Part 18

---The series on Ruth began in Part 10---
“I will give you treasures of darkness and hidden riches of the Secret Place, that you may know that I, the Lord, Who calls you by your name, am the God of Israel.”  Isaiah 45:3

“’Can this be Naomi?’  ‘Don’t call me Naomi,’ she told them.  ‘Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.  I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.  Why call me Naomi?  The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.’”  Ruth 1:19b-21

In Part 1 of “In the Secret Place” I began these teachings with “What does your earthly name mean?”

The names of our ladies in this story are of Hebrew origin and have the following meanings:
Naomi:  “Pleasant”   
Ruth:  “Friend, Companion”

Naomi, pleasant…but in the midst of the darkness, Naomi saw herself as “Mara” which means “Bitter, Expression of Grief”.   She said, “Call me Mara…”  It appears that she was very bitter of her circumstances, and there is no doubt that she was drowning in grief. 

“…because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.  I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty…The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”  Oh, how many times do we do this?  How many times do we blame God for what is going on in our lives?  The grief will quickly root into bitterness.  Before we know it, we are trapped in grief, entangled in bitterness, and our name is Mara.

But God… “I, the Lord, who calls you by your name…”--------“I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me.”  Psalm 57:2  One of His names is El Elyon, and it means “God Most High”. 

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary gives us the following definitions:
Most – to the greatest or highest degree, often used with an adjective or adverb to form the superlative.
High – exalted in character; noble; of greater degree, amount, cost, value or content than average, usual or expected; foremost in rank, dignity, or standing.
All – It truly means “all”—the whole amount, quantity or extent of; the whole of one’s possessions, resources or energy.    

So, using these definitions, Psalm 57:2 says this about El Elyon:
“I will cry out to God who is the greatest and highest, exalted in character, noble, valued more than expected, foremost in rank, dignity and standing, who accomplishes everything for me with the whole of His possessions, resources and energy.” 

El Elyon, my God Most High…How tall is our God?  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:9

El Elyon, my God Most High…is Sovereign.  What does it mean to be Sovereign?  Excellent, Supreme, Absolute, Unlimited in Extent.  (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)

El Elyon, my God Most High – How tall is He?  He is unlimited in extent!

In order for us to understand El Elyon, Sovereign, we must understand that Elohim, the God and Creator of our universe, is in control of ALL things and will work ALL things for our good, for those who love God and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).  We must understand that He always has us on His mind, allowing situations to happen in our lives to strengthen us, to encourage us, to build us into His eternal purposes for our lives.  Do I understand it all?  No, I don’t know…I can tell you what I believe, but I can’t understand any better than a lot of people as to why God allows the bad things to happen…other than what He has settled in my own heart.  I know God gave this world over to our enemy, but to deny that He is in control of everything, even the evil things, to me, denies His Sovereignty, denies that He is excellent, supreme, absolute, and unlimited in extent.  To deny that He is in control of everything would mean that we are simply here only to exist, not LIVE!  To deny that He is in control, that everything is filtered through His hands, would mean that we are simply here by chance and that our lives are left to “fate”.    

We cannot see the whole parade, but El Elyon has a perfect view of the beginning and the end.  We have, what Joe Kelley calls, “knot-hole vision”; therefore, we are incapable of fully understanding the Sovereignty of God.  It is simply beyond our capability of understanding.  I believe that God is grieved and angered by the sin and pain of our world, yet He sees what it can accomplish for eternal purposes.  Hebrews 2:10 says, “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the Author of (our) salvation perfect through suffering.”  He allowed His only Son to suffer the ultimate and most shameful death to accomplish His eternal purposes, so how can I deny the rest?    

In our walk with God, we should hunger and thirst to develop a spiritual disposition, a lifestyle that causes us to seek Him immediately in every situation of life. If we walk by the Spirit, we will come under His control even in our emotional responses.  We will be filled with the fruits of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  To not seek Him immediately places us in the same situations as the children of Israel who reacted to their circumstances over and over and over, grumbling instead of living life abundantly.

Definitions:
Grumble:  root word is “grim”; the root word of grim is “neigh”.  Neigh means to make the prolonged cry of a horse.  A horse!!!!   Yuck!  When I grumble, I make a “prolonged cry of a horse”!?  That is a disgusting thought!

Abundant:  Marked by great plenty.  “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full (abundantly richer and fuller).” John 10:10b  “Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear of the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide…”  Jeremiah 33:9 ----- Now that’s what I’m talking about! 

 “The nations will see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory;
You will be called by a new name
That the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
A royal diadem in the hand of your God.
No longer will they call you Deserted,
Or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah ‘My delight is in her’,
And your land Beulah ‘Married’…
As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
So will your God rejoice over you….
(You) will be called the Holy people,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
And you will be called Sought After,
The City No Longer Deserted.”  Isaiah 62:2-5;12

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and earth derives its name.  I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen!”  Ephesians 3:14-21

This is my prayer for you and for me as we strive to understand El Elyon:  I am His Righteousness, His Vineyard.  He causes me to be a delightful plant, He tramples down my enemies, He is the Ruler over my pain and will bring life to my wounds.  He loves me and will give me a double portion.  He sets my feet running to bring His good news and causes me to sit among nobles.  He calls me His Anointed and gives me strength.  He calls me into the light and gives me authority over the darkness.  He IS Absolute, Unlimited in Extent.  He is my Lord and my God!  Amen.