I Am El Shaddai, Walk Before Me
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
9/16/2018 PM
|
Text:
|
Genesis 17:1
|
Psalters: |
304, 298, 241, 312 |
- The Almighty God.
- “I am the Almighty God (El Shaddai).
- “El” is the most common name of God, identifying Him as the Being who has every perfection infinitely and eternally.
- “Shaddai” means almighty and all powerful in the sense of all-sufficient; the Mighty One.
- He who identified Himself as Abram’s shield (exceeding great reward) now identifies Himself as able to keep every promise.
- Twenty-four years after receiving God’s promise to make of him a great nation (12:2a; 13:16), Abram is told again.
- The reason is because the Promiser is El Shaddai, the All-sufficient Mighty One!
- The covenant, established and constantly realized by God alone, gives the responsibility of new obedience.
- What is it about those with whom God establishes His covenant?
- “Be thou perfect.”
- This Hebrew word means to be complete or whole in the sense of being sincere or wholehearted. Not mean to be sinless.
- It is to serve God sincerely, with an undivided heart, i.e., serving God and mammon at the same time.
- “Walk before Me,” i.e., before God’s face.
- Live every moment in the consciousness of God being with you and God knowing all we think, say, and do.
- It is a relationship in which you are in awe of Him, your pride is broken, and you are irresistibly drawn by His grace/love.
- It is the knowledge of El Shaddai which is the foundation of our being able to obey in this covenant-friendship.
- But those who rightly know Almighty God see Him able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think.
- The possibility of walking before God and the possibility of believing that God would fulfill His promises rests on knowing God.
- Then my thoughts, words, and actions are done as before His face.