“Dude, I love your last name!”
Several years ago, my name underwent a significant change. Savage evolved from being a term used to describe certain groups in a derogatory manner to a buzzword. Everywhere I looked, I kept seeing my last name. People would bring me shirts, hats, pants, and bags with my name on them. The Urban Dictionary defines my name as “Merciless, brutally honest.” I’m not sure I like all that comes with that definition!
In contrast to my name, the name second most commonly used to describe God in the Old Testament is Elohim. This name for God describes God as the "supreme or mighty one.” While Yahweh is used nearly 7000 times in the Old Testament, Elohim appears over 2500 times.
This name for God is the title of Noah Paul Harrison’s new song. One of the latest additions to the Bethel Music collective, Harrison brings a unique sound, and his first single with the group is quickly gaining popularity.
“I am so excited to share the song ‘Elohim,’” says Harrison. “A few years ago, my good friend Gable Price and I had an impromptu writing session, and he shared his idea for this song. We worked on it for a couple of hours. I remember feeling the power behind the song in that moment, but I didn’t fully grasp the full gravity of it until a couple of years later when I led it on a Sunday at church. This song reminds me of the vastness of God and the power of his kingdom!”
Harrison’s comment about the vastness of God reminds me of a passage from Psalm 147, which refers to Elohim’s power and grandeur. “How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!”
Elohim is the first word used to describe God in the opening sentence of the Bible. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” As we read in Genesis 1:1, Elohim is the name often used when writing about God’s role in creation.
Author and pastor Mike Leake makes a fascinating observation about this name. “When you have a first encounter with God—through His power displayed in nature—you will likely gravitate towards an Elohim concept. This is why Elohim, and not Yahweh, is prominent in books like Daniel and Jonah and even the first two chapters of Genesis.”
Noah Paul Harrison grasps this reality and helps listeners connect with God through this name. Harrison invites us to move through creation in light of Elohim’s power and presence.
“Oh anyone with eyes can see a mountain
But anyone with faith will see it move”
Romans 1:20 tells us that creation reveals God’s character and nature, but God wants us not just to know His work. God longs to know us personally and intimately. In his famous speech in Athens, recorded in Acts 17, Paul discussed how God pursued humanity. “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist.”
God wants an intimate relationship with us. Motivated by love, the Father sent Jesus so that we could be restored to union with God, as Adam and Eve enjoyed before the Fall, when they walked with God in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden. I thought of that description in Genesis 3 when I first heard the chorus of Harrison’s “Elohim.”
“Elohim, the God who goes before me
Prince of Peace, my heart has found a home.”
Our home is not a house or an apartment. Our home is not the city we were born in or the people we are closest to today. Our heart’s home is with God, in peace and rest. In a world of striving and approval-seeking, God invites us to find our home in Him. Jesus invited His disciples in Matthew 11 to come to Him so that they might find rest for their souls.
If you’re feeling homesick or restless…
If you’re standing in creation and feeling God’s power…
If you’re looking for a way to connect with God in your current season…
Then, follow Noah Paul Harrison’s example and lean into the name, “Elohim.” Listen to the song and consider the power and might of God, as He goes before you, moves mountains that stand in your way, and invites you to find a home in Him.
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps people transform difficult circumstances into places where they can thrive. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, and loves watching movies with his wife and three kids. You can discover the power of gratitude through his 21-day Gratitude Challenge today.
