The name El Elyon is first introduced in the Bible in Genesis 14:13-24. Abraham’s nephew Lot was taken captive by foreign kings. Abraham raised an army, chased them down and routed the foreign kings. He rescued Lot and recovered a great bounty of goods.
After the rescue Abraham had an encounter with a mysterious priest/king named Melchizedek. Melchizedek brought bread and wine to Abraham and blessed him, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, El Elyon, the possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Through this encounter Melchizdek revealed to Abraham that he served El Elyon, God who is exalted and supreme above all others. El Elyon had prevailed against the foreign kings. He caused the victory. El Elyon is the highest power, the supreme one, there is none like Him.
The name El Elyon is used 34 times in the Old Testament, more than half of these are in the Psalms. There we are instructed to worship God because he alone is exalted, supreme and sovereign. There is none higher than El Elyon.
One of the places where God is twice referred to as El Elyon is Psalm 91. In verse 1, He who dwells in the shelter of El Elyon will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. And in verse 9, For you have made the Lord my refuge, even the Most High, Elyon, your dwelling place. What a beautiful word picture the psalmist paints! The incomparable most high God is our shelter and dwelling place. Our eternal future is secure when we place our trust in El Elyon.
There is another chapter in the Bible where El Elyon is featured front and center, Daniel 4. This chapter is remarkable because it was not written by Daniel like the rest of the book, but by Nebuchadnezzar, the pagan king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar was perhaps the most powerful man in the world at that time.
He began writing this portion of the Bible by stating his purpose, to declare to every single person alive on the earth what El Elyon had done for him.
The background to Daniel 4 is Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream about a large strong tree that was beautiful and luxuriant but was cut down and bound then banished to the beasts of the fields “until seven periods of time passed over him.” Daniel 4:25.
Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t shake this dream. He called Daniel, one of his wise men, to interpret the dream for him. Daniel’s interpretation was that the flourishing tree was Nebuchadnezzar himself. He would be chopped down and bound and driven away from mankind to dwell with the beasts of the field for seven periods of time.
Out of love for his king, Daniel urged Nebuchadnezzar “to break away from his sins and do righteousness and show mercy to the poor.” Daniel 4:27 But apparently Nebuchadnezzar continued in his arrogance.
Twelve months later the dream was fulfilled exactly as Daniel had said. Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of his royal palace reflecting on how great his power and majesty were, when suddenly a voice from heaven declared that his sovereignty had been taken away. He was driven from civilization and lived with the beasts of the field. For seven years he lost his mind. His hair grew like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws. He ate grass with the cows.
But then something amazing happened. Deranged Nebuchadnezzar looked to heaven and El Elyon touched his heart and his mind. He was healed and restored to his former glory, but with a difference. His arrogance was gone. He wanted to give God the glory. He wrote this chapter in the book of Daniel to “declare the wonders which the Most High God, El Elyon has done for me.” He brings praise, exaltation and honor to the King of Heaven.
