by ZaNuDa at www.sxc.hu
At Seven Oaks we are studying some of the names of God from the Old Testament. This past Sunday was on the name El Shaddai – “God Almighty.” When I was preparing for the sermon, I researched the times the term was used either as “God Almighty” or simply “Almighty.”
It was used some 48 times in the Old Testament and in the New Testament the term “Almighty” is used 10 times. Here is the breakdown of the number of times used:
Genesis – 6, Exodus – 1, Numbers – 2, Ruth – 2, Job – 31, Psalms – 2, isaiah 1, Ezekiel – 2, Joel – 1
2 Corinthians – 1, Revelation – 9
Did you notice anything?
The term is overwhelmingly used in books that deal with suffering, struggle, pain, and sorrow. The term is used in Job some 31 times. Of the 10 occurrences in the New Testament 9 are in Revelation.
Some observations from this:
- When we are suffering we need to know that God is Almighty. The Holy Spirit reminded sufferers who would be reading these books that God’s hand is not short, He is the Almighty. Things may not seem right currently in the world, they certainly didn’t for Naomi, Job, or the persecuted saints in Revelation. But the Almighty was still in charge and He would make things right in His time. Their role, as ours is today, was to place their trust in Him who is worthy of such trust (Job 13:15).
- When we are suffering we need to be reminded that God is sovereign. He is the potter and we are the clay (Rom. 9:20-21). This is one of the big lessons God reminded Job of when He appeared to him (Job 38-41). Even though we may be suffering, it is still important to remember that God is still on His throne. We will one day give an account to the Almighty, as everyone else will also (Rom. 14:12). Satan will use whatever he can, including suffering and sorrow, to get us to leave God. We must not yield to this temptation.
When we suffer with pains of this life, we should be thankful for our Almighty God. Who would want to commit their trust to a God who was incapable? I do not understand all that the Almighty does, but I submit to Him and trust in Him!
Josh
