In today's reading from
Genesis (14:8-24), Abram rescues his nephew Lot from small-scale local
kings who had taken him in battle. In thanksgiving, A priest of the
local Canaanite religion blesses Abram in the name of their chief god
among many, "El Elyon" (which means God Most High). Abram accepts this
blessing but calls God Most High by an even greater name, "The LORD."
That is the name by which the Israelites referred to the One and only God who freed them from Egyptian slavery. But even that isn't the name that this One God gave to Moses before sending him to Egypt. When Moses asked for God's name, the reply came, "I Am Who I Am. So say to the Israelites, 'I Am has sent me to you." In Hebrew, God's name is YAHWEH, a name so holy that that Israelites never speak that name, but use, "The LORD" instead.
The Canaanites imagine a room full of gods, with El Elyon "most high" over the rest. Abram accepts that indeed, The LORD is most high over all other forces in the universe. But even that is too small a way of conceiving God. God is not just the most powerful guy in the room. Indeed, any effort to describe God by some personality trait limits the God who simply "is."
Our God "is" always more than our greatest imagination, or most profound insight. In fact, at the risk of limiting this God, I might suggest that another name of our God is "More Than." Without losing what we have learned about our God, never fear to learn how God is more than what we have already learned.
That is the name by which the Israelites referred to the One and only God who freed them from Egyptian slavery. But even that isn't the name that this One God gave to Moses before sending him to Egypt. When Moses asked for God's name, the reply came, "I Am Who I Am. So say to the Israelites, 'I Am has sent me to you." In Hebrew, God's name is YAHWEH, a name so holy that that Israelites never speak that name, but use, "The LORD" instead.
The Canaanites imagine a room full of gods, with El Elyon "most high" over the rest. Abram accepts that indeed, The LORD is most high over all other forces in the universe. But even that is too small a way of conceiving God. God is not just the most powerful guy in the room. Indeed, any effort to describe God by some personality trait limits the God who simply "is."
Our God "is" always more than our greatest imagination, or most profound insight. In fact, at the risk of limiting this God, I might suggest that another name of our God is "More Than." Without losing what we have learned about our God, never fear to learn how God is more than what we have already learned.
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