Jehovah Elyon (The Lord Most High)
The passage
(Gen 14:19-20 NIV) and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High (Elyon), Creator of heaven and earth. {20} And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
We now consider what the implications are that we serve the Most High God.
God will deliver us from our enemies
Verse 20 says that Abram’s Most High God will deliver him from his enemies. When we consider the odds that Abram was up against, we can understand how great his God is.
With a force of just 318 household servants, Abram had to fight against the mighty armies of the world. He not only survived, he defeated them.
Pagan kings believed that their gods help them in battle. When they lost, they believe it was because their victor’s god is more powerful.
We may be overwhelmed by people who are out to do us harm. We forget that our God is the Most High God who is more powerful than all our enemies. We must learn to come to God to ask Him to deliver us from our enemies. King David did that and it was recorded in his psalms. In his early life, he had the King of Israel as his enemy. Yet he triumphed with God’s help.
(Psa 31:14-16 NIV) But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." {15} My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. {16} Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
Allegiance to the Most High God
Since Abram had also captured the war booty that his enemies had taken from Sodom and Gomorrah, the King of Sodom went out to meet Abram as he returned from battle.
(Gen 14:21 NIV) The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself."
But Abram refused.
(Gen 14:22-23 NIV) But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath {23} that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.'
Abram refused because he had made a vow to his Most High God and he was not prepared to break that vow. Abram knew what it meant to fear the Lord and exercise allegiance to Him.
When we receive an instruction from the CEO of our company to do something, we do it well and we do it quickly. We dare not disobey. The subjects of a nation pay allegiance to their king.
How do we react towards our God who is the Most High God? Do we respond to Him in an attitude that befits His status?
God visited Samuel when he was very young. He did not know even how to respond. He got good advice from his guardian, the priest Eli.
(1 Sam 3:9-10 NIV) So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. {10} The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
This is how the Most High God wants us to respond. We should be attentive to receive whatever command that He would give us.
God, the possessor of heaven and earth, will supply all your needs
(Gen 14:19 KJV) And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
King Melchizedek understood that the God Abram worshipped was the possessor of heaven and earth. This truth was affirmed a few verses later by Abram himself.
(Gen 14:22 KJV) And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
This most high God is also the possessor of heaven and earth. This means that God does not lack the resources to supply or bless you.
(Phil 4:19 NIV) And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
What are you lacking today? We can ask God to supply that need according to His abundant riches.
Give what is due to God, the possessor of heaven and earth
(Gen 14:19-20 KJV) And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: {20} And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Abram gave a tenth of his war spoils to the King-priest Melchizedek because he understood that God was the original possessor of everything he has.
Many people find it difficult to give to God “what is theirs”. It is easier to give to God if we come to grasp with the fact that what we have belongs to God in the first place. God has entrusted them to me to do good with it. And by giving tithe I am only giving back to God what was His.
