El Shaddai

 

Many of us have heard messages on the names of God used in the Bible. One of the classic titles bestowed on God is El Shaddai, which is first seen in Genesis 17 where God introduces Himself to Abraham. Most English Bibles have translated El Shaddai as “God Almighty”— “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am Almighty God; walk before me and be blameless (Genesis 17:1).’”

 

Almighty is a great word. Unfortunately, this translation causes us to miss out on what God was really trying to say about Himself. We often use this verse to speak on God’s omnipotence, to portray Him as a commanding military general able to save the day. There is a better title for that. Yahweh Sabaoth is translated as Lord of hosts or Lord of heaven’s armies, as in Psalm 24:10– “Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.” Shaddai definitely does have connotations of might and power (See Joel 1:15), but I don’t believe that is the main idea.

 

El Shaddai is not so much about God’s might and power as it is His power to supply our needs. Shaddai comes from the Hebrew root shad, which means breast (we see it so translated in Genesis 49:25, for example). Dr. Charles Parkhurst has written that Shaddai could be thought of as “The Breasted One,” and Dr. Herbert Lockyer agrees, saying that El Shaddai “supplies us with a delicate yet precious metaphor, seeing it presents God as the One who nourishes, supplies, and satisfies.” 

 

Continuing this thought, Dr. G. Campbell Morgan points out that the idea behind the use of Almighty to translate Shaddai was intended to highlight God as “the mighty One of resource and sufficiency.” He went on to say that Shaddai suggests “perfect supply and perfect comfort. We should reach the idea better by rendering [it] ‘God All Bountiful’ or ‘God All-Sufficient’…To gather sustenance and consolation from the bosom of God is to be made strong for all the pilgrimage.” Parkhurst has also translated Shaddai as the pourer forth of blessings. 

 

This makes sense in light of Naomi’s statement in Ruth 1:20-21. Her name meant “pleasant,” but she told everyone instead to call her “bitter” because, “The Almighty (Shaddai) has dealt bitterly with me.” In calling God Shaddai, she was emphasizing the fact that God was supposed to pour forth blessings, but in her estimation He had failed to do so. Just as she made a play on her own name, she made a play on God’s name. The supplier stopped supplying, so pleasant became bitter. 

 

El Shaddai, God Almighty, is a God of blessings. That is why Isaac invoked that name when blessing Jacob— “May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of peoples (Genesis 28:3).” Just as a child is dependent upon his mother to nurse him, children of God must never fail to reach up to heaven and ask our Father for His blessings, that He may nourish us for the pilgrimage that is this life. 

 

 

 

   

 

What Goes Around Comes Around

Last week I wrote about the fake obedience in the family of Isaac, which centered on the deception of Jacob; the younger son pretended to be his big brother in order to receive the blessing his father meant to give him.

Jacob’s brother Esau was furious and sought to kill him, so Jacob fled to his mother’s hometown. There he met Laban and arranged a deal: he would work seven years on his farm for the right to marry Laban’s daughter Rachel. The seven years flew by because of the love Jacob had for Laban’s younger daughter. The morning after the wedding, however, Jacob realized he had been tricked.

Laban instructed his older daughter Leah to pretend to be her sister (the custom was that the younger daughter could not be married until the older daughter was). Veiled during the ceremony and hidden by darkness in the bedchamber, Leah tricked Jacob into fulfilling the marriage with her.

Note the irony: Jacob tricked his father, but now was tricked by his father-in-law. Jacob pretended to be the firstborn, and now accidentally married the firstborn. Jacob, assisted by his mother, once dressed like his brother in order to deceive; Leah, assisted by her father, dressed in her sister’s bridal gown in order to deceive Jacob.

Jacob’s deception and subsequent victimization provide a perfect example that we reap what we sow. Jesus told Peter that he who lives by the sword will die by the sword; we may add to that, “He who lives by deception will also be deceived.” Lying, scheming, and manipulation are no way to live; honesty is always the best policy.

So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”

Genesis 29:25

Fake Obedience

Did you know that it is possible to obey the wrong way? Genesis 27 records an event that some say is all about disobedience, but in it I actually see obedience. Just the wrong kind of obedience.

In the story God told Isaac to pronounce a blessing on his son Jacob, but Isaac decided to bless his favorite son Esau, and Jacob and his mother Rebekah conspire to trick the patriarch into accidentally blessing Jacob. Think about it:

Isaac accidentally obeyed God and blessed Jacob; Rebekah cleverly obeyed herself and tricked Isaac; Jacob willingly obeyed Rebekah and lied to Isaac; and Esau gladly obeyed Isaac to undermine God. They all four obeyed, and yet they all four disobeyed.

Accidental or partial obedience is not obedience at all. Isaac blessed the right son, but accidentally; Rebekah made sure the right son was blessed, but dishonestly; Jacob knew the blessing was his, but acquired it deceptively; and Esau obeyed his father, but did so sinfully.

We must obey God with the right heart, the right attitude, and the right spirit. If we obey God and choose not to indulge in some type of sin, only to look down our noses and judge others, we are not really being obedient.

Think about the way you obey: is it full, complete obedience to God from a right heart, or is it done with some ulterior motive? God only delights in proper obedience.

“But Isaac said, ‘Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.’”

Genesis 27:35