El Elyon - God Most High

Study that you might Know God As Your Strong Tower Whose Name is... El Elyon The Most High God
God's Sovereignty Demonstrated	What God is Sovereign Over	The Difference this Truth Can Make in My Life
HINT: This chart is set up to be read from left to right. When you finish one topic than go to the next topic in the left column.
SOVEREIGNTY DEFINED God Most High = El Elyon The most high God Strongest of the Strong Superlative God - surpassing all others If He is the Most High then what is His perspective on the problems in my life? Da 4:34-note His Dominion is everlasting ("Dominion" = supreme authority) Da4:34-note "But at the end of that period I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. Da 4:35-note He Does according to His will Da4:35-note "And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What hast Thou done?' (see explanatory note) No one can ward off His hand No one can question what God does ><>><>><> If you are wrestling with God's sovereignty, study the verses on this chart and also consider consulting... 1) Notes on God's Attribute of Sovereignty 2) Related Resources on God's Sovereignty 2) Several Illustrations of Divine Sovereignty A Definition of Sovereignty: The right of God to do as He wishes (Ps 50:1; Is 40:15; 1Ti 6:15) with His creation. This implies that there is no external influence upon Him and that He also has the ability to exercise His right according to His will. (Bible.org)	God is SOVEREIGN (see definition) which means GOD IS IN CHARGE OF THE ALL THE UNIVERSE ALL THE TIME. Westminster Catechism says... God from all eternity did, by the most wise & holy counsel of His own will, freely & unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER... The angelic hosts of heaven (which includes Satan & demons) All Inhabitants of earth Da 4:37-note Those who walk in pride Da4:37-note "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise, exalt, and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride." Read the stanza ("My sovereign"...) below which sadly is omitted from most modern hymnals. Click on the hymn and sing to Him. It will be good for your soul dear suffering saint... How Firm A Foundation (Click to play) Even down to old age all My people shall prove My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love; And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne. The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake. (He 13:5-note)	TRUTH CAN SET YOUR FREE (Jn8:31, 32, 36, Jn17:17, Ro12:2-note) The Truth is that... El Elyon does His Will Where? In the Host of Heaven Inhabitants of the earth (Note that "*Host" can be translated "armies" and in context most likely refers to the angelic hosts of heaven, both good and evil - God is in control of both!) Job after suffering calamity caused by Satan but permitted by God came to know God's sovereignty in a very real and personal way declaring: I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted Job 42:2 We learn the lesson of trust* in the school of trial. Fiery trials perfect our faith. How would this affect my worship? Worship Him in spirit & in truth (Jn 4:24) (Put it into practice right now dear saint -- Click and sing "O Father You Are Sovereign") Job's God is the same today (He 13:8-note) and desires you to experience Him as did His saint Job. He desires you to know Him as the One in whom you can place your complete trust in every circumstance--whether times of great joy or trials of great affliction. We would all to well to ponder and practice Paul's pattern of praise regarding God's omniscience, sovereignty and power... Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Ro 11:33, 34, 35, 36-notes)
SOVEREIGNTY ILLUSTRATED IN THE BIBLE Lk 22:31, 32 God places limits on Satan, who can go no farther then God allows (Jesus said) Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. Satan had to seek permission to sift Peter. Note that Jesus was praying for Peter and He is also praying for us as you are experiencing circumstances through which you will be sifted and sanctified. (cf Ro 8:34-note, Heb 7:25-note) Similarly Satan could harm Job no worse than God allowed - see Job 1:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 2:3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 1John 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins but He who was born of God keeps him (The believer cannot lead a life of sin because God's Son keeps him) and the evil one (Satan) does not touch him Satan cannot touch a believer without El Elyon's permission and some sources commenting on "cannot touch" state that Satan cannot grasp a believer in a way that continually exerts a modifying influence on his life (or cannot cause permanent spiritual loss) (cp 1Jn 4:4). (See note)	Job 1:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 2:3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Who was initiator? What did Satan ask God to remove? GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER... Satan Job's Experience Job 1-2 refutes the false teaching that Satan is in control. God is in total control, whether we believe it or not! Daniel 3 Example of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego When God permits Satan to "light the furnace", you can be confident that He "keeps His hand on the thermostat!" (Da 3:19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25-note) Nebuchadnezzar addressed the three as "servants of the Most High God"! (Da 3:26, 27, 28-note). Note that they convinced El Elyon could deliver them and yet were ready to burn if God allowed (Da 3:17, 18-note) O Father, You are sovereign In all affairs of man; No powers of death or darkness Can thwart Your perfect plan. All chance & change transcending, Supreme in time and space, You hold your trusting children Secure in Your embrace. (CLICK TO PLAY HYMN)	We can know that... God (Creator) is in control NOT Satan (creation) Even if Satan causes problems in my life, it is God Who PERMITS this to happen. And just as important, we need to remember and lay hold of the truth that... JESUS IS PRAYING FOR YOU "Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also (present tense = continually) intercedes for us (in our place, on our behalf)." (Ro 8:34-note) "Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (Heb 7:25-note)
Isaiah (although using the name Jehovah Sabaoth) clearly describes God's sovereignty in... Isaiah 14:24,27 Context: God as a reflection of His sovereignty over nations, predicts the destruction of Judah's enemy Assyria in Is 14:25,26 The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, "Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand...For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back? What God intends will happen What He plans will stand No one can frustrate His plans No one can turn back His hand Beloved this is your God if you belong to Him (1Co 6:19-note, 1Co 6:20-note) for He does not change (Mal 3:6). Run into the strong tower of the sovereign God, El Elyon and He will lift you up, even in the midst of the of the continuing attacks, adversities, afflictions, etc. (Pr 18:10-note)	Dearly beloved, meditate deeply on what God says about His sovereignty and as the Spirit illuminates this attribute of God, lay hold of the truth that El Elyon is in control and make the choice to run into the strong tower of this Name and you will be lifted up and obtain an entirely new perspective on your anxieties over what the future holds (because you will come to know and trust the One Who sovereignly controlled not only your past but your future) & with this truth comes the potential for His peace that passes all human understanding. (Php 4:6-note, Php 4:7-note) J. B. Phillips wrote the classic book Your God Is Too Small and the title tells the whole story. Many of us have a problem because our God is too small. But if you ever understand that God is sovereign over the entire universe, you’ll never have a "small" God again. When a cowboy applied for health insurance, the agent routinely asked if he had had any accidents during the previous year. The cowboy replied, "No. But I was bitten by a rattlesnake, and a horse kicked me in the ribs. That laid me up for a while." The agent said, "Weren’t those accidents?" "No," replied the cowboy, "They did it on purpose." The cowboy realized that there are no such things as "accidents." How about you, Christian? Do you believe that some things catch God by surprise? In the words of a good friend, "God is too sovereign to be lucky."	We can know that... WE ARE NOT VICTIMS OF CHANCE OR FATE OR LUCK You can have God or chance, but you can’t have both During America's Great Depression in 1929, many men jumped to their death, because they failed to recognize that God is always in control. Dearly beloved, grasp the truth about God's sovereignty and you will experience the blessed assurance that whatever comes into your life will be filtered through His fingers of love. You must remember, beloved, that the Most High God, El Elyon, holds you in His sovereign, omnipotent hand. You are not subject to the "winds of chance". Nothing and no one can touch you without the Most High God's permission! God in His sovereignty, makes a provision for things to get done the way He wants them done. Our job is to pray, to follow His leading, and to trust Him with the results. If He wants it done, God will make a way. God will make a way Where there seems to be no way, He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me. (Don Moen - Play his song God Will Make A Way) Remember: God is greater than your greatest problem
Da 2:20, 22, 23-note Context: Upon receiving the answer to his prayer for the interpretation of the King's dream, Daniel praises God for His sovereignty over all things whether they b epochs or empires... Daniel answered and said, Let the name of God (Notice he focuses on God's Name, for His Name equates with all that He is) be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He Who changes the times and the epochs. He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. To Thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for Thou hast given me wisdom and power; even now Thou hast made known to me what we requested of Thee, for Thou hast made known to us the king's matter.	GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER... *Times & epochs* (history) *Kings* (rulers/governments) *Wisdom & knowledge* Hidden things The darkness (Da 2:20, 22, 23-notes)	We can know that... GOD IS IN CONTROL OF HISTORY (for it is all "HIS-TORY") & HE RULES OVER THE RISE AND FALL OF KINGS & KINGDOMS (Presidents and dictators) Click on the hymn below and sing this prayer to the Most High God Sovereign of Worlds! Display Thy Power Sovereign of worlds! Display Thy power; Be this Thy Zion’s favored hour; O bid the morning star arise, O point the heathen to the skies. Set up Thy throne where Satan reigns, In western wilds and eastern plains; Far let the Gospel’s sound be known; Make Thou the universe Thine own. Speak & the world shall hear Thy voice; Speak, and the desert shall rejoice; Dispel the gloom of heathen night; Bid every nation hail the light.
Isaiah 5:5, 6, 7 So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard (Israel): I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. (Is 10:6, 28:18) "And I will lay it waste (cp Song 2:15); It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it." For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress. In the historical context the horticultural image emphasizes that God had prepared Israel to bring forth fruit unto Himself and yet she brought forth only wild grapes of sin. Therefore, God denounced Israel with judgment in the form of the coming Babylonian captivity.	GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER... A nation's "Hedge" of protection (Isaiah 5:5, 6, 7-notes)	We can know that... GOD CONTROLS A NATION'S DESTINY Contrast Man's Futile Attempts: The ancient Chinese sought security from the barbaric hordes that swept down from the north, so they erected the Great Wall of China, which stretches for 1500 miles, is 12-40' wide and 20-50' high, too high for the enemy to scale, too thick to tear down, and too long to go around. Yet in the first 100 years of the wall's existence, China was invaded 3x. How was the security breached? The enemies simply bribed a gatekeeper and then marched easily through a gate. The fatal flaw in China's defense lay in spending its wealth to build a wall but paying much less to build the character of the gatekeepers. (cp Pr 14:34) Protection of a nation's land Does not come from its mighty hand; Security is just a fraud Unless people trust in the Most High God.
God Alone is Sovereign over Death and Life Harm and Health! (see explanatory note) Dt 32:39 See now that I, I am He, and there is no God besides Me (asserting the truth of monotheism!). It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I Who heal. And there is no one who can deliver from My hand. Comment: Note the repetition of “I” [My] which highlights the sovereignty of God. God was speaking to Israel that they (and by application we today) might be convinced God alone (not the weak, non-existent idolatrous gods of the pagans) can save and destroy. Keil & Delitzsch add that "I, I only it" is an expression of being (cp "I am" or ego eimi - Jn 8:24, 18:5). God is the only true, omnipotent, irresistible God. 1Samuel 2:6 The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. (cp 2Ki 5:7, Jas 4:12) God alone is the arbiter of life and death, giving life as it pleases Him. Only He has the right to take it away. Job 5:18 He inflicts pain and gives relief; He wounds and His hands also heal. (cf Is 30:26, Hos 6:1, 2) When the Sovereign God does allow pain to come into our lives (note it is in the context of the rod of discipline Job 5:17, cp He 12:5, 6-note, He 12:7, 8, 9, 10-note, He 12:11-note), it is not to harm us, but to make us better - not bitter but better! (see devotional illustration)	GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER... Life & Death Wounding & Healing Click on the link below for a booklet which has more discussion of this often perplexing topic - Why Would A Good God Allow Suffering? - discusses 4 answers - to alert us, to direct us, to shape us, and to unite us	We can know that... God is in control of our life Read John Piper's sermon... Is God Less Glorious Because He Ordained That Evil Be? Below is an excerpt... First, then, consider the evidence that God controls all things, including evil. When I speak of evil, I have two kinds in mind, natural and moral. Natural evil we usually refer to as calamities: hurricanes, floods, disease, all the natural ways that death and misery strike without human cause. Moral evil we usually refer to as sin: murder, lying, adultery, stealing, all the ways that people fail to love each other. So what we are considering here is that God rules the world in such a way that all calamities and all sin remain in his ultimate control and therefore within his ultimate design and purpose.
Isaiah 46:9,10 God testifies that He is absolutely sovereign... Remember (not a suggestion but a command) the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; [I am] God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done (His ability to control the future is proof of His sovereignty over time), saying, 'My purpose (or "My counsel" = it originates from Him and not from consultation with the creature) will be established (will stand for He Himself has decreed it), and I will accomplish all My good pleasure." Nothing can prevent God from doing all that is His pleasure, that is all His purpose and inasmuch as He will perform it, it will stand. Beloved, this is your Most High God. Trust Him!	GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER The Future Absolutely NOTHING happens outside his control. ALL things happen in accordance with His plan. Consequently He rules over all things, including your future. You may not know what the future holds but you can know Who holds the future. Do you know Him? Paul is in prison, suffering for the Gospel, facing imminent death and yet he is able to "hang on" - the question is "How?" or "Why" - see "Who" Paul knew and what this did for his faith (confidence) - 2Ti 1:12-note	We can trust our all-knowing God for the unknown future. Ps 103:19 (see note) The LORD has established His throne in the heavens and His sovereignty rules over all. Though I know not what awaits me— What the future has in store, Yet I know that God is faithful, For I've proved Him oft before. —Anon. Practice Moody's T & P Approach In the margin of many pages in D. L. Moody's Bible, he wrote the letters T and P, meaning "Tried and Proved." He had put into practice (applied) passages from God's Word, proving that they work which of course they always do!
Isaiah 45:6, 7 That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD Who does all these. All that happens-light, darkness, prosperity and disaster (cp Amos 3:6) comes from God, the sovereign Lord of the universe Who can do everything. Do you believe this is true?	GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER well-being (He causes it) & calamity ("disaster") (He creates it)	We can know that... God Permits our circumstances but remember that the Most High God can turn any difficulty into an opportunity.
Ge 14:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.19 And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." (cp Is 43:13, Josh 10:42, Ps 44:3) And he gave him a tenth of all. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself." 22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.' 24 "I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share." Because you belong to God Who is the Possessor of heaven and earth (twice for emphasis - Ge 14:19, 22!), He will deliver you from all your enemies (study God's ability to deliver YOU - ponder Ex 6:6, 23:14, 1Sa 7:3, 2Ki 17:39, 2Ki 20:6, Job 5:19, Pr 2:11, 12, Is 38:6, 46:4, Je 1:8, 19, 20, 21, 39:17, 42:11, Da 6:16, 20, Jdg 7:7 contrast Jdg 10:13,14!). Even temporary defeats are turned into victory if we walk in the Spirit (Ga 5:16-note), abiding (believing and obeying) in the truth that He is El Elyon. How easy it is to trust Him with our eternal destiny in Heaven and yet how often we struggle with trusting El Elyon with our day to day struggles.	GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER Heaven & Earth = Possessor/Creator Ge 14:19 Our enemies Ge 14:20 Ps 73:25, 26 Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. OUR GOD REIGNS by Leonard Smith How lovely on the mountains are the feet of Him Who brings good news, good news; Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness: Our God reigns, our God reigns! Refrain Our God reigns! Our God reigns! Our God reigns! Our God reigns! He had no stately form, He had no majesty That we should be drawn to Him. He was despised and we took no account of Him. Our God reigns, our God reigns! *Refrain* It was our sin and guilt that bruised and wounded Him. It was our sin that brought Him down. When we like sheep had gone astray our Shepherd came And on His shoulders bore our shame. *Refrain* Meek as a lamb that’s led out to the slaughterhouse, Dumb as a sheep before its shearer, His life ran down upon the ground like pouring rain That we might be born again. *Refrain* Out from the tomb He came with grace and majesty; He is alive, He is alive. God loves us so, see here His hands, His feet, His side Yes we know, He is alive. *Refrain*	Eph 1:3-note Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Php 4:19-note My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To know God as "God Most High", sovereign over everything and everyone is an empowering doctrine for if you truly believe that He is sovereign, no mere human can intimidate you. You’ll respect authority but you won’t cringe before it. If you know that God is sovereign, then you can be content—and even find joy—in the midst of circumstances that are less than ideal. If you know that God is sovereign, then you will be encouraged in evangelism because you understand that winning the lost is not your job. Your job is to share the gospel, tell your testimony , talk about Jesus, look for opportunities, and pray for open doors but it's God's job to sovereignly lead us, to empower us, to give us those open doors, and then when we share Christ, to convict sinners and create in them a hunger for Him and His Word If you know that God is sovereign, then you can know that He will win the battle with Satan and in fact because He lives outside time the victory has already won at the Cross and in eternity. From our perspective the battle rages all around us, and all too often evil seem to be winning. God’s sovereignty guarantees the ultimate victory of good over evil, but we must remember that God’s timetable and ours are not the same.
What should be the conclusion we draw if we truly believe that God is El Elyon, sovereign Ruler over everything? We will come to know in our experience that absolutely nothing happens to a child of the Living God that the Most High God is not sovereign (exerting control) over and that He is high above every difficult circumstance, over every demonic force, over ever sorrow, over every tragedy.	If we really believe El Elyon is sovereign would it change my thinking about… My present circumstances? My past (which is forgiven if I am a believer - If you doubt this truth read and meditate on the following asking what God has done with your sins! - Ps 103:12, Is 38:17, 44:22, Micah 7:18, 19)? My IRA? The Stock Market portfolio's rising and falling? My government (including leaders I might not agree with - cp Da 2:21-note)? Acceptance of and perseverance in and through adverse circumstances will bring God glory…and this is the grand purpose for which we have been created (Mt 5:16-note)	If you really know Him as El Elyon, the sovereign God then you will come more and more to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that... "that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son." (Ro 8:28-note, Ro 8:29-note) And you be able to truly in everything give thanks = God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1Th 5:18-note)
If God is not sovereign if He is not in control, if all things are not under His dominion, then He is not the Most High, and we are either in the hands of fate (whatever that is) or in the hands of men or in the hands of the devil. ><>><>><> But take courage beloved for... The Most High God, El Elyon, is in total control & He has always been in total control & He will always be in total control!