This post is part of the series The Names of God.

Genesis 1:1–5 (ESV) — 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

As is well-known, Genesis 1 is the Bible’s account of the creation of the world. Throughout this chapter, God is referred to as Elohim. In Scripture, this name is consistently used when speaking of God as the Creator. The name speaks to God’s power and infinite knowledge. It is the plural form of the name El, which we have looked at previously. This word can also be used to speak of false gods. Because it is a plural form, many see it as further evidence that God as a Trinity is recorded in Scripture from the very beginning.

The God of the Bible is the Creator and sustainer of all things. He is the all-powerful and all-knowing. God is the final authority and the judge of all the earth. This is the God we worship and serve and this is the God who made our salvation possible by sending his Son, the second person of the Trinity, into the world as a sacrifice for our sins. He is a great God and he is calling out to all to repent and trust in him. Will you do that today?

---

**If you enjoy reading Shaped by the Word, please consider sharing this post on social media. Doing so helps us reach a larger audience. Thanks for reading!