Hello, My Name Is El Shaddai (Series On The Names Of God #2)

Speaking of names let me illustrate…

Illus: Alexander the Great on one particular campaign, Alexander received word that one of his officers was continuously and seriously misbehaving.

The soldier’s character was, in fact, becoming a stain on the reputation of the Grecian army.

Alexander the Great summoned the officer to appear before him. Upon the officer’s arrival, his commander, Alexander, asked him what his name was. “Alexander, Sir,” was the officer’s reply.

Alexander the Great looked him in the eye and with a stern voice said: “Well, then…either change your behavior or change your name”

Some people’s names have been tarnished with sin.

Illus. But someone said, “God’s name is like a diamond with an infinite number of facets. His many names are like windows that reveal His beautiful and amazing character and nature.”

For example, the name of…

• Elohim – Creator of the Universe

• Adonai – King of kings and Lord of Lords

• Yahweh – Eternal and Ever-Changing

• Jehovah Jireh – Our Everlasting Provider

• Jehovah Shammah – The One Who is Always There

• Jehovah Rapha – The One Who Heals or Repairs

• Jehovah Sabaoth – The LORD of Hosts

Today we are going to be learning a new name and get another glimpse into the greatness and beauty and majesty of our God. It’s “El- Shaddai.

What amazes me about this God that we call El-Shaddai is we found out that-

• This earth that we live on is 8,000 miles in diameter and 25,000 miles in circumference,

• YET, it measures less than one grain of sand on all the seashores of the earth in comparison to the universe

• Our sun is so large that it could hold 1,300,000 earths.

Now if the earth which seem so small compared to the sun as a grain of sand, how small we must be in the eyes of God and God loves us so much He sent His only begotten son to die on the cross of Calvary for our sins.

Illus: The only way I can imagine His Greatness how small we must be in God’s vast creation would be how large we must be like to a small ant!!!

But what does the name “El Shaddai” actually mean?

• Well … by now you know the word “El” is the generic name for “God.”

• “El” speaks of God’s power … His ability to create and to sustain what He created.

Theologians have had a difficult time defining the name of El-Shaddai.

What they have done is combined two things together to define the name of El-Shaddai.

They get this part of the definition that the root of “shaddai” is “shad” which is the Hebrew word for a woman’s “breast.”

(1) They speak of El-Shaddai as a huge mountain that stands STRONG!

Now … we’re all adults here so I think you can handle what I’m about to say. If you look at the shape of a woman’s breast and you look at the shape of most mountains. I think that you could agree that it’s a pretty fair comparison or analogy, am I right?

A mountain represents something mighty.

2) But the second part of the definition comes from a woman’s breast, especially the breasts of a mother, represent nurture…they represent safety…they represent love and warmth.

Let me illustrate…

When Abram was 75 years old, God told him to

• Leave his country …

• Leave his people …

• Leave his father’s household …

• Leave all that was dear and familiar to him

• And go to a new land … a foreign land … that God would show him.

• And to reassure them that God would keep His promise to them, God entered into a covenant with Abram and Sarai.

Look at Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Sometime this passage of scripture is taken out of context to whom it is applied.

To put this passage in context it was given to Abraham during this time when they took the big step of faith, and they left EVERYTHING and EVERYONE to follow God’s instructions.

THAT IS A BIG REQUEST THAT GOD ASKED OF ABRAHAM!!!

But God promised them as they obeyed Him, He was El-Shaddai the God of PROVISION and would provide for them!!!

Illus: This reminds me of Missionaries that leave everything and go into a land leaving everything and everyone behind.