The WOW of God (Genesis 12:2-3; Malachi 3:12)

There are 3 Hebrew words that are translated into English as "God", and these words are a composite of one another; they are transliterated as El; Eloah; and Elohim.

FIRST

The first of these words has been dealt with quite extensively under "Lost in Translation: Introducing Al [Understanding God] (Part 3)"; used over 200 times in the OT.

SECOND

The second word is predominantly found in Job (41x's), believed to be the oldest of the Old Testament scriptures, with a smattering of references (15), throughout the remainder of the OT.

THIRD

The third and the most prolific use is Elohim, found some 2555 times (2310 times it is used of God; 245 times it has other uses).

GOD

 All 3 of these words are translated as "God", and represent a progressive revelation of who "God" is. Even though the English transliteration makes marked distinctions in these words, the Hebrew pictographic forms are composites of one another with each successive word adding a new aspect of God's character, in pictographic form. Since the meanings are blurred by translating 3 separate words, each as "God", it is only by searching the original language, and specifically, the pictographic form, that we can give substance to the words.

EL - as stated in "Lost in translation: Introducing Al [Understanding God (Part 3)]", this word is represented by the bull and shepherd's staff pictograph, speaking of "unlimited power and authority", and the "God" who extends those aspects of His creative character, to all who are yoked up with Him, following His lead, in covenant with Him.

ELOAH - is simply an extension of the revelation found in the first word. It contains the head of the bull/ox first (AL), then the shepherd's staff (LAM), inverted, or upside down, followed by the tent peg (WAW), which looks like our English capital "Y" [which, over time, and variations in writing, became our English, upper case "F", and the number "9"].

TENT PEG

In ancient nomadic Semitic culture, tents were used as the "home" of these transient peoples, who moved from place to place; providing food for their flocks and herds wherever water and vegetation was available. They lived in tents, and to secure the tents firmly, ropes were attached to tent "pegs", that were hammered into the ground, keeping the tent immovable from the winds and rains that were sometimes prevalent. The pegs themselves were cut from hardwood, so that they would not break, and they were cut from the portion where the branches would "v" off to form a "Y". The purpose for selecting a "Y" portion of the hardwood trees, was to have a tent peg that would allow for the rope to firmly fasten, without slipping off when it was pulled on.

The pictographic and visual imagery of this letter, especially with the first two letters, of the revelation of "God", is that 'the all powerful God; of all authority, and right to rule; who has made covenant with us; who leads and guides us in His covenant, has established a covenant with us, that is not only secure, and immovable, but His covenant has made our "home" secure'. We are immovable; unshaken by the winds and storms that may assail, because of who we are fastened to; fixed safe and secure, like the unbreakable hardwood, to the extent, that our rope [covenant] that we are attached to, won't slip off. God is a personal God, that secures our "home". He is the God of family, and has chosen a family; a group of people; a family of nations; and our strength in Him is found in our corporate identity as part of a "family", the church, safe and unshakeable, our "tent" firmly fastened in Him.

HEY

The other Hebrew letter that is added to EL, to form the transliteration ELOAH, is the Hebrew letter (Hey). This pictograph is a "stick man", where the body and legs form what looks like an upside down "Y", with the head as a circle, directly in the middle, flanked by two arms, representing an upper case "E", on its side. [In fact, the Hebrew letter (Hey), is the origin of our upper case, English letter "E", and because of writing variations, also became the number 5]. This letter is the pictograph of a man pointing at a wonderful sight and saying "look" or "behold", but it also can mean "sigh" or "breath".

MEANING

Initially, the two meanings seem to be separate and distinct, but in fact, they are one, complementing the more complete meaning of the pictograph. The visual imagery is actually that of a person seeing such an amazing sight, that they throw up their arms in amazement, exclaiming "wow", at the sight, that quite literally takes their breath away, in a deep sigh, at a loss for words at the "wow" of God!

We are God's covenant people, and we are the "wow" of God in the earth. We are, like Israel of old, in the covenant of Abraham, a great nation: He has made our name great; we are a blessing; and in us all the families of the earth are blessed, and are amazed at the "wow" of what God has done, in and through the church (Gen.12:2-3). All nations will call us blessed, and we will be sought after in a jealous wow of wonder, at how to gain the blessing of God to such extent, that it radically impacts every aspect of life and existence in the earth (Mal.3:12).

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours