EL ELYON ~ God Most High

What I Learned in Class

Today Pastor Grace taught about God’s Hebrew name, El Elyon. Before delving into the Scriptures, she built a foundation for her lesson on the actual meaning of this Name.  El Elyon is translated to mean ‘God Most High’.  What does this mean to us?

The Hebrew word ‘El’ is a general term that means majesty and power. ‘Elyon’ means the highest or the most.  When these two Hebrew words come together, the Lord is telling us very specifically who He is. He is supreme in power and might. He is above everything and everyone. He is sovereign. This means that He is the independent, supreme ruler of the universe.  (You will remember from last week that God is also Elohim, Mighty Creator.)  El Elyon governs with power and authority over the past, present, and future. Nothing can destroy His ultimate plan and purpose.

Pastor Grace brought us to familiar story of Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar found in Daniel 4. We know that Daniel was a devout follower of the Lord living in a land of pagan culture with a pagan king. This was a land where many gods, ‘Els’, were worshipped. (Sound familiar?)

King Nebuchadnezzar witnessed the hand of God at work in Daniel’s life. He knew God had given Daniel the ability to interpret dreams and he had seen God’s power in rescuing Daniel from the fiery furnace yet his heart was still hard with pride. Through a dream interpreted by Daniel. God warned the King: “You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:32).   

The dream came to pass just as God said. (Keep in mind that this was the king who demanded his subjects to bow before him and worship him as god.) After seven years the king proclaimed: “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34).  God indeed is Who He says He is!!

What I Learned From the Homework

In the homework this week we focused on the passage of Scripture where the name El Elyon is first mentioned – Genesis 14. Abram, along with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, had already left their homeland as the Lord had commanded. Subsequently, he and Lot had parted ways and Lot had gone to live in Sodom. Genesis 14 recounts a time of war in the land. Lot is taken captive by the enemies of Sodom. When Abram learned of Lot’s plight he gathered the trained men of his household to rescue him. Abram’s mission was successful. Lot was rescued and his captors were defeated.

As we studied God’s Word we learned that Abram came from a family that worshiped other gods, yet in Genesis 14 the evidence of Abram’s faith in El Elyon, God Most High is clear.  In a study of the Scriptures we saw that Abram’s faith could be found through his obedience to God and how he battled his enemies. A third evidence of his faith in El Elyon that we learned about was his dependence on God. After the battle had been won the King of Sodom offered the plunder to Abram. “But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “with raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich’” (Genesis 14:22-23). 

There are two facets of dependence on God that we can take from Abram and apply to our own lives. First, if something did not come from the hand of God, Abram did not want it.  The homework made the point that in our modern lives we do not lack enough. Dependence can be easily misplaced on what we have rather than on El Elyon.  Second, Abram knew that God was Elohim, Creator God as well as El Elyon, God Most High.  Abram did not need to acquire what he wanted through his own means, he trusted that God would provide.  Something to think about...is there something you may be trying to obtain in your own life rather than trusting God for?  The point made in our homework was that we want to examine our own dependence on God, not as an opportunity for condemnation, but to help us live in the freedom of knowing that our God is bigger than anything we face.

Wrapping It All Up

I could not help but compare Abram’s faith in El Elyon, Most High God, to King Nebuchadnezzar’s declaration of faith found in Daniel 4. Nebuchadnezzar verbally acknowledged God as the Most High. Before he could declare this he had to suffer through a period of intense humbling. There is nothing in Scripture that shows the king actually lived out his profession.  Abram also declared God to be El Elyon but his actions attest to the depth of his faith, not just in Genesis 14, but throughout God’s Word.

We learned who El Elyon is this past week. We studied the Word for ourselves. We listened to a great message. We discussed Who He is in our small groups. My question: ‘What are we to do with all we have learned?’ I encourage you… live out your life in the reality that God is Most High over every challenge you face, over every troubling circumstance, over every impossible situation!!

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,  my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2).