Genesis 22:1-19 (Please open your Bibles so you can read along)
Think about our Memory Refresher Scripture for today – Philippians 4:6-7.
“Do not be anxious about anything!”
Have you ever noticed that sometimes the things we become anxious about are because we have done something wrong and have backed ourselves into a corner?
Other times the Lord will put us into a situation where we cannot see the answer and our only option is to rely on Him for the solution. Of course, we always have the option of trying to resolve the dilemma on our own which only makes the matter worse.
Let’s go ahead and read Genesis 21:1-19 now and see how the Lord provided for Abraham in a time of testing.
Genesis 22:13-14a NIV
“Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord Will Provide.’”
Do you remember the first song we sang this morning; Jehovah-Jireh?
This passage we read today is where that name, Jehovah-Jireh, The LORD will Provide, originates in the Bible.
And, actually, this is the only place where this name for the LORD is used.
Now, what is one of the basic rules of Bible study? If we see something only in one place in the Bible we need to try to understand what it means especially if it is not reaffirmed in other places in the Bible.
For instance, Jesus is quoted as saying in
Mark 16:17b-18a NIV
“… In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all …”
We know now that verses 9-20 are not found in the earliest manuscripts and apparently were added later. We don’t practice picking up snakes with our hands or knowingly drink deadly poison. Why? Because we don’t find those practices in other places in the Bible.
And yet, there are churches that practice such actions as part of their worship services.
So, what about Jehovah-Jireh? Why do we sing songs about this name of the LORD if it is only found in one place in the Bible?
Well, we sing the songs because the activity of the LORD providing is found all throughout the Bible!
Genesis 1:1 NIV
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Now, that’s a pretty good provision, isn’t it? Where would we be without that provision? Absolutely no where, that’s where!
Genesis 2:8 NIV
“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man He had formed.”
It’s not long until we see that Abraham has his son Isaac tied up, laid on a pile of wood for a burnt offering and Abraham, Isaacs’ dad, has a knife in his hand raised above Isaac, about to sacrifice his only son according to the command of the LORD.
Look at verses 1-3 again with me.
Genesis 22:1-3 NIV
“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied.
“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac - and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’
“Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey.”
You will notice:
It doesn’t say that Abraham stayed up all night fasting and praying about this situation. We just don’t know how well Abraham slept that night. I can’t imagine that he had a good night’s sleep and woke up excited about what he was going to do for the LORD that day. And, if I did imagine such a thing or something else it would just be a waste of my time and yours because it would be just that, an imagination and it’s not my imagination or your imagination we care about; what we care about is what we find in the Word of God, the Holy Bible!
Whatever happened that night Abraham’s response was immediate the next morning. “Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey.”
Why would he do that? Abraham had years of experience with the LORD.
When Abraham was obedient to the LORD’s command the LORD provided for him, so, based on that history, that relationship with the LORD, Abraham obeyed.
Just try to imagine Abraham and Isaac walking along together after they have left the servants and the donkey behind. Just think of the wonder and confusion in Isaac’s mind as they have this conversation …
Genesis 22:6-8 NIV
“Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, ‘Father?’
“‘Yes, my son?’ Abraham replied.
“‘The fire and wood are here,’ Isaac said, ‘but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’
“Abraham answered, ‘God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ And the two of them went on together.”
If I was Isaac I would certainly have some more questions, such as:
Why did we come way out here to sacrifice? We often sacrifice at home …
Why aren’t the servants coming with us?
Why are you tying me up?
Um … I don’t know what it looks like from your perspective, Dad, but from where I am it looks like you’re about to stab me with that big knife!
But, let’s back up one to verse 5 and see that last words Abraham said to his servants …
Genesis 22:5 NIV
“(Abraham) said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.’”
What tremendous faith!
Doesn’t it make you wonder how you would hold up under such a test?
Abraham was obeying a Scriptural principle centuries before it was written down.
Proverbs 3:5-7 NIV
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understating. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the LORD and shun evil.”
Abraham knew the promise of the LORD that a nation would be raised up through his son, Isaac.
Abraham trusted the LORD with all of his heart.
Lean not on your own understanding …
OK. LORD. Here’s my understanding. If I kill my son and then burn him up the likelihood is that he will not be able to have any children through which You can raise up a nation. But … I’m trusting in you and not in my own understanding …
OK. LORD. I have acknowledged that I have heard You and that You have directed my path so, I trust You and fear You and will obey You!
And … Jehovah-Jireh! The LORD provided a ram for the sacrifice!
Where else do we see this kind of deliverance by the LORD? Jehovah-Jireh!
When Israel was captive and enslaved in the land of Egypt the Lord delivered them with a mighty hand, sending plagues upon the Egyptians until they urged the Israelites to leave their land. Jehovah-Jireh!
When the Egyptian army had the Israelites backed up against the Red Sea with no escape the Lord provided a way of escape through the Red Sea on dry ground and then defeated the Egyptian army by allowing the Red Sea to close in on them when they pursued the people of the LORD. Jehovah-Jireh!
When Israel had no food in the desert the LORD provided manna. Jehovah-Jireh!
When Israel had no water the LORD brought water from a rock. Jehovah-Jireh!
When Israel went into the promised land they had to cross the Jordan river when it was a flood stage and the LORD backed up the waters until they were across. Jehovah-Jireh!
When Hezekiah was outmatched by the Assyrians who were conquering every other nation around them he called on the Lord for help and the LORD did the fighting for His own name and for His own glory and the Assyrians were defeated by the LORD. (2 Kings 18, 19) Jehovah-Jireh!
These of course are great and awesome stories, but, how does this apply to the everyday lives of people in the New Testament?
Jesus healed the blind.
Jesus healed the lame.
Jesus cleansed the lepers of their disease.
Jesus fed the multitudes.
Jesus raised the dead.
Jesus cast our demons.
Did Jesus just go about doing these things willy-nilly?
When Jesus healed a blind man He told the blind man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam.
When Jesus healed the lame He told the man to pick up his mat and walk,
When Jesus healed the lepers He told them to go, show themselves to the priest and offer the sacrifice that was found in the law of Moses.
When Jesus fed the multitudes they had followed Him for days.
When Jesus raised the dead it was because He had been petitioned to do so.
When Jesus would cast out demons it was often at the request of a relative.
You see, most of the time when Jehovah-Jireh provides for us He requires participation from us.
I remember one time back when Pastor Karenlee and I were in our mid twenties I was looking for a job. I had been hired for a brief time in a forging works in quality control and the forgings had a tolerance of plus or minus ¼” or so; very crude pieces. The tolerances were so huge that they could almost be measured with a ruler. But we would use this very crude height gauge with a fixed pointer on that would scrape the highest point of the forging and then we would measure that height with a ruler. Then I was laid off.
So, I went looking for another job in quality control. Only this time it was in a place where the tolerances were plus or minus 0.020” or 0.030”; that is not something you can measure with a ruler. And, they had height gauges with digital readouts with dial indicators. So, they ask me to measure this piece and I’m looking to see if the point of the needle is touching the top of the piece.
Right then and there they knew I did not know what I was doing and in reality they should have said, “See you later. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” But, it just so happened that a guy I knew from high school was in the QC room at that time and the boss asked him, “Hey, Bob. Do you think I should hire him?” and Bob said, “Yes” so Joe hired me.
Now, Bob was a machine setup man and was rarely in QC but I believe the Lord put him there for that very moment.
And, that’s just one experience where I see Jehovah-Jireh working on my behalf.
Where else do we see Jehovah-Jireh, the LORD provides, working on behalf of His people?
Well, this is not a very pleasant one but when Stephen, the first martyr is put to death you can see the LORD at work. This entire event takes place in the second half of Acts 6, all of chapter 7 and his burial is mentioned in the opening of chapter 8. That’s a lot of space of a singular event that does not involve Jesus’ walk here on earth. But, Jesus, definitely IS involved.
Well, if Jesus was involved, why did Stephen end up dead?
Stephen ended up dead because that was the LORD’s will for him.
It wasn’t pleasant for Stephen and it wasn’t intended to be.
But, something extraordinary happened when Stephen was being stoned.
The Lord opened up Stephen’s vision to see the throne room of heaven and Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Jesus told us that when He returned to Heaven He would be seated at the right hand of God the Father.
In every other Scripture except for the stoning of Stephen Jesus is described as being exalted to the right hand of God the Father or seated at the right hand of God the Father, but here, Jesus is standing at the right hand of God.
We are not told the significance of Jesus standing but I can’t help but think it was an empathetic and sympathetic response to what was happening to Stephen.
As a side note, in this very passage we see three Persons of the Trinity in the same event.
Stephen is filled with the Holy Spirit, God the Father is on His throne and Jesus is standing at the right hand of God the Father.
And, in an act of submission to the LORD Stephen says, “Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit.”
And, in an act of godly forgiveness his last words are, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
Who can say that Jehovah-Jireh was not providing for Stephen at the time of his death?
Finally, where do we see the provision of our great Jehovah-Jireh?
We see His provision for us in eternity!
Jesus said in
John 14:2-3 NASB
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
Is that provision or what?
Here’s the catch. There’s always a catch, right?
These provisions are only for those who are sons and daughters of the most high God.
These provisions are only for those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life.
Otherwise, you’re on your own. Does that sound good to you? It doesn’t sound good to me!
This is one time when “It sounds too good to be true” is really true!
Closing comments, invitation and singing, Jehovah Jireh!
