Word of the Week: El Olam

El Olam (EL o-LAM)

Do you ever feel like you are running around in this world, not sure where you’re going or why? Do you think you know God pretty well, or are you serving a set of rules taught at church without really understanding? Who are you in the light of who God is? Should your relationship to God really make a difference in who you are? What’s the significance of your life, anyway? Read Psalm 90, it may shed some light.

In verse 2, Psalm 90 says “from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” This “everlasting” is translated from the Hebrew word “olam,” which means “eternal, “forever,” “ancient,” “universe” or “everlasting time and space.” “El Olam” is the Hebrew name for the God who was God prior to creation and who will still be God when it is gone. He has no beginning and no end. He will not cease to be God – He is not growing in godliness, nor is His godliness diminishing. The word “olam” also applies to His love, His plans, covenant, laws, promises, and His kingdom – all of which stand firm forever.

In contrast, however, the life of man – even the longest life possible (the oldest man ever was 969 years old)— is brief compared to God’s longevity. In Psalm 90, the life of man is compared to a watch in the night, a dream, a flood, and grass!! Not only this, but our lives tend to be full of toil and trouble, separated, as we are, from God and the purpose He created us for. We are utterly insignificant apart from Him!

Anne Spangler points out that Psalm 90 (and most of the rest of Scripture) teaches that “wisdom comes, not from living a long life, but from numbering our days aright, which is another way of reminding us that death could come to us anytime, anywhere, at any moment.” This could be a depressing, horrifying, or debilitating thought! But for someone who has faith in the everlasting God, this perspective helps to keep us humble and focused – we recognize our limitations and believe that every day matters. The significance of our lives then, comes from living each day dependent on El Olam, allowing Him to satisfy us, to make us glad, and to “establish the work of our hands” – to make what we do in pursuit of God’s calling WORTH something (Ps 90:14-17).

So, what IS our worth? We are creatures loved by an Everlasting God. And we are saved and kept by Him to be eternally loved. Spangler questions, “Is it any wonder that the Eternal God wants a people he can love eternally? Is it so hard to fathom that God’s love is stronger than death? Is it impossible to believe what can happen to souls created to be wide and deep enough for God to dwell in?” Our worth, then, is found solely in God, for all of eternity. Then, “let it be said of us, not that we died laughing (great as that might be), but that we died loving, trusting our eternal future to the everlasting faithfulness of God” (Spangler).

But how about here on this earth? It’s all well and good to be loved by God now and forever, but what about what I am doing here and now? What does knowing and loving and being loved by God look like while I’m still HERE? “Perhaps the challenge is not only to believe that those who belong to Jesus are destined for heaven but to live in a way that expresses heaven as your deepest longing, your true home” (Spangler). This might still seem a little vague, but pray and seek after God as you try it out, and it will become clear: act for the love, honor, and glory of God in everything you do. If something you are doing is done for any other purpose, it will be a chasing and striving after the wind (see the book of Ecclesiastes!). Acting with the Love of God in mind will help focus your actions only on what God wills and what is for the best benefit of His Kingdom (including you!). Not only will he bless you immensely out of his pleasure in you, but he will “establish the work of your hands” giving it significance on this earth, and in eternity.

When you read the Bible, ask these questions: “What does this say about God?” “What does it say about me?” “How can I live this out to show Him my love for Him?”
Bank on this: There is nothing in the universe as solid as God’s plans. Psalm 33:11 says that the “purposes of his heart stand firm forever,” and because of that, and knowing that the purpose of His heart is to save those that love him, we can simply focus on loving Him and trusting Him to work out His plans. So, even if you’re not sure you’re doing the right thing, or if it has turned out to be harder than you imagined, be confident that when the created world passes away, Jesus (the Alpha and the Omega) will be there to raise you up because El Olam has given you worth and your life eternal significance.

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” Is 26:4

(References: ESV Study Bible; Praying the Names of God, by Anne Spangler; hebrew4christians.com)

Word of the Week: Yahweh Yireh

Yahweh Yireh (yah-WEH yir-EH)
Last week’s Word was God’s Name “El Roi,” the God who Sees. He sees our present situation, our past hurts, our future destination. He is the God who sees EVERYTHING that we are, and loves us anyway. Remember FB Meyer’s quote, “Wherever we go He precedes and brings up the rear; we are beset by His care behind and before.” Because God is omniscient (able to see the future as well as the past and the present), he is able to anticipate and provide for what is needed. The Name of God that corresponds to this idea is “Yaweh Yireh” or, more commonly translated as “Jehovah Jireh,” the Lord will Provide.
The Hebrew word raah (RA-ah, from which both “yireh” and “roi” are derived) means “to see.” In the case of Genesis 22, the story of God testing Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice his only son, it is translated as “provide.” The English word “provision” is made up of two Latin words: “pro” meaning before hand, and vision, meaning “to see.” When you pray to Yahweh Yireh, you are praying to the God who sees the situation beforehand and is able to provide for your needs.
Check it out for yourself: Read Genesis 22:1-14.
Anne Spangler (Praying the Names of God) asks, if we have “ever considered [this story] from God’s point of view? Watching the man and is son, did God feel something tearing at his heart, knowing that what he asked but did not require of Abraham – the sacrifice of his only son – he would one day require of himself?” She sheds a little more light on the story also, “Moriah, the site of Abraham’s thwarted attempt to sacrifice his son, has been traditionally associated with the temple mount in Jerusalem. Today Mount Moriah is occupied by a Muslim shrine called the Dome of the Rock. Jesus, whom John the Baptist called “the Lamb of God,” is thought to have been crucified just a quarter mile away from Mount Moriah. It was there that Yahweh Yireh provided the one sacrifice that would make our peace with him.” See John 1:29, and Isaiah 53 (especially verses 6-8).
Here’s another excerpt from Anne Spangler:
What kind of God would ask a man to do this? What kind of man would obey?? The questions betray our ignorance. Seeing the story through human eyes, we miss the point and fail to see what it means to be God and what it means to be human. Why would God ask for such a sacrifice? Because he knows there is no other way for us to learn that he is God. When we put something on the altar, sacrificing it to him, we acknowledge two things: that he is God, and that we are not God. This is the worship we need to offer, the worship that will allow us to experience his provision for our lives.
Each of us will be faced with Abraham’s dilemma, perhaps many times in our lives. In our case, it won’t be a matter of physically placing a child on an altar, but it may mean placing a child in God’s hands, forswearing our tendency to be a little god to that child, trying to control her universe and to keep her safe. If not a child, then something else – a relationship, a career, a gift, a dream. Whatever it is, if we offer it to God as Abraham offered his only son, we will begin to know God as Yahweh Yireh, the Lord who provides everything we need.

Reference: Praying the Names of God by Anne Spangler

Word of the Week -- El Roi

El Roi – The God who Sees.

Check it out for yourself: Gen. 16, 21:8-21; 2 Chronicles 16:9, Ps. 33:13-15, 18-19, 139; Mt. 6:3-4

Interestingly, while the idea of God watching over us is found throughout the Bible, the Name “El Roi” is found only once. I suggest you read the story, found in Genesis 16. Here are some interesting tidbits that you might not get from the text:
Hagar was an Egyptian slave. She was brought up in a culture that worshipped Egyptian idols – gods that could be seen but that could not see. The idea of a God who takes a personal interest in His creatures may have been completely unfamiliar to her. Or, perhaps she would have known of Abram and Sarai’s God, but would not have considered herself a part of His providence.
Note in the story that blame can be placed everywhere: Sarai and Abram weren’t able to wait for God to fulfill His promise to them, so they involved Hagar. Hagar was haughty to Sarai after she conceived. Abram encouraged Sarai to do whatever she wanted to her slave. Sarai mistreated Hagar.
When The Angel finds Hagar, He not only knows her name, who she is, and where she is, but has a plan for her, a promise for her and her child, and knows her future.
The Angel of the Lord is probably God Himself – most likely the Person of Jesus taking on human form even before the incarnation. In the Old Testament an angel of the Lord is simply one of the angels, but THE angel of the Lord is God Himself. Take a closer look: Gen. 16:13 says, “So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”
After this encounter, it’s no wonder Hagar is willing to return and submit to her mistress. This is a GOOD God, one who is powerful, interested, gentle, and caring.

El Roi, “the God who sees,” bears the connotation of One who sees everything and loves anyway. This is not the cruel God who watches, waiting with thunderbolts to destroy anyone who steps out of line. FB Meyer in Our Daily Walk, says “Wherever we go He precedes and brings up the rear; we are beset by His care behind and before.” He also notes that in Ps. 139, a Psalm all about how God sees and knows us, the tone is one of rapturous gladness. Meyer says, “It is the prerogative of friendship to love the presence and thought of a friend….”

But there’s still a naggling question, isn’t there? If God sees and God is good, why is life so hard?? Even Hagar and Ishmael were sent away from Abraham’s camp again – this time to nearly die of thirst, despite the promise spoken directly to her by El Roi (see Genesis 21).

Sometimes God allows us to bear the weight of persecution or to face a particular trial. And yet Jesus set the example: we are to “take His yoke, and bear it as He did; remain where God has put us, till He shows us another place; and bear what He ordains and permits.” How?? By believing that “what God permits is as much His will as what He appoints. Behind Sarah's hard dealings we must behold His permissive providence. Through all the discipline of life we must believe that God has a purpose of unfailing love and wisdom” (Meyer).

R.C. Sproul in “The Character of God” writes, “God knows that even in all of these afflictions there is the potential to bring Him glory. Remember that because God is sovereign, if what occurred in our lives (or is occurring right now) did not have the potential to conform us to the image of His Son, then He would not have allowed it to occur but He would have intervened. This should give you great peace in the midst of the storm, an inner peace that comes from the fact that He is the God Who sees and that He has not missed any of the events in our lives…the peace is that He knows.”

Praise God!! He knows YOUR whole story and is working something GOOD in YOU.

(References ESV Study Bible, FB Meyer,“Our Daily Word”; R.C. Sproul “The Character of God”; Anne Spangler, Praying the Names of God.)

Word of the Week -- Elohim

Elohim is the Hebrew word for God that appears in the very first sentence of the Bible. “In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1)…

Check it out for yourself: In each of these verses the word “God” (capital G, lowercase –od) is translated from the Hebrew “Elohim”: Genesis 1:1; 1:26-28; 28:10-22; 35:1-8, Psalm 102.

“Elohim (e-lo-HEEM) is the plural form of El or Eloah, one of the oldest designations for divinity in the world. The Hebrews borrowed the term El from the Canaanites. It can refer either to the true God or to pagan gods. Though El is used more than 200 times in the Hebrew Bible, Elohim is used more than 2500 times” (Spangler, p 15). According to Hebrew for Christians (www.hebrew4christians.com), the variation of El to Elohim is unique to Hebrew thinking. It is masculine and plural, but does not mean “gods.” It is most often used with singular verb forms, adjectives and pronouns (see Genesis 1:26). Ann Spangler, in her book Praying the Names of God, states that the plural form is used to denote the “majesty of the one true God. He is the God of gods, the highest of all.” Further understanding of this strange combination of plural and singular comes with the later revelation of the plurality within the Godhead; three Persons, one Being – the Trinity.

Elohim means Creator and Judge. This ancient name for God contains the idea of His creative power as well as his authority and sovereignty.
“The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses, ‘You want to know my name? I am called according to my actions. When I judge the creatures I am Elohim, and when I have mercy with My world, I am named Adoni” (Ex R. 3:6, see The Names of God Introduction for an attempt at an explanation of what Ex R. is).

Think about this:
Elohim, the mighty sovereign creator, could have created a world VERY different from what He did. Gravity might not work; animals could ALL be ugly and dangerous; humans (or whatever) could be automatons, incapable of love or any meaningful interaction. “Have you ever wondered why the world you take for granted is often so stunningly beautiful?” wonders Spangler (p 19). Have you ever wondered how it is that you were created to be able to sense and interact with and enjoy creation? Why you can usually trust a chair that you can see and feel to hold you up when you sit on it?

Praise God! Not only did He create the world and everyone in it but continues to sustain it through his creative power. Think about the world in a new way, and offer thanks to Elohim: He has blessed you with the good things of the earth. Do you have a tendency to take God’s earthly blessings for granted? Confess that to Him. (Spangler, p 21.)

Apply it:
What do you think it means to be created in “the image of God”?
So often we miss life’s beauty because we are preoccupied by its flaws. But God seems delighted by what he has made, proclaiming it good and even very good. How does God’s assessment of Creation shape your own attitude toward the world? Toward yourself?
As human beings we need constructive change because both we and the world we live in are imperfect. We are not yet everything God intends us to be. Perhaps you face unwelcome changes…? Let the God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever steady your world today. Whatever challenge or change confronts you, let it drive you toward the God who never changes, a God so stable and strong you can lean on him forever. (Spangler, p 17-24).

(Sources: ESV Study Bible, Praying the Names of God, by Anne Spangler)