El Olam – the eternal God

This name for God first occurs in Genesis 21:33. On that occasion, Abraham had made a treaty with Abimelech, a Philistine leader. After he had gone, Abraham called on the Everlasting God as an expression of gratitude. Are there reasons why Abraham would have thought of God in this way? Here are two possible reasons.

First, the treaty with Abimelech was a new development and maybe there was no guarantee it would last. The future was uncertain from Abraham’s point of view, but whatever would happen to him the everlasting God would be there for him. And the same goes for us. Life is uncertain today in many ways, but whatever happens the everlasting God is with us.

Second, Abraham was also the recipient of amazing divine promises, the fulfilment of which he would never see in his earthly life. God had told him that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand of the sea, and that from among them would come One who would bless the world. In order for that promise to be fulfilled, the Lord would have to be the everlasting God. And the same goes for us as far as his promises for the world to come are concerned.

Abraham’s act of worship leads us to think of how we can worship the great God. We could use Psalm 90:2: ‘From everlasting to everlasting you are God.’ Or we could use Psalm 103:17: ‘The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him.’ Go as far back as you want, God is there; go as far forward as you want, God is there. Go as far back as you want, his mercy is there. Go as far forward as you want, his mercy is there. His mercy had no beginning and it will have no end.

In between the everlastings, we can think of Isaiah 40:28-29: ‘The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.’