What I Believe About God And Why I Believe It

The arguments for God's existence, given in Chapter Two, do not prove His existence beyond all doubts and questions. They cause a person to look at relevant Creation issues, but they do not force someone to automatically conclude that there must be a God behind everything. At the same time, though, those arguments do not strengthen the case for individuals who do not believe in Him, either. They simply suggest from a variety of viewpoints that God probably does exist. The discussion about Creation in the previous chapter also does not prove that God is the Creator. But they do show that an infinite God, Who is also the Creator of the universe, makes as much or more sense as any of the more popular scientific theories about Creation. In this chapter, some of the names for God will be discussed, and these names will describe the character and nature of this God that no one seems to be able to prove or disprove.

God has given glimpses of Himself and His character throughout the Bible so that His followers can understand more about Him. These insights, which have occurred in the form of special names, also do not prove His existence, but they add even more credence to the notion that He does exist and is real. The arguments for God's existence, which were presented in Chapter Two, suggested that He was around during Creation and that He had an active part in getting our universe underway. The names for God, which are presented in Scripture and which will be discussed in this chapter, suggest that He is still around and that He still takes an active part in the lives of His people. The names that will be discussed are El Elyon, Elohim, El Shaddai, El Roi, El Olam, Yahweh Jireh, Yahweh Rapha, Yahweh Rohi, El Qanno, and Jehovah. These names are only a few of the many that can be found for Him in the Bible, but each one has special significance for the believer.

Genesis 14:18-20 says, "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything."

In this passage, the Hebrew words "El Elyon" have been translated "God Most High", where "El" in Hebrew means God, and "Elyon" means "Most High". The opening two verses of the chapter provide some important background information about what is happening. These verses say, "Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela." Abraham did not initially get involved in this skirmish among these kings, but circumstances concerning his nephew forced him into the battle. The four kings that attacked Sodom and Gomorrah ravaged the cities and took Abraham's nephew, Lot, and Lot's family into captivity. When Abraham learned that some of his family members had been taken prisoners, he quickly gathered his troops together and went to rescue them.

The Bible does not elaborate on how Abraham overcame the enemy. It only states that he got involved and that he defeated the kings that were holding the members of his family. Upon returning from battle, Abraham met Melchizedek, and then, the above scene from Genesis 14:18-20 was played out. Based on those verses, the reader finds out that Melchizedek is a priest of God and that, while with Abraham, he exalted the name of God. Melchizedek identified God as the Most High and even called Him the Creator of the heaven and the earth.

But Melchizadek did more than just say that God was God. He called Him the Most High God, implied that there was none like Him, and suggested that through Him Abraham had won a great victory. Was Melchizadek saying that God was the highest among a group of gods? Probably not, for to have done so would have been to adopt a polytheistic viewpoint. Instead, he was most likely saying that the one true God was higher than all the false gods of all the other nations. The false gods of the heathen nations could not win great victories for their followers, and they could not bestow great blessings on those who trusted in them. But the God of Abraham, the Most High God, could and did.

The Hebrew name for God, Elohim, appears 2,346 times in the Old Testament and means strong, great, mighty, and one to be feared or reverenced [1]. Elohim was used in the first two chapters of Genesis when the author was writing about Creation. Elohim was used in Genesis, Chapter Six, when the author was writing about Noah and the Flood. When God and Abraham were discussing their covenant and the giving of a son to Abraham in Genesis, Chapter Seventeen, the author used the name Elohim for God. Lastly, Elohim was the name associated with Elijah on Mount Carmel in I Kings, Chapter Eighteen, when the prophet successfully challenged the prophets of Baal. These are just a few of the many instances where Elohim is used in the Old Testament. It is the name given to God when the author's intent is to communicate God's power, His majesty, and His absolute ability to rule and guide his people.

Genesis 17:1 says, "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.'" Isaiah 13:6 says, "Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty." In Job 3:23, the name, El Shaddai, is used for God to indicate the highness or majestic quality of His character. According to the Introduction to the Book of Job in the NIV Study Bible, this name for God appears thirty-one times in that Book alone [2], plus a total of seventeen times in other portions of the Old Testament.

The name, El Shaddai, is not only an important name for showing God as the Almighty, but it is also significant in the Book of Job for showing the time and authorship of that particular book of the Bible. According to Mr. Andrew E. Hill and Mr. John H. Walton, the frequent use of El Shaddai for God's name in the dialogue portions of the Book suggests that Job might have actually been an Edomite. These men also indicate that the time period when Job lived was probably the patriarchal period because Job's lifestyle and longevity were consistent with the people in the Book of Genesis [3].

As was stated above, El Shaddai appears in Isaiah 13:6 to describe God as the Almighty and as the One Who would ultimately bring destruction and judgment on the nation, Babylon. With the name, El Shaddai, power is always the key, and for the modern-day Christian, this name describes the One Who can overcome any obstacle so that He might enter into and maintain a relationship with His people. Nothing can stop or defeat El Shaddai.

Genesis 16:13 says, "She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.'" Leading up to this verse, the young mother-to-be of Ishmael had just been wrongfully banished from Abraham's house. Abraham's wife, Sarah, had not been able to give Abraham the son and heir that was promised to him by God. So, she took matters into her own hands and told him to have the child by her servant, Hagar. Abraham complied, and the result was that Hagar became pregnant.

Once the unwholesome relationship had developed between Abraham and Hagar, tensions arose between Sarah and Hagar until eventually the servant felt compelled to leave. Away from Abraham's house and out on her own in the desert, Hagar encountered an angel of the Lord, who told her that she would give birth to a son and that his name would be Ishmael. He also told her to return to Abraham's house so that the young boy would be well cared for and safe.

Hagar did as she was instructed, but first she uttered the words of Genesis 16:13. She felt a sense of relief from having had her meeting with the angel, so she referred to God as the One Who could see and feel her affliction. She called Him, El Roi. This name for God only appears once in the Bible, but the truth that it communicates is important to all that acknowledge it. At the time of her meeting with the angel of the Lord, Hagar was carrying a very heavy burden. The God of Creation saw her burden and helped her carry it along the way. The suggestion in Scripture is that He will do the same for everyone that seeks Him.

Genesis 21:33 says, "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God." After establishing a covenant with King Abimelech, Abraham remained in Beersheba and planted a tree. After planting the tree, he worshipped the Lord and, in the process, referred to Him, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as "El Olam", the everlasting God. God the Creator did not arrive on the scene on a given day, create the universe, and then scurry away. He always has been, and He always will be. He is eternal.

Genesis 22:13-14 says, "Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.'" The name, Yahweh Jireh, appears in the above passage and shows God as our Provider. Abraham had been instructed by the Lord to take his only son, Isaac, to Mount Moriah and offer him there as a human sacrifice. This was an extreme test for Abraham, but he was doing his best to obey God.

According to Hebrews 11:17-19, Abraham had looked beyond the anxiety of the moment and was instead trusting God to be true to His earlier promise of a seed. Abraham was not disappointed. God showed Himself to be the Great Provider, as is recorded in Genesis 22:13, by leading Abraham to a substitute ram for the sacrifice. Isaac was spared, and Abraham had done what God wanted. He had shown that he was willing to trust God in even the difficult circumstances of life.

For present-day Christians, this name for God, Yahweh Jireh, tells of One Who can be trusted to meet all our needs. We do not have to worry about the temporal needs of this life because we have our Yahweh Jireh to take care of us.

The next name for God is Yahweh Rapha, which means the Lord that heals. In Exodus 15:22-26, God had led His people to Marah, but they were not able to drink the water because it was bad. His objective, in making the water undrinkable, was to prove the people's allegiance to Him and their faith in Him. After He had conducted His test, He led Moses to a tree, which when cast into the waters, made the water suitable for drinking. At that time, God revealed Himself to Israel as their Yahweh Rapha, the God that would keep them from disease and pestilence if they would only hearken unto Him. In this passage, we learn that God watches over and cares for His people.

Psalms 23:1 gives us the name Yahweh Rohi, which means the Lord my Shepherd. In that verse, God is pictured as the Great Shepherd that watches over His sheep, or as in this case, over His people. The good Shepherd keeps all the sheep close together in a herd. He protects them from the harmful elements of life, and He places Himself between them and all the various forms of danger. In Isaiah 40:1-11, the Prophet wrote about the coming of such a Shepherd, One Who would and Who will watch over all those who follow Him. That Shepherd, of course, is the Lord Jesus, and the Apostle John also wrote about Christ as our good Shepherd in John 10:14. For the Old Testament saint, as well as for the New Testament saint, Yahweh Rohi meant and means safety and protection.

El Qanno, which means the jealous God, is another name for God that reveals a specific aspect of His character. In Joshua 24:19, Joshua described God as holy and jealous, implying that a person should refrain from worshipping idols and other strange gods. God wants us for Himself, and He wants our love and devotion to be directed exclusively towards Him. Joshua continued in that chapter to tell the nation, Israel, of the calamities that would befall them if they failed to put God first. Their decision at that time, even though they did not honor it, was to always put Him first. As modern-day Christians, we need to make a similar decision, but then, of course, we must strive to stick to it each and every day.

Dr. Packer wrote that statements in the Bible about God's jealousy are anthropomorphic in that they use language that is relevant to everyday life to describe God [4]. In that same discussion, Dr. Packer went on to comment about the negative connotation that most people have about the word "jealousy". Most individuals do not view jealousy as a positive behavior, but for God, His jealousy for us should lead us to be jealous for Him. Dr. Packer's remarks about our response to God's jealousy were very consistent with what Joshua had told the nation Israel, and we should display a similar eagerness and excitement towards Him in our pursuit and worship of Him.

Exodus 3:13-14 says, "Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, `The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, `What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you.'"" In Hebrew, Jehovah or Yahweh means "I AM THAT I AM", which is the same as to say the self-existing one. This name for God is His proper name, and it is used 6,519 times in the Old Testament [5]. When He gave His proper name to Moses, He was communicating that He is eternal, that He exists on His own, that He is self-sufficient, and that He is in total control of everything. According to Matthew Henry, no one learns about God unless God wishes for him or her to do so [6].

The many names of God, some of which were discussed above, reveal bits and pieces about God's personal nature. They provide an accurate, personal glimpse of Him, and they help someone know and understand more about Him. But they do not necessarily give someone a complete knowledge of Him.

From the names that were discussed, a person can know that God is El Elyon, the Most High God. He is Elohim, the God to be feared and reverenced, as well as El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty. These are names that show His power, majesty, might, and strength, and they express the continual personal victory that one can have in Him. God is El Roi, the God that sees our afflictions, and El Olam, the Lord God everlasting. He has always been and will always be. He sees everything about us, and He is able to help us through all our struggles. He is Yahweh Jireh, the Lord Who provides for us, Yahweh Rapha , the Lord Who heals us, and Yahweh Rohi, the Lord our Shepherd. He is a personal, caring God. He watches over us, meets our needs, and heals our infirmities. He is the jealous God that wants us to be jealous towards Him, El Qanno, and He is the self-existing, non-created Creator of the universe, Jehovah.

Living for a God that is all of the things just expressed would seem easy. Yet, sometimes maintaining one's faith in the midst of life's challenges and hardships is very difficult. Humans are prone to question why God does or does not do certain things or why He allows or does not allow other things. When a loved one dies, a person can easily be tempted to feel anger towards the Lord. When someone loses their job, their home, their health, or something else of great importance, that person can easily question why God has allowed such a thing. During the days of the early church, many people were put to death because they expressed a steadfast belief in the Lord, and perhaps, many of those went to their death wondering why God had allowed them to suffer such a cruel fate. Our faith is often tested, and we many times fail. However, our God is still all of the things that He has told us through His names. In the midst of our most difficult struggles, we would do well to hold our head high and keep our faith intact. Even when we feel all alone, He is still Immanuel, which means "God with us".