God’s Poetic Name
“I am El Shaddai. Walk in My ways and be blameless.” Genesis 17:1 (JPS commentary on Genesis)
El Shaddai – Certainly you realize that God’s personal name, revealed in Exodus 4, has been vocally lost. Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey are the consonants of that name, but the actual vocalization of this name disappeared in the Jewish reticence to speak the divine name. But this isn’t the only name of God that we have lost along the way. El Shaddai is another lost name, not because we don’t know how to pronounce it but because we don’t really know what it means or where it came from.
El Shaddai appears nine times in the Torah. Twenty-eight of the remaining thirty occurrences are in poetic texts like Job and Psalms. In fact, all of the true prose occurrences are found only in Genesis. Thus, God can say to Moses, “I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as El Shaddai” (Exodus 6:3), but now God will be known by the divine name YHWH. What this means is that the name El Shaddai is not only very, very old, it is also connected to an ancient tradition and source that we no longer understand. Abraham knew the meaning of this name. So did his son and grandson. But today we can only guess at its meaning. Check a dozen different translations of this passage and you are likely to get at least a half-dozen different renderings. Modern scholarship sometimes connects this name with the Akkadian word for “mountain,” but even that is conjecture. The hard truth is that we have a text that is so old we no longer know what the word really means.
Does this make you uncomfortable? Do you feel somehow less familiar with the great God of Israel, the Holy One, the Almighty if you recognize that some things about Him have been lost? I do. I want to know all about Him. I want to know what Abraham knew. I want to hear Him speak to me, proclaiming His name so that I might honor it. But it is not to be. Just like you, I am thousands of years removed from God’s revelation to Abraham and there is no way to go back and recapture what Abraham knew.
That’s why the name of the One who restores my understanding of YHWH is so important to me. His name I know. It is Yeshua. When He says that all I need to know about the Father has been exhibited in Him, I feel a little relief. The great God of Abraham is not lost in the murky past. Yeshua proclaims Him. I don’t have to fret because I don’t know what Abraham knew. In fact, I am perhaps more fortunate than Abraham because I have the fuller revelation. Someday you and I will be able to sit with Abraham and ask him, “Father Abraham, tell me about El Shaddai.” That will be a wonderful conversation. Then he will ask, “Now, tell me about Yeshua,” and we will both rejoice.
Topical Index: El Shaddai, Genesis 17:1, Exodus 6:3, Abraham, Yeshua
We gain far more in Christ, than we ever lost in Adam. Do you know the full meaning of this?..- neither do I. But this I do know.. Jesus loves me and Jesus is LORD. Jesus is ADONAI. If you wish to retain the Hebrew name (Yeshua remains a Jew) that is wonderful. His name is Wonderful- for He, my friends, is El Shaddai- mighty to save.
Over and over (and over) again, Elohim delivers His people. Tested by time, tested by trials,- El Shaddai has not once, ever, failed to come through for those whose Master-Teacher is the Good Shepherd. Whether Abraham, Moses or David- G-d has shown Himself to be.. (Remember His name?- “I AM”) El Shaddai- mighty to save.
Not only is He Able, (El Shaddai) but praise His Name, He is also willing. He is Rachael- our compassionate Savior. Don’t we need to stop and say..”oh, how He loves you and me!”- (Yes..-we do.).
May I allow something? I (mighty man, Carl the creature)- do not even know what goes on in one square inch of soil. With all of our technological might and whizbang computering- we still (lol!) are unable to predict the weather or cure the common cold. Oh yes, we have made huge progress in the medical arena, and our methods of securing this and that have improved, but in the end, our basic needs still remain the same, and we need a Savior. We are (my confession) G-d dependent creatures. “Amen.” I need a Savior. (very much so..) I cry out with Rabbi Sha’ul- “who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”- and I (praise G-d) know the answer to this question!- Hallelu Yah! Praise to the G-d whose name is Yah, and praise to the ONE who is Mighty to save! Praise to the ONE whose Name is Salvation! Praise to the ONE whose name is Deliverer!-
Have I seen this? Do I know this? -Yes, dear family, I do. I know Him. For I too, (praise His Name) have a history with El Shaddai. He has delivered me. Time and time again, He comes through for me, yes, -up close, and personal. I know El Shaddai. I know El Gibbor. I know Elohim.
How much of the elephant does the ant know? lol! How much of the ocean does the minnow know?- My friends, I do not even know what goes on in one square inch of soil, neither am I capable of numbering the hairs on your head.. but I know a Man who can. And I know His name! He has revealed it unto me and He has fully revealed it unto you- for “whosoever shall call upon the Name of ADONAI shall be saved!”. How do I know this?- How do you know it? -the same way.. “it is written.” – Look in the book. “You search the scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But, the scriptures point to me!” (John 5.39). The entire book of G-d (our Bible) points to, and reveals Christ (the Annointed One). It is His book. It is His revelation of Himself to us. All of it, every written word, every jot and tittle points to Christ. Shall we start the (never ending) list? Who is our Deliverer? (I believe we know the answer to this..) Who is the Author and Perfecter of our faith? (I believe we know the answer to this..) Who is El Shaddai, Mighty to save, Maker of the mountains? (I believer we know the answer to this..) lol! – Yes, Amen! – I know a Man (the Second Adam) who can.. ONE who is “both” Able and Willing. Hallelu’ Yah, what a Savior! Hallelu Yah, -what a Friend!
Absolutely beautiful “Word for the Day”. Thanks Skip
WOW!!! I’ve been praying for the right words to share with Chuck and Judy (our Jewish neighbors in Mexico) before we head back to Chicago. You just nailed it!! Thank you El Shaddai for putting this message on Skip’s heart. Thank you Skip for writing it!
LOVE IT !!!!!! Yeshua !!!!!!