Judgment and Mercy Part 2

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." - Genesis 1:1 KJV

The Hebrew word for “God” is “Elohim.” The word “elohim” is also the word for “judge.” This name for God is associated with God’s Divine Attribute of Justice. God refers to Himself as “Elohim” (“God”) throughout the first chapter of Genesis. It is by this name that God created the universe.

In Genesis 2:4 God’s name “LORD” is first mentioned.

"These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens," - Genesis 2:4 KJV

The Hebrew word for “LORD” is comprised of four Hebrew letters referred to as the Tetragrammaton. Religiously observant Jews do not pronounce this name, but rather substitute it with the name “Adonai” ("The Lord"), or “HaShem” ("The Name"). This name for God is associated with God’s Divine Attribute of Mercy.

While God created the heavens and the earth with His name “God” (“Elohim”), in Genesis 2:4 it is written that the “LORD God” made the earth and the heavens. It is said that God knew that the world could not endure under His Divine Attribute of Justice (“God”/”Elohim”); therefore He gave precedence to His Divine Attribute of Mercy (“LORD”/”Hashem”) joining it with His Divine Attribute of Justice (“God”/”Elohim”): “…in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.”