Names in ancient times and even now hold a significant part in society and individuals; however, God has been given different names representing different characters and attributes in both the Old and New Testaments. From people’s experiences, miracles, and even what God did, people could attribute God differently, making it his identity. God’s identity constantly advances from one revelation to another, demonstrating God’s nature and self-disclosure, corresponding with God’s character in Christ. God systematically reviewed his identity to man as time unfolded until Christ embodied truth, character, and revelation. Through the character, names of God, and his attributes, we know how God is and what he wants us to do. In this way, we grow a significant connection with God in the comprehension of his identity to the fullness of his mercy, power, and through Christ to redeem man.
Names and Attributes of God in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, various names were attributed to God. Elohimi is the earliest name used to refer to God in the scriptures. It highlights god supreme power and divinity due to his position and ability to create everything in the universe. As stated in the Bible, in the beginning, God created Genesis 1:1 to describe God as “Elohim.” This name highlights God’s position as the supreme deity and underscores (Pike 2010, 20)—his unparalleled power and authority as the creator of the universe, which includes heaven and earth. Elohim represents God’s divine ability to bring all things to existence (Gilbert 1895, 232). One who brought everything into existence showcases his dominance as the ultimate source. It provides a clear understanding of God’s role as the sole creator of all creation through the scriptures.
Yahweh is the name used by Moses to refer to God as a result of a burning bush that he saw showcasing the divine relationship that God has with his chosen people, who were the Israelites. Hence, it shows the eternal nature of God’s love for his people, as described in Exodus 3:14, that he was who he is, symbolizing how God is faithful in fulfilling the covenants that he promises to the people, a progressive revelation through the scriptures. Yahweh represents that he never changes, and he has a deep relationship with his people by inviting them to an everlasting bond in a covenant of love and faithfulness (Pike 2010, 19). The Old Testament represented hope to the people and provided confidence in God’s promises.
El Shaddai al, known as God Almighty, is mainly used to show God’s provision, care, and sustainability to the people he loves. It was first used when God appeared to Abraham in Genesis 17:1, assuring him that he would be blameless if he were faithful to God. It represents god nature to provide and protect those he calls his people (Leggett 2012, 26). Hence, it shows the ability of God to fulfill every need sufficiently, as he promised to those who follow his path of faithfulness and righteousness.
Adonai is a name used mainly in the Old Testament to refer to God as the lord. As described in Psalm 8:1, it shows God’s dominion over creation and his lordship. This verse exalts the name of Adonai by acknowledging his supreme power and ability to rule all creation. The name recognizes God as the one who has made glory shine in heaven and earth, hence the ruler of all. Therefore, people must trust him since he rules their lives and the world.
Throughout the Old Testament, God progressively reviewed his characters. It resulted from their interaction with people and through the voice of the prophets. Attributes such as mercy, love, justice, compassion, supernatural deeds, and miracles that the people of Israelites experienced throughout. In Exodus 34:6-7, as demonstrated by Moses, God is slow to anger and is ever compassionate in that he can forgive and maintain his love for his people. There is also an emphasis on this in Micah 6:8: the people must always employ this attribute of mercy and humility, as the gods demonstrate. These lay a more excellent foundation for life and spiritual growth and also show a faithful relationship of God with his people.
Names and Attributes of God in the New Testament
Throughout the New Testament, God’s name, attributes, and character are revealed through the life of Jesus, miracles, and the work performed through the holy spirit. During the teaching ministry of Jesus, he referred to God as the father. On an occasion in Matthew 6:9, when Jesus was teaching his disciples how to pray, he addressed God with the phrase our father, showing a deep connection between the people as that a child and the father has (Rasip 2023, 75). It represents God as a caring, compassionate, and loving father who is seen progressing through the ministry of Jesus, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, and even feeding people. He invites people into a lively relationship with God, hence the understanding of the fatherly character of God and, therefore, confidence when praying to him.
Jesus is recognized as the son of God, implying that God was living among human beings as man. As stated in John 3:16, God gave his son to the world to save anyone who believed in him. Hence, this verse shows why Jesus came into this world, signifying God’s desire to save humanity through his son (Rasip 2023, 75). Therefore, Jesus provided God’s redemption plan through his life, death, and resurrection. Hence, through Jesus, believers receive salvation, experience god power and love, and get their lives transformational.
Immanuel’s name refers to Jesus, meaning God, who is among human beings. As stated in Matthew 1:23, a virgin will give birth to a child, and the name will be Immanuel. Hence, this is an implication that Jesus was God among humans (Erum 2021, 280). Thus, his presence brought hope, love, guidance, and salvation to the human race. Believers understand that Jesus, being Emanuel, does not need to worry since God has helped them through Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is one of the Godhead representations: the Father, God the Son, and God the holy spirit. It is God’s spirit that lives in the believer. The holy spirit gives a believer the ability to read and understand scriptures and the power to produce the right deeds. It is referred to as a helper who assists the believer in doing what God wants to be done (Tozer 2022, 14). As explained in John 14:26, the Holy Spirit is responsible for helping the believer remember Jesus’ teaching and providing them courage and comfort. Hence, we can live a life that glorifies God.
By understanding God’s name and attributes described in the Scripture, we can learn about God’s loving family, which he displayed to us in his person as the father, Jesus as the son, and the holy spirit e (Tozer 2022, 15). As stated in Ephesians 1:9-10 God’s plans, as prophesied in the past, have come into fulfillment in Jesus, both the heavens and the earth.
In conclusion, there is a progressive self-revelation of God’s names and attributes in Scripture, from the Old Testament expectation of this revelation to the New Testament revelation in Jesus Christ. Considering the importance of this revelation in interpreting God’s character leads to a relationship with Him.
References
Bible Gateway. 2015. “New International Version (NIV) – Version Information – BibleGateway.com.” Biblegateway.com. BibleGateway. 2015. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible/.
Erum, A. G. 2021. “Jesus Christ Is Fully God, Not Just Fully Man.” Eleutheria 5, no. 2 (December). https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/eleu/vol5/iss2/17/.
Gilbert, Henry L. 1895. “A Study in Old Testament Names.” Hebraica 11, no. 3/4 (April): 209–33. https://doi.org/10.1086/369202.
Leggett, Linda. 2012. Called by God’s Name: The Old Testament Roots of Christian Identity. Google Books. WestBow Press. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=eT7pMAH5BCcC&oi=fnd&pg=PT8&dq=Names++God+in+the+Old+Testament&ots=cmgxtQUeQn&sig=RYEkeh69ZPUnpIeGWm8WHBa3mmY.
Pike, Dana. 2010. “Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel the Name and Titles of God in the Old Testament the Name and Titles of God in the Old Testament” 11. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1388&context=re.
Rasip, Zaifuddin Md. 2023. “The Term Son of God as a Proof of Jesus’ Humanity: A Biblical Analysis.” IJUS | International Journal of Umranic Studies 6, no. 2 (November): 73–85. https://doi.org/10.59202/ijus.v6i2.750.
Tozer, A. W. 2022. “Knowledge of the Holy : The Attributes of God. Their Meaning in the Christian Life.” Knowledge of the Holy, 1–128. https://www.torrossa.com/it/resources/an/5261819.
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