The Names of God
Genesis 21:33–34
There he called upon the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. Genesis 21:33 (NIV)

In this verse, we come to one of the names for God. It is Jehovah El Olam (meaning “The Lord, the Eternal God”).

The key word in this name, olam, translated “eternal,” originally meant that which was secret, hidden, concealed, or unknown. From the idea of an indefinite past or future, the Jews soon developed the idea of “eternity,” which referred to the incalculable and unknown past and to the incalculable and unknown future. Where the word is used of God, it usually also includes his immutability, or unchangeableness. Times change, people change, needs change. El Olam never changes.

As you walk with God, your vision of who he is will be expanded and you will increasingly come to know him in respect to all his other names, names that you also will then both trust and cherish. There is God as our Jehovah, the God who was and is and is to come. He has been spoken of as El Elyon, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth. He is El Shaddai, the Mighty One. In Genesis 22, we find him as Jehovah Jireh, the God Who Provides. But what of El Roi, the God Who Sees Me? Or Adonai, the Lord? He is Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts. He is Jehovah Nissi, the Lord Our Banner. He is Jehovah M’Quaddishkhem, the Lord Who Sanctifies; Jehovah Rohi, the Lord Our Shepherd; Jehovah Rophe, the Lord Who Heals. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord Our Righteousness; Jehovah Shalom, the Lord Our Peace. He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord Who Is There. God is all these. But he is also Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is the Ancient of Days, seated upon the throne of heaven. He is the Child of Bethlehem, crying in a manger. He is Jesus of Nazareth. His titles are Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He is the Judge. He is our Rock and our High Tower.

What more can we say? Our God is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the source of life. He is the sustainer of life. He is Life itself. He is the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd. He is the Lord of Hosts. He is the King of Kings. He is the Faithful One. He is Love. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the God of Moses, David, Isaiah, Elizabeth, Anna, Simeon, and John the Baptist. He is the God of Peter, James, John, Timothy, Apollos, and Paul. He is your God. He is mine. We shall never exhaust the character of our eternal God. We will never find him wanting.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.