2 - El Shaddai - The God Who Is Enough

After years of waiting, Abram and Sarai attempt to secure God’s promise through Hagar. They do not abandon the promise; they take control of its method. Their plan produces Ishmael, but it also produces pain and consequences they cannot manage.

When God appears again, He identifies Himself as El Shaddai—the God who knows when something has reached its proper limit. God gives Abram and Sarai new names, establishes the covenant sign, names Isaac before he is conceived, and sets the time of his birth.

God promises to bless Ishmael, but He does not allow Abraham’s preferred solution to redefine the covenant. Faith trusts God not only to provide, but to determine when enough is enough.