Names of God – Part 9

Elohim Avraham Yitzak Yacov

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to translate into English.

Up to now I have been looking at the compound names of God in the Bible starting with El, God. This and the next few names use the plural word, Elohim, Gods, but as a singular name.

When God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush, it took four forms, “I am the God of your father, I am the God of Abraham, I am the God of Isaac, I am the God of Jacob.” Exodus 3:6. Each time it took the plural form Elohim.  But I have dealt with Elohim in a previous blog, what I want to look at is the present tense of the phrase.

In Mark 12:26, Jesus uses this verse to reply to the Sadducees, who did not believe that people were resurrected, to show that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are alive, as God is the God of the living not the dead. But the converse is also true. The context, that Moses would have understood is that the God who worked miracles in the time of his ancestors, is still able to do the same thing in Moses time. God does not die off with a generation. God can be trusted.

God has not changed. God is still present. The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses, the God that worked through the Apostles healing the sick is still here, still active and can still be trusted.

Will you trust him?