Exploring God’s Titles: Adonai and Elohim

i have thought about this series for some time. How do i share my understanding in a way that leads you, the reader, into curiosity? To inspire a deeper look into Scripture. To light a fire within you to be like the people of Berea. Who received with joy, the words being taught to them. But then went and searched the Scriptures to see whether or not it was true. There are plenty of posts you can go over in which i will have touched on these ideas presented here. Although, not so succinctly as i will try in this series of posts. i will present the options and then give my ‘why’s’ trying to be fair to both sides in the end. These are the topics i will present over the next few days. Yahoshua or Jesus (see post); Rabbi or Teacher (see post); Adonai Elohim or Lord God (current post); Feast Days or Holidays; Sabbath or Sunday. In the end it will be my goal to have persuaded you to begin to evaluate your ‘why’s’. To ask the question of yourself, “Am I using mans justification or Elohim’s Word, to determine my beliefs?” Let’s continue.

Adonai Elohim or Lord God:
Many will say this is simply semantics and word play. However, I will say this, words are important and they carry meaning. It is why there is a saying, “Choose your words wisely.” As we look at definitions, things can get a bit muddled. When words are used to describe other words, it can become confusing. Add in historical context and you have opened up a giant can or worms. Adonai and Lord have overlapping meaning, ‘Master,’ being the primary meaning. Elohim and God essentially mean the exact same thing, Deity, Higher Power, Supreme Being. Elohim, however, does have a slight difference as it is plural by nature. Some will say this is representative of the Trinity, or Father, Son, Holy Spirit. It can also mean Divine Counsel. This is hinted to in the book of Enoch, which is not widely accepted. Whereas, God, is singular in nature. El is the singular vernacular for Elohim. For example, El Shaddai is translated into English ‘God Almighty.’

Lord is translated from Greek however its root is Babylonian, Ba’al, .Ba’al, is also the designation given in Scripture to refer to false gods, and deities, most notably Dagan or Dagon. Dagan was known as the fish god and his priests wore fish type hats. There is a large church based in Rome whose priests also wear hats resembling fish. When titles are used to refer to יהוה‎ YHWH and are not rooted in Hebrew, it becomes easy to generalize. This can minimize His importance. It also lends to syncretism or the blurring of lines. When actors or singers receive an award, they often thank god for their achievement. This could be for a part in a movie or a song that is full of every sort of filth. Which god do you think they are thanking? However, when someone says Adonai Elohim, or El Shaddai, you know that they are referring to the God of Bible.

Words are powerful and they have meaning. Whoever said, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” was lying. Words can hurt and that is why Scripture tells us to watch our words. Don’t talk idly or foolishly. We are told to let our yes be yes and our no be no. But perhaps most importantly, the Word says, “All who call upon the Name of Adonai YHWH shall be saved.” This passage in Romans isn’t just saying to know His name but take on His name. It seems to me that satan has a clear motive. He wants to mask or hide the true name and nature of Adonai Elohim YHWH. This makes it all the more important to know and use, to the best of our ability, the Hebrew expressions.

This is the Way of the Rabbi,
You are loved,
cj