el shaddai

Thriving in the Sufficiency of the God Who Is More Than Enough

Somewhere in the vast rolling hills of the plains of Canaan, an old man wanders from his tent late at night. His agitated restlessness caused his heart to yearn to behold the innumerable stars and galaxies spread across the midnight sky. And as 99 year old Abram looks into the inconceivable expanse before him, his mind replays the visitations he has had with Yahweh, the promises He has made, and the doubt that has led Abram to some poor choices. He gazes over to the tent where is 13 year old son, the offspring of his self-reliance, is likely fast asleep. And just as Abram begins to question if he has messed up too severely, he feels a shift in the wind, smells the fragrance of Heaven, and realizes he is not alone…

Thank you for entertaining my creative liberties - and that’s all that is - a simple and likely very inaccurate visual picture of what could have occurred in the unrecorded moments leading up to Genesis 17:1. However, the context preceding this monumental theological moment cannot be overlooked. So before we move forward with this conversation, please take a few moments to review some key Scriptures that set the stage:

1. Genesis 12:1-3

2. Genesis 15:1-4

3. Genesis 16:1-3

And enter Genesis 17:1-2:

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai - ‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants. 

The tent & the stars

This is the first time in Scripture we see God refer to Himself in this way, as El-Shaddai. As your Scripture review revealed, this is the third time we see God reviewing His covenant with Abram. 

In Genesis 12, God initiates His covenant with Abram.

In Genesis 15, God reminds Abram of His covenant, and this covenant is sealed with a sacrifice.

And the crux of this moment, in Genesis 16, we see Abram and Sarai create their own solution to what they see as a problem and God’s limitation, their infertility and therefore, their inability to produce the promised descendant(s) of the covenant. And God enters the scene and calls Himself, “El-Shaddai”.

Most frequently, El-Shaddai is recognized as meaning God Almighty and All-Sufficient One. 

God Almighty: Most Powerful - having absolute power over all, unlimited power

Sufficient: Enough to meet the needs of a situation, qualified, competent

I find it noteworthy that God identifies Himself this way at this moment in Biblical history. (This is why I felt the historical context was important to review.) God had, to this point, firmly and definitively established His covenant with Abram. And we see in Genesis 16, that Abram and Sarai took the execution of that covenant into their own hands by attempting to produce an heir through Hagar, Sarai’s servant. 

And to this, God says, in essence, “I am the All-Sufficient One.” Please don’t confuse God’s provision (Jehovah Jireh) with God’s sufficiency (El-Shaddai) (though both are true, beautiful, and incredibly important). God is not stating here that He will provide the heir of the promise made to Abram. God is demonstrating His All-Sufficiency, in other words His self-sufficiency. God is stating that His power is capable of completing His will, with or without human involvement. And yet in HIs graciousness, He is extending an invitation to Abram to hold up his end of the covenant - to remain in covenant relationship and be an integral part of God’s plan of redemption for the world. 

God is stating that His power is capable of completing His will, with or without human involvement. And yet in HIs graciousness, He is extending an invitation to Abram to hold up his end of the covenant - to remain in covenant relationship and be an integral part of God’s plan of redemption for the world. 

What a beautiful invitation! To put it simply, God did not NEED Abram, but God wanted to use him. God was and is powerful enough to have accomplished it all another way - especially after Abram messed up so big. (And it was a BIG mistake! Do you know the history of Ishmael?!) Yet God is true to His covenant word. He was visiting Abram to say, “I am omnipotently capable of doing this on my own, but I made a covenant with you, that I would accomplish this through you!” 

Friend, can I promise you that God will always remain true to His promises? Not in your timing and not beholden to your expectations - but because He is a covenant-keeping God, no measure of mistake you make can cause Him to violate His Word!! 

This is both challenging and encouraging. In the moments of our despair, holding God’s promises can be the Manna for our souls. In moments of brokenness, God’s covenants can be the hands that hold us. God’s presence is always available to encourage and uplift us. But there is a challenge. Covenant is a bi-way, a contract between two parties. That means God doesn’t do all the work, and we reap all the rewards. We have a part to play. Let’s revisit Genesis 17:1-2:

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai - ‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants. 

God isn’t just reminding Abram of His covenant. He isn’t simply defining His power and might. He is also reminding Abram that He has a part to play in this covenant - to serve Him faithfully and to live a blameless life. Suddenly, this just got much less inspiring and fun. And Abram responded much the same way. Genesis 17:3 tells us he fell facedown on the ground. Maybe in sorrow, dread, guilt, shame, failure, contrition, but certainly in a posture of humility. I invite you to continue to read Genesis 17 for the rest of the story, but want to touch on a few highlights:

1. God changes Abram’s name to Abraham

2. God establishes the timeline of this covenant - FOREVER

3. This covenant is sealed in blood

This is a significant moment in history. And maybe I’ve spent too long unpacking the theology (because WOW! It blew my mind!), and now you find yourself asking what this has to do with you. Let me bring this to a conclusion by trying to fill in that gap.

God’s sufficiency is something to revere and hold in awe. El Shaddai - a God who does not need us - He created us without our input. The world spins and life goes on and truthfully, none of it is dependent on us! What a blessing! But also - wait!! God does not need me? No, He doesn’t. But He WANTS you! And that is far more beautiful! It takes the pressure off - our only job - to remain in covenant. That means we allow ourselves to be led, we serve faithfully, we live blamelessly. To summarize it, being in covenant with El-Shaddai is living a life fully dependent on His sufficiency and power! And there is no better place to be.