I have been amazed at how powerful God’s Name is according to the Psalms. Ps 20:7 states “some trusts in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the LORD our God.” If God’s Name is so powerful maybe we need to learn some of them. As the saying goes “what’s in a name?” Apparently an awful lot.
El-Shaddai – Gen 17:1 – God and Abraham confirm the Covenant with Circumcision and God promises Abraham a son. But God starts out the chapter by declaring this Name to Abraham. This name invokes the idea of “the powerful Strong One” or “the One who suffices” According to one Commentary “Shaddai evokes the idea that God is able to make the barren fertile and fulfill his promises. (Waltke, 259). This name is translated as God Almighty.
From the very beginning of the Bible God wants His people to know – I don’t just promise, I don’t just blow hot air, I’m not a fake or a phony – what I declare will happen! What an amazing gift! Not only do we have a God who promises but we also have a God who is able to fulfill exactly what He promised.
But along with that – He is the God who suffices, in essence the only thing we need. It amazes me that at the beginning of God’s conversation with Abraham – before He promises him a son, before he confirms the Covenant God tells Abraham – Abraham I am everything you need, in fact I am ALL you need. But Abraham I am going to give you a gift and give you a son to love. And Abraham, not only am I going to promise you this gift I guarantee it will occur bc of who I AM.
Do you know this God? Do you know the God who suffices, who not only promises but is able to fulfill that promise? Ps 91:1 says that if you dwell in the shelter of the Most High, you will rest in the shadow of Shaddai – the Almighty. Are we resting in the shadow of the God who suffices, who is able, who is the powerful strong one? Or are we just pretending?