Part Three: El Shaddai, Mother Heart in Father Heart.
So far we have looked at Elohim – the creator, covenant maker and Trinitarian in Character title for God. We then looked at Jehovah, the revelation of God’s being, the relational one and the redeemer.
Today we are going to look at the name El Shaddai. The contents of this message may well open our hearts to something new in our Christian walk.
God was known especially to the patriarchs by this name God Almighty, or in the Hebrew, El-Shaddai.
It first seen in connection with Abraham.
In Genesis 17:1–2, we read, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, [Jehovah] appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty [El-Shaddai]; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you, and will greatly increase your numbers.”
This is the reiteration of a promise already made to Abram to make him a great nation (Genesis 12:2).
In my studies I have come across something quite interesting. You see in our studies so far we have found out that El is the root of Elohim and it stood for might, power, omnipotence, transcendence, the name connected especially with Creation. So our translation of El Shaddai appears to be saying, “All mighty – all mighty.”
But the Hebrew does not actually allow for that, for there is no other name above El or Elohim, so tagging on another ‘almighty’ after this is a bit cumbersome.
In our first study, we discovered that
“The [El] of Israel gives power and strength to his people” (Psalm 68:35).
And Moses says of Him: “What [El] is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?” (Deuteronomy 3:24).
El is also translated by such words as “might” and “power,” with regard to men. Laban says to Jacob: “I have the power to harm you” (Genesis 31:29).
The word for power and might is “el”.
True, the word almighty does suggest the all-powerful, the mighty, with the power to be able to do anything and everything at any time. But this is indicated in the word God in this name, and not so much in the word we translate “almighty.”
It seems clear, then, with regard to this name God Almighty, or El-Shaddai, that the idea of all might and all power is expressed in the term God or El.
How, then, shall we understand that part of the name called Almighty or Shaddai?
The translation of it as “almighty” is due to the influence of that ancient Latin version of the Bible called the Vulgate, which dates back to the fourth century AD, and was written by Jerome. As we discovered last time this is where we have Yahweh translated as Jehovah, which we’re more familiar with.
As we see in many of the names of God there is more depth to them than can be expressed through a single word. This is the case with El Shaddai. There is much within it. It is not that the translators got it wrong, but that to put the full meaning each time would make the Bible unreadable.
So today we’re going to look at a few verses where El Shaddai is used to tease out some of the hidden meanings of the name.
1. El Shaddai – the Almighty over Nature
Some scholars believe El Shaddai comes from a root meaning strong, powerful, or to do violence to the laws of nature.
This is what happened in connection with the revelation of this name to Abraham, for the deadness of their bodies was overcome, and Isaac was born in fulfilment of the promise after their bodies were considered dead.
One commentator puts it like this: “Elohim is the God who creates nature so that it is and supports it so that it continues; El-Shaddai [is] the God who compels nature to do what is contrary to itself.” (Stone)
We are told that Abram believed Jehovah, who counted it to him for righteousness. But the years passed, and Abram had no child. He was getting to be an old man and Sarai an old woman. Still there was no promise.
That faith that God had counted to him for righteousness was beginning to dim a little. Then it lapsed for a while, and they adopted that fleshly root to try and get things rolling along!
Genesis 16: 1-2: 1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
It would seem that Sarai had given up. The interesting thing is that when a wife could not bear children the maidservant could become a surrogate of sorts, and the child would be viewed as the wife’s not the servants. They thought they could help God out a bit and still be shown to rely on God.
Principle: if you are waiting for God to do something He has promised in your life, He does not need our assistance to do it. If it is to be miraculous, it needs to be based on God’s ability, not ours.
We have to work on our character, but we cannot work out the miraculous in the natural. We prepare a place for renewing and refreshing, but we cannot make a ‘revival’ happen.
This act in Genesis 16 leads to the birth of the Islamic nations and whatever our opinions of them, because God promised Abraham that his seed was anointed, God had to honour that (Gen. 21: 13), even though he would be a wild nation (Gen 16:12).
However, El Shaddai is used significantly elsewhere and in connection with God’s power its use is quite infrequent, compared to other uses. In fact in view of the circumstances under which it is often used and in view of the translation of another word almost exactly like it, there is a more significant origin and a more significant meaning than that of special power.
2. El Shaddai – Almighty to Nourish
I first came across this name in the song written by Michael Card and performed by Amy Grant, “El Shaddai”, sometime in the early 1980’s. Don’t worry, I am not going to burst into song.
But that song always seemed a bit odd to me when I looked in my Bible and discovered that El Shaddai is always translated as God Almighty. It seems odd that the song, El Shaddai, seems more like a lullaby than a song about God Almighty!
Shaddai itself occurs forty-eight times in the Old Testament and is translated “almighty.”
Another word so like it, and from which it is derived, occurs twenty-four times and is translated “breast.”
Connected with the word breast, the title Shaddai signifies the many breasted one who nourishes, supplies, satisfies
El Shaddai would then mean the One who “sheds forth” and “pours” out sustenance and blessing.
Biblical examples:
ü For example, Jacob upon his deathbed, blessing his sons and forecasting their future, says in Genesis 49:24–25, concerning Joseph: “His strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob … because of your father’s God [El], who helps you, because of the Almighty [Shaddai], who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb.”
It is God as El who helps, but it is God as Shaddai who abundantly blesses with blessings of the breast.
ü In Isaiah 60:15a–16, speaking of the restoration of the people Israel in the future, Isaiah says: “Although you have been forsaken and hated … I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all Generations. You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, [Jehovah], am your Saviour, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
ü In Isaiah 66:10–13, one of the most beautiful passages of Scripture, it is even more directly expressed.
In verses 10 and 11 the prophet calls upon all who love Jerusalem and mourn over her to rejoice and be glad in her redemption and restoration.
“For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance.”
In verse 12 he continues: “For this is what [Jehovah] says: ‘I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees.” and in verse 13:
“as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
The point is that the word translated “breast” in these passages is the Hebrew shad from which is derived Shaddai, the name of God translated “almighty” in our Bibles. El Shaddai describes Himself as having motherly tenderness.
Interestingly the name El is the masculine, but Shaddai shows God’s mother-like qualities.
Is God male and female? No, He is Spirit (John 4:14) but both men and women are created in His image, therefore El Shaddai signifies to us that God’s Father Heart has a Mother-like tenderness.
Illustration: Often when a nursing mother can hear her babies cry she will lactate, produce milk, involuntarily in response to the cry of the baby. So it is with El Shaddai, He pours forth the substance of Himself when we are in strife.
Concept Perverted by Devil:
We all know the enemy is an imitator and a corruptor of the Truth!
Such a conception of a god or deity was not uncommon to the OT people. The idols of the ancient heathen are sometimes termed ‘sheddim’ in the Bible.
There were many-breasted idols worshiped among the heathen. The mythological Egyptian goddess Isis is often pictured breast feeding a young Horus (god of the Sky).
The same was true of the idol of the Ephesian goddess Diana in Acts 19, for Diana signified nature and the world with all its products. Ancient inscriptions on some of these idols of Diana read: “All-various nature, mother of all things.”
It is interesting to see that the common Hebrew word for field (sadeh)—that is, a cultivated field—is simply another form of the word shaddai. It is the field as cultivated earth that nourishes and sustains life. Hence the term ‘mother earth’ or mother nature.’
Why does God describe Himself as the El Shaddai – literally the God who breast feeds?
There is no more bonding an act between mother and child than to breast feed. There is no greater intimate act between mother and child.
Just as a mother’s milk will sustain a baby, protect it and be nourishing for it, so it is with those who are nourished by El Shaddai – we find our spiritual health is improved dramatically!
3. El Shaddai – Almighty to Nurture
To nurture something or someone is to bring increase or to grow. You can nurture or good or bad attitude, for instance.
Now right now in the midst of our lives we may feel particularly blessed or nurtured by God. We might be struggling with areas and life is pretty tough. We might be faithfully waiting on the promises of God only to discover that we have to wait longer. At those times God, as El Shaddai, is more ours than at any other time!
The name El Shaddai had to teach Abram his own insufficiency in producing the promise of God!
El Shaddai introduces God to us as the all-bountiful One in the fullness and the fruitfulness of all He imparts to His children. But this blessing and nurture comes in the midst of difficulties.
ü As El-Shaddai, God changes the name of Abram [exalted father] to Abraham [father of many].
ü In blessing Jacob, Isaac says in Gen 28:3: May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.
ü God speaks over Jacob in Genesis 35:11: And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body.
ü Jacob speaks blessing over Joseph using the name El Shaddai in Genesis 49:25: because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb.
ü In the book of Job the name El Shaddai appears 31 times out of the 48 times it is used in the OT – and Job was more blessed at the end of book than during it!
The key to experience this type of El Shaddai blessing is to realise that we are actually empty. Just like Abram, Job and others, we have to realise that emptiness is the key to His fullness.
Wrapping it up:
What do we see of Father’s heart in the name El Shaddai?
We see the One who intervenes in the natural to bring about the supernatural as He did with Abraham and Sarah.
We see the One who is tenderer to us than a mother, who nourishes us from His very breast.
We see the One who brings increase to our lives even when we are in the midst of problems.
No comments:
Post a Comment