Sunday’s Blessing – 08/16/2026 – El Olam – Everlasting (God, Father, King)
Psalm 106:48 (ESV)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,from everlasting to everlasting!And let all the people say, “Amen!”Praise the Lord!
The primary evidence we have of a Divine Creator is found in the fundamental building blocks of our world – the atom. Atoms make up everything in our universe. And they are eternal! Unless acted on by an outside force (nuclear fission or fusion), atoms last eternally. That makes perfect sense because they were created by an Everlasting God.
The primary Hebrew word used to indicate everlasting, eternal, or forever is “olam”. It means, “(properly) concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; (generally) time out of mind (past or future); (practically) eternity; (frequentatively, adverbially, especially with prepositional prefix) always.” The idea of “vanishing point” makes understanding the Eternal God a little easier.
If you have ever released a helium filled balloon, you stand and watch it ascend toward the sky. It gets smaller and smaller until it appears to vanish. The balloon is still there; you just cannot see it. Time can be imagined in this sense as well. Past events fade over time, but they are still part of history, even though you cannot see them. Eternal is only difficult to understand because we are finite. We have an expiration date. But not every part of us is finite. Our spirit, the “real” us, is eternal, just like the One who created us.
Everlasting seems to be the poetic term used by Bible translators to describe God. The phrase “Forever God” doesn’t roll off the tongue, but it would be just as true. The first use of El Olam (Everlasting God) in scripture is found in Genesis 21:33:
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
Abraham marked this place by declaring that God is eternal. This would be an everlasting covenant. Olam does not mean “old”. It means eternal. There is a huge difference. Many think of the Bible as an “old” book. Jeremiah gives us a different perspective.
Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV)
The word ancient is “olam”. God’s ways are not old, but eternal. The New Testament way of stating this idea is Hebrews 13:8. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (ESV) Being a Christian is not old fashioned. It is embracing the Eternal God and His eternal salvation provided by the sacrifice of Messiah, Jesus, who paid the price for sin so we could be reconciled to God.
Be blessed today by knowing when you place your trust in the Eternal God you inherit eternal life with Him!
