The Names of God #7 - El Elyon

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In continuing the series, Names of God, we’re going to review a little bit.

Elohim:

What is the first name of God that we find revealed in the Bible, beginning in Genesis? It is ‘Elohim.’ Besides revealing that there’s more than one God, what is the relationship of Elohim? Elohim loves continuously because of covenant and creation! Everything that God said in the way of creation by His Word was a covenant. Therefore, God always loves—whether high or low, good or bad, saint or sinner.

YHVH/Yahweh:

What is revealed about God with Yahweh that you don’t find with Elohim? Yahweh has a relationship based on covenant and quality of love! God says, ‘If you listen to My voice and keep My commandments, I will bless you. I will recognize your righteousness. If you don’t I will curse you and judge you.’ Yahweh must always judge.

That is true. If you have a standard, if you have a law, then you have to have something to make the law a law. The thing that makes the law a law is judgment.

For example: If no one stopped where the traffic signals are and no one prosecuted anybody for it, the law would be worthless. But if you have a policeman sitting there, and the second you go through that thing the siren goes off and you get a ticket. Everybody sees that. You go to court and you pay a fine. The law has been enforced! Same way with God; same way with Yahweh. That’s why you find that all the judgments are given by Yahweh. What happens to Yahweh because of sin?

• He hurts!
• He is grieved!
• He hates to see even the death of a sinner!

EL Shaddai—God Almighty:

• Almighty in the sense of power!
• Almighty in the sense of ability to carry out His will!

He is the Pourer Forth of blessings!

El Elyon—the Most High God:

One of the best ways to understand the Bible is to learn to think with the Scriptures. What does ‘the Most High tell us? It tells us something very important; as a matter of fact, two things:

1. there is God Who is the Most High
2. as Creator, there are others beneath Him Who are not Most High

It’s quite an interesting revelation in the understanding of it. Let’s go through it and we’re also going to have to cover about Melchisedec. That’s where the Most High God is introduced (Gen. 14). What about Melchisedec? Even Andrew Jukes—in the book: The Names Of God In Holy Scripture—makes a fairly reasonable case for Melchisedec being someone other than Jesus.

I have heard in different discussions that Melchisedec was probably Shem. That couldn’t be proven. Melchisedec appears here to be a man. However, it presents us with some very strange incongruities if he is a man. You know the story:

• there was a battle
• several kings were fighting
• they came down and they conquered Sodom and Gomorrah
• they carried off Lot, all of his possessions and everything he had
• Abram got his household

318_{[transcriber’s correction]} men of battle

• they chased them up to the left side of Damascus

As you look at the geography, there’s a valley going into Damascus. That’s where they probably got them. Sure enough, Abram fought at night. He conquered them and brought back the spoils.

Here’s what happened: Genesis 14:16: “And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his kinsman Lot and his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s valley. And Melchisedec the King of Salem brought forth bread and wine....” (vs 16-18). If that were all he brought forth, there wouldn’t be any problem.

Let’s see what else happened. “...And He was the Priest of the Most High God” (vs 18). That name can also refer to the Father. In some places it’s obvious that it does, but it also refers to:

• the One Who created the earth
• the One Who was Yahweh
• the One Who was part of Elohim
• the One Whose name was also El Shaddai

Verse 19: “And He blessed him, and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of the Most High God Possessor of heaven and earth.And blessed be the Most High God, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’ And he gave Him tithes of all” (vs 19-20). That’s a little strange. Who does the tithe belong to? The tithe belongs to God!

Verse 21: “And the king of Sodom said to Abram, ‘Give me the people and take the goods for yourself.’... [Sodomite to the core. Give me the people; you take the goods.] ...And Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have lifted up my hand to the LORD, the Most High God... [Here we have Yahweh, the Most High] ...the Possessor of heaven and earth’” (vs 21-22)

Who was this Melchisedec? Jukes seems to think that it was one of the Canaanite priests who was still priest of the Most High. I made a little better case for that by putting together with this one verse:

Deuteronomy 32:7: “‘Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; your elders, and they will tell you. When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel’” (vs 7-8).

Let’s talk about priests for a moment by going back to Exo. 18. What I’m going to do is show you, partially, how you can construct this thing so that it may appear that what was said was true. That Melchisedec may have been, and I say may have been because once you go to Heb. 6 & 7, in the New Testament, there is no way you can prove that it was the Canaanite king who was the priest. You cannot prove that, because there will be some incongruities. I’m going to show you how you can build a partial case for that.

Exodus 18:1:“When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt,then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, And her two sons, of which the name of the one was Gershom (for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a strange land’), and the name of the other was Eliezer (‘for the God of my father, my Helper, delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh’).And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he camped at the mount of God” (vs 1-5).

Then they met, v 10: “And Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the LORD [Yahweh]...’” He’s a priest of Midian and he blessed Yahweh.

Verse 11: “‘Now, I know that the LORD [Yahweh] is greater than all gods, for in this matter they dealt arrogantly against them.’ Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God” (vs 11-12).

When you read that verse, have you really understood who conducted the offerings? Jethro, the priest of Midian!

• Who was Midian?
• Who was Midian’s father?
• Weren’t all the other priests pagan?
• What on earth is Moses doing accepting offerings from a priest of Midian who was praising Yahweh?

That really is a mind-boggler! Maybe you never thought of it that way before. No, you didn’t!

Genesis 25:1: “Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah” (vs 1-2). Midian was one of the sons of Abraham by Keturah! What religion do you suppose that Midian followed? A form of the religion that Abraham had—right? He was called ‘priest.’

What did Job do when he repented, right at the end of the book? He offered offerings unto God. After Israel was brought out of Egypt and after God establish the Aaronic priesthood, no one of the line of Abraham, down to Jacob, could offer any sacrifices or be priests except the sons of Levi. The priesthood went to the sons of Aaron. Anyone doing anything other than that we find:

• the incident where you had the censures (Num. 14).
• the spouting of Aaron’s staff to show that he was the designated priest

Apparently, there were those, when God separated the nations, who still worshipped the Most High.

That’s the best case you can build to say Melchisedec was a Canaanite priest who still worshiped the Most High. However, it’s incongruous when you look at some other Scriptures, very incongruous.

Deuteronomy 12:29: “When the LORD your God shall cut off the nations before you...” Who did they succeed? The Canaanites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites!

Verse 30: “Take heed to yourself that you do not become ensnared by following them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not ask about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods that I may also do likewise?’ You shall not do so to the LORD your God, for every abomination to the LORD, which He hates, they have done to their gods; even their sons and their daughters they have burned in the fire to their gods. Whatsoever thing that I command you, be careful to do it. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it” (vs 30-32).

The book of Zephaniah talks about the Canaanites and their ‘religion’ with it’s Baal worship. Zephaniah 2:5: “Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The Word of the LORD is against you, Canaan, the land of the Philistines: ‘I will destroy you, so that no inhabitant survives.’” God really lambastes the Canaanites; all the way through, they are condemned.

Let’s see one of the things that God is going to do, Zechariah 14:20: “In that day there shall be on the bells of the horses, ‘HOLINESS TO THE LORD.’ And the pots in the LORD’Shouse shall be like the bowls before the altar.Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be Holiness to the LORD of hosts. And all those who sacrifice shall come and take of them, and boil in them. And in that day there shall no longer be merchants [Canaanites] in the house of the LORD of hosts” (vs 20-21).

What did the Israelites do continuously? They took the Canaanite religion and crossbred it with their own. God hates and despises the Canaanite religion. The question, when I was studying this, came to mind: How could Melchisedec be a Canaanite? You go back to Gen. 9 where God said, ‘Cursed be Canaan!’

How could Melchisedec be a Canaanite, Abraham tithes to Him and the Canaanite blessed Abraham whom God said, ‘You’re going to take over the land of the Canaanites.’ While you can make a little case for it, it doesn’t stand up when we come to the book of Hebrews.

I’m thankful that God inspired Paul to write the book of Hebrews so we have a little understanding about Melchisedec. Heb. 5 talks about the priesthood of Jesus Christ, comparing the Aaronic priesthood with the priesthood of Jesus Christ

Hebrews 5:1: “For every high priest, being taken from among men to act in behalf of men, is appointed to serve in the things pertaining to God in order that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; and he is able to deal gently with those who sin in ignorance and those who have been led astray, since he himself is also encumbered with many weaknesses. And because of these weaknesses, he is obligated also to offer sacrifices for his own sins, exactly as he does for the people. Now, no man takes the honor of the high priesthood upon himself, but only he who is called by God, in the same way as Aaron also was called. In this same manner also, Christ did not glorify Himself to become a High Priest, but He Who said to Him, ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You.’ Even as He also says in another place, ‘You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec’” (vs 1-6).

Don’t you think it would be strange where God said that He’s going to destroy the names of the Canaanite’s house, that He would preserve a name of a Canaanite priest forever? Melchisedec? That would be strange—wouldn’t it? It doesn’t make any sense! Who was this Melchisedec?

Hebrews 6:20: “Where Jesus has entered for us as a forerunner, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec.”

Hebrews 7:1: “For this Melchisedec, King of Salem, Priest of the Most High God, Who met Abraham as he was returning from his slaughter of the kings, and blessed him,and to Whom Abraham gave a tenth part of all; on the one hand, being interpreted King of Righteousness...” (vs 1-2). How on earth can you have a Canaanite who is called ‘the King of Righteousness,’ when God said that the reason He was giving this land to Abraham and his descendants was because of the Canaanite’s sins?

The key is this: God appeared to Abraham as El Shaddai, God Almighty. The name Elohim Yahweh is used in reference to Abraham and God. But after the battle, when God appeared, how did He appear? The answer is right here: Melchisedec was the One Who became Jesus Christ, because of what it says here!

“...and on the other hand, King of Salem, which is King of Peace... [You could have translated that King of Peace as well as King of Salem.] …without father, without mother, without genealogy...” (vs 2-3). I’ve studied where scholars said that this means they can’t find His genealogy. How did He come to be without a father or without a mother?

”...having neither beginning of days, nor end of life...” (vs 3). I don’t know any human being that that could apply to. Surely, it wouldn’t apply to a Canaanite! Why? Because you would have someone having eternal life before the resurrection!

“...but having been made like the Son of God, remains a Priest forever. But consider how great this One was to Whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. For on the one hand, those from among the sons of Levi who receive the priesthood are commanded by the law to collect tithes from the people—that is, from their brethren—even though they are all descended from Abraham;but on the other hand, He Who was not descended from them received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises. Now, it is beyond all doubt that the inferior one is blessed by the superior one.” (vs 3-7).

That would create a problem. Can you say that Abraham, receiving the blessing, was blessed of the better, and the better is a Canaanite from whom you’re going to take the land? It’s incongruent! It doesn’t make any sense!

Verse 8: “And in the first case, men who die receive tithes... [that’s talking of Levi] ...but in the other case, He received tithes of Whom it is witnessed that He lives forever. And in one sense, Levi, who receives tithes, also gave tithes through Abraham; for he was still in his forefather’s loins when Melchisedec met him” (vs 8-10).

What is the answer? It was Jesus Christ! But how do we answer the full question? We answer it this way: It was Jesus Christ! When He met Abraham after the battle, how did God appear unto Abraham and to the rest of them? He appeared as Melchisedec, King of Salem, Priest of the Most High God! Did Yahweh appear in fleshly form? Yes, He did!

• He appeared to Abraham
• He appeared to Sarah
• He sat down and ate with them
• He also had Abraham prepare the sacrifices for the covenant (Gen. 15)

—where Abraham took the various animals that God said to take, to split them down the middle, and laid the right and left halves apart and made a path down the middle, and both Abraham and God walked down this path to signify the absolute surety of the covenant of God.

How is God going to appear when there are other human beings there? He’s going to appear as a human being so they don’t really know Who He is! That’s why He’s called the ‘Priest of the Most High.’ That’s why He received the tithe, because the tithe belongs to God. It shows nothing else of Him from that time on. Just on that one incident.

Let’s understand something else. The only One who could have possibly been Melchisedec, the Priest of the Most High, was Yahweh, Who became Jesus Christ—He is also El Shaddai and part of Elohim! It says that He was “...without father...” (v 3). Before Jesus became the Son of God, by begettal and birth through Mary, He didn’t have a father in the sense of human beings. He did not have a mother.

“...without genealogy, having neither beginning days, nor end of life...” Because He hasn’t yet become human. He had not given up being God and He had not given up human life to be the sacrifice for all human beings.

“...but having been made like the Son of God, remains a Priest forever. But consider how great this One was...” (v 3-4). That’s quite a statement, ‘how great this One was.’

That’s the best I can answer on: How do you solve the problem of Melchisedec? Without the New Testament, you don’t know. Without the New Testament to explain it to us you lose quite a bit of the meaning of the name of the Most High!

In Daniel we’ll see some of the things that were said of Daniel but said in relationship of him compared to what Nebuchadnezzar knew. When Daniel explained to the king what he was going to do in interpreting the dream, he said:

Daniel 2:28: “But there is a God in heaven Who reveals secrets and makes known to King Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head upon your bed are these.’” Then Daniel explained all of that.

Going through to the end, we find the conclusion of what happened, v 46: “Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and worshiped Daniel, and he commanded to offer an offering and sweet incense to him. The king answered Daniel and said, ‘It is true that your God is the God of gods...’” (vs 46-47). That’s why He is called the Most High!

Is God over everything that there is beneath Him, whether good or evil? Yes, He is! This was quite a revelation to Nebuchadnezzar. Remember, all the astrologers, the other priests and all the soothsayers came in and they couldn’t answer the question as to what the dream was.

“...and the Lord of kings... [That’s one thing about The Most High: He is King and He is God!] ...and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret” (vs 47). Then you know the blessing that came to Daniel and his three friends.

Nebuchadnezzar had quite a few experiences with the Jews, with God and with some of the things that were done. Here’s the account of the fiery furnace.

Daniel 3:26: “Then Nebuchadnezzar came near the opening of the burning fiery furnace. He answered and said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God...’” That’s something in this pagan, wretched country. God has revealed that He is higher than any god!

• higher than Nebuchadnezzar
• higher than Marduk
• higher than all of the gods of the people

Daniel 4:1: “Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: ‘Peace be multiplied to you.It seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me’” (vs 1-2). Then Nebuchadnezzar explained everything about his vision, about the stump, etc.

Here was the decree of God, v 16: “Let his heart be changed from a man’s and a beast’s heart be given to him. And let seven times pass over him.This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the Holy ones, so that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will, and sets up over it the basest of men” (vs 16-17). It shows that the Most High rules in everything!

I couldn’t help but think about when I was watching this thing on the holocaust; what those poor Jews went through was awful. It was literally terrible! God raised up Hitler! What can you conclude? We can be thankful that there’s the second resurrection!

• God’s view of life is greater than ours.
• God’s control of life is greater than ours.

I have to submit that when you look at all the evil and the agony of WWII and all that was there and all that’s going to be. We’ve got to really think how great and marvelous God’s plan is!

Of all this suffering, misery, wretchedness, killing and rottenness, God could stop it any minute He wants it to stop—couldn’t He? He raises up even the basest of men. What does He say in Isa. 10 about the Assyrians? He says, ‘Oh, Assyria, the rod of my anger in My hand. I’m going to raise you up and I’m going to send you against My people. You’re going to punish them and destroy them. When I am done with them, I’m going to get you.’

I can’t help but think that through all the bloody mess this earth is going through and the terrible things that are going on, human nature is so depraved and God’s plan has got to be so fantastic, that it’s got to be worth it! It has to be so magnificent that it’s got to be beyond what we can fully comprehend.

“…the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will, and sets up over it the basest of men” (vs 17). Prayer does come into it for a time. Remember what God told Jeremiah: The time comes when God says, ‘Pray not for this people for I won’t hear you.’

Here is the fall of Babylon. Again, we have the very power that is given, Daniel 5:17: “Then Daniel answered and said before the king, ‘Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Yet, I will read the writing to the king...” That’s where the writing was on the wall. The writing was on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN, and then he explained it.

“...and make the interpretation known to him. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom, and greatness and glory and majesty” (vs 17-18). As the Most High, God deals with the rest of the nations to prove that He is over all!

• Yahweh deals with Israel because He’s in the covenant relationship with Israel. He must judge and He must bless
• Elohim loves all people because He made them
• The Most High controls the political events

Verse 19: “And for the greatness that He gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He slew whom he would, and whom he would he kept alive. And whom he would, he raised up; and whom he would, he put down.But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was put down from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from. And he was driven from the sons of men. And his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven...” (vs 19-21).

You talk about the humiliation of a person, he’s the king:

• all the gold
• the best of the whole Gentile system
• the robes
• the garments
• the palace
• everything

They take him out they put him in an ox crib and feed him hay and grass. You go out and look at him and every day he gets worse. His hair grows long, it’s all matted out, his fingernails are all curling around, he doesn’t know who he is. You say, ‘Nebuchadnezzar, is that you?’ He gives this grunt and looks up at you—pitiful creature! That was to show that God is in control! I felt sorry for Nebuchadnezzar going through this.

“...until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that He appoints over it whomever He will.And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this. But you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And they have brought the vessels of His house before you; and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor know. And you have not glorified the God in Whose hand is your breath and all your ways” (vs 21-23).

Verse 30: On that night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed.And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being about sixty-two-years-old” (vs 30-31).

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Let’s carry this one step further. Isa. 14 shows that the Most High rules and controls over everything and everyone, over every being, whether physical or spiritual.

Here’s Lucifer, Isaiah 14:12: “How you are fallen from the heavens, O shining star, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!For you have said in your heart, ‘I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High’” (vs 12-14).

If the Most High is the Most High, no one could be like Him!

• Was God able to abase Lucifer? Yes!
• Was God able to humble him? Yes!

So, God rules!

Psalm 77 _[corrected] shows us an attitude toward God when you think of the Most High. God has given us the fantastic and wonderful blessing, through prayer, to be able to come into the presence of the Most High. Think about that! God has given that to those whom He has called.

That’s why I want to actually be there, not just in prayer, but after the resurrection in a spiritual body. That’s going to be a wonderful thing. It says that we’re going to see God face-to-face. It’s going to be a wonderful thing to be able to see Christ and the angels and God the Father and all that is going on in heaven. That’s going to be marvelous!

Psalm 77:1: “I cried to God with my voice, to God with my voice; and He gave ear to me.In the day of my trouble I sought the LORD... [he [Asaph] was in bad shape.] ...my hand was lifted up, and my tears ceased not in the night; my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God and was troubled; I moaned, and my spirit fainted. Selah” (vs 1-3). Sometimes we feel that if we are of God everything’s got to run:

• perfect
• smooth
• right
• fine
• good
• no troubles

Everybody in the world would be able to tell who a Christian was. It doesn’t work that way. I wish it would be that way.

• I don’t like trouble
• I don’t like pain
• I don’t like sorrow
• I detest funerals

The only happiness I get out of any funeral is if I bury someone who I know died in the faith. That’s a small consolation because you sit there and hear all of these pitiful people. That’s all we are! I was thinking of that when we had the memorial service for Carl Franklin. We were all just sitting there, pitiful people, subject to death. I was thinking, he bore all the troubles and difficulties. Here’s this poor guy who said, ‘My spirit was overwhelmed.’

Verse 4: “You keep my eyes awake; I am too troubled and I cannot speak.” Here’s this poor guy; it says, A Psalm of Asaph. He’s so troubled he couldn’t speak. Have you ever felt so bad that you go to pray and about the only thing you can do is cry and moan? You can’t even think of a word, so you just kind of moan. About the only thing you can do is say, ‘Help, God!’ That’s about all you can do.

Verse 5: “I have pondered the days of old, the years of ages past.I remember my song in the night; I commune with my own heart, and my spirit made diligent search. Will the LORD cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Is His mercy gone forever? Has His promise failed for all generations?Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah” (vs 5-9). This poor guy [Asaph] had had it. I remember a couple of occasions that I felt like that.

Verse 10: “And I said, ‘This is my grief, that the right hand of the Most High could change…. [he appealed directly to the Most High] …I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old” (vs 10-11). That’s how to get yourself out of this kind of depression.

• begin to think on God
• begin to think on the Most High
• remember the things that God has done

Verse 12: “I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your doings.Your way, O God, is in holiness; who is so great a God as our God?” (vs 12-13). Asaph came from the depths right to the heights when he really understood and put himself in God’s hands.

Verse 14: “You are the God Who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the people.You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. The waters saw You, O God, the waters saw You; they were afraid; the depths also were troubled. The clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flew here and there.The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook” (vs 14-18). He’s remembering the great power of God Almighty, the Most High!

Verse 19: “Your way is in the sea, and Your path in the great waters, and Your footsteps are not known.You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (vs 19-20). Quite an inspiring Psalm.

Psalm 91:1: “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” This shows that God’s protection is for all people, not just Israel, Judah, or Joseph alone, but for all people. It talks about the Most High; God is dealing with all people.

Psalm 92:1: “It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises unto Your name, O Most High,to show forth Your loving kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness every night upon the instrument of ten strings, and upon the harp, with melody of music upon the lyre; for You, LORD, have made me glad with Your work; I will exult in the works of Your hands. O LORD, how great are Your works; Your thoughts are very deep” (vs 1-5). And God gives all of those to us.

Here’s something to think about, Psalm 82:1: “God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods.” That’s quite a thing! This gives me the vision, the sight or the feeling of all of us at the resurrection standing on the Sea of Glass and seeing God.

Verse 2: “How long will you judge unjustly and respect the persons of the wicked? Selah.... [referring back to people] ...Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; save them out of the hand of the wicked. They do not know, neither do they understand; they walk on in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken out of course. I have said, ‘You are gods...’” (vs 2-6). Why would that be put right in the middle of it? God is just giving us an inkling of His plan, right here, that’s why.

“‘...and all of you are sons of the Most High’” (v 6). Every human being is a child of God by creation, regardless of who their father or mother was! Our biggest problem as human beings is, we judge other people as though we were sitting in the seat of God! That’s our biggest problem. Hence comes hatred and prejudice and all this sort of thing.

Verse 7: “‘But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.’Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You shall inherit all nations” (vs 7-8). Quite a thing to think of!

from: The Names of God In Holy Scripture by Andrew Jukes, one little quote that he has; pgs. 89-90

For man was created in the image of God.

That’s all mankind!

He may not know it for he is fallen and may have even become a beast...

We saw that with Nebuchadnezzar. You can read that of other prophecies and the depths to which people will go. But they’re still made in the image of God!

...for a while without his true inheritance.

That is he’s even become as a beast for a while without his true inheritance.

Yet, he is in his fall a fallen son, for Abraham was son of God...

Doesn’t it say that in the genealogies? It starts with Christ and it goes back—the father of, the son of—and Adam who was the son of God. Did Adam fall? Yes! Keep that in mind.

...and the gifts and callings of God are without repentance.

We can’t change what we are. We are what we are, and we’re made in the image of God. Isn’t it a shame that human beings treat each other the way that they do? It is a shame! What a fantastic and glorious purpose it’s going to be when we are able to rule in the Kingdom of God and help all people and stop all this stupidity and nonsense! Help them love each other, but they’re still made in the image of God.

Therefore, even to unconverted Gentiles bowing down to idols, Paul would quote as a truth their own poet’s words.

You know the account in Acts. Paul comes into Athens. He walks into the city that is wholly given over to idolatry. He, himself, is a little perplexed as to how to start preaching the Gospel to this bunch of idol worshipers.

Acts 17:22: “Then Paul stood in the center of Mars Hill and said, ‘Men, Athenians, I perceive that in all things you are very reverent to deities’”—that means devoted to your demons.

Verse 23: “For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your veneration, I also found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an unknown God.’ So then, He Whom you worship in ignorance is the One that I proclaim to you. He is the God Who made the world and all things that are in it. Being the Lord of heaven and earth... [What is the Most High? Possessor of heaven and earth!] ...He does not dwell in temples made by hands; nor is He served by the hands of men, as though He needs anything, for He gives to all life and breath and all things. And He made of one blood all the nations of men to dwell upon all the face of the earth...’” (vs 23-26). What’s wrong with human beings?

1. the law of sin and death
2. the breaking of the commandments of God

“‘...having determined beforehand their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling;in order that they might seek the Lord, if perhaps... [or fortunately] ...they might feel after Him and might find Him; though truly, He is not far from each one of us’” (vs 26-27). I’m going to underline that. We’ve heard in the past that God has gone way off, turned the world over. God hasn’t gone way off. Paul says, “…He is not far from each one of us.”

Verse 28: “For in Him we live and move and have our being...” That’s quite a statement. They may be Aborigines in Australia, but in God they “…live and move and have our [their] being…” though they be fallen. God gave them life. That life that they have is no different than the life of any other human being. This, the Jews didn’t like. The Greeks did though.

Verse 28: “...as some of the poets among you also have said, ‘For we are His offspring.’” How dare Paul quote a pagan? I say this a little facetiously. Truth is truth and is not restricted to any one thing, except God. If that Truth comes from God, it is true, though they may not know God.

When you stop and think about all of the mythologies and everything that comes down through all of these pagan religions, they still all go back to the Most High! They’ve got it all confused—that people were God, who then had children, who then became human beings. Of course, it’s all confused! But Paul is straightening it out here saying, even quoting a pagan, “…For we are His offspring.”

Verse 29: “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God... [Paul starts changing the message a little bit] ...we should not think that the Godhead is like that which is made of gold, or silver, or stone—a graven thing of art devised by the imagination of man;for although God has indeed overlooked the times of this ignorance, He now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has set a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by a Man Whom He has appointed, having given proof to all by raising Him from the dead.’” (vs 29-31). Then he preached to them:

• the resurrection
• Christ
• repentance
• salvation

Psalms is really a pretty good book containing all these references to the Most High. When you study through and study this on the Most High you’re going to see that it is in relationship to more than just the people of God. It is in relationship, to the angels, through Lucifer. God is over him.

What if Lucifer could have become like the Most High? Where would we be? He can’t become like the Most High!. The Most High is the Most High and God will show that that is never going to be challenged or taken away! That gives us great comfort. Especially great comfort when we come to the point that maybe life has become so heavy that it’s hard for us to bear and understand. Then, we go to the Most High.

Asaph—who we read about in Psa. 77—said, ‘God, have you turned off your mercies?’ That’s pretty strong talk to God—isn’t it. It says in another place, ‘His mercy endures forever.’ It shows how you can approach God.

• Can you tell God how you feel and what’s on your mind, if it’s in a right attitude? Sure you can!
• Could you go to God and say, ‘God, it feels as though I’m being kicked around down here.’?

That’s were to start! You can be heard by the Most High!

I had a little trouble with Psa. 136 when I first came into the Church. What is one of the first things that you learn when you learn about God, the Church, the Bible and how to pray? ‘Be not as the heathen that use vain repetitions’—vain repetitions! In my mind, anything that was a repetition was vain. I got it confused.

So, when I read Psa. 136 and every verse says, ‘and His mercy endures forever,’ I thought, ‘Oh, oh! Aren’t those vain repetitions?’ I didn’t understand. I begin to understand a little bit about the mercy of God now—‘It endures forever!’ There is no way you can say enough words as a human being to convey that. Therefore, this is not vain repetition. That was one of my thoughts when I was first studying the Bible. You know how it goes sometimes.

Psalm 136:1: “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.Oh, give thanks to the God of gods...” (vs 1-2). That’s what the Most High is, the God of gods! Is He over all, even demi-gods? Yes! What was the first commandment? ‘You shall have no other gods before Me!’ He is the Most High! “...for His mercy endures forever….”

Verse 3: “Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords...” There it is: God of gods and Lord of lords! We’re going to see in the next sermon that the next name of God, is the word LORD, which is different than Yahweh, which is Adonai. Here He is, “…Lord of lords…”

“...for His mercy endures forever” (v 3). You can go through the whole Psalm that is really quite a fantastic Psalm.

Verse 23: “Who remembered us in our low estate, for His mercy endures forever; and has redeemed us from our enemies, for His mercy endures forever” (vs 23-24). Isn’t that what happened when Abraham got back from the battle? God, the One Who became Christ:

• appeared to all of them as the King of Salem
• received the tithe
• gave them wine and bread
• blessed Abraham.

Verse 25: “Who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven, for His mercy endures forever” (vs 25-26).

I think that if you want to, in your prayer on your knees, go through this; really think about this Psalm and pray about this. Have you ever gotten really stale in prayer? Sure, you have! Are there times when your prayers sound like a word processor? The same message? Open the book of Psalms and start using some of the Psalms as part of your prayer.

• read it
• think about it
• pray

Ask God’s Spirit to come into you, to up-lift you and inspire you. This would be one good prayer to really use, “…for His mercy endures forever.” Especially if you ever get to the point that you think you’ve done something that God cannot forgive. If you’re worried about that, you haven’t committed the unpardonable sin, because you wouldn’t be worried.

Psalm 95:1: “O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation... [if you can’t sing, make a joyful noise] ...Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise to Him with psalms, for the LORD is a great God and a great King above all gods” (vs 1-3). It’s thrilling that we can have that access to God.

Psalm 83:18: “So that men may know that Your name alone is the LORD [Yahweh], that You alone are the Most High over all the earth.” I wanted to use this verse especially to show that God goes by more than one name because there’s more than one:

• function
• title
• ability
• fulfillment of God

Psalm 97:1: “The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice... [this is obviously a Millennial Psalm] ...let the multitude of islands be glad.Clouds and darkness are all around Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. A fire goes before Him and burns up His enemies round about. His lightnings light up the world; the earth saw and trembled” (vs 1-4). It’s referring back to when Christ returns.

Verse 5: “The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.” That’s something! God is so powerful in His glorious form that when He touches the earth it melts underneath Him. That’s something to think about!

I saw this documentary on the volcanoes of Hawaii. If you ever see that, that would scare you to death. I’m glad it was on the TV screen and I wasn’t there; all that lava flowing and that power. Just think, God is so powerful, that in His full glory, if He put His foot on the mountains it would melt and start running down. That’s something!

Verse 6: “The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory.All those who serve graven images are ashamed who boast themselves in idols; bow down to Him, all you gods…. [there again, the Most High!] …Zion heard and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of Your judgments, O LORD,for You, LORD, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted high above all gods. You who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones, and praise His Holy name” (vs 6-12).

I would have to say that out of this whole book of The Names Of God In Holy Scripture by Andrew Jukes, the only thing I can take him to task on is Melchisedec. That’s not very much.

pg 105—If rightly received, this knowledge of the Almighty will increase our faith and hope in God, Who though He is so high, in spite of our fall, yet, owns and claims all of us as His children.

You can see why there is going to be the second resurrection. Is the Most High in control? Yes! Therefore, if something is done that He has allowed that has not fulfilled His will to give that person an opportunity for salvation, is God going to be defeated? No!

I can’t help but think about those poor people who have died such terrible deaths. What a wonderful joy it’s going to be to be resurrected and know that they’re alive. That’s going to be absolutely astounding!

If abused, it may lead us to regard our fallen state as good and so to consider the voice of our passions as the voice of God.

If we just follow our human nature and use our conscience as guide.

The great coming apostasy will, if I err not, be the final perversion of this truth, when the last anti-Christ, whose claim and boast will be of a divine humanity…

Remember, this was written in 1888, over 100 years ago. What is this New Age thing? Divine humanity! That’s incredible! Though Jukes may have been of the Church of England, I think he’s going to be in the resurrection. I don’t think that anybody can have this insight of God’s way as much as this and not be in the resurrection.

...will assume as man, in the fallen life of independence, that which can only be truly possessed by us as partakers of the life of God in Christ Jesus.

That’s the only way you’re going to have any Divinity.

There is, therefore, peril as well as blessing, in the mystery of the Most High, which, as we have seen, is so closely connected with the priesthood after the order of Melchisedec. And yet, until we know this calling and what we really are, we shall not understand the depth and fullness of God’s purpose; and that, though fallen, man, though what he may be is also a son of the Most High

Very well put!

All Scripture from The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, A Faithful Version by Fred R. Coulter.

Scriptural References:

1. Genesis 14:16-22
2. Deuteronomy 32:7-8
3. Exodus 18:1-5, 10-12
4. Genesis 25:1-2
5. Deuteronomy 12:29-32
6. Zephaniah 2:5
7. Zechariah 14:20-21
8. Hebrews 5:1-6
9. Hebrews 6:20
10. Hebrews 7:1-10, 3-4
11. Daniel 2:28, 46-47
12. Daniel 3:26
13. Daniel 4:1-2, 16-17
14. Daniel 5:17-23, 30-31
15. Isaiah 14:12-14
16. Psalm 77:1-20
17. Psalm 91:1
18. Psalm 92:1-5
19. Psalm 82:1-8
20. Acts 17:22-31
21. Psalm 136:1-3, 23-26
22. Psalm 95:1-3
23. Psalm 83:18
24. Psalm 97:1-12

Scriptures Referenced, not quoted:

• Hebrews 6; 7
• Numbers 14
• Genesis 9, 15
• Isaiah 10

Also Referenced: Book:

The Names Of God In Holy Scriptureby Andrew Jukes

FRC: nfs

Transcribed: 02-26-14

Proofed: bo—3-2-14