him. Your experience with Him is to the measure He reveals Himself to you.Oh, the wondrous mystery of God; Who hides Himself in the secrets of His Word, and in the works of His hands. He Who leads us, draws us, calls us, and seduces us, into the fellowship of communion with Him, in an intimate revelation, and unfolding of Himself through His patient Love.
One of the ways in which God will reveal Himself to His creation is through His Names. "They who know God’s name will put their trust in Him." (Psalm 9:10). A name is that by which a person or thing is made known. In Scripture, a name reveals more than just a title; it reveals the very nature and character of the one that is named. This explains one reason why many persons in the Bible went through a name change, to reflect the change in their nature. The name Abram was changed to Abraham. Jacob’s name was changed to Isaac. Simon to Peter; Saul to Paul. Each name change is a result of a nature change, as a result of a personal encounter with God.
As for God, he makes Himself known by many names. Not that His nature changes, for He changes not; but one name could not possibly contain, and reveal all of Who God is. He reveals more of His nature; more of Who He is; by each name He is made known. The more fully we come to know all of Who God is through His names; the more fully we will know Him.
The first name by which God introduces Himself in Scripture is with the Hebrew Name Elohim. "In the beginning God [Elohim] said…" (Genesis 1:1). The depth of the meanings of the original words used, are easily lost to the English reader without further investigation.
The name Elohim is a plural noun. It refers to the plurality of God. Yet while we read verses such as "The Lord your God is one," and again "I am God, and there is none else," we also find in Genesis: "Let us make man in our image." Elsewhere in Scripture there is evidence of this same plurality in properly translated text. "Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth." should be translated ‘Creators’. "Where is God my Maker" is accurately translated ‘Makers’. Thus with these, and on many more occasions, there is this same dual, and seemingly contradictory statements made of only one God, and yet at the same time plural in His expression.
While many hold to a Trinitarian response to this plurality and the oneness of God, in the revelation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, this view falls short of the full meaning behind the name Elohim.
Indeed we know that God is love, and that there must be an object of love in which to express, and respond to that love. This covenant relationship of love within the expression of the plurality of God can be clearly seen in the Gospels. Here, is revealed the Divine relationship of Love between God as Father, and the expression of Love in the Son Jesus Christ, toward creation.
This covenant of love between the Father and Son must extend to all that the Son has made. For we know that all that is made was made by Him and for Him; and nothing is made that was not made by Him; and all things that are made consist in Him. (cf. Col. 1:16) Then we must be sure this covenant of Love includes all of His creation. Since all that is created, is created by Elohim, and Elohim has a covenant with Himself, then all of creation is included in that same covenant. This can be further seen in the definition of the word create which means "cut down". God "cut down" out of Himself all that is made, and formed it from the substance of Himself. Since God is eternal, then all that He creates from the substance of Himself must also be eternal.
Understanding the meaning of this becomes more significant when we explore the name Elohim. For this name is not limited in Scripture to God only, but is also made in reference to man. Psalm 82:6 "I have said, Ye are gods (Elohim); and all of you are children of the most High." For many the barrier to this belief, is partly due to the contradiction of the actions from man, contrary to this truth. However, we must be sure not to judge wrongly the end of a matter during its processing. This covenant of God stands fast because it is a covenant revealed in the nature of Elohim with Himself, and all of creation is included as a beneficiary in that covenant.
AMEN.
