EL SHADDAI

							                                       EL SHADDAI


PRAYER
Scripture: Gen. 17:1, 15-17, & 18:9-15


This morning we are going to be doing our final sermon in the series on the Names of God
the Father. So far we have seen God as Jehovah Jireh, the God who will provide; Jehovah
Qanna, the God who is jealous; Jehovah M’kaddesh, the God who sanctifies you; Jehovah
Shammah, the God who is there; Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals you and El Roi, the
God who sees you. These are not an all encompassing list for the Names of God. They
are but a few that the Lord has had me to teach on in order to let you know that you can
TRUST in the Names of God!!! Remember, He gives His names so that we can enter into
a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him! The final name that God wants us to
reveal to us this morning is El Shaddai.


The name El Shaddai means “God, the powerful one” or “God, the almighty one.” The
word ‘El’ means God. And the word Shaddai comes from the Hebrew root shad, meaning
‘breast.’ Some scholars translate El Shaddai as meaning, God, the mighty breasted one.
That’s the meaning that I want to center on this morning, God the mighty breasted one!
This depicts God, not only in the masculine tense whereby it is saying that He has a ‘broad
chest,’ meaning strength and power. But it also depicts God in the feminine tense where
God is shown as being completely nourishing, satisfying, and supplying His people with
all their needs as a mother would her child. El Shaddai denotes a God who freely gives
nourishment and blessing, He is our sustainer!


The first time that God revealed Himself as El Shaddai was to his servant Abraham when
he was ninety-nine years old. You all know the story. You know how when Abram was
seventy-five years old, God had promised him a child by Sarah his wife. Now 24 years
have gone by and God appears to Abraham again with the same promise. Scripture tells us
that both Abraham and Sarah laughed at this. They were looking at the impossibility of
the situation – they were looking at the outward appearances. They were looking at the
fact that Abraham was now 99 years old and his wife was 90. They were well past the
child bearing years. They doubted the promises and the power of God. And God’s
response to that was (in effect) “I am El Shaddai, I am the Almighty, all power God! Is
there anything too hard for me?”


When I think of those words “is there anything too hard for the Lord,” I think back to
when the angel Gabriel told Mary that she was going to have a baby. And Mary said,
‘how can this be seeing I am still a virgin?’ The angel replied ‘Nothing is impossible for
God.” That is what God is telling you this morning in revealing His name as El Shaddai
that nothing is too hard and nothing is impossible for Him! Knowing God as El Shaddai is
knowing that God is the all-sufficient one, the omnipotent God, who has never-ending
resources for His people. That’s why God tells us in Philippians – “God shall supply all of
your needs, according to His riches in glory.” (comments – H.S.)


Whatever problem you have this morning, know that it is not too hard for God. Know that
He can handle your problems and someone else’s problems at the same time – because He
is the ‘mighty breasted’ one. God has ‘broad shoulders,’ that’s why He tells us to ‘cast all
of our cares upon Him’ because His shoulders are broad enough to carry them all.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, you need to know this morning that ‘El Shaddai is able.’
You say, ‘what does that mean, El Shaddai is able?” In order to help you to understand the
full scope of what God is able to do – I will use the Amplified version for the following
text.


    Turn to Eph. 3:20 “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the (action of His)
        power that is at work within us, is ABLE to (carry out His purpose and) do
  superabundantly, far over and above all that we (dare) ask or think (infinitely
  beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams). El Shaddai is
  able to do superabundantly (comment on each one) How are these accomplishes in
  our lives, ‘…according to the power that worketh in us.” What power is that? The
  power of the precious Holy Spirit! (comments – H.S.)


 Turn to Rom. 4:21 “Fully satisfied and assured that God was ABLE and mighty
  to keep His word and to do what he had promised.”         El Shaddai is able to keep
  His promises. You may have encountered people in life who have promised you
  one thing and done another. Not so with God! If you go into the Bible and find a
  promise that pertains to a particular situation that is going on in your life, you can
  pray that promise back to God and know that it will be answered. How do I know
  that? Because Scripture teaches us that ‘all the promises of God are yea and amen!’
  You may have come across some people in your life that have made you promises
  and have broken those promises. Husbands and wives I know you know something
  about that! And parents and children have often experienced the same thing. But El
  Shaddai can never break His promises. How do I know that because Scripture tells
  us that God honors His Word ABOVE His name? (comments – H.S.)


 Turn to II Cor. 9:8 “And God is ABLE to make all grace (every favor and earthly
  blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all
  circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient (possessing enough to
  require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and
  charitable donation). El Shaddai is able to pour his grace over us, overflowing, at
  all times, in every need – so to that the promises in this verse will become a reality.
  (comment on each one)
    Turn to Heb. 7:25 “Therefore He is ABLE also to save to the uttermost
      (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to
      God through Him, since He is always live to make petition to God and intercede
      with Him and intervene for them. El Shaddai is able to save to the uttermost and
      He is able to save to the gutter most. (comments – H.S.)


    Turn to Jude 24 “Now to Him Who is ABLE to keep you without stumbling or
      slipping or falling, and to present (you) unblemished (blameless and faultless)
      before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation (with
      unspeakable, ecstatic delight)--. (comments – H.S.)


Now are you beginning to get an idea of what El Shaddai is ABLE to do? He is the all
powerful, mighty breasted One, and nothing is too hard or impossible for Him! Amen!


PRAYER
INVITATIONAL HYMN