EL SHADDAI

Names are important, by them we identify ourselves and one another. Through them we establish a connection and build relationships.

God uses a variety of names to help us know him. Some 24 particular names – some count many more than that, but then it comes down to the definition of a name.

“El Shaddai” is used 7 times in Bible, “Shaddai” on its own some 41 times.

Names carry meanings. None so more than God’s.

What does “El Shaddai” mean?

Some say the meaning is unknown but based on tradition going back more than two thousand years it’s translated ‘Almighty God’. Which seems a slightly strange argument. As if they didn’t know then and we can’t tell now.

“El” is the ancient near Eastern word for God. It could be used to refer to any god.

“Shaddai” is the bit that’s not so easy. It carries the idea of complete and sufficient strength.

But there’s more.

According to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew lexicon, “Shaddai” carries the idea not only of almightiness but of acting violently. Yet we know God is not violent.

I think a better word would be militantly.

What does that mean?

Putting it all together, we can say that “Shaddai” means that God acts in militant determined action with all the strength required to accomplish his purposes.

We first encounter God as Almighty God in Genesis 17. The chapter begins with God revealing himself to Abraham as “Almighty God” and establishing his covenant with him. A covenant and promise that humanly speaking seemed impossible – hence Abraham’s laughter later in the chapter.

To get it we need some background.

At the Fall humanity had pressed the self-destruct button. In the words of Athanasius, “the human race then was wasting, God’s image was being effaced, and his work ruined….”

What God had created and intended was rapidly being undone.

Athanasius also said, “What then was God, being Good, to do?”

What indeed? It was no easy thing. It required drastic action.

What “El Shaddai” means, was that God was not going to put up with what Satan and sin had done to his creation, he was going to move into, “militant determined strong action.”

Elsewhere we read that God is a warrior. Words that seem too aggressive in our snowflake world.

What it means here in Genesis 17 is that God through Abraham was going to active militantly against all that was destroying humanity before it “wasted away”.

In other words he was not going to sit idly by, but was acting decisively in calling Abraham and his family, and making them a nation who would be a witness to the world, through whom eventually the Saviour/Deliverer would himself come and take the fight to the last round and conquer all that opposed us and separated us from God – Satan, sin, death, and hell. Hallelujah!

In Psalm 91:1,2 we find a personal application. The psalmist says, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him.”

Such a God who is Almighty is also a refuge, a place of safety, a place of rest, one who can be wholly trusted.

The Psalm goes on to talk about things we might be afraid of and how we can trust in “El Shaddai” not only to hide us in his shadow but to fight for us.

Note 91:14-16:
“The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honour them.
I will reward them with a long life
And give them my salvation.”

Are you worried and afraid – God is with you, walk before him
Are you worried and afraid – God is strong enough
Are you worried and afraid – God will protect you
Are you worried and afraid – God will fight for you
Are you worried and afraid – God can save you
Are you worried and afraid – God is El Shaddai!

In the words of the song: “I’ll raise a hallelujah… Heavens going to fight for me.”