Tuesday, February 24, 2009

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)

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