El-Shaddai

This Sunday, the choir is scheduled to bring the song: “El-shaddai,” written by Michael Card and John Thompson and originally performed by Amy Grant. The song reminds us of some of the aspects of God’s character, captured in the various use of His names. The chorus reads:

El Shaddai, El Shaddai
El Elyon-na Adonai
Age to age, you're still the same
By the power of your name
El Shaddai, El Shaddai,
Erkamka-na Adonai
I will praise and lift you high, El Shaddai.

In our society, names are just names and words are just words. But to the ancient Hebrews since the time of Abraham, words had life and power and names bespoke the character of the individual. Many of the names of God are compounds of the base term, "El" from the root word meaning “might”, “strength” and “power.” Compounded, El-shaddai means “Almighty God” or “God Almighty” or it can mean “the God who is all sufficient.” El-shaddai is used principally in the Old Testament with reference to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The song writers also used the names El-elyon na Adonai, “God Most High, O Lord.” The name El-elyon is first found in Genesis 14:18 in relation to Abraham. In Chapter 12, God has told Abraham to leave his home and go to the dessert. There he meets the intriguing character, Melchizedek, whom he has never met before and never sees again. Melchizedek, by way of greeting, blesses Abraham in the name of the God, “El-elyon.” God gives Abraham a revelation that this is a true name for another aspect of Himself that Abram has not heard before and that Melchizedek is his high priest, thus Abram gives Melchizedek a tithe of his possessions as a gift to God. This revelation is affirmed by the writer of Hebrews in Chapter 7 where he compares Jesus to Melchizedek and confirms Melchizedek as a true High Priest.

Later, we find the Hebrew phrase, “erkamka na Adonai,” meaning “we will love You, O Lord.” It is taken from Psalm 18:1, which is the only place in the Bible this particular usage appears. The Psalmist tells us of this passage in the introduction that it is “For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." He [David] said: “I love you, O LORD, my strength.” Taken in the larger context of that Psalm we have:

I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

The verses of “El-Shaddai” tell us of God’s love and His divine provision.

Through your love and through the ram, You saved the son of Abraham;
Through the power of your hand, Turned the sea into dry land.
To the outcast on her knees, You were the God who really sees,
And by your might, You set your children free.

Through the years you’ve made it clear, That the time of Christ was near,
Though the people couldn’t see What messiah ought to be.
Though your word contained the plan, They just could not understand
Your most awesome work was done Through the frailty of your son.

“The ram” is a reference to the passage in Genesis 22 where Abraham’s faith is tested as God directs him to take his only son, Isaac up on the mountain and sacrifice him. As you will remember, at the last second, an Angel stops Abraham’s hand and points out a ram caught by the horns in a thicket. The ram is to be the sacrifice. Thus, God provided a sacrifice through His love. This is, of course another type of Christ, our once for all sacrifice sent because God first loved us.

“Turned the sea into dry land” comes from Exodus where God parts the Red Sea allowing the Hebrew children to walk across on “dry land.”

Lastly, “to the outcast on her knees” is a reference to Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, sent away by Abraham’s wife to die in Genesis 21. She prays to God on her knees who sends an angel to tell her that Ishmael will live and will be the father of many peoples. This is a great blessing to Hagar, who is undeserving, but whom God, nevertheless loves.

All these types point us to Christ, our High Priest, our Sacrifice sent to die for our sins so that provision could be made for us simply because God loves us and it pleases Him to do it. Thus we can say with David, “erkamka na Adonai” – “I love You, O Lord, my strength."