Why Is God Called "the Most High"?

In the entire book of Genesis, the name of God was a mystery to the people of the world, and over the course of time He began to reveal more and more of Himself. To Abraham, He revealed His sovereign power. To Job, He displayed His mercy and His might. To Moses, He gave the people a name.

Because of how mighty He is, God has His name, and He has titles, one of which is that He is “the Most High.” This title communicates many things about who God is, His place in the universe, and how He is to be seen by humanity and the Heavenly hosts. When considering how to pursue a relationship with God, His titles communicate the different facets of Himself with which a believer can engage. Therefore, understanding what it means that God is The Most High gives a glimpse into the holiness of God, and His ultimate and unyielding authority of Heaven, Earth, and all creations.

As much as He is Father, Comforter, Savior, and Redeemer, God should be worshipped and honored, recognized as holy and glorified.

Who Is God?

God is the Creator of the universe and all living things, the one who made a way for humanity to be redeemed, the Savior, the Spirit that convicts and transforms, and the one who has existed before time and will exist for all eternity. To try and explore the dynamics of God in their fullness would take more than one lifetime, which is why people usually pursue understanding them one at a time.

The title El Elyon comes from the Hebrew עֶלְיוֹן‎ which is translated into Greek as ὁ Θεός ὁ ὕψιστος, which is translated into “God Most High” or “God the Highest.” In context, when someone refers to God as the Most High, or refers to Him being on High, they are generally referring to His role as Creator, as the ruler of Heaven and Earth, and His Majesty.

Because God created all things, He also created the angels and all the hosts - or beings - who live in Heaven and who are in His presence. As the most High, He is the ruler over all those beings. He is also the Most High because He is the Creator and He is holy.

Where Is God Called the Most High?

There are many places in the Bible where God is exalted as “The Most High,” God on High, or some variant thereof.

These verses include, but are not limited to:

Genesis 14:18-20 - “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’”

Numbers 24:15-16 - “And he took up his discourse and said, ‘The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered.’”

Deuteronomy 32:7-9 - “Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.  When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.”

Daniel 3:26 - “Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!’ Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.”

Mark 5: 5-7 - “Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains [the demon possessed man] was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.  And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.’”

Luke 1:35 - “And the angel answered [Mary], ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy — the Son of God.’”

Acts 7:48-50 - “Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’”

Acts 16:16-17 - “As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.’”

God is also referred to as the Most High throughout the poetic books of the Old Testament, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.

There are a few general implications that can be extracted from how this title for God was used.

1. It was a name used for God before He gave His name to Moses, like when Melchizedek used it in Genesis, acknowledging they worship the highest being in the universe.

2. It was used when the speaker was communicating the awesome might and authority of God, such as when Balaam gave a prophecy or when explaining that God has the authority to draw the borders of nations or raise or destroy an empire.

3. It was used when someone who does not worship only God acknowledges Him as the highest among the gods - like when Nebuchadnezzar calls the God of the Hebrews captive in his kingdom - or when communicating to nonbelievers the one God is higher than their false gods.

4. It is often used in worship, like in the Psalms.

5. It was used by angels and demons, who have stood in His presence, seated on His throne in Heaven. Angels continue to be in His presence, and demons were angels who were in His presence until they participated in rebellion against Him and were cast out.

Why Is God Higher Than Others?

God is the highest for many reasons. First, He is the only being who existed before time and out of time, who is perfect and holy. He is higher because He is holier than all others. He is also the Creator, the one who is the source of all things, making Him higher because He is more powerful than all others. He sits on a throne in Heaven, high the earth, and at the highest place in Heaven. He is physically and spiritually higher than every other living thing in Heaven and Earth.

In the Bible, even those who did not believe in the God of the Hebrews often had to acknowledge that their God was higher and more powerful than their gods. Pharaoh would not concede this point until all the firstborn of Egypt died in the culmination of ten plagues. Nebuchadnezzar and other rulers in Babylon conceded the God of the Hebrews was higher. Nebuchadnezzar declared after a period of madness left him, “At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever…Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (Daniel 4:34, 37). God demonstrated His power and authority, and people honored it through worship.

Why Is It Important That People Recognize Him as the Most High?

Part of having a correct understanding of who Jesus is, why He needed to come, and why His death and resurrection are significant, is tied to having a right understanding of the nature of God. Because God is the Most High, He is holy and perfect. There is no evil in Him.

When God declares things, they are true. When Adam and Eve sinned, they separated themselves from their Creator because they made a choice to rebel against their perfect Father and Creator. Sin encourages people to ignore God, to blaspheme Him, to continue rebelling or to stay in ignorance, leading to eternal separation in hell. Jesus came to restore humanity to God through His sacrifice. If someone does not understand the holiness of God, and His right and proper authority, they may not see their need for a Savior.

Because He is the Most High, He is worthy of worship and reverence. It is important to understand God for who He says He is, and not create a version of Him that is palatable to the sinful human heart. Some people like the idea of God as a friend, a Father, and a Savior, but reject the idea that He is also the great judge, the ultimate authority, and that having a relationship with Him includes worship, prayer, repentance, and being willing to bow before Him and only Him. It means putting Him as first in life and in the heart, not as a supplemental part of life.

“For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!” (Psalm 97:9-12).

Sources

Hemphill, Ken. Names of God. Tigerville: Auxano Press, 2015.

Showers, Renald. The Most High God Commentary on the Book of Daniel. Westville: Friends of Israel, 1982.

Stone, Nathan. Names of God. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1944.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Ippei Naoi

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.