First Notes: Elohim and the Power of God for Your Life
Dear First Baptist Family,
While on a night safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa, I had an elephant encounter I will never forget.
About 30 of us loaded up in an open air vehicle. Sitting in the middle of the backseat, with two women on my left and two on my right, we were all given spotlights to catch the eyes of animals often hiding in dry river beds and savannas.
For two hours, we saw nothing and began to make our way back to the camp. Then we spotted two baby elephants close to the road on the right and quickly came to a stop. Baby elephants are remarkably cute. Every face was turned to the right as we snapped pictures and marveled at being so close to such magnificent creatures.
All of a sudden, we heard a bloodcurdling screech from the other side of the road. Every head turned to see a massive mother elephant emerging from the brush just beside our vehicle. We had split the herd and the mother was beginning to charge us to protect her babies.
Every person in the car started to scream. Our vehicle lurched quickly forward with a near miss as the mother elephant almost head-butted the back of our vehicle, just a few feet from where I sat.
As we pulled ahead, relieved to be putting some distance between us and the danger, our guide did an interesting thing. He stopped the vehicle. We watched as the elephant comforted her babies, but then the elephant turned its attention back to us and started to paw the ground like a bull, looking to charge our car.
All of us in the car started yelling again and urged the guide to get out of there fast. But he didn’t. He just pulled a little forward with every step the elephant took towards us. If the elephant moved back, our guide moved toward her.
Eventually the elephant lost interest and we returned back to the camp. But I’ll never forget that night.
I felt completely powerless. I was stuck in the backseat with someone else driving, sometimes moving in a direction I didn't want to go.
A lot of people feel that way today: powerless. They may feel powerless in relationships, powerless to do anything about our political and economic systems, or powerless to change something in their lives. Powerlessness is a terrible feeling, but it's all too common.
Those who feel like they have no power often choose a range of responses. Some people retreat, some people become cynical and bitter, and some people fight back.
But some people discover a way to move beyond the sense of powerlessness to a sense of peace. Some people take their feeling and turn it into constructive action.
Where can we find power in a time like this?
During the Lenten season, we are focusing on the names of God. Elohim is a Hebrew word that is translated “God” or “god.” It’s one of the most common names for God in the Old Testament, starting in the very first verse: “In the beginning [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, ESV)). The name Elohim occurs over 2,500 times in the Tanakh, another name for what we call the Old Testament.
The basic meaning behind the name Elohim is one of strength or power. Elohim is the infinite, all-powerful God who shows by His works that He is the creator, sustainer, and ultimate judge of the world.
Interestingly, the word Elohim is grammatically plural rather than singular. The singular form of Elohim is probably Eloah; the -im suffix in Hebrew denotes the plural form. Why is that?
Some people think it points to the Trinity — Father, Son, and Spirit — a first indication of how God is three-in-one. But the better way to grasp it’s meaning is though a plurality of majesty. God’s greatness, power, and might all seem to be majestically multiplied.
When we trust in our own power, we will be prone to manipulate or harm others so that we ourselves can feel more powerful and safe. The ends justify the means, we think.
But when we trust in God’s power, we find a stunning combination of love and might. It’s power to make things better. It’s power that God shares with us so that we can feel secure while navigating this wild world.
To tap into God’s power, make listening to God’s voice the most important part of your day. This happens through scripture, prayer, and wonder - by allowing our hearts to be in awe of God’s creation. In her poem Whistling Swans, Mary Oliver muses on hearing God’s voice in creation. “God’s silence never breaks,” she says. “But is that really a problem? There are thousands of voices, after all.”
Elohim shares power with us: the power to listen, the power to forgive, the power to endure. That kind of power can always be with you, even if you’re stuck in the backseat, going the wrong direction.
I want to encourage you today with the knowledge that you have more power than you think. You have Almighty God on your side and the power of the Holy Spirit within you. “…the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV).
This Sunday’s message will center on the name for Jesus as the Suffering Servant from Matthew 12. Hope you can join us for worship. Until then, lean on God's power.
With love,
Pastor Brent McDougal
While on a night safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa, I had an elephant encounter I will never forget.
About 30 of us loaded up in an open air vehicle. Sitting in the middle of the backseat, with two women on my left and two on my right, we were all given spotlights to catch the eyes of animals often hiding in dry river beds and savannas.
For two hours, we saw nothing and began to make our way back to the camp. Then we spotted two baby elephants close to the road on the right and quickly came to a stop. Baby elephants are remarkably cute. Every face was turned to the right as we snapped pictures and marveled at being so close to such magnificent creatures.
All of a sudden, we heard a bloodcurdling screech from the other side of the road. Every head turned to see a massive mother elephant emerging from the brush just beside our vehicle. We had split the herd and the mother was beginning to charge us to protect her babies.
Every person in the car started to scream. Our vehicle lurched quickly forward with a near miss as the mother elephant almost head-butted the back of our vehicle, just a few feet from where I sat.
As we pulled ahead, relieved to be putting some distance between us and the danger, our guide did an interesting thing. He stopped the vehicle. We watched as the elephant comforted her babies, but then the elephant turned its attention back to us and started to paw the ground like a bull, looking to charge our car.
All of us in the car started yelling again and urged the guide to get out of there fast. But he didn’t. He just pulled a little forward with every step the elephant took towards us. If the elephant moved back, our guide moved toward her.
Eventually the elephant lost interest and we returned back to the camp. But I’ll never forget that night.
I felt completely powerless. I was stuck in the backseat with someone else driving, sometimes moving in a direction I didn't want to go.
A lot of people feel that way today: powerless. They may feel powerless in relationships, powerless to do anything about our political and economic systems, or powerless to change something in their lives. Powerlessness is a terrible feeling, but it's all too common.
Those who feel like they have no power often choose a range of responses. Some people retreat, some people become cynical and bitter, and some people fight back.
But some people discover a way to move beyond the sense of powerlessness to a sense of peace. Some people take their feeling and turn it into constructive action.
Where can we find power in a time like this?
During the Lenten season, we are focusing on the names of God. Elohim is a Hebrew word that is translated “God” or “god.” It’s one of the most common names for God in the Old Testament, starting in the very first verse: “In the beginning [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, ESV)). The name Elohim occurs over 2,500 times in the Tanakh, another name for what we call the Old Testament.
The basic meaning behind the name Elohim is one of strength or power. Elohim is the infinite, all-powerful God who shows by His works that He is the creator, sustainer, and ultimate judge of the world.
Interestingly, the word Elohim is grammatically plural rather than singular. The singular form of Elohim is probably Eloah; the -im suffix in Hebrew denotes the plural form. Why is that?
Some people think it points to the Trinity — Father, Son, and Spirit — a first indication of how God is three-in-one. But the better way to grasp it’s meaning is though a plurality of majesty. God’s greatness, power, and might all seem to be majestically multiplied.
When we trust in our own power, we will be prone to manipulate or harm others so that we ourselves can feel more powerful and safe. The ends justify the means, we think.
But when we trust in God’s power, we find a stunning combination of love and might. It’s power to make things better. It’s power that God shares with us so that we can feel secure while navigating this wild world.
To tap into God’s power, make listening to God’s voice the most important part of your day. This happens through scripture, prayer, and wonder - by allowing our hearts to be in awe of God’s creation. In her poem Whistling Swans, Mary Oliver muses on hearing God’s voice in creation. “God’s silence never breaks,” she says. “But is that really a problem? There are thousands of voices, after all.”
Elohim shares power with us: the power to listen, the power to forgive, the power to endure. That kind of power can always be with you, even if you’re stuck in the backseat, going the wrong direction.
I want to encourage you today with the knowledge that you have more power than you think. You have Almighty God on your side and the power of the Holy Spirit within you. “…the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV).
This Sunday’s message will center on the name for Jesus as the Suffering Servant from Matthew 12. Hope you can join us for worship. Until then, lean on God's power.
With love,
Pastor Brent McDougal
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