"El Olam"

  The Forever, Lasting, Eternal God

"Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon

the name of the LORD, the Eternal God." 

 (Genesis 21:33)

We often miss it in our English bible translations but God has many names in the Old Testament, such as Elohim (God), Jehovah (LORD) Adonai (Lord).  In middle-eastern culture a person's name was meant to convey that person's character, his authority and reputation.  So when God wanted to reveal aspects of His character and nature to the Hebrew people He did it by revealing His different names at different times to different people.  He was continually revealing more of who He was with each new name.  This morning I stumbled on a bit of treasure in the above verse.

In Hebrew "the LORD, the Eternal God" is "El Olam", and it means the forever, lasting and eternal God.  But the root of the Hebrew word Olam has a sense of something mysterious and hidden.  Abraham calling upon God as El Olam reveals that our God is indeed forever, lasting and eternal - but there is still a sense of mystery and hidden-ness to Him; things Abraham would never fully understand yet would believe.

So - what did Abraham do when he called upon El Olam?  

     Build an altar as he usually did? 

           Offer a sacrifice?  

                 Nope...he planted a tamarisk tree.  

A rabbi once taught me that when I see something specific in scripture it means God has something specific He wants me to know.  The rabbi taught me to ask the question, "Why do I need to know that?"  i.e., why do I need to know it was a tamarisk tree?  

The tamarisk tree is one of the slowest-growing trees in the Middle East.  It takes at least 3 generations before it will be full grown and offer much-needed shade in the intense heat of the desert.  The bedouins say that you don't plant a tamarisk tree for yourself, you don't plant it for your children.  You plant it for your children's children and future generations.

Planting this tamarisk tree was an act of faith by Abraham.  ("Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." Rom. 4:3)  Abraham, recognizing that God was El Olam - the forever, lasting, eternal God - planted a tamarisk tree that would be of no benefit to him nor would it benefit his son Isaac; but he planted a tree which would be a blessing to those who would come after. He planted the tree, in faith, for his grandchildren and future generations.  But in calling on El Olam Abraham also recognized there were things about God which would remain mysterious and hidden to him.  

I don't think it is coincidental (is anything with God?) that the very next incident we read of in the life of Abraham is God asking him to offer up his only son Isaac - the heir of the promise, the father of Abraham's grandchildren and future generations - on an altar.  This, after Abraham planted the tamarisk tree.

Oh, the hidden-ness and mystery of El Olam!

"Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God,

but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised."

(Romans 4:20,21)

And God did what He had promised.  He still does today and forever.  He is indeed El Olam.

BTW, the rabbis ask, "How many tamarisks trees have you planted today?"  Great question to ask ourselves also.