Peter Tan-Chi - Elohim
Hello everyone! Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a joy and honor it is to worship with you. You may ask, "Why do I always say, 'What a joy, what an honor'"? Let me tell you why. Because God is truly worthy of our worship, He is worthy of our praise. It is a privilege for me to praise God and worship with you on a regular basis. Today we are starting a new series. What is the name of this series? Be grounded and know the name of God. Why roots? I'm surprised by this photo. This photo tells us what happened during the recent Typhoon Ulysses. When things are washed away, note that the tree has deep roots, so it survived the storm. My prayer is that you and I will be deeply rooted in God so that when the storms of life come, you and I will stand strong together.
The truth is, we face many storms: pandemics, diseases, typhoons, hurricanes, all kinds of problems. But praise God, God can sustain us. When you are deeply rooted in God, you will grow and you will bloom. Do you know God? If I were to ask you, do you really know God? Tell me the truth. Did you know that God wants us to know Him? Did you know that God reveals Himself to us through His Word, the Bible, His actions, creation, and most importantly, through the living Word, Jesus Christ. If you read the Bible, you will see a progressive revelation of who God is because there is no one name that can describe all of God's attributes, all of his majesty, all of his greatness.
So God gave us different names. The first name in the Bible is "Elohim" in Genesis 1. The second name, I'll give it a try, I'll tell you next week, in Chapter 2. God has given us different names. For what purpose? We will know Him. Believe it or not, God says this about His people. In Hosea 4:1, 6, Hear the word of the Lord, O Israelites, the Lord contends with the inhabitants of the land. God is saying, "I have a problem with you, I have a problem with you". What is the problem? ?God said: Because there is no truth or goodness in this earth, if you do not know God, your lifestyle will show it. So God tells us in Hosea 4:6, My people will perish for lack of knowledge. Can you see how serious this is?
God is saying, for your own sake, for your own good, learn and grow in your knowledge of who God is. The reason this series is so important is because God speaks to us from the heart in Hosea 6:6. It reads: I love goodness, not sacrifice, but the knowledge of God. Notice. Desire the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. I know this is God's desire for us to know Him. Why? Because God wants a close relationship. God wants to have a loving relationship with His people. Peter tells us the same thing. Chapter 3 verse 18, But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Have you noticed? Some Christians stop growing. Don't stop growing. Grammar here is about constant growth and continuous learning. That's why I never get tired of studying the Bible, especially this new series: The Names of God. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Keep growing. The fundamental problem for many people today is either ignorance, or we do not understand God, or we are superficial; we do not have a clear view of God. The Bible tells us that this is God's indictment against His people. God said: "You want me to be just like you". This is a wonderful verse: "You think I am just like you". You know God is saying, "Don't think of me as something I am not". Many of us know who God is. We create God in our imaginations, in our thoughts. God is saying, "Don't do this". We need to study God's Word so that we can truly know Him. Like, why are so many people worried? You want to control the situation, why do you want to control the situation? A superficial understanding of who God is. The more you know God, the more rest you will find.
J.I. Pike said: What are we born to do? To know God. What is our purpose in life? To know God. What is the eternal life Jesus offers? Knowing God. What is the best thing in life? The answer? Knowing God. Do you know God? Let's get started. Genesis Chapter 1, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now, for the first time, you know God's name. In Hebrew it is called "Elohim" "Elohim" comes from the root "EL" "EL" is the singular form of the word "God". This word is used 200 times in the Hebrew Bible. The word "EL" in the singular "God" means "omnipotence, power". For example, in Genesis 35:11, God said to him again: "I am God" singular (El) "I am the Almighty God". So the concept of "El" always involves power, omnipotence, power. God is Almighty.
If you look at Genesis 1:1, the Bible says: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The word "creation" comes from the Hebrew word "bara". The word "creation" comes from the Hebrew word "bara". What does "Bara" mean? It comes from the word "to create something out of nothing". God said: Let there be light. Boom, there was light. Can you imagine such an ability? Just say it and it happens. Elohim appears 32 times in the first chapter. What's the point? Every time the word God is mentioned, there is Elohim. It is plural. As many Jewish scholars have said, this not only describes His greatness, His majesty. But for us evangelicals, there is a deeper meaning. Because God, although God is one, is Trinity. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. They all participate in creation.
Look at verse 6: God said: Let there be air between the waters Verse 11: God (Elohim) said: Let the earth bring forth grass and herb bearing seed. God has no rival. God has no rivals. The miraculous ability to create something out of nothing. Neither you nor I know how this is possible. Because all of human creation, anything we make comes from something, and we modify it. If you build cars, you need iron ore, you need copper, you need all kinds of materials. However, God is able to create something out of nothing. So you can see the amazing power of God. How did He do us? The Bible tells us: By the word of the Lord the heavens were created; Because He said yes, it was commanded to be established, and it was established.
The Lord brings to nothing the plans of the nations. This is why you can trust God, because of His amazing power. Through the Word of God. The Word of God is wonderfully powerful. You can believe His promises. You can believe His Word. If you're always anxious, if you're always worried, you don't understand the power of God's Word. Notice, in Psalm 62:11, this is a wonderful passage: God has spoken once and twice, and I heard it: Even the power belongs to God (Elohim). So, what does Elohim mean? Ability. In the plural, to reinforce His greatness, the intensity of His power. Jewish scholars wanted to limit it to intensity and majesty. However, there is more to you and me than that.
You will notice the power of God in creation. The Bible just says "God said..." BAM! It happened. God said... God said... ten times in Genesis Chapter 1. This is the authority of our God. Just put it simply and it will happen! I like what Artur said: "We cannot have a correct concept of God unless we think of him as omnipotent and almighty". He who cannot do as he pleases and who cannot be perfect You can't be God. Because God is determined to do what He thinks is good, He has the power to carry out His will.
I like what Stephen Charnock said: "His mercy is feeble without power". His mercy is empty, His threats are nothing more than straw men. God's power is like Himself, infinite, eternal, and incomprehensible; it can neither be thwarted by this creature. Most of all, I love what he said: "The power of God is the power and strength to achieve all that He desires, all that His infinite wisdom can direct, and all that the infinite purity of His will can resolve..." This is the absolute power of our God, Elohim, and this is why you can trust Him. This is very critical if you don't understand Genesis 1:1 correctly. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. You will have questions throughout the rest of the Bible.
If you believe in God, Elohim, who created everything, then you won't have a problem when you encounter miracles. When you start reading other parts of the Bible, you won't have a problem. Why? Because you have solved the fundamental problem of life: How do you see the world? How do you see the universe? This is the so-called worldview. Each of us has a certain worldview. What do I mean by worldview? For example, you can view the world from the perspective of a God who created all things, which I call theism. In the Christian worldview, God created the heavens and the earth. Another view is naturalism. What is naturalism? Naturalism simply means that they do not believe in God and that everything happens through natural causes, through the physical world. No spirit, no miracle.
In short, life is the product of accident. Naturalism believes in evolution, that life comes from non-life, has no purpose, and has no meaning. Why? Because there is no Creator, no Designer. Two possible worldviews. I realized that faith is ultimately a choice. Is it creation? Or is it evolution? Ultimately you need to decide for yourself. For me, I believe there is more scientific evidence supporting creation than there is scientific evidence supporting evolution. Be careful, we have been brainwashed into thinking evolution is a fact. Evolution is still a theory to this day. It has never been proven. But when something is repeated again and again in textbooks and the media, what was theory suddenly becomes fact. But that's not the case, it's a theory.
Do you know why they believe in evolution? Let me tell you. Let me explain to you how an atheist is convicted. "We side with science (evolution), even though some of its constructs are patently absurd... because of our preconceived commitment to materialism". In other words, even if there is no scientific basis for it, but because of their worldview. What is a worldview? Materialism or naturalism. "It's not that the methods and institutions of science force us to accept material explanations of the phenomenal world". Note, he says: "It's not that the scientific method leads them to believe in evolution". No, he admits, that's not the case. But please note what he said: "We are driven by our insistence on material causes, no matter how mysterious".
If I use my own words: no matter how absurd, no matter how crazy, no matter how unproven "materialism is absolute" Why? "Because we cannot leave a place for God". That my friends is the real question of the day. It's not that there's a lack of evidence, people don't even want to study the evidence, they don't even want to look objectively at creation, creation science and evolution science. Friends, there are enough information and books to help us. For me, I believe in Genesis. There are many reasons why I believe in creation. But let me share one with you, and it's called: "The Fine-tuning of the Universe".
When you study Genesis 1, you'll notice how meticulously God designed everything so that life could exist. What does fine-tuning mean? Fine-tuning means that the distance from the sun to the earth must ensure that it cannot be closer or further away. Note that even one percent can impact lives. The distance of the moon from the earth must be so precise that the flow of water, the change of tides, and the gravity of gravity are properly proportioned. The speed of the Earth's rotation. You don't know how fast the Earth is spinning. It has to be like this, if it's too fast, it affects the wind, it affects the temperature, it affects everything. Right now, the Earth is tilted 23 degrees. Note 23 degrees, no more, no less. Why? That's why we have the climate we have; four distinct seasons. Our equator must be accurate. If you don't tilt it correctly, you can have long winters and long nights. This will be a lifelong problem.
Most importantly, gravity. What you call the gravitational constant in science. The gravitational constant is the gravitational force exerted by planets and stars. If it's affected by the point zero zero zero zero zero, it's hard to see the number of zeros. Do you know why? How many zeros is it? Can you guess it? 32 one is more than 32 zeros. In other words, the number of minutes details whether the gravitational constant is affected. Guess what will happen? The universe will collapse and we will cease to exist. You and I will not be here. No wonder Isaiah tells us so clearly. Isaiah 45:18 tells us, Thus saith the LORD, who made the heavens, He is the God "Elohim," the God who made the whole earth, He made it to establish it, not to make it desolate, that He might inhabit it.
The reason the earth is so unique is because God said I created the earth. For what purpose? To survive. What a wonderful God. Do you know what our Creator means, that there is a Creator? These are the meanings, think about it: God has a plan. God has a purpose for your life. You are not an accident. You are wonderfully designed, and God knows what is best. Because God designed the universe, He gave us laws, not just physical laws, but physical laws that govern the physical universe. God has given us spiritual laws that govern our relationship with God and our relationship with each other. This is why it is so important to understand that we have a Creator. Once you have a Creator, you are accountable to Him. Being accountable to Him means you have responsibilities. One day you and I will stand before Him and He will ask you, "What did you do with what I gave you"? What does "Elohim" mean? God is our Creator.
Notice it says: In the beginning, notice that word: "In the beginning" So what can we learn about God? What can you learn about Elohim? God is before all time, meaning God is above time, God is eternal. "In the beginning" means that God existed before there was any time. In other words, God is not governed by time. He is beyond time, He is eternal. Imagine before there was no time, imagine before the universe, before angels, before humans. imagine. God is difficult to understand, but the Bible tells us: Our God is completely sufficient, God is self-sustaining, and God is perfect, lacking nothing. God did not create us because He needs us. The Bible tells us that there is a perfect relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God is not alone because God has had relationships in eternity past. This is why the Bible tells us: God is eternal. Before the mountains were born, before you formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you were Elohim, God is everlasting. Malachi 3:6, For I, the Lord, do not change. What does that mean? God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus is described in Hebrews 13:8, Jesus is described in Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What does that mean? It means that God is not only Eternal, Elohim is unchanging, He does not change. God is eternal, infinite, and His essence never changes. God is not affected by mutation. God neither evolves nor does God grow or progress. Why? He can't get better. He is perfect. Perfect, He cannot be worse. In other words, you and I can trust Him completely and He is perfect. But have you noticed? Because God doesn't change, neither does His purpose. Too often, people think that God's purpose, God's will, can change.
Can I tell you something? The Bible is clear. Because God knows everything, He is never surprised. His purpose has not changed. Do you know why we change? Do you know why I change my mind when I discover something new? A lot of times I change my mind because I have more information. But God is different. God always has perfect information. God has complete information. That's why you can trust Him completely. That's why when you read the Bible, you know that God is eternal and He doesn't change. Let me give you an example, if God hates sin, He will never change until today, and until eternity into the future, God will judge sin. God loves us. The Bible tells us this in the book of Jeremiah. I love this verse: I have loved you with an everlasting love. You see, eternity past, God tells us: He loved you in the beginning of the world. God knows everything, which is why His love for you is so guaranteed to be true. You can rely on Him because He knows everything about you. God knows everything about me. God knows my failures. He knows what I'm going to do.
Still, God said, "Peter, I love you and I choose you". That's our God, that's our Elohim. Notice something about Elohim, our God. Let's review it. "In the beginning" before there was time, God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth. God is our Creator, eternal and unchangeable. You can trust Him. But you know what? It's amazing: the earth was formless and void, darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving on the waters. You know, God is amazing. The Bible tells us: God can turn empty and chaotic things into beautiful things. Empty to full. Darkness, mind you, darkness to light. God can do the same for you. No matter what your life is like, emptiness, darkness, chaos, God says He can change your life.
Notice, the Holy Spirit is involved, the Spirit, with a capital "s" the Spirit of God moving on the waters. What else? Did you notice how God created this amazing universe, this amazing planet? In 1:4, God saw that the light was good. Did you notice that God repeated the word "good" seven times. Verse 10: God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering of waters Sea. God saw that it was good. Verse 12: So the earth grew grass and plants bearing seed. The Bible tells us, God said, "And God saw it was good". Verse 18, When God created the moon and stars, the Bible tells us, God said, "And God saw that it was good". Verse 21 God created every living creature according to its kind, and every kind of flying bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good. Then verse 25, God created the beasts according to their kinds; the Bible tells us: God said, "God saw, and it was good". Seven times, the last time after creating man in His image. Verse 31: God saw everything he had made, and behold, it was very good. Not only good, very good.
Can I ask you to imagine the last day when God created man, man and woman, and prepared everything. You will find that God provides everything. He provides food, He provides our sustenance. Because God, Elohim, is not only our Creator, He is also our Provider. He makes sure that we will have everything we need to enjoy life. That's why, you notice in the order of creation, we are the last. The pinnacle of His masterpiece! God has prepared it all for us. Like a father, you love your children, and you prepare everything for them to enjoy, so that we may be blessed, so Elohim is, not only Almighty, but He is good, and He loves us. You notice, the Bible tells us, Elohim says, we are to be conformed to our image.
This is a wonderful discovery of grammar. Strictly speaking, this is grammatically incorrect, but due to God's revelation through the Holy Spirit, it is correct. Let us, plural, make human beings in our, plural, image singular, made in our likeness We are made in the image of God. Make them manageable. Give them dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds in the air, over the livestock on the ground, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So Elohim created man in his own image, in the image of him he created them, male and female. What does that tell you about God? You know God loves us so much that He made us different from others Different, special, different from all other creatures, all animals, only God made us in His image.
What does that mean? The Bible is clear that God is spirit, so it is not about physical likeness. In a sense, we are like God: we can think, we have intelligence. God is wise, God thinks. We have emotions, we have feelings. God has feelings and emotions. God prepares us to love and be loved as He does. Then God gave us a will, a decision: to follow Him or not to follow Him. God could have made us robots, but once we become robots, we are no longer human. God created us in His image, and you have the will to follow Him or not. God gave us souls. We are spiritual beings in a human body. In this way we can worship God and communicate with Him. Did you notice that no other animal in the world, not even monkeys, dogs, would want to pray, would not worship God, but humans, you travel around the world, you study all human cultures, they all have the desire to worship. Why? We are made in the image of God and have a relationship with Him because God made us have a relationship.
What does it mean to be made in the image of God. You'll notice, God gave us, you'll notice, God gave us, control over the physical world. He also gave us spiritual laws so that we know how to relate to Him. Most importantly, He also gave us the moral law. Most importantly, He also gave us the moral law. He knows what is best for us. and God's moral law governs our relationships with one another. Many times when we violate moral principles, we harm ourselves. This is why God wants us to know that, first of all, He loves us. He designed us, but we must obey His instructions. Elohim is the plural form of "EL" and is used over 2750 times. Elohim. When you add the word "Elohim," it becomes plural. Actually, you could translate, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth". But, theologically speaking, God is one and he is also a composite being.
Did you realize that when the Bible says in Deuteronomy: Hear, O Israel!. Jehovah our God is one Lord. Elohim is one Lord. That word is unique, "Echad" is not a number, but a composite individual. This is the same as what God said in Genesis Chapter 2: The two became one flesh. So it is not a digital unity, but a composite individual. This is not just a Hebrew expression of greatness and majesty, it is true that while God is one, God is composite, unified, and God is three. What do I mean? Father, Son, Holy Spirit. You won't fully understand this until you see the progressive revelation of who God is. John 1:1 and 3. It's like a replay of the first chapter of Genesis, "In the beginning," before there was time, there was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
You noticed in the Beginning Before there was time, you had the Word. Who is the Word? The Word is with God. The Word is God. This Word was with God in the beginning and all things were made through him; notice, the word is "Creator" all things were made through; all things were made through him; without him nothing was made that was made. You know what the Bible says? Everything was created by the Word. The question is, who is the Word? This is how you study the Bible, let the Bible explain itself. In John 1:14 the Bible tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. And we have beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. In other words, the Word is Jesus.
So you can read 1 John as follows: In the beginning was Jesus, the Word, Jesus was with God, Jesus was God. It's amazing. Colossians 1:15 and 17, this is incredible. The Bible tells us: The Beloved Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn before all creation. The word "firstborn" does not mean "created" He is the most important, the preeminent. For through Him all things were created. Notice. Because all things were created through Jesus. I don't know how to explain it clearly. Because all things were created through him: angels, the universe, the sun, the moon, gravity. Everything is created. Note: Everything in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all were created through Him and for Him. OMG. Jesus is worthy of our worship. Why? He is our Creator. He is before all things, and through Him all things stand.
Do you know what holds this universe together? Science cannot understand the immense power of atoms. Do you know the power of a nuclear bomb? But what holds it together? Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God, the express image of his being, and the one who uses his power. The command upholds all things. To describe Jesus is to control everything with His power and His Word. Having cleansed men from their sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. This is Elohim, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God, evidently three persons. So you know, what do you understand by Elohim? Elohim, one God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. One God appears in three persons. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. One God eternally exists in three persons. No wonder, you can begin to see the power of Jesus revealed, showing us that He has all authority and power.
Remember the story of Lazarus? Lazarus died, and Jesus came to the tomb and said the following. In John 11:43, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! Lazarus had been dead for more than four days, and the Bible tells us that the dead man came out with his hands and feet wrapped in cloths, and his face wrapped in a towel. Jesus simply said, come out. Do you know why? Like Elohim, with authority and power. I'm reminded of Genesis Chapter 1, Where there is no life, He can give life. To the tomb in darkness, He can give light and He can give life. This is our God. Nothing is impossible in your life today. Lazarus had been dead for four days, and Jesus could have given a simple command: Lazarus, come out! And there was life.
You see, if you believe Genesis 1:1, in the beginning Elohim, God created the heavens and the earth. Then nothing is impossible and no problem is that big for you to worry about. No promise seems impossible, but God can do it. What is the evidence of truly knowing God? How do you know you know God? This was a test for me. I call it a test of worship. What do I mean by a worship test? Worship is like a thermometer. It measures our knowledge of who God is. You see, worship is exactly what it sounds like: our appropriate response to who God is, what He has done, and what He will continue to do. So the evidence of a person who knows God is his worship. If your worship is weak, if your worship is pathetic, if your worship has no excitement, my friend, you may not know God.
Notice, Revelation 4:11, You are worthy, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. As we worship God My wife and I repeat this verse when we take our morning walks. We say: Our Father God, You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power; for You created all things, and all things were created and exist because of Your will. We worship God. Why? He deserves it. Have you ever thanked God for creating you? My wife and I worship God. Your gratitude, your thanksgiving, testifies to the test of worship. Are you thankful that God created you? Are you thankful that you are alive today? Are you thankful that you will be with the Lord forever and ever? Are you grateful for your life? Most importantly, even when there are problems, do you also have a grateful heart? Do you know why you should learn to be grateful? Because God is God, He knows everything, and nothing is too difficult for Him.
Worship is not just gratitude, but obedience. You see, the standard for knowing God is: do you obey Him? How can you obey God if you don't know God? True worship is obeying His word. The Bible tells us: If you love me, you will obey my commandments. Do you really obey God from the bottom of your heart? Do you feel that worshiping God is a joy? The test of worship, this is our evidence. What does worship mean? You worship Him, you thank Him, you worship Him, you love Him, you obey Him, and you trust Him. How were you in that area? Is it possible that some of you knew about God, but you didn't really know Him? Maybe you were raised in a Christian environment, and so Christianity became the culture, and Christianity became a kind of religion.
My concern is that you may not really know Him. Because honestly, can I share this with you from my heart? If you truly understand God, Elohim, the Almighty, your life will be forever changed. Your worship will be different, your desire to learn God's Word will be there, and your obedience will be there. Most importantly, even your character, your joy, your peace, the way you respond will be different. I pray that you will pursue the knowledge of God. I want you to be rooted in God, because when you are rooted in God, you will grow. If you are rooted in Him, you will know what Jesus meant when he said in John 10:10, He has come, I have come, that sheep (or: men) may have life, and may have it more abundantly. Because there are many people today, you're like Genesis 1:2, your life is darkness, your life is emptiness, your life is chaos.
The Bible tells us: God can change everything. He can turn darkness into light. He can change your empty life and make it full. God can take something bleak and empty and turn it into something beautiful. Remember, God makes all things beautiful in His timing. As we wrap up, look at John 17. That's why you have to be rooted in God, because John 17:3 says, This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
What is eternal life? This is so critical. Be grounded in God and know Him. This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ whom you have sent. You're starting to understand now, I'm not religious, and I'm not ritualistic. I want us to learn to have a deep relationship with Jesus. Be rooted in who God is. I want to give you a chance to truly know God. The Bible tells us: The key to knowing God is through Jesus. I want you to invite Jesus as your Lord and your Savior. I want you to learn to repent of your sins. Come to Him and pray with me like this:
Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. My life does not show that I truly understand You. I confess my sins. I invite You, Jesus, to be my Lord and my Savior. I surrender to You. I accept your gift of forgiveness. Jesus, can you change my life? Give me the joy of knowing you, from darkness to light, from emptiness to fullness. Thank you, Jesus, because you love me. Thank you for creating me. Lord Jesus, help me to follow you for the rest of my life. Amen.