The Names of God #15

The Names of God #15

El Elyon

“The Most High God”

(Gen. 14: 14-22)

Intro: We are winding down in our study on the names of God…just 3 more to go…3 more but none are any less important…I am have been so overwhelming blessed by the study of God’s names and trust you have too!

--I am pretty excited to talk about this name of God today…I mean after all there is NO one Higher then God Almighty…so what is there to not be excited about?

--Today I hope to encourage you with two different stories relating to this name of God; El Elyon –the most High God and my prayer is that if you are down…if you feel defeated, just know that God is the Most High God!

--It is so easy to forget that we serve the God in Heaven, and that He is the Most High…meaning that no one, no king, no president, no preacher, no one is Higher than El Elyon –He is the Sovereign Ruler of all!

I. Abram’s experience with El Elyon

--Many people today think that they are in hopeless situations…that again God has forsaken them, but if you are His, if you have been saved by His grace…we have not been forgotten, and you do have hope!

--Well this was the case of the citizens of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah…they were without food and water.

--Now for the context we see in (Gen. 14: 9-13) so this evil king Chedorlaomer and the other power hungry king’s waged war in the valley of Siddim and the people were taken captive.

--Abram’s nephew Lot was one of the prisoners. So as we read Abram went in after him (Gen. 14: 14-16)

--Abram made it clear that no one was to mess with his people. He went to get back what was wrongfully stolen.

--Now this story of battle, defeat, and rescue serves as the backdrop for our name of God El Elyon.

--Notice again (Gen. 14: 17-20)…Melchizedek…a priest to the Most High God!

--And then we have Abram’s response in (Gen. 14:22)…that Almighty God is truly El Elyon.

--So as we look at this name we need to remember that El, is the abbreviated from of Elohim…and as I am sure that you all remember Elohim is the name of God refereeing to His power. God’s power to create!

--So when El is combined with Elyon, the compound tells us that God the Highest most powerful God! (Ps. 57)

--Remember as I said no one in your life is higher than El Elyon (our next character will learn that)…anyways meaning that no one has more power or more money or more fame…then Almighty God.

--So when people seek to intimidate you, your remedy is to call on the name of El Elyon. Just know that there is always someone higher, stronger, and more influential than them.

--El Elyon means that God has the Sovereign right to rule and overrule any situation. In Abram and Lot’s case, God used 318 men to overpower a collection of kings and their armies.

--But all that Abram needed was supplied in our all powerful God. God is truly is the Most High!

--So never lift someone up higher then Almighty God, and never allow someone to think that they are higher or better then you…or that they have more power then Almighty God.

II. King Nebuchadnezzar’s experience with El Elyon

--Now this King thought that he was higher and mightier than God…that he somehow had more power and rights to do as he pleased…but he leaned he was very wrong! (Dan. 4: 34-37)

--Now let’s back up and really get a handle on the pride of Nebuchadnezzar that led to him confessing these words.

--Let us go back to (Dan. 2) where Nebuchadnezzar had made a statue of gold…and required everyone to fall down and worship its image (Dan. 2: 4-6).

--Now this is important to understand because even before Nebuchadnezzar stated what he did in Ch. 4…he did state it here in Ch. 2!

--Okay well all obeyed expect for 3 men…yes; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refused to bow down to this man made image. (Dan. 3: 16-18)…this is important as we consider El Elyon!

--You see nothing was higher to these 3 men…no one was more important. Not even the King. So they refused to bow down to the image that the King set up!

--Friends we need to realize that there is nothing that our God cannot handle. Even if it is that we will serve him until death for the sake of His name and for His glory…we will then go forever to be with our Lord, WIN, WIN!

--Now because of that the king in his rage had these 3 cast into the midst of the fiery furnace (Dan. 3: 22-23).

--Okay so now we move ahead just a bit (Dan. 3: 24-25). So King Nebuchadnezzar…can see that something is different…that these 3 mean are being protected by the Most High God…Yes, beloved El Elyon! (Dan. 3: 26-29)

--Now I say all of these because we see that the King has now at least once confessed in El Elyon.

--So time passes along…and the King forgets just who has given him so much power and victory of the lands and the people…the King forgets from which the 3 Hebrew men whose hand delivered them.

--So the King had another dream and asks Daniel to once again come and interpret it. The long story short is that Daniel told him all that El Elyon had given to him shall be taken away for 7 years (Dan. 4: 20-25).

--Well the King still did not believe that this could/would have happed to him (Dan. 4: 30) it did (Vs. 31)

--Okay so all of what Daniel said came to pass and Nebuchadnezzar did spend his time in the field --Nevertheless that very hour he was driven out from among men, into the field. The voice goes on to state how he is going to eat the grass and fulfill the dream of living like a beast until the proper time has been fulfilled and he was willing to recognize the most High God.

--His transition from sanity to insanity was immediate, and something that we not mentioned earlier was that his hair would grow like the feathers of an eagle, completely neglected and matted, and his nails would grow like birds claws.

--Now at the end of the 7 years that is the proclamation that I told you of in the beginning (Dan. 4: 33-37).

--That God did restore to this King the kingdom…but now Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged El Elyon! That God is truly the MOST HIGH GOD! And His power is limitless!

--So much so that even during the re-telling of the story the King still addresses God as the Most High. (Dan. 4:1-3)

--Neb. immediate reaction was to express praise to God, whom he recognizes as “the most high.” Quite a different tone then once used by the king, he is not just telling the people to praise the God of Daniel…but that he himself praise Almighty God!

--You see beloved God is truly the Most High! It is God that is to be the Highly exulted…no matter what position God gives to you in this life…it is not higher than the position of Almighty God.

--Everything is done to God’s own timing and purpose, from the towers being destroyed to the great tsunami that struck this land. (Ps. 115:3) (Ps. 135:5-7)

--When God parted the red sea, or when he caused the Nile to turn to blood, it is God that is in complete control!

--Then Neb. makes one of the greatest statements to me personally that I can find anywhere in the bible…

~ “none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” What a statement, for anyone to make, but especially this once high and lofty proud king!

--The next time we wonder why God is doing what he is doing, let’s remember this phrase, it is not up for us to know, it is not up to us to question God or His will, for we are told not to question God!

Conclusion: I hope that we can all recognize El Elyon in our lives. He is worthy and He truly is the

Most High God!!! No one else even comes close in comparison to Almighty God.