Mensa Otabil - God Most High (10/28/2025)
Welcome to a brand new day. We are continuing our study of the names of God, and today we look at the name El Elyon. We find that in Genesis chapter 14, verses 18 and 19. Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High, and he blessed him and said, «Blessed be Abraham of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth.»
Melchizedek is a very interesting biblical character; he is the first person named as a priest unto God. He encounters Abraham, who is the person in the Bible through whom God reveals Himself to the rest of the world as the one Creator God. This meeting between Melchizedek and Abraham is very important. If you look at the passage, Melchizedek is introduced as a priest of God Most High, and that phrase «God Most High» in Hebrew is El Elyon. El is based on Elohim, and Elon means «highest» or something that is the highest of all. So God, who is higher than all, is God Most High.
He spoke to Abraham and said, «Abraham, God Most High, the Most High God has blessed you.» This is after Abraham has fought a battle against five armies and won. Abraham just used domestic servants in this big battle and won. So Melchizedek is saying to Abraham, «You won this battle because God Most High was with you.» Not just the Creator God, but the one who is above all.
Melchizedek is very important in introducing God to us as the Most High God. You know, many times when you live in our world, you read the news and listen to what is happening all over the world. It just seems as if things are bizarre; they are out of control, and nobody’s in charge. But there is somebody in charge, and his name is El Elyon. God Most High means three things.
First, it means the Lord is supreme. He is above all; he sits on top of all the powers anywhere, whether they be gods, dominions, thrones, powers, or systems. Wherever they are, he is supreme; he sits on top of it all. So that’s what El Elyon means: he sits on top of everything; he is above everything.
Secondly, Elon means the Lord is sovereign. That means he’s greater than all. He is God all by Himself. He doesn’t need permission to be God; he doesn’t need anyone to permit him to be God. You know, in a country like Ghana, we have a president, but we permit the president to be president because we vote for him. We allow people to be even kings; we allow them to be kings. But Jehovah God is sovereign by Himself; he doesn’t need anybody’s permission to be who he is. That’s what El Elyon is. He is supreme, and he is sovereign; he owns Himself, and he doesn’t need anybody’s permission to be who he is.
The third thing is that the Lord is strongest. El Elyon means he’s the strongest, and he can disarm all the armies of the world because he is stronger than all of them. That’s what Abraham experienced; he went into battle with 318 servants against five kings and came out victorious. Melchizedek says, «Abraham, you achieved all of this because the Most High was with you.» The highest of all, the superior one, the supreme one, the sovereign one, the strongest one is on your side. And guess what? God has not relinquished his rule as El Elyon; he is still El Elyon to you. He is supreme, he is sovereign, and he is the strongest. No matter what you get yourself involved in, if he is on your side, you have the best on your side.
Let us pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, you are God Most High; there is none comparable to you. My eyes are fixed on you. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»