El Shaddai the Sovereign God of blessing (Genesis 17: 1-5, 49:25)

Through out the Bible the title of El Shaddai is used in the context of the Sovereign God of covenant blessing.

We are first introduced to El Shaddai in Genesis 17:1-5 when God reveals Himself to Abram (later named Abraham) to continue in obedience as He confirms His covenant with him of multiplication for his descendants.
In verse 5 God says, “…because I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you extremely fruitful.”

In Genesis 49:25 Jacob reiterates the promise of blessings of the breast and womb when he states, “…because the Sovereign God, will bless you with blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb.”

One meaning of El Shaddai is “God of the Holy Mountain.” Psalm 132:13 says that He rules from Zion (the Holy Mountain), It is His throne.

Another translation of El Shaddai is the All Sufficient One. He does not need us, He chooses us. But we desperately need Him.

Until Moses, God's people only knew Him as  El Shaddai. So when the Bible speaks of the God of your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it is speaking of God as El Shaddai where God gives blessings and promises and then manifests those promises. His promises are yea and amen. Notice; these blessings had to “Come to Pass”. They were not instant. With Abraham it took 25 years for Isaac to be born.

Jacob had to work for Rachel fourteen years, help his sheep to multiply and birth spotted, healthy sheep before leaving Laban and being reconciled to Esau. But God (El Shaddai) made it happen.

Isaac planted a field in a time of famine and reaped one hundred fold, because of the blessing of El Shaddai.

It is to El Shaddai that when Abraham believed, it was counted unto him as righteousness. God considers righteousness as believing God and hallowing His names..

So how do we hallow His name?

To hallow His name, we must make it holy or set apart to be exalted, lifted up as worthy of our absolute devotion. When we hallow His name we are regarding His name with complete devotion, love, adoration and of the utmost importance. In our minds and hearts we give Him the greatest place of significance in both our hearts and minds. We must never take His name lightly, but speak His name with joy, honor, reverence and gladness.

We honor the name of God with our lips, our conversation and as we minister mercy and compassion. We guard our hearts because out of the heart the mouth speaks. We honor the name of God with our actions, our hands, our eyes, and in our relationships-in every aspect of our life. We were created to reflect and reveal God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Each time we speak one of the names of God, think about that name and the power, characteristic and attributes of that name. He is telling us Who He really is.

In Psalm 91:1-2, we place ourselves in the secret place of El Shaddai (Mighty God) and proclaim Him as "my refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust". Then, when we are in trouble (Psalm 91:14-15) we call on His name and know He hears us, and will delivers us from whatever trouble we find ourselves. In doing this He shows us His salvation (Yeshua, Hebrew for Jesus)

Today we celebrate God our heavenly Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, the Sovereign God of blessing and rejoice that we have been chosen by Him to be His child through Jesus’ finished work on the cross. 

Take some time today to acknowledge some of His many blessings and then thank Him for them as you take communion. Amen!

Blessings on your day!

Karen