El

• 1 min. read • grade level: 7

The first mention of this name in Scripture is found in Gen. 14:18-20,¹⁸And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. ¹⁹And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: ²⁰And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. (Genesis 14:18‑20) where Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, blessed Abram of the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth. It occurs over 240 times in the Old Testament, and is particularly numerous in Job and the Psalms, and means the Mighty God, One victorious in power. It evidently sets forth the true God in contrast to the false gods of the heathen. The following handful of extracts indicate this character of God. "A Jealous God;" "A Mighty God;" "A Mighty God and terrible;" "A God that avengeth;" "God greatly to be feared."

It is likewise allied to the grace of God, as the following interesting passage shows. "There is no God [Elohim] else beside Me; a just God [El] and a Savior; there is none beside Me." (Isa. 45:21²¹Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. (Isaiah 45:21)). How wonderful it is that the Mighty God is our Savior. The full revelation of this is seen in JESUS (a translation from Hebrew words into Greek), meaning, Jehovah-Savior.