F.E. Marsh :: 166. God's Charge to Abram

GENESIS 17:1.

There are three reasons why the Lord charges Abram to walk before Him.

1. Because of past failure. For thirteen years it seems that Abram had been walking before Sarah in listening to her, and following her advice with reference to Hagar. When Ishmael was born, Abram was eighty-six years old (Gen. 16:16), and he was ninety-nine years old when the Lord appeared and gave him the charge to walk before Him. As A. Fuller says, “This admonition implies a serious reproof. It was like saying, ‘Have no more recourse to unbelieving expedients; keep in the path of uprightness, and leave Me to fulfil My promise in the time and manner that seem good to come!’” What a lesson is here afforded us, never to use unlawful means under the pretence of being more useful, or promoting the cause of God. Our part is to walk before Him, and be upright, leaving Him to work out His own designs in His own way.
2. The Lord charges Abram to walk before Him, because He commands it. Where the word of a king is, there is authority. I know a little boy who, when he is told to do a certain thing, says to his father, “What for?” and the reply he receives is, “Because I tell you.” It is quite sufficient when the Lord tells us to do anything, to do it without questioning.
3. The Lord bids Abram to walk before Him, because of what He is. “I am the Almighty God.” The meaning of the words “El Shaddai,” translated “Almighty God,” is the Irresistible One, who is able to make and destroy. It is the name that expresses God’s Almightiness, by which He was specially made known to the patriarchs (Exodus 6:3). The title occurs six times in Genesis (17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; 49:25), and thirtyone times in the book of Job. Some have derived Shaddai from Shad a nipple, because God feeds His children with sufficiency of all good things, as the loving mother doth the child with the milk of her breasts. Hence we might speak of God in His all-sufficiency as “The Many-Breasted God.” There is no lack with Him, therefore we may well count upon supplies from Him. What does it mean to walk before God? (1) To live as in His sight, and under His inspection. (2) To realize at all times His presence and His providence. (3) To feel the dignity of the godly life. We are not to walk behind Him as if ashamed, but before Him, as conscious of the dignity of our high calling. (4) To feel the constant energy of spiritual life. The light of God’s countenance is upon us, and in that we have life. We cannot fail with the Almighty power behind us. (5) To feel the love of God towards us. Unless there was redeeming love on God’s part, it would be impossible for us to walk before Him. In that alone our souls can live and move. (6) To apprehend God’s love by our faith. This is that power in the soul that lays hold of the Divine fulness. Hence “the just shall live by faith.”