The Everlasting God

Time is a funny thing. When you are younger, it seems to last forever. As you get older, it begins to speed up. And, finally, when you reach the end of your days it has gone by quickly but each day may feel slow. Humanity has crafted various measurements of time. Our smallest measurement of time is the Planck Length – a time so tiny that you would have to understand quantum physics to truly comprehend the Planck Length. Our largest measurement of time is the yottasecond which equals approximately 31,709,791,983,764,584 years. Yet, these measurements don’t really explain time or even completely measure it. There is so much about time we don’t understand. But God not only understands time – he created time and will exist beyond time itself. This is something Abraham clearly understood.

After the departure of Hagar and Ishmael, Moses records that Abraham reencountered Abimelech, a Philistine King, and Phichol, the commander of Abimelech’s army, in Beersheba (Genesis 21). Beersheba is in the southern portions of what would one day be Israel. It is a very harsh, dry, and region located in the Desert of Negev. Water in the land is scarce. Abimelech sought out Abraham after the first encounter early in Genesis to make a covenant or a peace treaty with him. It appears Abimelech wanted to make sure he and Abraham had a peaceful relationship. Abraham agrees to enter into this treaty with Abimelech (Genesis 21: 23 – 22) but it appears while the negotiating was going on some of Abimelech’s servants seized one of Abraham’s wells. Abraham told Abimelech about the seizure and immediately Abimelech made it right with Abraham (vs. 25 – 26). Then they entered another agreement over the future of Abraham’s seven wells in Beersheba. To thank God for the peaceful resolution of the encounter, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the name of Olam El, The Everlasting God.

It may seem odd that Abraham planted a tree in the middle of this mountainous, dry, desert region. But, when you learn more about the tamarisk tree it makes vastly more sense. The tamarisk tree is in the family of cedar trees and can grow up to 25 feet tall. They grow shrub-like leaves and grow into very dense thickets. They can live in harsh conditions and are often found in desert areas to help provide windbreaks, shelter, and could even be a water source. But the catch with tamarisk trees is that they do not reach their full maturity for hundreds of years. Some say it can take over 400 years for a tamarisk tree to fully mature. So, Abraham planted a tree that he himself would never see reach its full maturation. Abraham planted a tree that would continue to live and grow in his region all the days of his life. Every time he passed it, the tree would be larger and more mature. It served as a permanent reminder of God’s presence and blessings for him and for his future generations. It is no consequence that it is the slow maturing tree that Abraham plants and then cries out the name El Olam, The Everlasting God.

The Hebrew word, olam, and its Greek counterpart, aionios, are used a combined 97 times in the Scriptures. Both words mean to be out of time itself – to exist beyond time. To be olam or aionios, one must exist in the past, present, and future. To be before the beginning and after the end. Nearly every single time it is used to describe God, His words, His promises, or His kingdom.

• God’s rainbow is a symbol of His everlasting covenant – Genesis 9:16
• God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham – Genesis 17
• God’s priesthood is everlasting – Exodus 40:15 & Numbers 25:13
• God’s arms are an everlasting refuge – Deuteronomy 33:26
• God’s doors are everlasting – Psalm 24:7 – 9
• God’s Kingdom is everlasting – Psalm 145:13
• God is an everlasting Father – Isaiah 9:6
• God is everlasting strength – Isaiah 26:4
• God is everlasting salvation – Isaiah 45:17
• Those who follow Jesus will inherit everlasting life – Matthew 19:29
• We preach the everlasting Gospel – Revelation 14:6

 Moses in one of his few recorded Psalms summarizes the God we serve perfectly:

            Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting You are God. – Psalm 90:2

The passage of time is an odd experience for humans. It can be exhilarating and then be incredibly frustrating or depressing. We want time to speed up or to slow down but it marches on. We have utterly no control over time. Kingdoms and nations of this world rise and fall as time continues to move forward. We read the story of Abraham and his tamarisk tree and think – that was so very long ago. But, not to God. God exists without time. He created time. To God thousand years is one day and one day is a thousand years (1 Peter 3:8). Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and FOREVER (Hebrews 13:8).

So, when you get frustrated with time. Its slowness or swiftness. It is uncontrollable nature. It’s control over your day-to-day schedule. The very long period of time between us and the people of the Scriptures. Remember, we serve the God of the Apostles, Daniel, Esther, The Prophets, Elijah, David, Samuel, Gideon, Joshua, Moses, Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Noah, and Adam.

We serve Olam El – The Everlasting God.