Mark's Daily Reading Journal

I want to take a look at Yahweh Jireh, the LORD will provide.  In Genesis 22 God reveals another name that reveals more of HIS nature to HIS children.  I hope you understand that with each name we are only looking at the tip of the iceberg!  The further I go into this study of the names of God the more I am filled with awe and wonder at I gaze upon HIS majesty, HIS glory, HIS power, HIS mercy, grace, faithfulness and love.  This awe striking God invites us to know HIM as Father!

In the text it is LORD, it is Yahweh Jireh!  Have you ever considered that Yahweh, I AM WHO I AM, simply is!  Remember HE is the one who was, is and is to come!  What does that mean?  It means that Yahweh is omnipresent in SPACE AND TIME...yes, space and TIME!  So Yahweh, the ONE WHO IS...Jireh...Jireh simply means "to see."  To God the past, present and future simply are HE sees and experiences and acts in space and time, but HE alone transcends space and time.

Why is this important?  HE perfectly sees every need you will ever have and has provided for you perfectly...not according to your wants:) but according to your needs.  Most striking and majestic is that HE saw and your need and my need for salvation and made provision by sending HIS Son to take my place and your place on the CROSS.

For a moment put yourself in Abraham's place and imagine the journey to the mountain, imagine kissing your wife good bye, imagine your heart swelling with emotions every you look at the face of YOUR son knowing what is ahead, imagine you are prepared to sacrifice the child you desperately love as an act of obedience and the moment you begin to slash the throat of your child God reveals HIMSELF to you as Yahweh Jireh and provides a substitute for your child.  How deep, how passionate will your love for Yahweh Jireh be?  How will that revelation impact the rest of your life as you walk with this great God?

As you watch the video below put yourself in Abraham's place...experience the joy of seeing the provision of the LORD!  God has done this for each of HIS children...HOLY IS THE LORD!

Each of us is called to walk in obedience to God's Word...we may not see God's provision, but we are not called to see, we are called to walk by faith in obedience to our heavenly Father WHO SEES EVERYTHING PERFECTLY BEFORE HAND!

Gen 22:1-18 After these things God tested Abraham  and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 “Take your son,” He said, “your only ⌊son⌋ Isaac, whom you love,  go to the land of Moriah,  and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

3 So early in the morning  Abraham got up, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day  Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac.  In his hand he took the fire and the sacrificial knife,  and the two of them walked on together.

7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac  and placed him on the altar,  on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.”

12 Then He said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.”  13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram  caught by its horns in the thicket. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The LORD Will Provide,  so today it is said: “It will be provided  on the LORD’s mountain.”

15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn,  says the Lord: Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son,   17 I will indeed bless you  and make your offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky  and the sand on the seashore.  Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies.  18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed  by your offspring  because you have obeyed My command.”

  Let's Worship the LORD GOD our provider for the breathtaking provision of HIS Son, Jesus Christ!

Just a  reminder that the next several posts, beginning with the previous post, will be one long post broken up into several segments.  I feel like I need to back up for a moment and point out, if I have not already, that a persons name had profound significance when scripture was being penned.  This is why a study of God's names may be so fruitful for us today.  HIS names communicate so much about HIM.  Today people name their children simply for the way the name sounds when it is spoken or they may name their children after someone that had a significant impact on their lives, but seldom do people think of the actual meaning of the names chosen.  I know that this is not true for everyone, but generally speaking. 

The reason knowing and understanding  the names of God helps us trust him in our daily walk and with salvation is that in Scripture a person’s name more often than not is a sign or signifies his character and essence.  This is specifically true when is given by God. There are several times in scripture when God changes peoples names...remember HE changed Jacob’s name to Israel and HE changed Saul's name to Paul.  When our Lord entered the world God the Father named HIM Jesus...You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

For me every name of God revealed in scripture is a little like one facet of a huge beautiful diamond.  As the diamond slowly turns before your eyes and the light catches each facet of the glorious rock something wonderful is revealed...each one reveals something different.

In the previous post I presented the case that in Exodus 3 that Yahweh means "I AM" or "I AM WHO I AM."  In most English translations when we see LORD in all caps the word in the Hebrew is YHWH or Yahweh.  In Exodus 3 we are witnessing God's response to Moses when Moses asked the question, who shall I say sent me to you?  A few chapters latter we see Moses and Aaron have gone to the Israelites and to Pharaoh...long story short, Pharaoh gets really ticked and makes things harder on the Israelites and now in Exodus 6 Moses cries out to God asking why did you do this thing and the following is God's response.

Ex 6:2-8  Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am Yahweh. 3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not make My name Yahweh known to them.  4 I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land they lived in as foreigners.  5 Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered  My covenant.

6 “Therefore tell the Israelites: I am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and free you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm  and great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as My people,  and I will be your God. You will know  that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land that I swore   to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.”

God's Word really is phenomenal...God revealed in HIS Word is breath taking...I'm thinking it may be more like the most striking rose, the Rose of Sharon, blooming before you eyes.  God's Word is HIS redemptive history unfolding before us.  The Exodus 3 passage proclaims loud and clear...I AM THE LORD GOD AND YAHWEH IS MY NAME...this is my name forever, I established MY covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I have heard the cries of MY people and KNOW THIS...I AM YAHWEH and I will deliver you, I will redeem you with my mighty outstretched arm, I will take you as MY people, I will be your God and you will KNOW THAT I AM YAHWEH YOUR GOD!  I have delivered you...I AM THE LORD!

God's Word magnificently shows us HIS outstretched arm, HIS Word incarnate shows us Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.  Titus 2:13  clearly portrays "the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, the glory of God is revealed in Jesus, "the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind" is revealed in Jesus (Titus 3:4)

Jn 8:58 before Abraham was, I am.”

Jn 8:12 I am the light of the world.

Jn 6:35I am the bread of life;

Jn 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jn 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life.

Jn 14:6 I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jn 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches.

I need to shut up and worship...beholding the gory of Yahweh together.

m

Good morning...after several days off I am trying to get back into the swing of things.  I have to confess that there has been another huge mountain that has stopped me in my tracks...it is the thought of trying to communicate anything about God's name YHWH.  I have become overwhelmed and almost paralyzed every time I come to the foot of this breath taking mountain.  Each of the other names I have not hesitated to tackle in one blog post...but every time I tried to prayerfully look at YHWH, Yahweh...my mental and spiritual RAM overloaded and was burned up:)  So I believe our LORD, Yahweh, was trying to tell me to take several days to do this...that is what I am going to do!

YHWY is the most important name for God in the Old Testament, amazingly it is a name that many of our English versions never even translates. Whenever you see the word LORD in all capital letters, you know that it is Yahweh.  The King James version translates it this way except for four instances it is translated Jehovah, however, in Hebrew the name had four letters—YHWH, today we pronounce it as Yahweh.

Exod 6:3  And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

Ps 83:18  That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Isa 12:2  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

Isa 26:4  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

The Jews held this name of God in such reverence and awe that they refused to speak this name, they were fearful of accidentally taking HIS name in vain. So whenever they came to this name in their reading, they pronounced the word “adonai” which means “my lord.” Most English translations have followed the same pattern. They translate the proper name Yahweh with the word LORD in all caps.  As far as I know only the Broadman Holman Christian Standard Bible translates it Yahweh.

I don't know about you but if I share my name with someone I prefer for them to use the name I give them!  Since God has revealed HIS name to us don't you believe it would be wise of HIS children to use the name HE gave us?  If someone remembers and calls you by name after one meeting with them it makes you feel good...it is amazing how important it is to people to know their name!  Know HIS name!  Know HIS name!  Why are you making such a big deal about this Mark?  Because it impacts your faith and the faith of your children!  Psalm 9:10 Those who know Your name trust in You because You have not abandoned those who seek You, Lord.

If I may be so bold as to say that I don't believe that the English word LORD communicates to us the same way a proper name does like Mark, Diane, Zach, Kyle or Alexis. Yahweh is God’s proper name in Hebrew. The importance of it can be seen in the sheer frequency of its use. It occurs 6,828 times in the Old Testament.

Then where did the name Jehovah come from?  Great question...the name Jehovah originated from an attempt to pronounce the consonants YHWH with the vowels from the word adonai. In the oldest Hebrew texts there are no vowels. Whenever YHWH occurred in the text, the word adonai was pronounced by the Jewish people.

What does Yahweh mean? 

I believe that Exodus 3:13-15 holds the key for understanding the meaning of the name Yahweh.  God commands Moses to go to Egypt and to bring his people out of captivity.  Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I tell them?”  14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.   This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever;  this is how I am to be remembered in every generation. (HCSB)

God gives three answers to the question, “What shall I tell them your name is?”  In verse 14 God says, “I AM WHO I AM.”  A few words later in 14 God says, “I AM has sent me to you.”  Finally, in verse 15 God says, “Yahweh … has sent me to you … this is my name for ever.”

Two things lead me to believe that this passage gives us an understanding of the  name Yahweh.  First, the name Yahweh and the name I AM are built out of the same Hebrew word hayah. The other is that Yahweh seems to be used here interchangeably with I AM. "I AM has sent me to you." “Yahweh … has sent me to you"  I think it would be safe to say that God’s purpose in this meeting with Moses is to reveal, as he never had before (check out Exodus 6:2), the meaning of his personal name Yahweh.

Over the next several days I prayerfully hope to behold the glory of the LORD, the glory of the great I AM, the glory of Yahweh as we gaze upon HIS magnificent name as HE has revealed it to us in HIS precious Word.  My prayer is that as we gaze upon HIS matchless name and as the Holy Spirit unfolds HIS name to our understanding our eyes will be opened to HIS goodness, grace, mercy, power, authority, presence...our eyes will be opened to Yahweh, our eyes will be opened to JESUS!

John 8:58  Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.” 

Ps 27:13-14 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! 14  Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

love HIM, trust HIM,

m

As I continue to gaze upon the names of God, El Shaddi is especially important to me in that it is vital to our faith that the Most High, Eternal God who sees everything has the ABSOLUTE ALMIGHTY SOVEREIGN POWER to act and move on behalf of those who love HIM.  HE has all necessary power to make good on HIS promises!  I am very guarded concerning the promises that I make to my children...if I make a promise to them I want to be able to keep it.  The reason that I have to be careful is that I am not all powerful.  God has the ability and power to make good on every promise...we see this revealed in El Shaddi.

’El Shaddai is used in the longer form seven times in the Scriptures (Gn 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; Ex 6:3; Ez 10:5). In the shorter form (Shaddai), it appears more frequently: in Job 30 times; in Psalms 19:1 and 68:14; once in Ruth (1:21), Isaiah (13:6), Ezekiel (1:24), and Joel (1:15). In these passages the combined ideas of God as the all-powerful, all-sufficient, transcendent, sovereign ruler and disposer are present...Shaddai is a composite term of sha (“the one who”) and dai (“is sufficient”).   God as ’El Shaddai is presented as the all-powerful One, totally self-sufficient, absolute ruler, and the One who can and does make final disposition. Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (540). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

God revealed HIMSELF as El Shaddi to Abram when he "was ninety-nine years old and said... “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” Gen 17:1-2   It is a gross understatement to say that Abram and Sarai, who were childless, were way beyond the age for having children.  The obstacle of their age did not seem to hinder El-Shaddi, HE promised them innumerable descendants.  No doubt this was humanly impossible, but God has the power to make all things possible Gen 18:14, Luke 18:27.  In Job 42:2, Job gave us the good testimony of God's sovereign power when he said, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."  Jeremiah proclaimed, “O Sovereign Lord! You have made the heavens and earth by Your great power. Nothing is too hard for You!” Jer. 32:17.  Again, Job instructs us well when he tells us that "We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. 24 No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence.”  Job 37:23-24 NLT.  It took several years, but God made good on HIS promise to Abram and Sarai.

Gen 48:3  Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.

Ezek 10:5  The sound of the cherubim’s wings could be heard as far as the outer court; it was like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.

Rev 21:22  I did not see a sanctuary in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary.

EL-SHADDAI is among the most magnificent of God's names for me personally...again, this is because it does not matter how good and loving God is if HE does not have the power to make good on HIS promises.  The reason passages like John 10:27-31 bring great comfort, peace and blessing to God's children is because we are confident in the sovereign power of El Shaddi to do what HE says and to keep HIS promises.  When Jesus tells us that, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.” 31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him." 

Why did they pick up stones to kill him?  Because HE made HIMSELF equal with God, Jesus and El Shaddi are one...Jesus has got the POWER!  The one who died and suffered in your place and my place holds us secure in HIS righteous right hand because HE is "the all-powerful, all-sufficient, transcendent, sovereign ruler and disposer" of ALL THINGS!

The book of Hebrews tells us that in these last days that God, El Shaddi, if you will has spoken to us by HIS Son...Jesus fully reveals the Father to us, to those who are twice born...come to Jesus and live!

Matt 11:25-30  At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! 27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

love,

m

There have been many times in my short 48 years that I have cried out to God, thinking LORD where are you, surly if you could see my circumstances YOU would do something about it!  Pain always distorts our ability to reason and think clearly...it can be physical, emotional or spiritual pain the effects are similar...it is almost impossible to see anything else but our pain.  In his masterful work, The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."  "[Pain] removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul."  We can rest in absolute confidence that our creator does not sit on HIS throne in heaven randomly inflicting pain on his creatures for sport.  As Lewis points out HE will use pain to get our attention, HE will use pain to bring us to a place of desperation to where we quit  trying to work things out in our own power and throw ourselves at the foot of the Cross.

I was reading in Matt 14 this morning and was reminded that there are many reasons that the children of God will find themselves in the storms of life...there are many reasons that we may be experiencing great pain.  In Matthew 14, when Jesus walks on the water the disciples simply do what Jesus commanded them to do and ended up in a storm...in this instance they did nothing wrong, to the contrary they obeyed and ended up in a storm.  Just look at the people around you, there are people that are in storms that have done nothing wrong, there are people that are in storms because of the horrible choices of loved ones and there are people that are in storms because of their own horrible choices.  Jonah would be a good example of one who ended up in a storm because of his own rebellion and poor choice.

For me the awesome thing to remember is that we are children (provided you are a child of the King) of the KING!  We are children of El Roi, the God who sees...we are introduced to El Roi in Genesis 16, the God who sees.  Hagar, a young Egyptian woman who is forced to sleep with a really old man have his child and then years latter is sent into the desert to die with her son because Sara is jealous and angry.  When you look at the circumstances form her perspective...if something similar happened today we would be outraged and demand justice.  But it is though these events, through these circumstances, through this storm...that Hagar and her son meet El Roi...the God who sees. 

“Hagar referred to the Lord, who had spoken to her, as ‘the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have seen the One who sees me!’ ” (Gen. 16:13).

It is both comforting and terrifying to fully understand that El Roi sees everything, everything!  God sees all our sins..."You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence, Psa 90:8.  We rejoice in knowing that HE sees the good things we do and will reward us, Mat. 6:4. We can rest in peace in knowing that, “From His throne He observes all who live on the earth” (Psa. 33:14). “Nothing in all creation can hide from Him. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes” (Heb. 4:13).

As HIS adopted child is is wonderful to know that HE will never leave me or forsake me, it is wonderful to know that regardless of how I got into the storm my Father is an ever present help in time of trouble and HE is El Roi, HE is the God who sees.  Let me encourage you to read through Psalm 139, prayerfully thinking on the magnificence of the God who sees and the God who is present with us!

Worship and adore our heavenly Father who is revealed in HIS precious Word as El Roi, the God who sees!

2 Chron 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

Pursuing HIM though HIS NAMES

love,

m

The Eternal God, the Everlasting God

El Olam = (Genesis 20:13); God of eternity; KJV the everlasting God. The God without a beginning; the God who never will cease to be; the God who will never grow old; the God to whom eternity is what present time is. Describes God as He who extends beyond our greatest vision of who we think God is (no matter how great our concept of God is, He is always greater).  Smith, S., & Cornwall, J. (1998). The exhaustive dictionary of Bible names (82). North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos.

In Gen 21:33  Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he worshiped  the Lord, the Everlasting God. 

I don't know if this analogy will hold up or not, but as I was sitting here watching the cursor blink at me...the thought came to me that each name of God is a little like slowly turning a gloriously magnificent diamond and gazing at the diamond and watching the light dance as it hits each facet of the dazzling gem.   Each facet reveals something extraordinary about the diamond, some are more striking than the others, but each facet is beautiful in its own right!  I believe that it is a little like that with the names of God...some, like Yahweh will absolutely leave us breathless and in awe, but each one reveals something vital about our creator, something precious about our Father.

The eternal, everlasting nature of our heavenly Father is one of those beautiful facets of our creator that we tend to think about a lot when we are children, but we give up on as adults.  Every 4 or 5 year old that is presented with the information that God always was and always will be gets a puzzled look on their face and will hit you with a barrage of how's and why's. 

The answer that has always worked for me is..."God is the uncaused cause, the uncreated one...God was not created and  HE created everything that is."  It is so much fun to watch their little faces walk away with such a look of satisfaction:)  Just kidding!  The eternal nature of God is a little like trying to comprehend the omnipresence of God.  Because you and I have always been limited by time and space it is very difficult to grasp that there is one who transcends both space and time.

In the Psalms and throughout God's Word HE speaks clearly to HIS eternal nature.  In Psalm 90:2 we see that, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.  El-Olam existed before time began and HE will continue when HE brings the current age to an end.  All history is HIS story and is but a few days compared to eternity. El-Olam transcends time and history.  HE is present in time with us, but in no way is HE bound by time like we are.  In part that is what is so mind blowing about the incarnation...How can we forget Isaiah 9:6, "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." 

Jeremiah 10:10 But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

It is very good news that our Abba, our Everlasting Father is El-Olam, it is glorious that HE "is the everlasting King!."  Praise HIM and rejoice in knowing that “HIS kingdom will last forever, and that HIS rule and dominion will last through all generations.”  El-Olam is able to establish and keep everlasting covenants with His people as we see in Gen. 9:16.   In Deuteronomy 33:27 HE is revealed as our eternal refuge.

It is absolutely glorious that Jesus, Immanuel (God with us) will always protect HIS OWN.  El-Olam is the only one who can make good on the promise of eternal life...it is because HE is El-Olam we can trust that HIS promises will stand throughout eternity!

John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

What is eternal life?  Jesus tells us clearly in John 17:3, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."  This brings us back to the purpose of studying the names of God...to know HIM intimately...to know HIM and make HIM known!

As we gaze and behold the beauty of El-Olam the natural response of the heart of one of HIS children should be delight, joy, worship and adoration.

Like Abraham let's worship the LORD, the everlasting God...El-Olam!  Do you hear HIS voice as you gaze?  DO you hear HIS voice as you behold HIS beauty? 

John 10:27-28  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

pursuing HIM through HIS names!

love,

m

El-Elyon is given to us early in God's Word, first appearing in Genesis 14 and then throughout the Old Testament.  It simply means God most high, but it also carries with it the sense that the Most High God is all sufficient, HE is more than able to meet all our needs.  El-Elyon's children only need to look to HIM to have ALL our needs met.  Notice I did not say all our wants:), but all our needs:)

Ps 91:1  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Ps 92:1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

Psalm 91:9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place- the Most High, who is my refuge-

El-Elyon (The Most High God)  “The Lord Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth” Psalm 47:2.

You may remember the story in Genesis when Sodom is in a battle and Lot is captured and Abram and his men go after Lot and the others that were taken captive.  Abram and his men are victorious and as he returns he encounters two kings.

After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh...And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20  and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me.”  Gen 14:17-24

Abram is showing his confidence in El-Elyon to meet all his needs, Abram is saying loudly to the king of Sodom that HE serves the Most High God, the upper Most God, the "Possessor of heaven and earth," and HIS confidence is in HIM and HIM alone.  The wealth offered to Abram is incredible and Abram is quick to reject the riches of this world.

It is interesting to note that the fall of Lucifer came because he desired the position and place of El-Elyon, proclaiming, “I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High” Isa. 14:14. In that passage in Isaiah we witness the 5 "I will" statements of Satan and Instead of becoming like the Most High, he was cast out of heaven.  I find it Interesting  that that was the lie that deceived Eve..."For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

El-Elyon humbled the arrogant pagan King Nebuchadnezzar by allowing him to become insane, acting like an animal who lived in fields eating grass!  After seven years God restored the humiliated king to the throne.  It was then that Nebuchadnezzar praised the Most High,  El-Elyon, as the Sovereign Ruler of all creation who has the power to do as He pleases in heaven and on earth.

Dan 4:34-37  But at the end of those days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity returned to me. Then I praised the Most High and honored and glorified Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. 35 All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does what He wants  with the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. There is no one who can hold back His hand  or say to Him, “What have You done?”  36 At that time my sanity returned to me, and my majesty and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and my nobles sought me out, I was reestablished over my kingdom, and even more greatness came to me.  37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of heaven, because all His works are true and His ways are just.  And He is able to humble  those who walk in pride.

El-Elyon delivered Abrams enemies into his hands...“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20  and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”   El-Elyon cast Satan out of heaven like lightening for seeking to usurp HIS authority.  El-Elyon humbled a prideful king, restored him and moved him to praise, exalt and glorify El-Elyon.  Like the Psalmist, "I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill His purpose for me” Psalm 57:2  Like Abram (by HIS grace) I look to El-Elyon to meet all my needs, HE is more than sufficient.  Like the humbled Nebuchadnezzar I long to praise, exalt and glorify the King of heaven with my life.  Pursuing El-Elyon together!

love,

m