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 its 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. Used as a noun 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 shaddi.
Shaddi is spelled Shin, Daleth, Daleth. It means to lay to waste, destroy as well as almighty and all powerful. In the Arabic it means to make straight.
Note that 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 and dey 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 and dey.
“God arrested the creation before it was complete to allow man to take on the responsibility of being a partner with Him in the act of Creation.” Rabbi Benjamin Blach. Did not Jesus tell us “Greater 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 or one who is 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 their own purposes and glory. The chosen are those who apply it all to bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Recent Comments