Idea of God
James Orr, M.A., D.D.
In the view of Dr. Charles, Yahweh (Jehovah), who under Moses became the God of the Hebrew tribes, was, till the time of the prophets, simply a national God, bound up with the land and with this single people; therefore, "possessing neither interest nor jurisdiction in the life of the individual beyond the grave.… Hence, since early Yahwism possessed no eschatology of its own, the individual Israelite was left to his hereditary heathen beliefs. These beliefs we found were elements of Ancestor Worship" (op. cit., 52; compare 35). The view taken here, on the contrary, is, that there is no period known to the Old Testament in which Yahweh—whether the name was older than Moses or not need not be discussed—was not recognized as the God of the whole earth, the Creator of the world and man, and Judge of all, nations. He is, in both Gen 1 and 2, the Creator of the first pair from whom the whole race springs; He judged the whole world in the Flood; He chose Abraham to be a blessing to the families of the earth (Gen 12:3 ); His universal rule is acknowledged (Gen 18:25 ); in infinite grace, displaying His power over Egypt, He chose Israel to be a people to Himself (Ex 19:3-6 ). The ground for denying jurisdiction over the world of the dead thus falls. The word of Jesus to the Sadducees is applicable here: "Have ye not read … I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (Mt 22:31 , 32 ). The Old Testament instances of resurrection in answer to prayer point in the same direction (1 Ki 17:21 ; 2 Ki 4:34 ; compare Ps 16:10 ; 49:15 )
