The Name of God – El Elyon – May 15, 2022 – Pastor Marvin Engle
INTRODUCTION:
Who is God? What is God really like? How can finite men come to know Him better? There is only one True God – the God of the Bible who created the Heavens and the Earth, and then created man “in His own image” to dwell on the Earth. We have already learned that one name could not adequately explain the Divine Being known as God, His characteristics, His nature or His desire to have a relationship with the race of mankind that He created.
We have learned in our study of the Names of God that God used many names to give a fuller understanding of Himself to man. Each name is used to express different aspects of His Being, and each name stands for one of more definite, unique characteristics of God by which He makes Himself known to man.
In the past three weeks we have studied each of the primary names of God. The first name was El which revealed to us that God is “the Strong One, almighty in power, with unlimited strength.” The second name as Elohim, the plural of El, and reveals to us that our God is of infinite strength and power and is a God who “absolutely keeps His covenants with man and His promises.” Elohim is man’s Creator and is a plurality of Persons, who are all united as One God in three Persons – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Last week we learned the third primary name of God is the name, Jehovah, or as some call Yahveh. In revealing Himself as Jehovah, He reveals that is the eternal self-existing God who created man with personality so that God could have a personal relationship with man. We discovered through this name that God is a Holy God, totally apart from evil, and that He is a God who loves sinners, but hates sin and must judge sin and evil wherever it is found. It was a great revelation to us that Jehovah also provides a way of salvation for sinful man.
If you missed it last week, we also learned that Jehovah of the Old Testament is Jesus Christ of the New Testament who came from Heaven to Earth to die for our sins on the Cross
It is important to your knowledge of God to know that the from the primary names of God are built up a whole group of compound names, each one giving us more knowledge of the amazing and infinite God of the Bible whom Christians worship, know, love and serve. To give you compound names of God that we will be studying, one at a time, I will give you some samples to look forward to and ask if you know the meaning of these compounds. God reveals Himself as El Elyon, El Shaddai, El Olam, Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rapha, Jehovah-Nissi, etc.
EL ELYON – THE MOST HIGH GOD:
One of the supremely important descriptions of the God of the Bible is “Elyon”. Elyon literally means, “Highest!” Elyon is a word used of persons and of things. It’s concept is that of exaltation and elevation – Deuteronomy 26:18-19 (NKJV) – 18 Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, 19 and that He will set you high above (ELYON) all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a [a]holy people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.”
When used of God it means He is the “Exalted One,” the One who is lifted up far above all other gods – Satan, demons, angels, man-made gods and goddesses.
THE NAME EL ELYON IS REVEALED: Genesis 14:1-17; 18-23
Genesis 14 is where we find the name, El Elyon, for the first time in the Scriptures. The chapter begins with four kings uniting to make war against the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah after Abram’s nephew, Lot, had moved into the city of Sodom – Genesis 14:1-2. (Do not read) In the process of the war, Lot was captured – 14:12. Abram heard the news and attacked the 4 kings at night with 318 men and rescued Lot and the goods of Sodom – 14:13-16.
When Abram returned victorious he was met by a king, who was also a priest of El Elyon, the Most High God – Genesis 14:18-23 – 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of (El Elyon) God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of (El Elyon) God Most High, POSSESSOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH; 20 And blessed be God Most High (El Elyon), WHO HAS DELIVERED YOUR ENEMIES INTO YOUR HAND.” And he gave him a tithe of all. 21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand (A VOW) to the Lord, (El Elyon); God Most High, THE POSSESSOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’—
Abram was soon to be praised by the king of Sodom and the men he rescued for his courage, bravery and amazing victory over these powerful kings; he would become a “national hero” and ride a wave of popularity and glory.
Melchizedek, a Gentile and a worshiper of the One True God, as was Abram, comes to declare to Abram that it was El Elyon, the Most High God, Possessor of Heaven and Earth, who delivered his enemies into his hand (verse 20) and that Abram was to take no glory and take no credit for his great victory. No glory was to be his; all glory was to go to El Elyon.
CHRISTIAN, HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU AND I TAKE THE GLORY THAT IS NOT OURS FOR WHAT GOD HAS ACCOMPLISHED IN OUR LIVES? GOD HELP US! I HAVE A BIBLE QUESTION FOR US –
I Corinthians 4:7 –7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive (FROM GOD)? Now if you did indeed receive it (FROM GOD), why do you GLORY/boast as if you had not received it?
I Corinthians 1:26-29, 31 (NKJV) – 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY in His presence. 31 that, as it is written, “HE WHO GLORIES, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD.”
God used Melchizedek to reveal to him a new name of the God he served, El Elyon. Note how Abram refused the King of Sodom who came with a great show of authority acting like he had control of the recovered goods and was in charge. What a farce! Abram openly declared his faith in his God, El Elyon, whom he had worshiped as Jehovah in the past, and gave his testimony that he would rather have God than all the possessions the world offers.
God further promised Abram he should not fear any retaliation from the kings and that God would be his Shield and his great reward! Genesis 15:1-2
EL ELYON IS THE MOST HIGH GOD RULING OVER HEAVEN AND EARTH: Daniel 4:17, 24, 28-32, 34-35
In a vital chapter of revelation in the book of Daniel, God reveals Himself as El Elyon to a Gentile king named Nebuchadnezzar who ruled the world as the first Gentile world ruler. Nebuchadnezzar had been allowed to destroy Jerusalem and take the nation of Judah into captivity as the judgment of God on the wickedness, sin, immorality and idolatry of the southern Kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar was lifted up with pride and assumed he was in control.
The story is very familiar to those of you who join the Zoom Bible study and praer meeting on Thursday nights. God was in the process of teaching him the lesson that El Elyon, the Most High God, was the One who allowed him to be the world ruler, but he was not in charge of the world. The Most High God, El Elyon, rules in the kingdom of men and the world. Daniel 2:37 – 7 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for THE GOD OF HEAVEN hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. THIS GOD REVEALED THE MEANING OF THE DREAM – DAN. 2:28-30.
Daniel 4:17, 24, 28-32, 34-35 – 17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High (EL ELYON) ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. 24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High (EL ELYON), which is come upon my lord the king:
(28-32) 28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I HAVE BUILT for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, UNTIL THOU KNOW THAT THE MOST HIGH (EL ELYON) RULETH IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN and GIVETH IT TO WHOMSOEVER HE WILL.
(34-35) 34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High (EL ELYON), and I praised and honoured him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and HE DOETH ACCORDING TO HIS WILL in the army of heaven, and AMONG THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
The name El Elyon reveals to us that God is the sovereign ruler of Heaven, Earth and the Universe. Again this time, we see El Elyon reveal Himself in relation to a Gentile and the Gentile world. This tells us that the name of God, El Elyon, is His name to Jews and Gentiles alike; that both can have a relationship with Him as “the Most High God.”
CHRISTIAN, THE MOST HIGH GOD, EL ELYON, RULES TODAY OVER THE AFFAIRS OF MEN. IF GOD IS NOT SOVEREIGN, HE IS NOT IN CONTROL. IF ALL THINGS ARE NOT UNDER HIS DOMINION, HE IS NOT THE MOST HIGH, AND WE ARE IN THE HANDS OF FATE, OR MEN OR THE DEVIL.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT COULD MAKE IN YOUR LIFE FOR YOU TO REMEMBER THAT GOD IS RULER OVER ALL… THAT NOTHING CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT HIS ULTIMATE SANCTION AND PERMISSION. (JOB 1-2) IF HE WOULD RULE OVER YOU, YOU MUST KNOW HIM AS EL ELYON!
Satan, the highest angel created by God, desired to be like El Elyon – Isaiah 14:13-14 –13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like THE MOST HIGH (EL ELYON)
THE TRUTH ABOUT EL ELYON:
El Elyon is the Supreme Being in all the Universe and rules over all. He stands alone among all the “gods and goddesses” invented in the perverted minds of sinful men. Abram had been reared in idolatry and needed the revelation of Melchizedek that his God, Jehovah, the God who called him was “the Most High God.”
It was El Elyon Who divided the nations and set boundaries for the nations – Deuteronomy 32:8 – 8 When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
It is the privilege of believers to be able to “dwell in the secret place of the Most High (El Elyon) – Psalm 91:1-2 – He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Listen to the promises of El Elyon in Psalm 91:14-16 – 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Jesus Christ was recognized by the demon in a demon-possessed man in Mark 5:7 – 6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”
El Elyon is the Possessor of Heaven and Earth; the absolute sovereign of the Universe. He is Ruler over all things. Nothing can happen in this world without His sanction or permission. There is “no luck” in a world that is governed by El Elyon. No circumstance of life or sequence of events can thwart His plan. Just ask Joseph; he trusted his God and came to believe God had a purpose in all things! With El Elyon in control, nothing can happen to you or happen in this Universe without His permission – wars, elections, tragedies, etc.
Psalm 47:6-8 – 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. 8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
Psalm 56:2-4 – 2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High (EL ELYON). 3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
Psalm 57:1-2 – Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2 I will cry unto God most high (EL ELYON); unto God that performeth all things for me.
Psalm 57:5 – 5 Be thou exalted, O God, ABOVE the heavens; let thy glory be ABOVE ALL THE EARTH
Psalm 91:9-11 – 9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High (EL ELYON), thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
WILL YOU WORSHIP HIM TODAY? WILL YOU PRAY TO HIM AND TRUST HIM? IS EL ELYON YOUR GOD?