Title: El Shaddai
Text: Genesis 17
Proposition: You must look to good for sufficiency
Open
Have you ever been frustrated in life? I am talking about the time when you worked and planned and hoped, and after it was all done, everything turned to dust? No matter how hard you tried, you reached a point where there was just nothing else you could do. All of us experience times like that. Some of us suffer these defeats quietly, alone in our misery, some suffer publically for all the world to see.
Henry VIII experienced one of these terrible public failures. Henry VIII ascended to the throne of England in 1509. He was a powerful ruler who crushed his enemies and increased his power at every opportunity. He was a staunch Catholic as well as an astute politician.
He married Catherine of Arogine, of the royal family of Spain, to consolidate political power. Unfortunately she only provided a daughter, no heir to the throne. So he sought a divorce.
This was denied, so he dissolved the Catholic church in England and created a new church.
This church was Catholic in almost every belief, except that he was now the head instead of the pope. Interestingly, he rejected protestant beliefs - he wanted to be a catholic, he just wanted a different wife. Divorced, remarried, had another daughter. Had this wife beheaded.
His third wife finally had a son - James. James was sickly, and Henry feared he would not survive. Went on to marry a total of six wives. No more boys.
After he died, James ruled only six years - then Mary - bloody Mary.
Then Elisabeth I took the throne. Not only did His daughter rule
Had one of the longest rule of all the English monarchs
Finally welcomed the reformation to England, eradication Catholic rule
With all the might of the English military, with all the wealth of the English people, with all the energy henry could muster - All that henry had worked for, schemed for was gone within a dozen years after his death. Nothing came of his efforts. But God knew what he was doing. God used Elisabeth to strengthen and spread Christianity as He has used few people.
No matter who you are, there are always times in life when you are forced to accept that you just cannot go any farther. That you simply lack the resources or ability to make some things happen. Actually, you lack the ability and resources to make anything happen. Does that sound startling to you? Jesus challenged the leaders of his day to add one cubit to their height or one hair to their head. Well, of course you can’t do that, only God can do that kind of stuff, but of course most people figure they help God our by handling the little things in life. They only need God for the big stuff right. Some things are under our control. That’s what Pilate thought when He was frustrated with Jesus and asked if Jesus knew Pilate held the decision of life and death over Jesus. Jesus told Pilate that he could do nothing unless God chose to let it happen. The Roman governor with all the might of the Roman army backing him could not execute a single bound man sitting in front of him.
What Henry and Pilate failed to understand, what so many Christians throughout the ages have failed to understand is that we are nothing on our own. We can do nothing on our own. God doesn’t need our help to make things happen, and the more we try to help Him, the more we likely we are to mess everything up. We are insufficient on our own, but there is one who is all sufficient, who can do anything. Someone who is never stumped, someone who can meet any need. He is the one who never runs out of opportunity, or resources or ability. The one who never runs into brick walls or gets frustrated with dead ends. This is the one we are going to talk about today. This is El Shaddai, God Almighty.
Pray
Read Text - Genesis 17:1-8
Introduction
Back in Genesis 12, we read of God’s call to Abram. The Bible tells (read 1-3) us God came to Abram and told him to pack up his things and take his wife and travel to a far off land. This was a place Abram had never been. He was supposed to leave the security of all that he knew - home, business, family friends, everything - so that God could make a great nation of him. His descendants would multiply from generation to generation to generation until all the world would be blessed because of his people. And Abram believed God and stepped out in faith to follow Him.
In chapter 13 God tells Abram (read 14-17) to get up and walk around the land of Canaan. He promises that everything Abram sees will soon belong to him. By chapter fifteen, nearly 10 years have passed since God first called Abram. Yet, Abram still does not have a child, and he begins to chide God a little. (Read 2-3) Abram was starting to wonder if maybe God needed a little help. So he offers a solution to bail God out of his predicament.
Of course, God rejects the offer, he doesn’t need help. But Abram’s faith is weak. A couple more years pass without an heir. Soon, he and Sarai decide to help God again, this time by following the customes of the people around them.
HAGAR/ISHMAEL BEWARE following cultural norms
Then when Abram is 99 God comes to him again. He reiterates the promise - you see God never breaks his promises - and he tells Abram, I am the Almighty God - El Shaddai. With the renewing of the promise, God changes his name from
Abram - Exalted Father or Prince (great heritage)
Abraham - Father of a multitude
Sarai - princess
Sarah - mother of nations
Imagine telling the herders and slaves. Some hiden smiles. But Abraham believed God. El Shaddai had promised him a son. So... I. Who is El Shaddai
A. Patriarchal relationship name of God
1. We have studied several names of God already
a. Elohim - the creator
b. Jehovah - the personal God of Israel
c. Adonai - the master
2. These were not the names used by Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob
a. Don’t know why
(1) others appear first in Scripture
(2) maybe they were forgotten
(3) maybe they were too general
(4) maybe they understood the early concepts but did not use the names
(5) maybe they just liked this name more
b. Exodus 6:2-4 tells us the fact though
(1) And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
(2) God said he established His covenant under this name
(3) this name laid an important foundation for the relationship He had with His people
(a) by faith, Elohim and Adonai are all we need to know to relate to God
(b) but never forget or doubt, God loves us
i) he takes the lead in fostering an indestructible relationship
ii) provides for the inadequacies of our faith
a) these other names are magnificent
b) El Shaddai is eminently practical
B. El Shaddai means more than Almighty
1. This first appearance is a compound name - fist one we have used
a. Usually written God Almighty in English
b. Sometime Shaddai appears by itself - always to be understood in its entirety
c. Gives the impression of power, might
2. Significant in its combination
a. El
(1) singular of Elohim
(2) signifies supreme authority
(a) El is mighty and powerful beyond all comparison
(b) He is the pinnacle of all that exists
b. Shaddai
(1) rooted in the Hebrew word shad - which means breast
(2) literally calling Himself the breasted One
(3) He is the One who nourishes and satisfies as a mother does a suckling child
C. El Shaddai is the One mighty to provide
1. This is the name used in the Septuagint
a. 300 bc
b. Better than almighty - more specific
2. Fits the first context well
a. Abraham was promised an heir
(1) not an adopted son (eliezer), but one he fathered (15:2-4)
(2) not An illegitimate son (Ishmael), but one born within the marriage bounds (21:1-3, 9-13)
b. Abraham and Sarah had no prospect of an heir
(1) he was 99
(2) she was 100
(a) had been barren
(b) was past child bearing years
(3) El Shaddai brought dead flesh to life
(a) kept His promise
(b) provided an heir
(c) all in a miraculous way
3. El Shaddai is the source of all things
a. A mother is source of everything her infant needs
(1) comfort when he cries
(2) care when he is sick
(3) sustenance when he is hungry
(4) protection when he is in danger
(5) all that the baby needs is found in the mother
b. All that we need in life is found in the breasted one
(1) he is self-sufficient
(a) lacking no resource
i) more than food and shelter - often feel inadequate to meet the emotional needs of grieving
ii) he has the resources to supply for every need
a) physical
b) mental
c) emotional
d) spritual
(b) needing no outside assistance - he can do it all alone
(2) he is all-sufficient
(a) remember the gas shortage when the line broke a couple years ago - thought I would not make church one evening
(b) his stores are inexhaustible
i) has all the eternal resources of Elohim who spoke creation into existence
ii) nothing will ever overtax His resources
(c) his power is irrepressible
i) all the power of Elohim who rules the universe from His eternal throne in glory
ii) no obstacle can prevent Him from dispensing what is needed
(3) he is the fountain of every blessing
c. He is abundant in His blessing
(1) we all remember Ebenezer Scrooge
(a) had immeasurable wealth
(b) unmoved by the plight of those around him
(c) many a miser acts the same way
(2) El Shaddai possess all resources to provide for all needs
(a) James 1:17 every good gift and every perfect gift come down from the father above
i) only good gifts - no other type
ii) all good gifts - no other source
iii) sent earthward by our loving heavenly father
(b) he cares for all His creation
i) see the trouble caused by sin
ii) hears the groaning of the earth
iii) cares for all men as His special creation
(c) he cares particularly for His own children
i) a mother watches our for the neighbor kids
ii) but her own children receive special consideration
a) El Shaddai wants his children to be satisfied
b) El Shaddai wants his children to be fulfilled
c) He will do anything necessary short of violating His own holy nature to provide for their needs
What an awesome God we have. Able to overcome any obsticle, to supply for any deficiency. This is wonderful news to frail humans who struggle along and find road block after road block that is absolutely insurmountable. But sometimes, this knowledge is dangerous. Sometimes, people begin to think of El Shaddai as a kind of cosmic Santa. He watches all year, and if I am not too bad of a person, I can ask him for whatever I want. But God did not come to Abraham and say I am El Shaddai, look what I can do for you. He said, I am the One mighty to provide, come follow me.
Christianity is not some kind of therapy group where God makes us feel better about ourselves and our lives. The bible is not a book that provides facts to release us from the bondage of ignorance. Church is not a great big group hug. And God is not a doddering old man sitting in a rocking chair on a cloud waiting to spoil us.
He is truly the all sufficient one, ready to pour out His blessing on men. But there are conditions
II. What response doe El Shaddai desire
A. live in His presence
1. Walk before me
a. Enter into my throne room
b. Act out your life in my sight
c. Live every moment before my eyes
2. Recognize God for Who He is
a. He is not your benefactor
b. He is not your Genie in a bottle
c. He is Elohim and Adonai
(1) Chief being, beyond comparison
(2) Lord, master of all that exists
3. El Shaddai is the God of Heaven
a. He loves us and wants to bless us
b. But he will not be slighted
B. Be sincere in your faith
1. What is perfection
a. There is an aspect of without error
(1) God is a holy God
(2) He calls His people to lives of holiness as well
b. There is more to the word here
(1) it has the idea of completeness
(2) the entire being standing before God
c. Walk before God with integrity
(1) holding nothing back
(2) hiding nothing in the shadows
2. Trust God completely
a. He demands complete faith
(1) no half hearted measures
(2) no turning back
(3) look at how Abraham showed his faith - circumcision
b. He deserves complete faith
(1) it is futile to withhold our trust
(a) our own efforts are insufficient to provide for life - look at Abraham’s attempt with hagar
(b) in fact, our efforts end up messing things up worse
(2) it is better to wait patiently for him to reveal Himself in our circumstance
(a) he has already proven Himself
i) Abraham
ii) Job
(b) he never fails
i) don’t be dissuaded by what is happening
ii) allow God to set the stage for His work
c. Depend completely on Him
(1) empty of self reliance
(a) ambitions
(b) schemes
(c) abilities
(2) finding contentment and fulfillment in Him alone
(a) not in material things
(b) not in physical pleasures
(c) not in mental attainments
(d) in our relationship with God
i) Peace
ii) Joy
iii) Satisfaction
iv) Hope
v) Comfort
vi) Security
vii) Strength
(3) God wants to satisfy, but only in Himself
(a) when we trust him entirely
i) turning our lives over to Him
ii) He will supply everything
a) as it is necessary
b) to accomplish His purposes
3. Obey God completely
a. Real trust results in obedience
(1) Abraham bowed, then obeyed - circumcision
(2) God wants the same of us
(a) circumcision was symbolic
(b) Deuteronomy 10:12-18 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
(c) Romans 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
(d) Follow His lead completely
i) no half hearted measure
ii) no turning back on Him
b. Our reliance on him makes us fruitful for service
(1) we are made profitable to God - useful
(2) we become pleasing to Him
(3) He empowers and blesses our obedience
c. Blessings only fall on the obedient
(1) notice the covenant came after the call to obedience
(2) God offers nothing to those in rebellion
(3) how quickly we who are weak become strong in the mighty one
Close
How big is your God. Is He El Shaddai - the all sufficient provider? Is he as big as the God of Abraham who could bring dead flesh to life and provide an heir long after child bearing years had passed? When we think little of God we obey little. When we think great thoughts of God our obedience is great as well. What is the state of your trust this morning. Do you trust God enough to step out in complete faith, to follow Him whole heartedly, and to allow Him to work out His plans in your life as he sees fit?
Or have you been meddling? Have you been looking for peace and satisfaction somewhere besides God. Have you been afraid to obey God because what he says seems to radical. Have you been half hearted and afraid to commit yourself totally to God. El Shaddai calls out to cast your dependance on Him. He is able to meet every need in every situation, but only for those who walk before Him in sincerity. Won’t you trust God today.
