Walk with Me

OT Lesson: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 (CEB)

When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk with Me and be trustworthy. I will make a covenant between Us and I will give you many, many descendants.” Abram fell on his face, and God said to him, “But Me, My covenant is with you; you will be the ancestor of many nations. And because I have made you the ancestor of many nations, your name will no longer be Abram but Abraham. I will make you very fertile. I will produce nations from you, and kings will come from you. I will set up My covenant with you and your descendants after you in every generation as an enduring covenant. I will be your God and your descendants’ God after you.

God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you will no longer call her Sarai. Her name will now be Sarah. I will bless her and even give you a son from her. I will bless her so that she will become nations, and kings of peoples will come from her.”

NT Lesson: Romans 4:13-25 (GNT)

When God promised Abraham and his descendants that the world would belong to him, he did so, not because Abraham obeyed the Law, but because he believed and was accepted as righteous by God. For if what God promises is to be given to those who obey the Law, then faith means nothing and God’s promise is worthless. The Law brings down God’s anger; but where there is no law, there is no disobeying of the law.

And so the promise was based on faith, in order that the promise should be guaranteed as God’s free gift to all of Abraham’s descendants—not just to those who obey the Law, but also to those who believe as Abraham did. For Abraham is the spiritual father of us all; as the scripture says, “I have made you father of many nations.” So the promise is good in the sight of God, in whom Abraham believed—the God who brings the dead to life and whose command brings into being what did not exist. Abraham believed and hoped, even when there was no reason for hoping, and so became “the father of many nations.” Just as the scripture says, “Your descendants will be as many as the stars.” He was then almost one hundred years old; but his faith did not weaken when he thought of his body, which was already practically dead, or of the fact that Sarah could not have children. His faith did not leave him, and he did not doubt God’s promise; his faith filled him with power, and he gave praise to God. He was absolutely sure that God would be able to do what He had promised. That is why Abraham, through faith, “was accepted as righteous by God.” The words “he was accepted as righteous” were not written for him alone. They were written also for us who are to be accepted as righteous, who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from death. Because of our sins He was given over to die, and He was raised to life in order to put us right with God.

Sermon

Introduction

Good morning. Last Sunday, I began the sermon by musing, “Just when I thought spring was around the corner.” It seems I must echo that sentiment once again. Despite the snowfall on Friday night, the week was quite pleasant overall. Our monthly gourmet seekers ventured to the Olive Garden on Michigan Road last Friday. The next gathering of gourmet seekers will not occur on the last Friday of the month to avoid coinciding with Good Friday. It feels somewhat inappropriate to indulge in fine dining and jovial company on such a solemn day. Therefore, we will meet a week earlier, on Friday, March 22nd, at Moontown in Whitestown. Before you get mooned in Boone on Monday, April 8th with the actual solar eclipse, you will have the opportunity to get mooned in Boone on March 22nd since Whitestown is in Boone county. In addition, the Lebanon Public Library is offering two pairs of eclipse glasses for free to all library members this Friday, March 1st, while supplies last. They open at 9, so let us all line up at the library at 8:55. I have another updates for you: our church library has been outfitted with new, very comfortable chairs, thanks to Margi. If anyone is in need of the old chairs, feel free to take some. We have many more in the basement. Any remaining chairs will be donated to local charities.

El Shaddai

Today marks the second Sunday in Lent. We are still in the early stages of our Lenten journey, accompanying Jesus on His pilgrimage towards the cross and resurrection. In today’s OT lesson, God declares, “I am El Shaddai. Walk with me.” The term El Shaddai appears forty-three times in the Bible, with this being its first occurrence. Some of you might recognise El Shaddai as ‘God Almighty,’ a translation adopted by most English Bibles, including the King James Version (KJV), which renders it as “I am the Almighty God. Walk before me,” and the New International Version (NIV) similarly states, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me.” While this translation is widely accepted and one I personally favour, the exact meaning of El Shaddai remains a topic of debate among biblical scholars.

“El” is clearly understood as God in Hebrew. However, the meaning of “Shaddai” is less certain, leading to various interpretations. One group of scholars suggests Shaddai was a city now lost, likening it to God saying, “I am the God of Indianapolis. Since you live in an Indy suburb, you got to be nice to me.” Another theory, due to its phonetic similarity to a Canaanite word for “plain,” posits that El Shaddai is the God of the plains, though this lacks support given the Hebrews’ historical mountainous dwelling. So it does not really makes sense like the mayor of Thorntown coming to Lebanon and says, “I am the mayor of Thorntown. You people of Lebaon, obey me!” But interestingly, Shaddai also resembles a Sumerian word for mountain. Given Abraham’s Sumerian origins, this has led some scholars to advocate for El Shaddai being the God of the Mountains, a theory gaining considerable scholarly traction.

Others interpret Shaddai through the Hebrew verb “shaddad,” meaning to plunder, overpower, or desolate, suggesting El Shaddai as God the Destroyer. This is not my favourite theory. Another group points to the similarity between Shaddai and the Hebrew word for breast, proposing El Shaddai as the God of Breasts. Don’t get offended too soon. In the ancient times, women’s breast did not carry any sexual connotation at all. The breasts symbolises nursing, care, or fertility. Therefore El Shaddai is either the Caring God or the God of Fertility. My personal belief aligns with El Shaddai being the God of Fertility. This is supported by the scriptural context surrounding most mentions of El Shaddai, often related to fruitfulness and multiplication. As I said before, El Shaddai appears forty-three times in the Bible. I am not going to list all forty-three verses, but let me give you just a few examples. First, today’s OT lesson from Genesis has God introducing Himself as El Shaddai before promising Abraham many descendants, emphasising fertility. To paraphrase, God said to Abraham, “I am the God of Fertility. Walk with me, then I will give you many descendants. I can do that because I am the God of Fertility.” This interpretation totally makes sense and fits very well in the context. In Genesis 28, Isaac blessed his son Jacob and says, “El Shaddai will bless you, make you fertile, and give you many descendants.” Again, El Shaddai is directly connected to making someone fertile. When Jacob was returning to his home town, God appeared to him again and said, “I am El Shaddai. Be fertile and multiply.” Here is the last example, Jacob said to Joseph his son on his death bed that “El Shaddai appeared to me … and said to me, ‘I am about to give you many children.’” In almost all Scriptures where the term El Shaddai appears, God blesses His people to have many babies. So El Shaddai has to be the God of Fertility. This interpretation casts El Shaddai as a life-giving God, a title fitting the Creator who fashioned Adam and breathed life into him. God gave life to Adam and all living being on earth as well. El Shaddai is the life-giving God.

Walk with God

The life-giving God invites us to journey alongside Him, saying, “I am the life-giving God. Walk with me, and I will grant you a new life.” While receiving life is our ultimate aim, God’s desire is to walk with us, seeking our companionship. Last week, we delved into Genesis’ genealogies, mentioning several figures, including Enoch, of whom it is said, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.” Enoch’s walk with God was so valued that he was granted eternal life without experiencing death, a distinction he shares only with Elijah. As you know, Elijah did not die but raised up to heaven on a chariot of fire. This Enoch’s story illustrates the depth of God’s desire to walk with us—He created us for companionship, intending that we should journey and walk with Him.

As Abraham and Sarah walked with God, they were blessed with a new life, underscoring that God, as the life-giving force, bestows upon us not just life but a promise of renewal and eternal life. In walking with God, we align ourselves with El Shaddai, the God who not only promises but also fulfils the gift of eternal life. This divine companionship transforms our earthly journey into a path toward eternal communion with Him.

Walk to Emmaus

During yesterday’s Bible study, we explored the final chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke. You can find the story of two disciples on the road to Emmaus. These individuals, though not among the twelve apostles, were followers of Jesus. They had spent the weekend in Jerusalem, witnessing all the events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion and had also heard the testimonies of the women who witnessed His resurrection. Despite all this, they struggled to believe what had happened. Contrary to Jesus’ command to remain in Jerusalem, they left, distancing themselves from the city and, symbolically, from Jesus and their mission.

Jerusalem, situated on a mountain top, is biblically symbolic of closeness to God, representing a sanctuary where one encounters the Divine. This is exemplified by God’s command to Abraham to offer a sacrifice on a mountain, a site that eventually became the temple of Jerusalem. Departing from Jerusalem, therefore, signifies a departure from God, as illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan, where the Jewish man leaving Jerusalem for Jericho—a city below sea level near the Dead Sea—symbolises moving away from God’s chosen path towards the death. And hence, he encountered adversity, attacked by Satan.

The two disciples on their way to Emmaus symbolise a similar departure, venturing on a path leading away from their divine mission, towards perdition. However, unlike the Jewish man in the parable who faces attack, these disciples are spared such fate only because Jesus chooses to accompany them. In this act of unwavering companionship, Jesus protects them from harm, asking nothing in return. His only desire is to walk with them, enlightening them along the way, and ultimately breaking bread with them in an act of Communion. This Communion, where they partake of Jesus’ flesh and blood, embodies the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise of eternal life, as stated in the Gospel according to John: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life.”

Through this act, Jesus reaffirms His role as the life-giving God, embodying El Shaddai. This narrative underscores the transformative power of Jesus’ presence and His desire to journey with us, walk with us, offering forgiveness, protection, enlightenment, and the promise of eternal life, even when we stray.

God’s Love toward Us

When we examine the divine interactions in Genesis with Abraham and in Luke with the two unnamed disciples, a nuanced distinction emerges in the nature of God’s engagement. In Genesis, God’s approach towards Abraham is directive and conditional: “You, walk with me. Only if you do so, I will give you life.” This interaction establishes a covenant, essentially a contract stipulating mutual obligations: if you fulfil your end of the agreement, then I will fulfil mine. It is much like to a conditional agreement you might enter with a mechanic to fix your car—“If you pay me this much money, then I will fix your car.” This covenant underscores a relationship of conditional promises between God and Abraham.

Contrastingly, Jesus’ interaction with His disciples in Luke reveals a fundamentally different dynamic. Though initially Jesus commands, “You, stay in Jerusalem, then I will give you life,” the disciples choose to leave, effectively saying, “No, I don’t want to. I’m leaving you. Bye-bye.” In response, Jesus’ approach is not to enforce conditions but to offer unwavering support: “Oh, you’re leaving? Never mind. I will come with you. I will walk with you, and I will give you life anyway.” This shift signifies a relationship rooted in unconditional love, illustrating that even when we fail to meet God’s standards or make mistakes, Jesus’ love remains steadfast, offering us the forgiveness.

This distinction highlights the evolution of divine interaction from the OT to the NT, moving from a relationship based on conditional agreements to one characterized by unconditional love. Jesus embodies this transformative approach, emphasising that God’s love and the gift of life are not contingent upon our perfect adherence to His commands but are offered freely, even in our moments of departure or failure. Jesus still loves you no matter what.

Time to Choose

We cherish the forgiveness that God extends to us, but it is crucial not to overlook a pivotal moment in the disciples’ journey. After partaking in Communion with the Lord, their eyes were opened, and they recognised Jesus, who had been with them all along. Even though they did not notice, the God of Emmanuel was with them the whole time. This realisation prompted them to completely reverse their course, abandoning their original plans. They returned to Jerusalem, eager to share the good news with others. Initially headed towards destruction, their encounter with Jesus inspired a profound change of heart. Faced with the choice to continue on their own path to perdition or to return to God for eternal life, they chose to turn back to the Lord.

Similarly, we often find ourselves wandering away from God, charting our own courses that lead us away from His presence towards perdition. Yet, God beckons us to walk with Him, offering forgiveness and companionship even when we stray. Now, we stand at a crossroads, with the option to persist on a path of separation from God or to turn back to Jesus Christ, our Saviour, our El Shaddai, our life-giving God.

Conclusion

Let us decide to follow Jesus and walk with God, ensuring that we never revert to a life distanced from El Shaddai, the source of all life. Friends, God wants our companionship. Jesus wants to walk the Lenten journey with us. God is telling us today, “I am El Shaddai. Walk with me.” Let me finish my sermon with singing a hymn. You may sing along. “I have decided to walk with Jesus. (x3) No turning back. (x2)” Amen.