Tag: Everlasting God

El Olam – The Eternal God (Everlasting God)

Does anything last anymore?

You get home from the store and take your brand new purchase out of it’s box. For the next bit of time you put it together, set it up, and anticipate using it for years to come.

We don’t buy things to underserve their purpose. We want them to last. In fact very often we want them to out last what’s expected. I know a man who has a vehicle that has far out served its expected life. It’s a 2002 Chevy Tracker with nearly 400,000 miles! He is religious with maintenance and jokes that he’ll “trade it in when it hits 400k.” But even though there are examples like this of things lasting far beyond what is expected, for the most part we are disappointed when the things we use break, wear out, or fail to meet useful requirements. 

I’m not bringing this up as a charge against manufacturing. This is how our world works. Possessions decay. Things break. People die. But not everything is this way.

Everlasting God

By the time we reach Genesis 21 Abraham has been through a lot. He has aged a lot. Though he is 100 years old his promised son has just been born. Imagine how aware he must have been of his age related to his sons youth.

After Isaac’s birth Abraham had to send away his first born Ishmael and his mother Hagar. Then further on in the chapter Abraham makes a covenant with Abimelek

“Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.”
Genesis 21:23

Abimelek was was making arrangements for his son and grandson. They witnessed the agreement with an exchange of sheep and Abraham planted a grove of trees.

“And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.”
Genesis 21:33

“Everlasting God” translates the Hebrew words “El” referring to God (See previous post) and “Olam” which Strong defines as “time out of mind… eternity.” Abraham must have been thinking of all that was happening around him and thinking that God is really the only thing he could count on to last.

What Lasts?

Many of God’s names force us to look at things from a perspective that is very different from our own. “El Olam” pushes us to attempt to look into the realm of eternity. God is Everlasting, we have a beginning and an end. What does this perspective of God mean to us? What implications could this hold for the follower of God?

Another passage that uses a phrase similar to this is Isaiah 40:28-31. While this will be familiar to some, lets see this name of God, and the role it plays in this context that we know and love.

28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, 
That the everlasting God, the Lord, 
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Fainteth not, neither is weary?
There is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint;
And to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings as eagles;
They shall run, and not be weary;
And they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28–31

Pastor Ken Spilger outlines this chapter as follows:

  • We should wait on the Lord because of Who God Is (v. 1-29)
  • We should wait on the Lord because of our weakness (v. 30)
  • We should wait on the Lord because of His promise (v. 31)

Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah paints such a beautiful picture of the power of God. But not just His power, we hear also of His care for His people and His warnings against underestimating His power. The passage closes with a statement of His absolute Everlasting Power (v. 28) and His condescension to mankind in our weakness (v.29). We are reminded of our weakness in verse 30. Even the strongest of human beings eventually wear down.

But those who wait on the Lord… “renew their strength;” they soar, run, and walk without wearing down, or wearing out. And all of this tremendous promise is sure because the God on whom it is based is the EVERLASTING GOD.

Studying and Application:

  1. When did you realize the constraints of time?
    • What are some ways that you feel especially weak or time-bound today? Pray about these things.
  2. Research the biblical theme of “waiting on the Lord.” What other application can you make to your prayer life and your walk with God?
  3. Review your prayer list. Take a minute to add any new requests now.