Jehovah Elyon...Lord, Most (Day4) One of Faith, One of Doubt

One of Trust and One of Doubt

                The Israelites made a habit of offending Jehovah Elyon…Lord, Most High. Despite God being faithful to them and rescuing their ancestors from the hands of the Egyptians, they always turned back to their idolatrous ways. Therefore, Jehovah Elyon allowed them once again to be placed into the hands of their enemies. The Midianites oppressed the Israelites greatly. Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites would destroy their crops. Therefore, the Israelites hid in caves and mountains. The Israelites remembered God and cried out to Him for help. The Lord heard their cry and reminded them of their sin towards him through the voice of one of His prophets. Judges 6:9-10 “I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land. I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.” (NIV) The Israelites had to be reminded of their sins prior to God delivering them so that they would know that He was Jehovah, Elyon…the Lord, Most High and the only One to be served.

               The Lord chose Gideon, a man from the weakest of clans, to deliver Israel from their enemies. Jehovah Elyon often chose people whom no one else would have chosen. Why is this? Because in doing so, He gets the glory that is due Him. He is the Lord, Most High and through Him all things are possible. Gideon had 22,000 warriors available to help defeat the Midianites. However, God reduced that number greatly and by the time He was done, Gideon’s army was reduced to a mere 300 warriors. Gideon had faith in knowing that it was not by his might that he would win the battle, but it was Jehovah Elyon…the Lord, Most High who would fight his battles. Judges 7:22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. (NIV) God caused the Midianites to be confused and turn on each other with the sword. The Israelites knew that the Lord fought their battle that day and Jehovah Elyon was to get all the praise, glory and honor because it was not done through their own might.

               Now David was chosen by Jehovah Elyon to replace King Saul when he defied the Lord. David was also the least likely chosen, but God used him mightily as king. Unfortunately, King David made a lot of mistakes, which caused him great pain. Jehovah Elyon had brought David through a lot of storms in his life, but he fell prey once again to the devil and took a census of his fighting men, which angered the Lord. Samuel 24:1 Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” (NIV)

               Jehovah Elyon was the one who enabled Israel to win their battles and it was not through their own hands. However, when King David did this, it was as if he was taking the credit for their success as a nation and not giving the honor to Jehovah Elyon. Therefore, this angered the Lord and brought a curse upon their land. It didn’t matter what size David’s army was. Just as the Lord, Most High was able to defeat the Midianites during Gideon’s time with only 300 men, Jehovah Elyon was able to do the same thing again. All that He required was faith in Him and not in numbers. 2 Samuel 24:15 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. (NIV) 

 

               David acknowledged his sin and repented before God. He asked God to spare the people and allow the punishment to fall upon him and his own family. Jehovah Elyon was teaching David to not trust in his own ability, but in the Lord’s. We too can learn from the story of these two men. It doesn’t matter if all odds are stacked against you in life. If the Jehovah, Elyon…Lord, Most High be for you, then who can be against you? Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (NIV)

Join us tomorrow where we will conclude our study of the name...Jehovah Elyon, Lord Most High.