God Most High

Throughout church history, theologians have recognized that one of the most significant ways that God reveals Himself to us is by naming Himself. We have seen this in the revelation of His covenant name, Yahweh—“I am”—which communicates to us His complete self-sufficiency, including His self-existence (Ex. 3:14). In today’s passage, we find another name, El elyon, or “God Most High.” This divine name is particularly important for conveying God’s sovereignty.

“God Most High” first appears in Genesis 14:17–24, where we read about Melchizedek, who served Him as priest. Melchizedek’s service to God Most High stands out in the pagan context of ancient Canaan, for the peoples there worshiped many different and lesser gods. Unlike most Canaanites, Melchizedek knew and served the one true God. Furthermore, the appearance of the name “God Most High” in contradistinction to the other gods of Canaan indicated to the Israelites that their God, the only true God, has an authority greater than any of His rivals, and thus only He is to be served. Of course, it is not that other gods have a true existence as deities, for we know that they are really demons (see 1 Cor. 10:20). Nevertheless, the name God Most High communicates that He is above all other so-called gods, who are only pretenders to the throne.

In Psalm 57:2, the name God Most High is mentioned in a context where the psalmist expresses his confidence that the Lord will fulfill His purposes for the author. Ultimately, this confidence has a sure ground only if God has sovereign authority over all things, only if everything is under His control. As Dr. R.C. Sproul often remarked, even one “maverick molecule” would call His entire plan into question. If one thing, no matter how small, is outside the scope of the Lord’s governing hand, then that thing, even if seemingly insignificant, has the potential to unravel all of God’s grand designs.

The name God Most High, therefore, means that God is seated apart from and above all creation such that He directs all things, by His providence, to the goals that He intends for them. This is good news indeed for the Lord’s people, since God Most High will allow nothing to thwart His good plans for us. John Calvin comments, “God will never forsake the workmanship of his own hands,—that he will perfect the salvation of his people, and continue his divine guidance until he have brought them to the termination of their course.”