El Olam means Everlasting God or God of Eternity.  The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions, has quite a bit of information concerning the meaning of this word. Olam means long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world, ancient time, long time (of past), (of future) forever, always, continual existence, perpetual, everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity. How wonderful to know that the God we believe and worship is an Everlasting God. El Olam is the name for the God that will tell you his age. Do you know how old God is? The age of God according to Job 36:26 "…the number of His years is unsearchable" for He is El Olam.

An Everlasting God has no birthdate. El Olam has no beginning and no end. He is God of eternity, the God for whom a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. Almost everything in this life will fade away and pass by. Nothing is going to last forever. We know companies eventually pass from one owner to another, and some even go under or lose their value if they don't evolve with time. Even big businesses don't last forever. But God’s throne is established forever, for He is El Olam. The CEO of this whole universe has reigned and will reign forever. Psalms 90:2 says, 'Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.'. God only was before time, for He created time and space, and his kingdom will reign forever without an end. His future is eternal, too, as His crown needs no successor.

We are first introduced to this name of God in Genesis 21:32. After Abraham's covenant with Abimelech – "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God" (Genesis 21:33). Abimelech's servants had stolen some of Abraham's land, including an essential well that Abraham had dug. And Abraham reproved Abimelech, who swore he knew nothing about it. Abraham, though on the right side, chose a path of peace. And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them unto Abimelech, and both made a covenant. Abraham did not fight over the well because it would have resulted in bloodshed on both sides. Instead, he decided to trust the Everlasting God El Olam. He committed the situation to "El Olam", the God of eternity. He knew if he did what was right, the El Olam would take care of tomorrow. After these Philistine leaders left, it says in Genesis 21:33 and 34, "Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days." Abraham was still a sojourner, a pilgrim, who was walking by faith, trusting in God's provision. He believed in the plan of "El Olam," the Eternal God. 

El Olam is eternal and therefore existed before time and space before any created thing. Therefore, he is eternal and self-sufficient. We are dependant on things outside ourselves: air, food, and water. God is different, for He is self-sufficient. We need watches and clocks to keep time, but God is eternal and beyond the measure of time. Hence, He remains the sovereign, eternal God above all things. Look at Isaiah 46:9-10 "Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other;  I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, "My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." (Isaiah 46:9-10).

El Olam also means that our everlasting God's qualities and character are eternal. His promises are true, and so are the covenants El Olam made. God made a covenant with Noah to never again destroy the whole earth with the flood (Genesis 9:11). He called and singled out Abraham and made an eternal covenant with him that He would be his offspring's God forever (Genesis 17:7). Is it not wonderful to know that El Olam also makes an irrevocable promise with us that if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will have eternal life with him forever. Not just his covenants, but His character is eternal too. He forever is a Holy God. His wisdom is eternal; His ways are eternal. His character is eternal; everything about God is eternal. His standards do not change. Only El Olam, the Eternal God, can make audacious promises: "This is what the Lord says—Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first, and I am the last; apart from me there is no God" (Isaiah 44:6). Our future is sure and secure because we belong to the Eternal God.

One of my favourite passages that deal with the everlasting God is Isaiah 40:28-31. "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."   Isaiah wrote this Israel was very despondent because the Assyrians had already captured many bordering nations, as well as Israel and much of Judah. Where do you turn when faith grows weak? The secret for supernatural strength when our strength seems to be failing is to trust the everlasting God, "El Olam." El Olam knows our present and future and His supply of strength never runs. We can renew our strength by placing our trust for today and tomorrow in the God that has been there and will be there because He is the El Olam, the Everlasting God. 

What does an everlasting God mean to me? It means that our God will always be there, unchanged, always in control and always powerful. The God that took care of Abraham will be there to take care of me, and he will be there throughout all of eternity. His plans stand firm forever. When you pray to the Everlasting God, you are praying to the God who is called the Alpha and the Omega who knew everything about us before time began. Our response should also be one of trust in El Olam. God knows all about our tomorrows and can be trusted. We get lots of surprises in life. There are no surprises with Him.   He knows the pleasures, pain, failures etc., that are in store for us. Our response to EL Olam should also be one of worship. God is everlasting, eternal, never-changing, totally so praise His holy name – El Olam! He is called 'the King eternal.' 1Timothy 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." If God is eternal, then there is no endeavour on earth that should take a higher priority than knowing Him, worshipping Him, loving Him, serving Him, and sharing Him with others. 

Rev Mathews Abraham

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