Abraham, Father of Faith part 7 “El Shaddai”
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1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Introduction
Introduction
Bro. Bill walking
Thank everyone again for their work.
We had tremendous unity, Satan would love to disrupt that.
“the enemy will come, and when he does, just cling that much closer together”
Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament Chapters 15–17
There are thirteen years of silence between Ishmael’s birth and the events of this chapter. God had to wait for Abraham and Sarah to die to self so that His resurrection power might be displayed in their lives.
The silence is not abandonment, it is simply a test.
All this time Abram believed God. In spite of all that had happened, his faith still held.
God doesn’t tell us everything, but when He does speak, it’s always right.
Example: Elisha and the Shunamite woman.
27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
You know, there’s a wonderful thing. God don’t tell His prophets everything. He just tells them what He wants them to know, not everything. They can’t do nothing in themselves. Just what God shows them, that’s what they do.
Could you imagine Isaac setting blind and blessing Jacob in the stead of Esau? Could you imagine Jacob holding Joseph’s coat for forty years, bloody, thinking that an animal killed it, and being a prophet?
Proves God just reveals to His prophets that what He wants them to know, nothing else. Prophets are not infallible people. Prophets are not Angels. They are men. 57-0127E - "Blind Bartimaeus"
James 5 says Elijah was a man like us.
You see, God don’t make all of our decisions. And there’s many times that God doesn’t tell His prophets just what to do, because they have to make the decision. 59-0611 - "The Time Of Decision"
(Isaac and Jacob)
The prophet makes no mistake in his prophecy.
Jonah’s mistake was in going to Nineveh, but his prophecy was true.
We don’t correct a prophet, God does.
14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;
15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, And do my prophets no harm.
Moses was wrong for smiting the rock twice but don’t mock him for doing it.
Elisha was wrong to call the bears to eat the children but God still backed him up.
They are still God’s men, and whatever we needed to know in the age we live in God has revealed through prophets.
7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, But he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
We don’t go by impression, we go by “Thus Saith the Lord” Impressions fail. Gifts fail. Thus Saith the Lord is always right.
THUS SAITH THE LORD is perfect, never has failed. And as long as it is THUS SAITH THE LORD, it can’t fail. 62-1230E - "Is This The Sign Of The End, Sir?"
How do we know the Message is right? Because it’s vindicated. By the Word. (The only way a prophet can be vindicated)
The Bride will have “Thus Saith the Lord” or keep still.
Abraham waited patiently during the silence, until God revealed Himself to him as El Shaddai.
Bro. Branham draws a direct connection between Abraham’s age and El Shaddai revelation.
El Shaddai means “The breasted God”
(Shad = breast in Hebrew)
It speaks of His strength, and his sufficiency.
Said now, “Abraham, I am El Shaddai, the Almighty God. Now, yet you’re old; your strength’s all gone. Sarah’s womb is dead; she’s ninety, little grandma-like now, a great-great-great-grandma, ninety years old. She’s awful old. The people’s laughing at you, making fun of you. But I am the breasted One.”
Like a mother to her sickly, fret baby. Now, when the little baby’s all weak and run down, his strength’s gone, the mother pulls it to her bosom and the child nurses his strength from the mother. The mother’s strength becomes the child’s strength as he draws it from her.
And so He said, “Now, Abraham, you’re old; you’re past the age; and Sarah’s apast the age. But I have to bless her through you, so you just lean upon My bosom and just keep nursing.” Amen. Hallelujah! “I’ll give you your strength. Draw it out of Me.” 54-0306 - "The Unconditional Covenant That God Made With His People"
He’s the same El Shaddai tonight. He changes not. And His covenant people has the same privilege to draw from the same resource that father Abraham had to draw, ’cause God swore by the same covenant that He’d give us the promise.
El Shaddai, the Bosom, the breasted God: “If you need salvation for your weak soul, draw from this side. If you need healing for your body, draw from this side; for My covenant was with Christ, My Son.
And in there He was wounded for your transgressions. And He was…By His stripes, you were healed. I am the Almighty. Just lean up here and go to drawing from them promises.”
Take them in your heart tonight and just start drawing from them. “God, you promised it. Lord…” Tomorrow I don’t care how you feel, what you look like. “Lord, I’m drawing from that promise.”
Watch how strength begins to renew, how things begin to straighten up, how arms begin to move out, how eyes begin to brighten up, how hearts begin to beat normal. The breasted God, “I’m drawing. Well, I don’t care how I feel, what I look like. I’m drawing from that breast.”
“Lord, You promised it. I’m the Seed of Abraham. I am Your child, and I’m drawing from this promise. It’s THUS SAITH THE LORD. I believe You. Next day I’m sicker than I ever was. I’m still drawing.
I stagger not at the promise of God through unbelief, but strong in faith, giving glory to God for the promise that He said it would be so.” 54-0306 - "The Unconditional Covenant That God Made With His People"
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
How did he endure? Drawing strength from El Shaddai.
Bro. Branham said that once it was revealed to him, Abram approached God through that name.
Now, Abraham watched what that name was that He appeared. “I am the El-Shaddai.” In other words, “I am the breasted One, Abraham.”
In other words, “Abraham, I am the strong One. I am the life Giver.” Not only a life giver, like the baby fretting, “I am the Satisfier.”
The little baby, if he’s fretting, sick, still got the tummy ache, as long as he’s laying on his mothers arms nursing, it satisfies him. Oh, my. You get it? He may be sick, and his little head is swimming around, everything else, but if he’s laying on his mothers breast nursing, it pacifies him.
No matter how sick you are, what’s taken place, how long the Lord is answering, as long as you’re laying on His breast, pulling from the Word, It satisfies the believer
“That’s My approach,” He said, “that’s the way I’m asking You to approach Me. I am your Satisfier. Do you believe it?” He said. Amen. “I am the One that’ll satisfy you as you draw from Me, life. Abraham, you’re a hundred years old, but you’re just a baby to Me.”
Well, he said, “Look at my flesh, how it is wrinkled up. And my hair is gray, and my shoulders are stooped.” “But I am the Life-giver.” Amen. “That’s it, Abraham.”
Abraham believed God then, ’cause he had a approach through a symbol, through a name.
So have we an approach through a Name, Jesus. What does Jesus mean to us? Saviour. Amen. El Shaddai to Abraham, Satisfier, Strong One, salvation Giver, strength Giver. The same thing that El Shaddai was to Abraham, Jesus is to the believer. 55-0123A - "The Approach To God"
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus is our approach to God.
Look, before they could see miracles, they had to come the provided approach.
(Passover before the Red Sea)
And before you can ever become a partaker of this blessed heavenly calling, you have to come through the provided approach, not self-sustaining, not intellectually, but death to yourself, and a reborn again in Christ Jesus through the offering of the Blood.
You say, “My, why didn’t I know these things a long time ago?” You were trying to come through your church. You was trying to come through your organization. You was trying to come through the auxiliary, or something another. You was trying to come through your own good works, through your merits.
You’ll never see it. And you can’t approach it until you die out to those things, and come God’s provided way of approach, which is Jesus Christ, being filled with the Holy Spirit, God’s provided way for sinners to come. You’ll never be able to nurse from the Old Testament goodness and the New Testaments goodness.
You will never be able to nurse joy, and peace, and satisfaction, and healing from your body. You’ll stand off and criticize, say, “Oh, it might been a long time ago, but I believe the approach is all dried up now.”
Listen, if Christ is the approach to God, then God is El Shaddai. Amen. So come the provided way. Don’t try to bypass; come the provided way. 55-0123A - "The Approach To God"
He is our pacifier. He is our strength for all of our physical and spiritual needs.
Brother, I tell you, you see a little baby crawl up in his mammy’s arms, he’s just as satisfied. I don’t care how his little tummy’s hurting, it’s all right as long as he’s nursing from mammy.
And I’m telling you, a believer that once takes a hold of God’s Eternal Word for a promise, if anything, come or go, he’s satisfied.
He’s laying right there, nursing away, pulling the strength right out of God. “By His stripes we were healed. Wounded for our transgression; with His stripes we’re healed,” pulling down the blessings of God; satisfied as he’s laying there.
Come by, and say, “You don’t look any better.” Say, “Glory to God, He healed me.” Amen. Stay right with it. Say, “You ain’t got the Holy Ghost.”
“That’s what you think.” Amen. “If you was only pulling from where I am, you’d think he…you had it, too.” That’s right. Amen.
“I’m El Shaddai, the Almighty.” And He is still El Shaddai, the Almighty God, the Pacifier to the saints. 55-0608 - "Abraham"
God appeared to Abraham as El Shaddai for the forgiveness of sins and healing of the body: El Shaddai, the Breasted One. Jesus was wounded for our transgression, with His stripes we are healed. We can take from either resource. Amen. Oh, my.
When Christians begin to get that, Satan begins to get ready to leave. He’s finished when people can say, “I don’t care.” No certain healer has to come by.
No certain this has to happen. Only thing I want on earth to hear that God said so; that settles it with me then. I’ll take it and go from right there. Then you got it. Amen. That’s what we need. 56-0224 - "Jehovah-Jireh"
He quits fretting, and he’s satisfied. He just lays against his mother and starts nursing. That’s all. As long as mama’s got her arms around baby, and he’s a nursing from mama, he’s pretty well satisfied. And all the time he’s nursing, he’s putting vitamins into him that’s building him up.
And a man, no matter how sick you are, how old you are, how stooped you are in sin, lean against the breasted God and go to nursing; and spiritual vitamins will have you shouting, and praising God, and running down the aisles after while, satisfied as you can be. That’s right. He’s got all the calories you need. 56-0427 - "Faith"
You take a little baby, when it’s weak, and run down, and dying. The mother takes the little baby in her arms, lays it up to her breast. The little fellow’s fretting and crying.
But just as soon as it begins to nurse on the mother, what’s it doing? It’s pulling the mother’s strength into its own body. It quits crying, starts laughing. It’s satisfied.
And God, when a believer can take a hold of God’s promise, God, through Christ, pours His strength into the believer’s body. And while he’s recuperating, he’s satisfied. Hallelujah!
The believer, nursing from the Word, the breasted One, the New Testament and the Old Testament, nursing from God’s promise.
Nobody can shake him away from there. He’s holding on for dear life and nursing God’s strength into his body. Hallelujah!
If you’ve been the wickedest woman in this country, your name is not fit for the dogs to bark with, let me tell you something.
If you take a hold of God’s promise, and lay a hold of that and live, and God will pour His strength into you, till you’ll be so sainted, till everybody will know you’re a Christian.
Yes, sir! If you been a bootlegger, gambler, whatever you might be, that doesn’t matter if you’ll take a hold of that breasted God.
And all the time you’re nursing, your little old feet’s a moving, your hands are moving. What is it? You got growing pains. You’re coming out of it. The breasted One, the strength Giver, the all-sufficient One.
“Abraham, you’re old. You’re just like a little baby. Why, you have no life in your body, and you’re just…Your body’s as good as dead. But I am the breasted One. Just take a hold of My promise and just keep nursing.”
He nursed for twenty-five years. We can’t nurse ten minutes, and then call ourself Abraham’s seed. “Hallelujah, I’m Abraham’s seed.” Take a hold of God’s promise and stay with it. Just stay there, nurse the Satisfier. 59-0416 - "El-Shaddai"
God has designed the perfect food for a baby to come from its mother.
According to Johns Hopkins, one of the benefits of breastfeeding is “A lower risk of getting asthma and skin problems related to allergies. Formula-fed babies are more likely to have milk allergies.”
Say, “Well, I’ve been a awful sinner.” Just keep nursing. Watch how your eyes begin to clear up. You get away from that an allergy you’ve had, spiritually an allergy, that anemic condition, you’re blood’s all gone.
Just nurse from His strength. Draw from His promise. “I’m the Lord that healeth all thine diseases, that forgives all of thine iniquity, the breasted One.” 59-0423 - "Abraham's Seed"
He gave Abraham strength for his miracle, the change of his body.
Over in Genesis 17 He strengthened Abraham for the miracle. That’s what He is doing now, strengthen the Church for the miracle. 61-0226 - "Jehovah-Jireh"
And notice, “I am El Shaddai. You are the little, weak baby. But lean upon My bosom, My promise, and nurse from Me your strength. I’m the creator that hung the heavens and earth, put the stars out yonder.
Is anything too great for God? I’m El Shaddai, and you are My child. Though you are weak, and I’m letting you get that way just to see what you’ll do about it. I’m going to make an example for people hereafter, that man will believe My Word.
I’ll stand by It. No matter what it takes, how long, I’ll do it. I’ll stand by It. El Shaddai! Draw your strength from Me.”
He is still El Shaddai. He is still the Breasted-God, New and Old Testament. Just draw your strength from It, oh, everything you have need of. The baby, he is helpless, he has to pull his strength from his mother; that’s the only way he can get his strength.
That’s the only way a believer can get his strength, is pull it from the Word of God. That’s his strength, God’s promises to him. Stand by and believe It! 64-0403 - "Jehovah-Jireh #2"
What did he nurse himself to? A new body. 64-0726E - "Broken Cisterns"
Just take a-hold of My promise, and be satisfied while you’re waiting. Be rested!”
Now, that’s the way every believer, no matter how bad the cancer’s got you, how long you been setting in a wheelchair, any of those things, just if you can grasp that revelation from God!
Then be satisfied, knowing that it’s going to happen, because faith waits patiently for the promise. 65-1127E - "I Have Heard But Now I See"
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Abraham believed God, so God revealed Himself as El Shaddai.
Jesus is our El Shaddai. If you have a need, approach him in that name.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
