El Shaddai

Introduction

In this secind installment of this series we go even further back to the days of Abraham.

Even just before his name is changed from Abram to Abraham

Most of us are somewhat familiar with his story but before he got to be the “Father of faith” as we know him to be, God takes him on a journey [literally and spiritually]

God takes Abraham from the Ur of Chaldees [ancient Mesopotamia]

This place was fertile, great opportunity for pasturing, commerce, business, it was “the place to be”

But it was idolatrous!

God was calling him from a prosperous place to an unknown place

APPL. How many of us have the faith to leave so a prosperous place (so you think), to a place God is calling us?

God calls Abram

God gives a promise to him

God reassures him of the promise after He offers Eliezer and Ishmael

In Ch. 17, God once again reassures Abram.

From verse 2 to verse 8 - God tells Abraham how he initends to bless him

Establish my covenant with you

Multiply you

A father of multitudes and the name Abraham would reflect this

I’ll make you fruitful

I will make nations and kings out of you

I will bless your descendents through you

But before we see the blessings, we see God in verse one

APPL. Before you are wowed by the blessings of God you need to be wowed by the God behind the blessing.

Our Text

Genesis 17:1 “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.”

God says, “I am El Shaddai”

The term not only points our attention to God’s power, but His sufficiency

It tells me that God has power to supply, and what is supply is sufficient

God is enough

God didn’t ask, nor does He need your help

As we think on this, let us consider some powerful applications from this name of God

El Shaddai is a promise keeper

Genesis 17:1–2 “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.””

APPL. God say’s I’ll keep my promise but you need to keep walking faithfully

In Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.””

This is fulfilled in Jesus and the salvation He offers. Galatians 3:8 “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.””

The salvation we enjoy today in Jesus, is because God is a promise-keeper

Even though this child took about 25 years to come, He Came! God kept His promise.

This tells me that I can trust God.

If God is doing something in my life I can trust that it will be a good thing

When God speaks a word I can believe it

God gave them fruitfulness Exodus 1:7 “But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.”

Joshua 23:14 ““Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.”

When God says:

You’re more than a conqueror

I’ll never leave

Greater is He that is in you

If God is for you who can be against you

These are promises, and El Shaddai keeps His promises

El Shaddai is enough

El Shaddai overcomes my insufficiencies

Genesis 17:1 “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.”

Romans 4:19 “Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;”

Ch. 16 ends with Abram on 86, This chapter He’s 99. . .God still hasn’t fufilled his word

Even though age proved to be a barrier, an area of insufficiency, El Shaddai was enough.

We do not need to be worried about the lack when we know God will supply

We might have what we consider a barrier; it’s no problem for God

Your past

Your finances

Your knowledge

Your skills

Whatever you may think is a barrier, it’s not for El Shaddai

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

We are talking about placing faith in a God who has a plan for you and has already taken into account what you don’t have and, can supply the very thing you lack.

Even as a church moving forward, do you think we’ll always have everything for the task ahead?

That’s why we have El Shaddai, He is enough, He will provide

The Devil will keep you so focused on what’s missing that you wouldn’t be able to see God

This also means God will sustain you

The word “shaddai” is connected to an Akkadian word meaning to nurse a young.

A baby, I’m told, can survive on breastmilk alone for

This means that God can cause you to keep going

APPL. Senior saints, not becasue you’re old means God is done with you

Not because you did great work in the past means that God is finished

God is sustaining, keeping you going, giving strength so you can reach the destination

To cause a state to continue, and give whatever is necessary for it to continue

Psalm 54:4 “Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.”

God not gives you power but sustains the power

God not only gives the peace but sustains the peace

God not only gives you the victory, but keeps you winning

God not only blesses, God sustains. . .God keeps things going

Am I ready to move though

Abraham was ready to do what God called him to do

Even though it was uncomfortable, Abraham said yes

Abraham has is about to be blessed. . .and he is ready to do what God says

Sometimes the blessings looks good until God gives the assignment