Elohim is the first name used for God in the Bible. It is a Hebrew word that appears in the very first sentence of the Bible. In Genesis 1:1 we read, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Elohim is the plural form of El or Eloah, one of the oldest designations for divinity in the world. The Hebrews borrowed the term El from the Canaanites. Though El is used more than 200 times in the Hebrew Bible, Elohim is used more than 2500 times. Many scholars believe that the plural form is used, not to indicate many gods, but to emphasize the majesty of the one true God - the God of gods. Others believe that this plurality is the first indicator of the the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The root of the El is thought to be ul, which means to be first, to be mighty, or to be strong.
"Genesis" is a word that can mean "birth," "history of origin," or "genealogy." In the story of creation we find that God "spoke" and "it was good" for each phase of creation, except for the creation of man. In Genesis 2:7 we read, "Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." I know I have not only read this verse, but have actually taught the story of creation a number of times, and yet, I'm still learning to understand who God is through this verse.
In Genesis 1:28 we read, "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" Not only did God decide to create us in HIS image, but HE took the time to form us and then to breath into us the "breath of life." It was this phrase that caught my attention today. It hit me, for years I've read, I've heard, I've taught about the "breath of life", but it had never struck me that while it did indeed bring life, it was, much more importantly, the very BREATH OF GOD. Anyone that has been blessed to be present at the birth of a child can attest to the wonder and awe that they felt with that baby's first cry. Where did that first breath come from? Just think about it - God breathed "the breath of life into his nostrils" and he exhaled the breath of God with that first cry. While just my thoughts, it does explain why many people describe not being able to find the words to describe how the experience impacted their lives.
Who am I that God would take the time to ponder me? I know that may sound very self-centered, but that is what scripture tells us. God chose to create me in His image. God chose to "form" me and breath the "breath of life" into me. These are concepts that are hard for me to comprehend. The Psalmist said in best in Psalm 139:13-14, 16; "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well... Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in you book before one of them came to be." God determined to create me even though He knew exactly who I would be. He knew everything about me and yet He chose to create me anyway.
So often we miss life's purpose, we fail to see life's beauty because we are preoccupied by what we see at its failures and flaws. I challenge you to ask the God who made you to remake your sense of awe and wonder at all He has created.
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