Photo Credit: Unsplash, Pixabay
I’m savouring reflections of the first of the 18 stories based on Gen 1-3…
Gen 1-2 should really be divided:
Gen 1:1 – 2:4
Gen 2:5 – 2:25
In Gen 1:1–2:4, Ělōhîm is translated God. It means the Strong One. Ělōhîm is God’s chief title and used 2,325 times out of roughly 2,570 occurrences. The title highlights God’s absolute governmental power.
In Gen 2:5-2:25 the central story is the creation of man. Here, YHWH Ělōhîm is used. YHWH Ělōhîm is God’s personal name.
How great and mighty is our Ělōhîm… and yet, how closely and intimately YWHW Ělōhîm has come to us… How precious we are to him.
In Gen 3
The serpent asked the woman, “Did Ělōhîm really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?”
The serpent portrayed God as the Almighty God (Ělōhîm) devoid of a personal relationship (YWHW Ělōhîm) with his prized creation Adam and Eve.
After mankind sinned, (v8 onwards) God went looking for Adam and Eve, the title YWHW Ělōhîm is used again.
The meaning and implications is just WOW.
Another observation, the when Adam and Eve went hiding has the idea of intentionally hiding.
And when YWHW Ělōhîm was calling “Adam where are you?” The word used was intentionally seeking.
Now isn’t that just WOW!
