Gen. 21:22-34, El Olam (1)

Olam is the Hebrew word for “long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, or ancient.”  The context obviously is important in the precise translation of the word.  It is used many times (439) in the OT, often in speaking of God’s eternality.  This name of God is in Gen. 21:33. Abraham called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God (El Olam). 

The context is so important in this passage.  Abraham was moving on in his life, Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees at age 70 to go to a land that God promised to give him.  Around forty years later, Abraham has 2 sons (although one is gone), on his way to being the father of many nations; that might seem to be a slow start.  Even worse, he does not have a square inch of the promised land he can call his own.  He dug a well, which makes it his to use; except that the locals give him a hard time, trying to take it from him.  Maybe it was the moderate victory of settling the argument with Abimelech, that caused Abraham to plant a tree of commemoration. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba.  He has some land, sort of.  But what will happen when he is gone?  We know that Isaac did battle over the same well and with the same locals (Gen. 26:26-33).  Yet, at this tree in Beersheba, Abraham called on El Olam, the Everlasting God.  That is a man of faith.  He is now ready for the supreme test of his life, for if you turn the page in Genesis, God will ask Abraham to give up his son, his only son, whom he loves (Gen. 22:1-2).

We need to know that our God is both before and after us, for eternity in both directions.  And He is.  From everlasting to everlasting Thou are God (Ps. 90:2).  You are from eternity (Ps. 93:2).  The LORD is the Everlasting God (Elohim Olam) and will not grow weary (Isa. 40:28).  The prominent issues in God’s eternality are:

·       His everlasting covenants (Lev. 24:8; Heb. 13:20).  The bread in the Holy Place of the temple involved an everlasting covenant.  Every Sabbath the priest put new loaves on the table for the coming week.  It all pointed to, the Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. 

·       His everlasting kingdom (Psa. 145:13; 2 Pet. 1:10-11).  David praised God, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.  David knew the LORD’s promise, of a Son on his throne forever.  But how could this promise be fulfilled?  Those who diligently make their call and election sure know, an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

As Paul put it, all the promises of God in Him (Christ) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us (2 Cor. 1:20).  In the resurrected Christ, we have eternal life.