INTRO

1. There are three PRIMARY names of God:

A) ELOHIM B) JEHOVAH C) EL-SHADDAI

2. Read Exodus 6:2,3.

a) "God Almighty"....... means El-Shaddai.

b) Notice here that the Patriarchs did not know God by His name "Jehovah."

1) Jehovah is the One who reveals Himself or the Ever Becoming One.

They were not ready yet for the full revelation of who God is.

2) They knew God as El-Shaddai or God Almighty.

3. Read Genesis 17:1-5.

b) God had promised Abraham a son in Genesis 12, but his faith was faltering.

c) So God comes as God ALMIGHTY.

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I. THE MEANING OF THE NAME

A. Note:

1. "El" is found 250 times in the Bible.

a) The word "El" is the root of Elohim from which we get "mighty, power, the

strong one."

b) Examples:

1) Read Psalm 18:32 and Psalm 68:35.

"El" is used by Israel.

2) Read Deut. 3:24.

"El" is used by Moses.

3) Read Nehemiah 9:32.

"El" is used by Nehemiah.

POINT:

NOT FROM SHADDAI.

2. "Shaddai" is translated 48 times in the Bible as "Almighty."

"Shaddai" is also translated 24 times as "Breast."

The idea in the translation "breast" is that God is the One with the might to nourish,

b) El-Shaddai is the God who compels nature to do what is contrary to itself.

1) Illustration: Abraham and Sarah becoming empowered to have children

in their old age.

2) Illustration: The parting of the Red Sea.

POINT:

ALL-SUFFICIENT MIGHTY ONE

[The Strength Giver and Satisfier of His People]

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II. THE USE OF THE NAME EL-SHADDAI

A. Note:

1. We learn a great deal about El-Shaddai by looking at the first time it occurs in Genesis

17. Abraham had taken matters into his own hands and by fleshly means had a

son, Ishmael.

so hard that he fell on the ground. What would you do if you were 99 years old

and God told you that you were going to be a daddy???

receive FAITH.

4. Principles:

#2.GOD NEEDS NO FLESHLY HELP.

B. Illustrations:

1. Abraham and Sarah’s bodies were dead. Hebrews 12:12 shows us that God needs no

help from the works of man.

2. Christ saved us totally apart from WORKS. The Bible says,

"It is not of works, lest any man should boast."

You can do NOTHING to earn your way to Heaven.

This is what it makes it hard for some to get saved; they want to somehow pay or

earn it. But it is totally by grace.

3. Application:

We must be careful not to get ahead of God, but to give El-Shaddai time to work.

C. Note:

1. We further learn of El-Shaddai that he is the One who is ALL-BOUNTIFUL or

The Fruitful One, or The One Who Maketh Fruit.

2. Isaac knew God by this name.

a) Read Genesis 28:3.

b) It is El-Shaddai that brings fruitfulness.

3. Jacob knew God by this name.

a) Read Genesis 35:11.

b) Again it is El-Shaddai that brings fruitfulness.

4. Joseph knew God by this name.

a) Read Genesis 49:25.

5. El-Shaddai is the GIVER OF FRUITFULNESS.

6. AND El-Shaddai chastens us when we are not fruitful in our spiritual walk.....so that

we will become fruitful.

D. Illustrations:

1. NAOMI

a) Read Ruth 1:20,21.

b) According to verse 21 Who afflicted Naomi?

c) Follow her life and you will see that after God has taken Naomi through the valley,

He made her fruitful once again.

2. JOB

a) Read Job 42:4-6.

b) Was Job a righteous man? Did Job commit a particular sin that caused him to be

chastised?

c) Job, who was a GOOD MAN, had to come to the point of dealing with SELF; esp.

notice verse 6.

d) Then God was able to bless Job more than He had before.

e) Job teaches us to deal with our self-righteousness or God will.

3. GOD DESERVES FRUITFULNESS.

a) Read John 15:16.

*It is God’s will for us to be FRUITFUL.

b) Read verse 5.

*God is the ALL-SUFFICIENT ONE.

c) What happens if we do not produce fruit?

*Read verse 2.

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CONCLUSION:

1. Has El-Shaddai ever visited you?

2. Have you ever been purged/chastened by God?

3. Chastening is always for our good and for God’s glory.