El Shaddai

Genesis 12:1-3 English Standard Version

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Searching for the meaning of El Shaddai is difficult as this name of God is best described in how God acts or interacts with His creation. Descriptions vary in definition from Storm God to pours out. The opening verses indicate that God Almighty chose to speak to this one individual who is over 20 generations removed from Adam. God Almighty’s first contact with Abram is loaded with promise and blessings and curses. But why Abram? He was from the Haran.

Ur was consecrated to the worship of Sin, the Babylonian moon-god. It shared this honour, however, with another city, and this city was Haran, or Harran. Harran was in Mesopotamia, and took its name from the highroad which led through it from the east to the west. Ref. Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Abram was born in a land laden with pagan worship. There is no history of Abram’s affiliations with worship of any kind. There is no indication that Abram was special in any way except lineage.

Matthew’s lineage of Jesus begins with Abraham, Luke’s lineage backs in via Jesus son of Joseph, son of Heli, etc. etc. etc. There is no exceptional reason for choosing Abram beyond lineage.

Considering this as a valid reason to choose Abram, then God Almighty’s characteristic in personality could be seen as foreknowledge. God Almighty sees everything from one end of eternity to another and chooses to interact with His creation at times and places to enact His will with purpose of forethought. God Almighty knows the outcome of His interaction with man.

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