Introduction: God

Introduction: God, Pass by Me

These lessons will go along with Cassandra Martin's Book "God, Pass By Me: Seeing God's Glory...." You may acquire a copy from 21st Century Christian ISBN-13:978-089098-257-0 (2809 Granny White Pike, Nashville, Tennessee 37204)

2 Thessalonians 1:7 tells us that the Lord of the Universe will reap vengeance on those that KNOW (eido)  not God (Theos) and obey not the Gospel (1 Cor 15:1-3; Romans 6:3-11).

·         “eido”: to intimately experience and understand – have a deep relationship with, tell about, behold and proclaim

·         “Theos”:  being the GodHead (Supreme Beings)–the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

We have to know  God– experience Him intimately and wholly.  We have to know Him well enough to witness, praise, acknowledge, and to recognize His power, follow His leading, proclaim Him among the nations, place Him in the proper position in rank and authority, and allow Him to direct our lives. We have to KNOW His plan through His Son and understand from experience the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Reflect:  W. Tozer asserted, in His Book, The Knowledge of the Holy, 

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

·         Write this statement in your PEP Journal (Prayer, Epiphany, Praise)

The word, “God” most likely comes from a 16^th century Germanic term “gott” meaning “good” and  only slightly describes the Lord of the Universe. It was used by translators in the first printed Bible as a matter of convenience. It should also be realized that it is not important that we be able to say the Hebrew or Greek terms as much as it is important and imperative that we KNOW the Supreme Being of Heaven and Earth and how He wishes to be referred to as revealed by the terms He uses to describe Himself. These terms we NEED to KNOW. These attributes we must hold sacred. These are terms we cannot use in vain. (Ex “Evan Almighty” Gen 35:11, “Holy Cow” Ps 89:18, “Awesome” Exodus 15:11, “Reverend” Ps 111:9)

To KNOW God is more than being able to cite a few details about Him. In fact, KNOWING God is not done with the "head" or the mind. It is done with the HEART.

In terms of the American culture, our Father has no official name. Instead, He reveals to us His attributes, rank, position, and nature. Perhaps it is unfortunate that the translators of the Bible used a singular word "God" instead of translating the information we need to know more about our God. There is nothing worse than “non-information”, as in words like “thing” and “stuff”.  In this study we want to draw closer to and deepen our relationship with our God making this perhaps the most important study in which we participate in connection to our own salvation.

Tozer (ideas and thoughts from The Knowledge of the Holy)

The problem we have in this century is that the Church has surrendered her once lofty concept of God and has substituted for one so low as to utterly be unworthy of thinking, the worship of men and their accomplishments. This, the Church has not done deliberately, but little by little and without her knowledge. The low view of God entertained almost universally among Christians is the cause of all lesser evils everywhere among us. We have lost the majesty of God and His Divine Presence in every aspect, corner, and activity of our lives. We have lost the spirit of minute by minute worship and our ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence.

A rediscovery of the majesty of God will go a long way in curing our irreverent lives. The study of His attributes will promote the practice of meditation on the being of God. No religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. When we view God as less than He is we have committed idolatry – the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him. It begins in the mind and moves to the Heart – “When they knew God,” Paul wrote, “they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful; but became vain in the imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” 

When viewed from the perspective of eternity, the most critical need of this hour may well be that the Church should purify and elevate her concept of God and glorify His power. We Christians are the Church and whatever we do is what the Church is doing. The matter, therefore, is for each of us a personal one. Any forward step in the Church must begin with the individual. What can plain Christians do to bring back the departed glory among God’s people? Is there some secret we may learn? Is there a formula for personal revival we can apply to the present situation, to our own situation? The answer to these questions is yes. Yet the answer may easily disappoint some persons, for it is anything but profound. The secret is an open one which any man may read. It is simply: Acquaint yourself with God. KNOW GOD and build a minute by minute relationship with HIM. To regain her lost power the Church must see heaven opened and have a transforming vision of God.

Begin praying that God will reveal Himself to you during this study. Begin praying that you will be open to understanding Him (knowing Him) in the depths of your heart.

The "names" (attributes) that we will be studying in these lessons are to help us build a closer relationship, reverence, and awe for the Power of His Presence. We need to KNOW His position, His rank, and His Sovereignty. We need to humble our busy lives to our correct position – one who waits for God to do His work in us and through us. These attributes cannot be understood by the "natural" mind; only through the spiritual understanding of the Heart.

Prov 3: 5 “Trust in the Lord in all your HEART and lean not on your own understanding.”

It is with the Heart that we learn to KNOW God. It is with our faith that we walk in the path of God. “If the Lord wills, I will to such and such”….instead of “I will do….” (1 Cor 4:19; James 4:15) We can do nothing outside of the power of God.

GROUP WORK (10 minutes) :

In your small group read Andrew Murray's "Waiting on God" p. 20 & 21 (You may download the book from here)

From the Bible, give examples of those who knew the Scriptures but did not KNOW God.

 

Let’s look at our Introductory Lesson in God Pass by Me..., page 1.

In this text, Moses asks the Great I AM for a favor. Let’s see what, why and how this favor was granted. As you read, circle the following terms so that we can define them more fully:

--glory

--goodness

--name

--Lord

--God

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. …. But He said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen.” Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished…..” Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshipped.

Let’s take this text apart and better understand here what happened on Sinai.

(1)    Why do you think Moses asked to see God’s Glory? When had he seen it before? How did he know about it? What was Moses really asking for?

(2)    What does the word “glory” mean?

(3)    Was God really in the burning bush? Acts 7:35

(4)    Was God really on Sinai? Acts 7:38

(5)    “Shekinah” is the Hebrew term for the Presence of God. It refers to God’s awesome power, shining majesty, spender, beauty, and glowing manifestation (as in the Transfiguration of Christ).  I like to refer to this as the “finger tip” of God making Him known in our fallen world. Why can God not manifest Himself fully on this earth? Why did He send Jesus to be born of a woman? Why did Christ have to “empty” Himself and take on a form of a man?

When we understand the power of God to speak and create the entire Universe, we begin to understand a little of His Awesomeness.

In the passage above, God said “I will proclaim my name”. The word here for “name” is a word that means, “rank, position, or character”. It is not the term used to refer to a name like, “Ralph”. God said he would reveal His nature. In these lessons when Cassandra uses the word, “name”…. scratch it out and put the term “attribute” instead.

What did God call Himself in this passage above?  As He passed by Moses, our English Bibles say He proclaimed “The Lord, The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God”.

What He said was, “The I AM”, The I AM” or self-Existent one “is the compassionate and gracious EL”.

“EL” – A term from which we derive words like “elevated”, “elevator” refers to the Highest of the High, Lifted UP, and Sovereign Ruler of Rulers, Lord of Lord, King of Kings, above all rule and authority.

Elohim is the pleural of EL and is used for the Godhead: Associated with Creator of Heaven and Earth. Most High Ruler, Elevated Above all Heaven and Earth, Supreme Sovereign

Be Still and KNOW that I am God (Elohyim).  I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.  Psalms 46:10-11

We will see “EL” in words like “Elohim” the pleural term for the Highest of the High. In “El Shaddai” and in Immanuel  or “with us is the Highest of the High”. In our Bibles, the translators decided to use “God” each time for “EL” and other descriptive attributes. It is not wrong to use the word “God”, if you think of “The Highest Good”. But it really is not in the text in any shape or form. It is convenient to use the word, “God”…but it is also dwarfing the potential perhaps for knowing how God describes Himself and how He wants to be known.

A trend began in the late 1990’s to start using the Hebrew words for the attributes of God. Perhaps that was a good trend…perhaps not. In my humble opinion, God wants us to KNOW HIM by understanding His true nature and attributes. He wants us to KNOW and to PRAISE Him among the nations, using His attributes…just as the Psalmist did (1 Corinthians 14:6).

Let God be Near You! Let God Reign in you!

Let God's power shine through us! Let God be God and let us become humbled by His Presence. Let us lift up our voices and declare Him among the heathen, the nations, the darkness. Let us declare the great and glorious day of the Lord. Let us believe.

Homework: write your testimony so that you can share with others next week about who God has been in your life.

Meditations and Reflections:

(1)    Who is God? Let Him reveal Himself to you. He is known through His creation. There is no EXCUSE.

(2)    What are His attributes? Grow closer to Him by learning about Him and believing in Him. Let Him invade your HEART.

(3)    This is NOT about you working harder. This is about you waiting on God. Listen, be still, and watch as the glory of God passes before you. There is no good work that is not done by God.

(4)    Glorify His attributes among the nations. Learn how to share YOUR STORY.

(5)    Honor God, His attributes, His rank, His position and do not use them in vain.

(6)    It is all about the Great I AM, not who I am.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD

Below are some of the "characteristics" or "names" God has used to describe His own Nature. In II Thessalonians 1:7-9, we are told what will happen if we do not choose to KNOW GOD. What does it mean to "know God"? The first step is to know and understand His nature. Become familiar with these characteristics as we continue to study the Nature of God

	GOD "names"		ELOHIYM - examples
	Genesis 1:1		'elohiym, el-o-heem'; plur. of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but spec. used (in the plur. thus, esp. with the art.) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.
	Genesis 2:4		3068. Yehovah, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Comp. H3050, H3069.
	Genesis Chapter 2		Uses both Elohiym & Yehovah (LORD GOD)
	Gen 3:5 NASB		"For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Uses Elohiym to describe what man would try to become – his own judge.
	Gen 5:24 NASB		Enoch walked with Elohiym: And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Man becomes shachath:H7843 ="corrupt " while God remains - "is"
			Elohiym tells Noah to build an Ark of safety
	Psa 48:10 NASB		As is Thy name, O God (Elohiym), So is Thy praise to the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of righteousness.
	Psa 70:4 NASB		Let all who seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; And let those who love Thy salvation say continually, "Let God (Elohiym) be magnified."
			GOD MOST HIGH - Elohiym Elyown
	Psa 57:2 NASB		I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me.
	Gen 9:26 NASB		Noah came out of the Ark to worship Yehovah, Elohiym He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.
	Genesis 14:8		Melchisedek was a priest of the MOST HIGH GOD And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High
			GOD of Elevation or Lofty or Supreme- Elohiym Elyone
	Psa 59:5 NASB		Lord God of Hosts: yehovah:H3068 'elohiym:H430 . tsaba':H6635 And Thou, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah.
			LORD - Adonay
	Gen 15:2 NASB		Abraham worshipped 136. 'Adonay, ad-o-noy'; an emphatic form of H113; the Lord (used as a prop. name of God only):--(my) Lord. AND 'adonay:H136 yehovih:H3069 And Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"
	Psa 71:5 NASB		For Thou art my hope; O Lord (Adonai) GOD (Yehovah), Thou art my confidence from my youth.
	Psa 71:16 NASB		I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Thy righteousness, Thine alone
			GOD - EL
	Genesis 16		Sarah refers to God in his generic name known by tribes all over the earth. 10. 'el, ale; short. from H352; strength; as adj. mighty; espec. the Almighty (but used also of any deity):--God (god), X goodly, X great, idol, might (-y one), power, strong. Comp. names in "-el."
	Job 8:5 NASB		Job also uses the form “el” & 'elowahh” & “shadday” (ALMIGHTY) to refer to God. The book of Job deals with the oldest form of knowledge. "If you would seek God And implore the compassion of the Almighty,
	Gen 17:1 NASB		Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless When establishing His covenant with Abraham, God says His name is : Yehovah, shadday:H7706 'el:H410 (or Jehovah, El Shaddai = I AM Almighty God) 7706. Shadday, shad-dah'ee; from H7703, the Almighty:--Almighty. In other words, God is able to establish and keep His covenant now and forever with all power and might. It is Elohiym that speaks to man (Spirit, angel, voice of God). Description of God and where He dwells: . yehovah:H3068 . 'elohiym:H430 . shamayim:H8064 . . 'elohiym:H430 .
			Shamayim is the lofty places – showing God’s reach into the Heavens as well as on the earth.
	Gen 24:3 NASB		and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live,
	Gen 28:3 NASB		The God of Blessing: 3 . 'el:H410 shadday:H7706 (God Almighty) "And may God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.
	Exo 9:1 NASB		The God of Promise: yehovah:H3068 'elohiym:H430 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
	1 Ki 18:39 NASB		And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God."
	Exo 34:6 NASB		Compassionate God: yehovah:H3068 . yehovah:H3068 'el:H410 rachuwm:H7349 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;
	Psa 79:9 NASB		God of my Salvation: . 'elohiym:H430 . . yesha':H3468 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name; And deliver us, and forgive our sins, for Thy name's sake.
	Psa 94:22 NASB		God of Refuge: . yehovah:H3068 . . misgab:H4869 . . 'elohiym:H430 But the LORD has been my stronghold, And my God the rock of my refuge.
	Isa 40:28 NASB		Lord God, Creator: 'elohiym:H430 . yehovah:H3068 . bara':H1254 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.
			God, whose name is Jealous: 'el:H410 . . yehovah:H3068 . shem:H8034 . qanna':H7067 . . qanna':H7067 'el:H410
	Exo 34:14 NASB		for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God
			Merciful Lord God) LORD GOD: 'adonay:H136 (136. 'Adonay, ad-o-noy'; an emphatic form of H113; the Lord (used as a prop. name of God only):--(my) Lord.) yehovih:H3069
	Deu 3:24 NASB		'O Lord GOD, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Thine?
	1 Ki 8:53 NASB		"For Thou hast separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Thine inheritance, as Thou didst speak through Moses Thy servant, when Thou didst bring our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord GOD."
			Eternal God: qedem:H6924 'elohiym:H430
	Deu 33:27 NASB		"The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, 'Destroy!'
			God of Knowledge: yehovah:H3068 . . 'el:H410 . de'ah:H1844
	1 Sam 2:3 NASB		"Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the LORD is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed.
			God, My Rock: . 'elohiym:H430 . . tsuwr:H6697 (Diety). . . yasha':H3467 . yasha':H3467 (Salvation)
	2 Sam 22:3 NASB		My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, Thou dost save me from violence.
	Ezra 5		All through the book of Ezra God is referred to as Elahh….probably due to the influence of captivity and foreign languages. Foreigners refer to the “great God” rab:H7229 'elahh:H426 of Israel. (Ezra 5:8 NASB) "Let it be known to the king, that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands. God of Heaven & Earth: 'elahh:H426 . shamayin:H8065 . 'ara':H772 (Ezra 5:11 NASB) "And thus they answered us, saying, 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
			Great God: yehovah:H3068 . gadowl:H1419 'elohiym:H430
	Neh 8:6 NASB		Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
			Great Awesome & Fearful God: 'elohiym:H430 . gadowl:H1419 . gibbowr:H1368 . . yare':H3372 'el:H410
	Neh 9:32 NASB		) "Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who dost keep covenant and lovingkindness, Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before Thee, Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and on all Thy people, From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.
			God of Truth: . yehovah:H3068 'el:H410 . 'emeth:H571
	Psa 31:5 NASB		Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.
			Living God: 'elohiym:H430 . . chay:H2416 'el:H410
	Psa 42:2 NASB		My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?
			Holy God: . 'elohiym:H430 . . . qodesh:H6944
	Psa 77:13 NASB		Thy way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God?