JEHOVAH & ELOHIYM
Strong's Concordance definitions:
יְהוָֹה (Jehovah) H3068: From hayah; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God -- Jehovah, the Lord. Compare Yahh, Yhovih.
אלהים ('elohiym) H430: Plural of 'elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative -- angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD[Jehovah] our God[elohiym] is one LORD[Jehovah]: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD[Jehovah] thy God[elohiym] with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Substituting the Hebrew "God" words for the English words, we have:
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our elohiym is Jehovah: 5 And thou shalt love Jehovah thy elohiym with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
The popular opinion today is that elohiym's plurality denotes multiple God's. However, Deut 6:4-5 seems to deny this opinion. William Smith explains:
"The plural form of Elohim has given rise to much discussion. The fanciful idea that it referred to the trinity of persons in the Godhead hardly finds now a supporter among scholars. It is either what grammarians call the plural of majesty , or it denotes the fullness of divine strength, the sum of the powers displayed by God." (Smith, William, Dr.
"Entry for 'God'". "Smith's Bible Dictionary". . 1901) -It is the same in my 1884 book, but the "Entry for 'God'" was entirely absent in the 1908 version. This was after
William Smith's death in 1893.
Smith continues: "Jehovah denotes specifically the one true God, whose people the Jews were, and who made them the guardians of his truth. The name is never applied to a false god..."(ibid)
An example, verifying Smith's assertions: “For the LORD[Jehovah] is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods[elohiym]. For all the gods[elohiym] of the nations are idols[good for nothing]; but the LORD[Jehovah] made the heavens.” Psalm 96:4,5 -We see here that this use of elohiym denotes multiple false gods.
The apostle Paul says something similar, identifying our Father as Jehovah:
1 Corinthians 8:5 "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."
Jesus identifies His Father as the "one true God", Jehovah:
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
John 17:1-3 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, ... this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
"The LORD[Jehovah] our God[elohiym] is one LORD[one Jehovah]: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD[Jehovah] thy God[elohiym] with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
Quoting Deut 6:4-5, Jesus said, "... Thou shalt love the Lord[His Father] thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind..."(Luke 10:27)
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Jehovah: "The Scripture appellation of the supreme Being, usually interpreted as signifying self-derived and permanent existence.... the name Jehovah designates his nature as he stands in relation to man, as the only almighty, true, personal, holy Being, a spirit and 'the father of spirits,' (Numbers 16:22)... to whom all honor and worship are due." (Smith, William, Dr. "Entry for 'Jehovah'". "Smith's Bible Dictionary". . 1901)
As a side-note, Smith also says, "... The name(Jehovah) is never applied to a false god, nor to any other being except one, the ANGEL-JEHOVAH who is thereby marked as one with God, and who appears again in the New Covenant as 'God manifested in the flesh.' Thus much is clear..." (Smith, William, Dr. "Entry for 'God'". "Smith's Bible Dictionary". . 1901) This is in reference to the 64 uses of the phrase "Angel of the LORD"(Hebrew: ANGEL-JEHOVAH) in the KJV, which often refers to Christ. The point is that sometimes "Jehovah" is used as the name of Christ, because Jehovah declared that His name is in Christ(Ex 23:21). Ellen White also agrees with this, but that is a topic for a future study... -Sid
This is how our SDA founders believed in God:
That there is one God, a personal, spiritual being, the creator of all things, omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal, infinite in wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness, truth, and mercy; unchangeable, and everywhere present by his representative, the Holy Spirit. Psalm 139:7. FP1872 4.2 That there is one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, the one by whom God created all things, and by whom they do consist;... FP1872 4.3 (Fundamental Principles 1&2, published in the SDA Yearbook 1872-1914. This version was no longer published after Ellen died in 1915)
Our Brother and our Father:
Hebrews 2:9-11 But we see Jesus, who... sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.
And, if Jesus is my brother, then His Father - Jehovah is my Father and my God.
So, "now (I) desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore [Jehovah] is not ashamed to be called (my) God: for he hath prepared for (us) a city." (Hebrews 11:16)
Is Jehovah your Father and your God? Or, do you choose another...?
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