Stephen tells us that "The God of glory" appeared to Abram and bade him leave Ur of

the Chaldess for the land of promise. This title of the Lord is in vivid contrast to the

idolatrous and passing world of Abram's nativity. As "The Most High God, possessor of

heaven and earth", the Lord was revealed to Abram before he met the temptation of the

king of Sodom. As Abram's shield and exceeding great reward the Lord is revealed Who

was to justify him and pledge his inheritance through all the trials that awaited him and

his seed.

His title, when He lets Abram know that his inheritance is sure, is "The Lord that

brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees"--implying the truth otherwise expressed "that

He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ".

This characterized Abram's faith (see Rom. 4: 21). As "The Almighty God", or El

Shaddai, the Lord appeared to Abram when he would urge him on to perfection. If

justification by faith supposes the deadness of nature and the resurrection power of the

Lord, subsequent perfection will necessitate that God Himself shall be all in all. El

Shaddai has been curiously rendered, "The enough God"; the idea is expressed by the

apostle when he said, "Our sufficiency is of God".

Abram's name is here changed to Abraham, "The father of many nations", and this is

spoken of at some length by the apostle in Rom. 4: 16-25. The land of Canaan is given

here to Abraham and his seed for "an everlasting" possession, by an "everlasting"

covenant, or a possession for the age of undefined limits. Thus Israel is called the ancient

people, or the everlasting people, the people for the age (Isa. 44: 7). The connection of

this "everlasting" character of the blessing with "perfecting" will be more fully dealt with

in the articles on The Epistle to the Hebrews.

The first occurrence in the New Testament of the title "Almighty" is II Cor. 6: 18

where it is preceded by separation, as in Abram's case, and followed by cleansing from

the filthiness of flesh and spirit, "perfecting holiness in the fear of God". Seeing that the

word "perfect" in Gen. 17: is the word used of Noah in Gen. 6: 9, who "was

uncontaminated in his pedigree", and considering the insistent attempts of Satan to

corrupt the line of the promised Seed, as in the case of Pharaoh and Sodom already

noticed, there may be an allusion here to the intrusion of the flesh resulting in the birth of

Three important aspects of truth are indicated in Gen. 17::--

The Lord is Alpha (I am), and Omega (I will) before Abraham is called upon to do

anything.  The seventh "I will" pledges the fulness of El Shaddai in that day to

Abraham's seed, "I will be their God". Further, Abram's name is changed to Abraham

before a conditional covenant is made with him.