This paper deals with the object of worship as Eloah. The son who was elohim of Israel and Joshua the Messiah is shown in the correct biblical context. The use of Joshua in the Bible is also discussed.

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This text is the Shama or Shâma´ (SHD 8085). The title is derived from the word Shama meaning to hear which is the first word of the text. The connotation of to hear means to hear and understand. The words are, in Romanised Hebrew:

The word God used in the English translation is generally understood as translating SHD 430 elohim. However, elohim is a plural word, which can also be used in the singular. The singular word for God and the word more correctly associated with this word is the singular Eloah. Eloah is a singular word admitting of no plurality. Eloah is God the Father from Proverbs 30:4-5 who has a son. Those of the elect who have understanding can declare His name.

The name of The Lord of the Old Testament is Eloah. This God, Eloah, is the God Most High. This Most High God does not dwell among men (Acts 7:48). We are servants of the Most High God (Acts 16:17) who is identified from the Old Testament as the God of the Patriarchs. No one has ever seen this God or heard His voice (Jn. 1:18; 1Tim. 6:16).

It was Eloah that caused His name to dwell at Jerusalem (Ezra 6:12). Eloah is God as Creator and The Rock of Salvation.

God existed alone before any other entity. He was alone before the beginning. Thus, He alone was pre-existent. Isaiah 43:10.

Before Him no El was formed nor shall there be after Him. Thus, He is the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega. From Revelation 1:8, the revelation, which God gave to Jesus Christ, The God declares to Christ that He is the Alpha and the Omega and the Almighty.

Thus The Father, as Eloah, is the Almighty and the object of the creation as well as its creator. He extends this capacity to Messiah from the advent (Rev. 22:13).

God began to create. The first act of creation, by generation, was His Sons who formed the elohim. This was the spiritual creation. These Sons of God were multiple.

Time began from the creation of the Host. The physical creation was undertaken by the elohim.

The Most High God is identified as the Father and maker from Deuteronomy 32:6. Thus, the Most High is the Father and the Sons of God are the elders. Yahovah in this text is the subordinate God of Israel. Thus, Yahovah is a derived authority from God Most High who is the Father.

Israel understood this relationship of superior and subordinate elohim. The Father was understood as The Superior or Most High God. He was alone as Eloah, the El of El. The Son of God anointed as Yahovah or Elohi of Israel was subordinate (Ps. 45:6-7).

The entity here was the Elohim of Israel we understand as Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:8-9).

It is important that we understand what’s happening in the NT and where the name Jesus comes from and what its usage is intended to achieve.

Jesus was not the name of Jesus Christ i.e. the Messiah. His name was Yoshua or Joshua in the English usage, which is not a hard J but a soft J. The name Joshua has been consistent in English usage for thousands of years. It applies to the OT and the NT characters. The Greek of the NT uses the forms, which were found in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, which were translated in Alexandria some three hundred years before Christ.

The Septuagint Scriptures were quite a remarkable achievement and were accepted as Scripture at the time of Christ.

Joshua was the name for Christ the Messiah, because it means the Salvation of God. The meaning of the name of the Messiah was: Salvation comes as the Son of God. The salvation of God comes from God. That’s the significance of why the Messiah had to be named Yahoshua or Joshua in English and why the name Jesus conceals that fact.

Adonim or our Lord is the entity that is above all elohim. He is thus allocated as High Priest of the Elohim. He is not however Elohim of Elohim. That is reserved for the Eloah or Yahovah Most High (Ps. 135:5; 136:2).

There is only One True God as we see. He is the living God and everlasting king. The elohim thus had a variety of roles in the creation. The One True God made the earth by His power and wisdom (Jer. 10:12-13).

The Father is the Lord of Hosts (Mal. 1:6). He extends the position of Fatherhood to the elohim by delegation. Isaiah 9:6 extends the Fatherhood to Messiah.

There are many Fatherhoods (Patria) in heaven and earth and they are named for the Father (Eph. 3:14).

Hebrews 1:6 refers to the first-begotten being brought into the world. This entity, the first-begotten (prõtotokos) of every creature of Colossians 1:15, is identified as the Son. The Son is also the prõtotokos of Mariam (or Mary) (Mat. 1:25; Lk. 2:7). The Son was also the prõtotokos among many brethren.

Messiah is also here the firstborn from the dead. He is thus the beginning as the head of the body. In this same context he was also the beginning of the creation of God (Rev. 3:14).

We know from John 17:3 and 1John 5:20 that this One True God is the Father and that Jesus Christ is His son. This One True God is eternal life. Only He is immortal (1Tim. 6:13-16).

Messiah had to lay aside his eternal life conferred on him by the Father and assume human form. He laid down his life by command of the Father and took it up again by command of the Father (Jn. 10:17-18). God thus gives life to all things.

The Word of God is the Son of God. This one was with God in the beginning. This one was with (or towards) The God (ton theon) and this one was theos or elohim. We know this elohim is subordinate (from Ps. 45:6-7; Heb. 1:8-9).

Paul acknowledges that there is no God (theos) but one; but there were many gods (theoi) (theoi polloi) and lords (kurioi) in heaven, yet there was only the one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ (1Cor. 8:5-6; see Marshall’s Interlinear).

Deuteronomy 32:8 shows that the Most High God divided the nations.

The distinction between the Yahovah of Israel who is called elohim, and his elohim who is called Eloah or God the Most High, The Lord of Hosts, is a distinction that is lost in the English, where there is no other word for God. The intent is not transmitted to the readers.

Messiah will inherit Judah as his portion in the last days. He will again choose Jerusalem at his second coming.