Hebrew Word Study: All Sufficient

HEBREW WORD STUDY – ALL SUFFICIENT – El Shaddai

Exodus 17:1: “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”

I was reading in Jewish Literature where the sages teach that this should be rendered as “walk with me.” After 99 years Abraham was finally invited to walk with God. He was able to do this because he understands that God was El Shaddai, the almighty or all-sufficient God. The sages continue that ninety is the number of humility and nine is the number of completion. When Abraham became complete in humility he recognized that God was truly El Shaddai, all-sufficient and he could walk “with” God. The sages define humility as not, for one moment trusting in yourself, in the arm of the flesh, in all the securities you have built but having complete, total trust in God to be all-sufficient for you.

Back at the turn of the 20th Century, a young pastor’s wife gave testimony of loneliness and despair. One early morning her husband was called to the bedside of a member of their congregation and she was again left alone. She cried out to God: “I can’t take it anymore, I can’t do this, I can’t live in this loneliness and despair. I can’t stand to see my husband minister to all these people leaving him little time to minister to me. You have to give me the strength, you have to minister to me because I can’t and no one else will.” In that early morning, she then went for a walk in her garden and she shared these words with her congregation: “I came to my garden alone, while the dew was still on the roses. And the voice I heard falling on my ear, it was the Son of God speaking to me. And He walked with me and he talked with me and he told me I was His own. And the joy we shared as we tarried there none other has ever known.” C. Austin Miles, the great hymn-writer of the early 20th century was in that congregation and wrote these words down giving us that beloved hymn In The Garden. This pastor’s wife reached the point of true humility and when she did, like Abraham she began to walk “with” God and talk “with” God. Do you know that joy that Abraham or this young woman shared with God? The secret is to allow God to be all-sufficient, El Shaddai.