Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar;
Genesis 17:1 “The Lord appeared unto Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect.”
The Lord appeared unto Abram. The word “appeared” is “ra’ah” which has the idea of seeing through spiritual eyes. It is also used for a vision. In it’s primitive form it has the idea of looking through a window into the supernatural. Hence, in someway Abram was able to actually peer into the supernatural. Another use of the word “ra’ah” is a seer.
Then God said “I am the God, the almighty.” No this “I am” is not the “I am” that is also the name Jehovah. This “I am” is simply “anei” which is to say: “I am the genuine item.”
He is God, the word here is “el” which is simply an expression of an authority figure, the one you put your trust in for your protection and safety. If you put your trust in God Jehovah, you are putting your trust in the “shadi.”
Shadi is spelled “shin, daleth, daleth.” It means to lay to waste, destroy as well as almighty, all powerful. In the Arabic it means to make straight.
Follow the “daleth.”
This is a shin with two daleths. Jewish literature explains that the “shin” expresses spiritual nourishment. It is believed that when you meditate on this name of God – “El Shaddai” it will open a gateway or portal into spiritual nourishment. Yet, the sages further explains that the word “Shaddai” is a contraction of two words “Sheamar day” which means “He who said enough, stop.” Hence the sages often translate this verse as : “I am God the Creator, who said enough, now walk before Me and become complete.” What this means is that God arrested the creation before it was complete. Why would He do this?
If God had created a perfect world, then any efforts on our part to improve it would be nothing short of blasphemous. How dare we attempt to build tall buildings, make advances in technology and medicine? It is because God’s name (Shaddai) is in conjunction with creation through the contraction of the two words “Sheamar day.”
God arrested the creation before it was complete to allow man the responsibility of being “a partner with Him in the act of Creation.” Rabbi Benjamin Blach. Did not Jesus tell us “Great things than these shall you do?” (John 14:12).
You see, what the sages are trying to teach us through this passage in Genesis is that God placed a responsibility on us to continue His creation, to make perfect or complete the things that the enemy made imperfect or incomplete. When we pass through that gateway to His Shaddai, He will enable us to complete or make perfect His creation that was made imperfect by the sinfulness of man. We express His love to heal the brokenhearted; his wisdom to earn or develop resources to help the poor; the humility and understanding to reach out to those imprisoned.
We are not on this earth to gather all these good things for our own glory and benefit, but to be a “zayin” one who not just joined with God, but involved with God in carrying out His plan. The “zayin” like our “z” is rarely used. Such is why Jesus said; “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14. Few are those who can pass through that gateway into the Shaddai and resist the temptation to use that power for his own purposes and glory. The chosen are those who apply it all to bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
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