El Elyon - God Most High

Meditate on God's Names
so that you might Know God As Your Strong Tower
El Elyon
God Most High

SOVEREIGNTY DEFINED

God Most High = El Elyon

The Most High God

Strongest of the Strong

He is the "Superlative" God - the all surpassing God!

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
His kingdom endures
("Dominion" = supreme authority)

Da 4:34-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

Da 4:35-note "And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing (in comparison to His greatness), 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 stop Him)

No one can question
what God does (no one can challenge Him)

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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 with His creation (Ps 50:1; Is 40:15; 1Ti 6:15). 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)

NOW READ THE COLUMNS TO THE RIGHT… WHAT IS GOD SOVEREIGN OVER? & WHAT DIFFERENCE SHOULD THIS MAKE IN OUR LIFE?

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)
 

REMEMBER THAT…

TRUTH CAN SET US FREE… TRUTH LIBERATES US
(Jn 8:31, 32, 36, Jn 17:17, Ro 12:2-note, cp Jas 1:25-note)

The Truth is that…
El Elyon does His Will
He does as He pleases
This truth is perfectly balanced with the truth that He is GOOD.
So whatever He does is ultimately for our good and His glory (Ro 8:28-note, Ge 50:20)

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! Corollary - spiritual warfare is not so much a "power" struggle as it is a "truth" struggle and the "battlefield" is our mind! Fill your mind with God's Word of Truth!)

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 (1Pe 4:12-13-note) perfect our faith (Jas 1:2-4-note)

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. (Lk 22:31-32)

Satan had to seek permission to sift Peter. Note that Jesus was praying for Peter and He is also praying for us as we experience circumstances through which we are sifted and sanctified. (Ro 8:34-note, Heb 7:25-note)

Similarly Satan could harm Job (What was his character prior to "sifting"? Job 1:1) no worse than God allowed - see Job 1:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Job 2:3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

1John 5:18

We know that no one who is born of God sins (present tense = sins as a lifestyle) but He who was born (perfect tense = speaks of permanence of our new birth) of God keeps (present tense = continually watches over, guards, keeps His eye on) him and the evil one (Satan) does not touch (handling one so as to exert a modifying influence upon) 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)

NOW READ THE COLUMNS TO THE RIGHT…

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)

W e 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 predicts the destruction of Judah's enemy Assyria in Is 14:25,26 (reflecting His sovereignty over the nations)

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? (Isa 14:24, 27))

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 attacks, adversities, afflictions, etc you are experiencing. (Pr 18:10-note)

NOW READ THE COLUMNS TO THE RIGHT…

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."

W e 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.

Don Moen’s praise song "God Will Make a Way" affirms God’s sovereign involvement in our lives. Here’s how that song was written: Several years ago, Moen was awakened in the middle of the night. His mother-in-law called to tell him of a car accident involving his wife’s sister, Susan. Susan and her husband, Craig, and their four little boys were on a trip when the accident happened. Jeremy, age eight and the oldest of the four boys, was killed instantly. The others were seriously injured. As Don and his wife grieved and poured out their hearts to the Lord, they felt helpless at communicating hope and grace to Susan and Craig. Don says God helped him through the tragedy by giving him these words:

  God will make a way when there seems to be no way.
  He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me.
  He will be my guide; hold me closely to his side.
  With love and strength for each new day, he 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 be epochs (times) or empires (nations) "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.

El Elyon is sovereign over elections!

NOW READ THE COLUMNS TO THE RIGHT…

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-note

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 & the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice but behold bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.

El Elyon, the sovereign God "removed the hedge" from His chosen people! God had prepared Israel to bring forth spiritual fruit (eg, Israel was to have been a light to the nations - Isa 60:3) and yet she brought forth only wild grapes (esp idolatry). Therefore, God judged His people by stirring up Nebuchadnezzar His servant (Jer 25:9) to taken them into captivity in Babylon (the land of idols!)

NOW READ THE COLUMNS TO THE RIGHT…

GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER…

A nation's
"Hedge" of protection

(Isaiah 5:5, 6, 7-notes)

W e 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! Isa 45:5,18,22). 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.

Note the repetition of “I” [My] which highlights the sovereignty of God. God was speaking to Israel so 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. "I, I only" is an expression of being (similar to "I am" or ego eimi of Jn 8:24, 58, 13:19, 18:5, Ex 3:14).

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. (See also 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

W e 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)

W e can know that…

God Permits our circumstances
but remember
that the Most High God can turn any difficulty into an opportunity.

GOD IS IN CONTROL

The Most High God "will make me to walk upon my HIGH PLACES.” (Hab. 3:19)

FIRST USES OF EL ELYON IN SCRIPTURE:

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.

El = Hebrew masculine noun for God, mighty one, plural elohim.

Elyon = masculine noun meaning Most High, Highest. Elyon is from Hebrew root 'ly meaning to go up, to ascend. The Lxx translates Elyon with the adjective hupsistos = highest in spatial sense or status, clearly the latter sense in this context. Where there is truth, there is usually a counterfeit - thus the Greeks called Zeus hupsistos, the "highest" to be distinguished from their lesser false gods!

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.
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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!

SEE RELATED POST ON BLOG:
GOD IS IN CONTROL
LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF TWILA PARIS' GREAT SONG:
GOD IS IN CONTROL

CLING TO BOTH ROPES! - During his days as guest lecturer at Calvin Seminary, R. B. Kuiper once used the following illustration of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.

“I liken them to two ropes going through two holes in the ceiling and over a pulley above. If I wish to support myself by them, I must cling to them both. If I cling only to one and not the other, I go down.

“I read the many teachings of the Bible regarding God’s election, predestination, His chosen, and so on. I read also the many teachings regarding ‘whosoever will may come’ and urging people to exercise their responsibility as human beings. These seeming contradictions cannot be reconciled by the puny human mind. With childlike faith, I cling to both ropes, fully confident that in eternity I will see that both strands of truth are, after all, of one piece.” (John Morren, Lake City, Michigan)

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It Happened on the Brooklyn Subway - Was it chance—or did God ride the Brooklyn subway that afternoon?

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HOW ICEBERGS ILLUSTRATE GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY - In the frigid waters around Greenland are countless icebergs, some little and some gigantic. If you’d observe them carefully, you’d notice that sometimes the small ice floes move in one direction while their massive counterparts flow in another. The explanation is simple. Surface winds drive the little ones, whereas the huge masses of ice are carried along by deep ocean currents. When we face trials and tragedies, it’s helpful to see our lives as being subject to two forces—surface winds and ocean currents. The winds represent everything changeable, unpredictable, and distressing. But operating simultaneously with these gusts and gales is another force that’s even more powerful. It is the sure movement of God’s wise and sovereign purposes, the deep flow of His unchanging love.

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GOD'S SOVEREIGN CLOUDS - Newscaster Paul Harvey told a remarkable story of God’s providential care over thousands of allied prisoners during World War II, many of whom were Christians. One of America’s mighty bombers took off from the island of Guam headed for Kokura, Japan, with a deadly cargo. Because clouds covered the target area, the sleek B-29 circled for nearly an hour until its fuel supply reached the danger point. The captain and his crew, frustrated because they were right over the primary target yet not able to fulfill their mission, finally decided they had better go for the secondary target. Changing course, they found that the sky was clear. The command was given, “Bombs away!” and the B-29 headed for its home base. Some time later an officer received some startling information from military intelligence. Just one week before that bombing mission, the Japanese had transferred one of their largest concentrations of captured Americans to the city of Kokura. Upon reading this, the officer exclaimed, “Thank God for that protecting cloud! If the city hadn’t been hidden from the bomber, it would have been destroyed and thousands of American boys would have died.”

God’s ways are behind the scenes;
but He moves all the scenes which He is behind.
We have to learn this, and let Him work.
- John Nelson Darby

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When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man, And skill a man,
When God wants to mold a man
To play the noblest part;
When He yearns with all His heart.
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects
Whom He royally elects!
How He hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him
Into trial shapes of clay which
Only God understands;
While his tortured heart is crying
And he lifts beseeching hands!

How He bends but never breaks
When his good He undertakes;
How He uses whom He chooses,
And with every purpose fuses him;
By every act induces him
To try His splendor out—
God knows what He’s about!
Source unknown

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He sat by the fire of seven-fold heat,
As He watched by the precious ore.
And closer He bent with a searching gaze
As He heated it more and more.

He knew He had ore that could stand the test
And He wanted the finest gold,
To mold as a crown for the King to wear,
Set with gems of price untold.

So He laid our gold in the burning fire,
Though we fain would have said Him, “Nay.”
And He watched the dross that we had not seen,
As it melted and passed away.

And the gold grew brighter, and yet more bright
And our eyes were so dim with tears,
As we saw the fire, not the Master’s hand,
And questioned with anxious fear.

Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,
As it mirrored a Form above
That bent o’er the fire, though unseen by us
With a look of infinite love.

Can we think that it pleases His loving heart
To cause a moment of pain'
Ah, no, but He saw through the present cross
The bliss of eternal gain.

So He waited there with a watchful eye,
With a love that is strong and sure,
And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat
Than was needed to make it pure!
Anon

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He Maketh No Mistake
My Father's way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I'm glad I know
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I'll trust my Lord to lead,
For He doth know the way.

Though night be dark and it may seem
That day will never break,
I'll pin my faith, my all in Him,
He maketh no mistake.

There's so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight's far too dim;
But come what may, I'll surely trust
And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift
And plain it all He'll make;
Through all the way, though dark to me,
He made not one mistake.
A. M. Overton

SOVEREIGNTY - Term used to describe the fact that God is the supreme ruler of everything. God created the world and all that is in it. He sustains the entire created order in existence. He guides the affairs of human beings and nations. He providentially interacts with all that takes place. He works for the good of the world and finally will bring all things to a satisfactory conclusion. Because he is God, he has the absolute right to work his will. Sometimes sovereignty is misunderstood to mean that God forces his will on people and that we are not free to choose. That is false. God’s sovereignty includes the free choices of human beings. What makes God’s sovereignty effective is that his will it ultimately done—sometimes along with, sometimes in spite of our free choices. (The Shaw Pocket Bible Handbook)

1 Kings 1:15-31 1:15-31 Power Struggle

The Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. Daniel 5:21 

The president of a company in Michigan had suffered a minor stroke, and he was not spending much time at the office. He didn't know that one of his sons, with the help of two vice presidents, was scheming to take over the firm. He learned of their plot just in time, though, and was able to retain control. 

In some parts of the world, power struggles result in assassinations, bloody coups, or civil wars. We see power struggles in politics all the time. They also occur in neighborhoods, families, and even in churches. 

Adonijah made a power move to grab the throne of Israel (1 Kings 1:5-10). But God had other plans. Bathsheba (David's wife) and Nathan the prophet were able to stop the takeover (1 Kings 1:11-31), and God's appointed leader, Solomon, soon became king (1 Kings 1:38-40; 2:12). 

We need to remember that God rules over the kingdoms of earth (Dan. 5:21). He raises up leaders and brings them down, whether in politics or in the church. Sometimes it's necessary to replace an ineffective leader, but we must pursue that option only after careful thought and earnest prayer for God's direction. We should never become part of a move that serves the ambition of some power-hungry person instead of honoring the Lord who rules over all. –D C Egner

The Most High still rules over kingdoms of men,
He gives the control to whomever He will;
All people must bow to His sovereign plan,
And know that His purposes He will fulfill. –Hess

The most powerful position on earth is kneeling before the Lord of the universe.
How Much Does God Control?
What Do We Owe The Governme

Devotional by Allen Ross - Genesis 14:18-24 “God Most High”
 
When Abram returned from rescuing Lot from the invading armies, he came to the Valley of the King, Kidron, outside the city of old Jerusalem (Salem) and was greeted by a man named Melchizedek, a Jebusite king and a priest of the Most High God.  This mysterious person blessed Abram.
The name of God that he used in the blessing is actually a title and an epithet: the Most High God.  The Hebrew is simply ’el ‘elyon.   The modifier “most high” is from the verb ‘alah, “to go up,” but with the -yon ending it is the abstract modifier, “exalted, most high.”  It is a way of saying that this is the supreme God.
Now that description could be used by any people of their god, even the ancient Canaanites who had a pantheon with a chief god named “El.”  But what makes this description different is the clause that follows it: “Creator of heaven and earth.”  In the older translations this participle qoneh was translated “possessor.”  But we now know that there were two verbal roots qanah, one meaning to “acquire, possess,” and the other meaning “create, make” (Gen. 4:1; Deut. 32:6).  The contexts in each case will determine which root is preferred (the homonyms, of course, are spelled the same).  In this passage the idea of “create” makes far more sense than “acquire, possess.”  The Most High God is the one who is the Creator or all things.
And this is what told Abram that he had found a spiritual brother.  The Canaanites did not believe in a Spirit who created matter.  Across the ancient world spirit and matter were fused.  But here was a man who believed in a High God who actually created the physical (and spiritual) universe--heaven and earth.  And this is what Abram believed. 
Then, when Abram swore the oath (v. 22) he used the same description of God, but added the personal name “Yahweh” to his oath, so that there would be no question of who this High God was.  Was Abram at this point informing Melchizedek by adding to the knowledge that he already had? 
At any rate, Abram not only saw this ancient priest-king as a spiritual brother, but as his spiritual superior, for he paid him tithes.
Isn’t it interesting that even today the doctrine of creation is such a determining factor in one’s faith.  A person who believes in God or a higher power, but denies He is the creator, does not really have a “God Most High.”  He may be higher than most other things, but not most high.  Those who believe in a sovereign God who created everything by His powerful word acknowledge God Most High.  The issue is, of course, that if we have such a sovereign God, then His word is to be obeyed.  Without such a God, the word of God is not authoritative, and we have no real basis for ethics or morality.  So this is no small issue.   It is not just a small debate of the origin of things, but an issue at the heart of religion.   We who believe in this God Most High are persuaded that His word is not only authoritative but powerful.

Robert Girdlestone - The Most High

The Hebrew title rendered ‘Most High’ is ʾElion (עליון), for which the LXX usually has the reading ὁ ὓψιστος, the Highest. The word ʾElion, however, is not confined to this sacred use. It is found in Gen. 40:17; 1 Kings 9:8; 2 Chron. 7:21; 2 Kings 18:17; 2 Chron. 23:20, 32:30; Neh. 3:25; Jer. 20:2, and 36:10. This title is first applied to God in the account of Melehizedek (Gen. 14:18–22); it is used by Balaam, who ‘knew the knowledge of the Most High’ (Num. 24:16); and Moses adopts it when he speaks of the Most High dividing the earth among the nations (Deut. 32:8; compare Acts 17:26). It occurs also several times in the Psalms, e.g. Ps. 18:13, ‘The Highest gave his voice;’ Ps. 78:35, ‘They remembered that God was their Rock, and the High God their Redeemer.’ In Ps. 89:27, this title is applied to the Messiah:—‘I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth.’ When we read of the Most High God in Micah 6:6, the Hebrew Marom (מרום), exalted, is used; compare Ps. 99:2, 113:4, 138:6; and Isa. 57:15, where a simpler form of the same word is rendered High, and applied to God.

In Knowledge Of The Holy, A. W. Tozer attempts to reconcile the seemingly contradictory beliefs of God’s sovereignty and man’s free will:

“An ocean liner leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Its destination has been determined by proper authorities. Nothing can change it. This is at least a faint picture of sovereignty.

“On board the liner are scores of passengers. These are not in chains, neither are their activities determined for them by decree. They are completely free to move about as they will. They eat, sleep, play, lounge about on the deck, read, talk, altogether as they please; but all the while the great liner is carrying them steadily onward toward a predetermined port.

“Both freedom and sovereignty are present here, and they do not contradict. So it is, I believe, with man’s freedom and the sovereignty of God. The mighty liner of God’s sovereign design keeps its steady course over the sea of history.”

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ARE YOU IN GOD'S "POUNDER ROOM"? - The Most High God is in control of all the adverse and difficult circumstances of our lives. You may be going through an adverse experience as you read these notes. Let's call it ,for illustration purposes, a "STEINWAY EXPERIENCE" (read on).

If you had to name the most famous piano, the one that produced the most beautiful sound in the world which one would you name? Most people would say "Steinway". The Steinway piano has been preferred by keyboard masters such as Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Cliburn, and Liszt and for good reason. It is a skillfully crafted instrument that produces a phenomenal sound. Steinway pianos are built today the same way they were 140 years ago when Henry Steinway started his business. 200 craftsmen and12,000 parts are required to produce one of these magnificent instruments. Most crucial is the rim-bending process, where 18 layers of maple are bent around an iron press to create the shape of a Steinway grand. Five coats of lacquer are applied and then hand-rubbed to give the piano its outer glow. The instrument then goes into the "Pounder Room", where each key is pounded 10,000 times to ensure quality and durability. Followers of Jesus Christ, much like the grand Steinway, are being "handcrafted" with all of the steps being watched over and directed by our Most High God, El Elyon , the One Who is in sovereign control of every detail of this process often referred to as "sanctification". We are being pressed and formed and shaped , all that we might "become conformed (molded with an inner and essential and not merely superficial conformity) to the image of His Son" (Ro 8:29). We are being polished, sometimes with the what seems like a great amount of what we could call the "rubbing of affliction", until we "glow." We are then being continually tested in the laboratory of everyday human experience. The process of sanctification is not always pleasant, but we can persevere with hope, knowing that our lives will increasingly reflect the beauty of holiness to the eternal praise of the Most High God. Amen.

Are you going through a Steinway Piano experience? Is the Most High God bending, shaping, or polishing you right now? Can I trust El Elyon Who I have learned is in control of circumstances, demonic spirits, life/death, kings & nations? Knowing the truth about His Name El Elyon can I thank Him even in the painful times?

Remember that He does not allow trials to provoke us or destroy us
but
to refine us & ultimately make us more like Jesus…

Never forget the grand purpose for which He created you –
to give Him glory.

RUN & HIDE IN THE SECRET PLACE OF
THE STRONG TOWER OF EL ELYON
&
BE SET
SECURELY ON HIGH.

When we understand that our God is called El Elyon, then we're set on the road to victory.

There's nothing in the heavens nor anyone on the Earth that can match our God.

When we know God as El Elyon, then we live in a secure place.

Satan is no match for the Most High God.

No dictator can stop His Name from being proclaimed.

No government is too powerful for Him.

He is the Most High God. No god made of stone or carved out of wood can compare to El Elyon.

Trust in Him, and you will experience the peace that passes all human understanding .

Isn’t it easier to give thanks when you realize that your Father, El Elyon, God Most High, is in control and that nothing can happen in this universe without His permission?

Even when we are wronged by others or go through difficult times of testing, as Job did, we can still give thanks. God so rules that no person, angel, demon or devil, nor any circumstance of life, can thwart His plan. El Elyon rules supremely over all; and because He does, you can understand how "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Ro 8:28).

Dear saint, the next time you start to murmur and complain, or you are tempted to, run to your El Elyon, trust in His name, and give thanks that He, the Most High, is in control. Understanding this makes it easier to obey those commands that charge us to rejoice in all the circumstance of life.

A prayer you might want to pray:

"Yes, Lord, there are SO MANY things that happen to us daily that we often are tempted to ask "Why?" and fret or be depressed… "Why the broken water pipe? Why the problems with this particular child? Why this sickness? Why did my husband make this decision?"… ALL THINGS… ALL THINGS work together for GOOD!… " Please "anchor" this in my heart, Lord, and let me know that because I am Your child, EVERYTHING that happens to me is for my GOOD! Thank You, Lord! You are my El Elyon!"

What comfort does this truth provide?

Who is in control of the universe?

Who is in control of your life?

Could we trust El Elyon to be in control of our life?

What do we have to fear if we come to truly understand and
submit to the truth inherent in His name El Elyon?

Fear is to Satan what
FAITH is to God.

Faith does God's work.

Fear does Satan's work.

Gird your minds (with the truth about El Elyon, ready) for action,
Keep sober in spirit,
Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you
At the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Explanatory Notes

1) Note on Dt 32:39 - The holy Scriptures confirm the dictates of reason upon this subject; assuring us that God "maketh peace and createth evil"; that "out of the mouth of the Lord proceedeth evil and good"; that the most casual events are under his direction, so that "not a sparrow falleth to", nor lighteth on, "the ground without him; "much less do his rational creatures and children die without his notice and appointment. By whatever disease or casualties they die, it is God who "taketh away their breath, changeth their countenance, and sendeth them into darkness." With awful majesty God claims this as his prerogative; "I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand." (Deuteronomy 32:39.) He removeth our friends who hath a right to do it. They were our friends, but they are his creatures; and may he not do what he will with his own? He gave them life of his free goodness, and he hath a right to demand it when he pleaseth. Dear as they were to us, we must acknowledge they were sinners; and, as such, had forfeited their lives to the justice of God: and shall not he determine when to take them away? They were our friends; but do we not hope and believe that, by repentance, faith in Christ, and sanctifying grace, they were become his friends too; dear to him by many indissoluble ties? Hath he not then a superior claim to them, and a greater interest in them? Is it not fit that he should be served first? May he not call home his friends when he pleaseth? Shall he wait for, or ask, our consent first? He doth it, whom we cannot, dare not, gainsay. "Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, what doest thou?" (Job 9:12.) He doth it, who is infinitely good and wise; and doth everything in the best time and manner. His knowledge is perfect and unerring; his goodness boundless and never failing. Though his judgments are a great deep, and his schemes utterly unsearchable by us; yet we may reasonably believe that he consulteth the happiness of his servants in what is most mysterious and most grievous; and his word giveth us the strongest assurance of it. So that whether we exercise the faith of Christians, or the reason of men, we must acknowledge the hand of God, yea, his wisdom and goodness, in removing our acquaintance into darkness. —Job Orton, 1717-1783.

2) Excerpt from "The Most High Rules" (Richard L. Strauss) - We still need to know Him as the sovereign God, and there is probably no more comforting truth about Him that we will ever learn. To know the sovereign God is to find peace in the problems and pressures of daily living.

God is truly and perfectly sovereign. That means He is the highest and greatest being there is, He controls everything, His will is absolute, and He does whatever He pleases. When we hear that stated, we can understand it reasonably well, and we can usually handle it until God allows something that we do not like. Then our normal reaction is to resist the doctrine of His sovereignty. Rather than finding comfort in it, we find that it gets us upset with God. If He can do whatever He pleases, why does He allow us to suffer? Our problem is a misunderstanding of the doctrine and an inadequate knowledge of God. If we can explore what sovereignty involves, then we can truly get to know our sovereign God.

It should not be any problem for us to admit that God is the highest and greatest being there is. If He is the eternal, self-existent, self-sufficient, unchanging Spirit, all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere, it is obvious that He stands alone, above all. No one can equal Him. If anyone existed before Him or is more powerful than He is or knows more than He knows, if He needs anyone else to complete Him, then that one would be God rather than the One we know as God. But that idea is ridiculous. There is only one true and living God, and in order for Him to be God He must be the highest and greatest. The very name by which he revealed Himself to Nebuchadnezzar shows that He is. He called Himself the Most High God, that is, the exalted One, lifted far above all gods and men.

3) Definition of Sovereignty - Sovereignty is supreme power especially over a body politic. It describes freedom from external control or of other controlling influences. God is the ultimate authority in every sphere and place. It follows that all creation is subject to Him and that all creation is answerable to Him. As an aside, what verb do you see in the word sovereign? "Reign" of course, and this verb captures the essence of this divine attribute.

The 1828 Edition of Webster's defines Sovereign as

Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe. Supreme; superior to all others; chief. God is the sovereign good of all who love and obey him. Supremely efficacious; superior to all others; predominant; effectual; as a sovereign remedy."

Easton's Bible Dictionary says Sovereignty is God's

absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure (Da 4:25, 35; Ro 9:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23; 1Ti 6:15; Re 4:11).

New Unger's Bible Dictionary says that regarding the Sovereignty of God, that

He is under no external restraint whatsoever. He is the Supreme Dispenser of all events. All forms of existence are within the scope of His dominion. And yet this is not to be viewed in any such way as to abridge the reality of the moral freedom of God’s responsible creatures or to make men anything else than the arbiters of their own eternal destinies. God has seen fit to create beings with the power of choice between good and evil. He rules over them in justice and wisdom and grace. (Unger, M. F., Harrison, R. K., Vos, H. F., Barber, C. J., & Unger, M. F. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Chicago: Moody Press)

The Sovereignty of God by A. W. Pink. Here is an excerpt to encourage you to read his entire discussion…

The sovereignty of God may be defined as the exercise of His supremacy… Being infinitely elevated above the highest creature, He is the Most High, Lord of "heaven and earth. Subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him. So His own Word expressly declares: “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Is 46:10); “He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand” (Da 4:35). Divine sovereignty means that God is God in fact, as well as in name, that He is on the Throne of the universe, directing all things, working all things “after the counsel of His own will” (Ep 1:11). (Or see Pink's entire book on Sovereignty of God)

Divine Sovereignty by C H Spurgeon. Here is an excerpt to encourage you to read his entire sermon…

There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God’s Sovereignty.

Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, they believe that Sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that Sovereignty overrules them, and that Sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children ought more earnestly to contend than the doctrine of their Master over all creation—the Kingship of God over all the works of His own hands—the Throne of God and His right to sit upon that Throne. On the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldings, no truth of which they have made such a football, as the great, stupendous, but yet most certain doctrine of the Sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah. Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne. They will allow Him to be in His workshop to fashion worlds and make stars. They will allow Him to be in His almonry to dispense His alms and bestow His bounties. They will allow Him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof, or light the lamps of heaven, or rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean; but when God ascends His throne, His creatures then gnash their teeth. And we proclaim an enthroned God, and His right to do as He wills with His own, to dispose of His creatures as He thinks well, without consulting them in the matter; then it is that we are hissed and execrated, and then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us, for God on His throne is not the God they love. But it is God upon the throne that we love to preach. It is God upon His throne whom we trust. (Divine Sovereignty )

4) God's sovereignty overrules every calamity. Let's take a brief look at His sovereignty over historical events. Did you know that two great leaders, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt, almost died before the World War II began? In December 1931, Churchill was struck by a car as he crossed Fifth Avenue in New York City. In Miami in December 1933, an assassin's bullet barely missed Roosevelt and killed the man standing beside him. Both leaders survived and contributed mightily to the defeat of Hitler. Why did they survive to lead their nations in this time of crisis? Because God was in control back then and He is still in control. God is sovereign over nations causing their leaders to rise and to fall (Da 2:21; 4:32, 33, 34, 35; 5:21). The prophet Habakkuk complained that it didn't seem right for God to use wicked Babylon to discipline Israel, but God assured him that this did not mean evil would triumph. God was in control and would one day bring about perfect justice

"Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts That peoples toil for fire, And nations grow weary for nothing? For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. (Hab 2:13, 14).

Dear brother or sister in Christ, rest assured that your times are also in the omnipotent, omniscient God's hands. No matter what may happen in this world, He is always in control!

This Is My Father’s World—
Oh, let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
--M D Babcock

5) The Evil Does Not Touch Him (1Jn 5:18) - MacArthur comments that the word "touch" suggests…

“to lay hold of” or “to grasp” in order to harm. Because the believer belongs to God, Satan must operate within God’s sovereignty and cannot function beyond what God allows, as in the example of Job (Job 2:5; Ro 16:20-note). While Satan may persecute, tempt, test, and accuse the believer, God protects His children and places definite limits on Satan’s influence or power (1Jn 2:13; Jn 10:28; 17:12, 13, 14, 15). (MacArthur, J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word or Logos)

Ryrie: The believer cannot lead a life of sin because God's Son keeps him, and Satan cannot hold on to him. (The Greek verb translated "touch," used here and in John 20:17 only, does not indicate a superficial touch but a grasping and holding on.) (The Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Translation: 1995. Moody Publishers)

Wiersbe: How does a believer keep from sinning? 1Jn 5:18 gives the answer: Jesus Christ keeps the believer so that the enemy cannot get his hands on him. "He [Christ] who was born of God keeps him [the believer] and the evil one does not touch him" (nasb). The Authorized Version here gives the impression that a believer keeps himself from sin, but this is not what the verse says. Of course, it is true that a Christian must keep himself in the love of God (Jude 21); but it is not true that a Christian must depend on himself to overcome Satan. Peter's experience with Satan helps us to understand this truth. (Lk 22:31, 32). (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor or Logos)

6) Commentary on Psalm 103:19 - His sovereignty rules over all - This refers to God's refers to God’s universal rule over all creation. No exception clauses in this passage!

The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens. Here is a grand burst of song produced by a view of the boundless power, and glorious sovereignty of Jehovah. His throne is fixed, for that is the word; it is estabhshed, settled, immovable.

He sits on no precarious throne,
Nor borrows leave to be.

About his government there is no alarm, no disorder, no perturbation, no hurrying to and fro in expedients, no surprises to be met or unexpected catastrophes to be warded off; -- all is prepared and fixed, and he himself has prepared and fixed it. He is no delegated sovereign for whom a throne is set up by another; he is an autocrat, and his dominion arises from himself and is sustained by his own innate power. This matchless sovereignty is the pledge of our security, the pillar upon which our confidence may safely lean.

And his kingdom rules over all. Over the whole universe he stretches his sceptre. He now reigns universally, he always has done so, and he always will. To us the world may seem rent with anarchy, but he brings order out of confusion. The warring elements are marching beneath his banner when they most wildly rush onward in furious tempest. Great and small, intelligent and material, willing and unwilling, fierce or gentle, -- all, all are under his sway. His is the only universal monarchy, he is the blessed and only Potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords. A clear view of his ever active, and everywhere supreme providence, is one of the most delightful of spiritual gifts; he who has it cannot do otherwise than bless the Lord with all his soul. Thus has the sweet singer hymned the varied attributes of the Lord as seen in nature, grace, and providence, and now he gathers up all his energies for one final outburst of adoration, in which he would have all unite, since all are subjects of the Great King.

RELATED RESOURCES
GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY

• Why Would A Good God Allow Suffering?
• The Most High Rules - Richard Strauss
• God Is in Control - Lehman Strauss (Recommended)
• The Sovereignty of God by A. W. Pink
• Sovereign by C H Spurgeon
• Anxious People and A Sovereign God by Gregg Herrick
• The Sovereignty of God by Joseph Irons
• How Much Does God Control? Pdf booklet from Radio Bible Class
• The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Tozer
• Resting in God’s Sovereignty (Proverbs 16:1-4) by J. Hampton Keathley, III
• The Sovereignty Of God by David Legge
• The Sovereignty of God in History by Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M.
• The Sovereignty of God in Salvation - (Romans 9:1-24)by Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M.
• A Solace in Suffering The Sovereignty of God (Romans 8:28) by Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M.
• Whatever Happened To God? by James Montgomery Boice - He laments that many in the church have lost a sense of Who God is because they have virtually no appreciation for His attributes (He discusses sovereignty and holiness of God)
• Divine Sovereignty vs. Human Responsibility by Ken Boa - interesting discussion
• The Providence Of God by Thomas Watson (scroll down)
• The Providence Of God (MP3) ; Download by Jerry Bridges
• The Sovereignty Of God (MP3); Download by Jerry Bridges

The Sovereignty of God by Arthur Pink

• Forewords to the First Four Editions
• Introduction
• God's Sovereignty Defined
• The Sovereignty of God in Creation
• The Sovereignty of God in Administration
• The Sovereignty of God in Salvation
• The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation
• The Sovereignty of God in Operation
• The Sovereignty of God and the Human Will
• God's Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
• God’s Sovereignty and Prayer
• Our Attitude Toward God’s Sovereignty
• Difficulties and Objections
• The Practical Value of this Doctrine
• The Sovereignty of God, Conclusion

John Piper on the Sovereignty of God

• When the Bible Blows Your Mind
• The Absolute Sovereignty of God
• All Things for Good, Part 1
• All Things for Good, Part 2
• The Great Work of the Only Wise God
• If the Lord Wills
• The Pleasure of God in All That He Does
• Ruth: Sweet and Bitter Providence
• Sustained by Sovereign Grace—Forever
• Well-Timed Help
• Is God Less Glorious Because He Ordained That Evil Be?
• How Does a Sovereign God Love?
• The Sovereignty of God and Prayer
• Being Loved and Being Hated
• A Service of Sorrow, Self-Humbling, and Steady Hope in Our Savior and King, Jesus Christ: A Response to the Attack on the World Trade Center
• God Does Not Repent Like a Man
• Righteous Job and the Rock Star
• Job: Reverent in Suffering
• Endings Are For Gratitude, Beginnings Are For Faith
• God Can Turn This Around
• Terrorism, Justice, and Loving Our Enemies
• Why I Do Not Say: "God Did Not Cause the Calamity but He Can Use It For Good"
• I am The Lord, and Besides Me There Is No Savior
• From Wonder to Witness
• God Glorified in Good Resolves

For edification and encouragement, take a moment to meditate on the uses of God's Name, Most High in the following passages (interrogate with the 5W/H questions) and consider making a list of the truths you learn about El Elyon and then taking time to pray those truths back to Him in praise, adoration, intercession and petition.

Most High
God Most High
Most High God
(Note: Click Reference to read the verse in context which is important for accurate Interpretation)

Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.

Gen 14:19 And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;

Gen 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tenth of all.

Gen 14:22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,

Num 24:16 The oracle of him who hears the words of God, And knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.

Dt 32:8 "When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, When He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the sons of Israel.

2 Sa 22:14 "The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice.

Ps 7:17-note I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Ps 9:2-note I will be glad and exult in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.

Ps 18:13-note The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.

Ps 21:7-note For the king trusts in the LORD, And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

Ps 46:4-note There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

Ps 47:2-note For the LORD Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth.

Ps 50:14-note "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High;

Ps 57:2-note I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me.

Ps 73:11-note And they say, "How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?"

Ps 77:10-note Then I said, "It is my grief, That the right hand of the Most High has changed."

Ps 78:17-note Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

Ps 78:35-note And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.

Ps 78:56-note Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies,

Ps 82:6-note I said, "You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High.

Ps 83:18-note That they may know that Thou alone, whose name is the LORD, Art the Most High over all the earth.

Ps 87:5-note But of Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her"; And the Most High Himself will establish her.

Ps 91:1-note He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Ps 91:9-note For you have made the LORD, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

Ps 92:1-note (A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day.) It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High;

Ps 97:9-note For Thou art the LORD Most High over all the earth; Thou art exalted far above all gods.

Ps 107:11-note Because they had rebelled against the words of God, And spurned the counsel of the Most High.

Isa 14:14 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'

Lam 3:35 To deprive a man of justice In the presence of the Most High,

Lam 3:38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth?

Dan 3:26-note Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.

Dan 4:2-note "It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me.

Dan 4:17-note "This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers, And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes, And sets over it the lowliest of men."

Dan 4:24-note this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:

Dan 4:25-note that you be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever He wishes.

Dan 4:32-note and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever He wishes.'

Dan 4:34-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.

Dan 5:18-note "O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.

Dan 5:21-note "He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.

Dan 7:25-note 'And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

Mark 5:7 and crying out with a loud voice, he said^, "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!"

Luke 1:32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.

Luke 1:76 "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;

Luke 6:35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

Luke 8:28 And seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me."

Acts 7:48 "However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:

Acts 16:17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."

Heb 7:1-note For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,