God first reveals Himself as El Shaddai to Abram, promising to fulfill impossible hopes of a people and a land.
The episode begins with Pastor Leighton Sheley introducing Genesis chapter 17 as the first biblical instance where God uses the name El Shaddai, meaning God Almighty. He sets the context by briefly reviewing chapters 15 and 16, where God made a covenant with Abram and Abram's misstep with Hagar led to Ishmael's birth. Sheley notes that 13 years of divine silence passed between chapters 16 and 17, during which Abram came to the end of himself. In chapter 17, God appears to 99-year-old Abram, revealing Himself as El Shaddai to strengthen Abram's faith and reconfirm the covenant, with circumcision as its sign. The episode emphasizes the importance of names in the Bible, highlighting four new names introduced in this chapter: God Almighty, Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac. Sheley explains that God's renaming of Abram to Abraham involved adding an 'H', symbolizing God's breath or spirit, and that every time Abraham was addressed, he was reminded of God's promise to be father of a multitude. The pastor connects Abram's faith being credited as righteousness in Genesis 15:6 to the New Testament doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. He discusses how Abram's and Sarah's attempt to shortcut God's plan through Hagar underlies the modern Arab-Israeli conflict. Throughout, Sheley applies the lessons to Christians, arguing that believing in God as El Shaddai determines how they live out God's promises. The episode concludes with an invitation to visit Church of the Highlands in San Bruno and a preview of continuing the Genesis study.
