Thursday, December 8, 2011

Names of God - El Olam

It's time for another post in our Names of God series!

So far we have studied four of the names of God revealed to us in His Word.
We have seen how God is Creator God in the name Elohim.
We have seen how God is the Most High in the name El Elyon.
We have seen how God is the God who sees in the name El Roi.
We have also seen how our God is our all-sufficient Almighty God in the name El Shaddai.

Today we will learn about even more about our God as we dig into the name El Olam.

We first see this name of God in Genesis.

 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba,
and there he called on the name of the LORD,
the Everlasting God.
Genesis 21:33

Let us take a close and detailed look at this name of God revealed to us by Abraham in Beersheba. Everlasting God is El Olam in Hebrew— El meaning “strength, mighty,” especially the almighty; Olam meaning “eternity, always, ancient, everlasting, perpetual, beginning of the world, and without end.”

The Lord the God of eternal strength.
The God who is always mighty.
The God who is perpetually powerful.
The one who is the great, mighty one from the beginning of the world and is without end.

“Before the mountains were born
or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God”
Psalm 90:2

In Daniel we read how our Everlasting God, El Olam, is called the Ancient of the Days.

“I kept looking
Until thrones were set up,
And the Ancient of Days took His seat;
Daniel 7:9

In Revelation we read how He is the Alpha and the Omega

 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”
says the Lord God,
who is and who was and who is to come,
the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:8

and  how He is the first and the last

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.
And He placed His right hand on me, saying,
Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
Revelation 1:17

In the book of John we read how He is before all things

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. 
He was in the beginning with God. 
All things came into being through Him,
and apart from Him nothing came into being
that has come into being.
John 1:1-3

Oh precious one, are you shouting yet?

Is your chest filled with a hope that lifts up your spirit within you and makes you stand a little a taller, a little straighter, with your shoulders a little stronger as you remember who your God is? He is our perpetual power, our eternal strength. He is always mighty. There is no situation or circumstance in all of history, in our current present, or in days future that He is not in total and complete control of and more powerful than. He is the Everlasting God!

We read in Genesis that when Abraham called on this name of God he planted a tamarisk tree. This tamerisk tree is an evergreen.


These trees grow tall, and they are strong. They are able to tolerate conditions that destroy other trees. Their roots are able to reach deep into the soil and bring up the salt and water that is needed to sustain its life. By doing this, it is able to eliminate the competition of other plants in its area. This tree is spread from one place to another by cuttings.

When you receive Christ as your Savior you are cut out. You are made separate from the world, possibly even from family and friends. So why has God not also removed you from all your problems? Why has He not destroyed all these false gods and false teachers around you? Why do you still face all these temptations of life?

God cut Abraham from his home and from his family. He also cut him from the false gods he worshiped. He, however, did not remove Abraham from the world or blind him to the temptations of this world. God did not have to because He knew that the deep-rooted life that He would give Abraham would destroy all competition of all other gods and any temptation he might face.

Oh precious one, He wants you to see that He is greater! He will outlive all this temporary crap! He is what lasts! He is forever and ever and ever and ever and ever!

Blessed be the LORD,
the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
Psalm 41:13

No comments:

Post a Comment