God is… The Most High God

 

God “is” “The Most High God”. “Is” meaning ; “existing in this moment of time“, and “the substance, characteristics, and/or character of a thing”. God “is” a “right now”, “in this moment” God; alive, active and available to us. His “substance”, “characteristics”, and “character” is “The Most High God”.But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is,…..” Hebrews 11:6

Genesis 14:14-23 (NASB)

14-16 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

17-21 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.
He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” He gave him a tenth of all. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.”

22-23 Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ‘I have made Abram rich.'”

Melchizedek was a priest of God (Elohim) Most High (‘Elyon).

Abram said “I have sworn to the LORD (Jehovah) God (Elohim) Most High (‘Elyon).”

ʿElyôn (el-yone’): “high; top; uppermost; highest; upper; height.” The 53 occurrences of this word are scattered throughout biblical literature…This word indicates the “uppermost” (as opposed to the lower): “… This word is frequently used in a name (ʾēl ʿelyôn) of God; it describes Him as the Most High, the “highest” and only Supreme Being. The emphasis here is on divine supremacy rather than divine exclusiveness: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God” [ʾēl ʿelyôn] (Gen. 14:18, the first occurrence). This name for a god also appears in extra-biblical Palestinian documents. (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words)

“The emphasis here is on divine supremacy rather than divine exclusiveness:” As “The Most High God”, “Jehovah ʿElyôn” is “Supreme” over all other “gods”. In order for us to “get this”, we have to understand that there are many other “gods” that we have to deal with. Jesus called Satan “the god of this world”; plus, in reality, a “god” can be anything (spiritual or otherwise) that we place in a position of “deity”; a spiritual entity, a person, a place, or thing that we place in a position of “worship” and/or “control” in our lives.

“You shall have no other ‘gods’ before Me.” That is the 1st of the Ten Commandments; in it, God is declaring the necessity that He be “Supreme” and “Sovereign” over any other “gods” that may be attempting to gain ruler-ship, or dominance above Him in any area of our lives. I once heard a speaker say; “If you want to know what might be a ‘god’ in your life; pay attention to what your mind (thoughts) turn to when it doesn’t have to be occupied with some task at hand.” That is a sobering thought when we realize how many things our mind can “wander” to before it “wanders” to thinking about “The Most High God”.

He “is” “The Most High God”; we have to make the decision as to whether or not we are going to allow Him to occupy that position in our lives, or do we allow some of our other “gods” to have preeminence?

Our concept of His “isness”; the manner in which we define His nature, substance, characteristics, and character, and the way we “receive” His “isness” into our life and depend on (have faith in) it, will be the role that we “anticipate/expect” or “will allow” God to play in our lives.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is,…..” God “is” “The Most High God”.

*** Fred Wilson *** is an  author, former coach, teacher  and Life and Liberty News Contributor.