Series: Knowing God [#9]
JEHOVAH JIREH- THE GOD WHO PROVIDES
Genesis 22:14
Introduction:
There are times when even doing what is right seems like it will backfire on you. Old habits are hard to break. I read a story about a man who left off the cap to the toothpaste and for years his wife had hounded him about it. Finally, on their 25th anniversary, he made a private commitment to break the annoying habit. For an entire week he was successful in getting the lid back on the tube of toothpaste. He was very pleased with his success, until one morning his wife asked him, "Why did you stop brushing your teeth?"
As we continue in our study, we come to the name Jehovah Jireh. This is the next name of God that we find in Scripture. Every event of Abraham’s life led up to the day that God told him to offer up his own son Isaac on an altar in sacrifice. Abraham’s faith was being tested. Christians, as you go through life, you must continue in the faith. In war, there are different types of surrender. There is limited surrender, conditional surrender, and unconditional surrender. God wants unconditional surrender.
Genesis 22:1-14 (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, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He 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." 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. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 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. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
The name Jehovah Jireh tells us…
1. That God provides.
God told Abraham to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering. Did Abraham reluctantly obey? No. The next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him 2 of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. Abraham had to endure 3 days of travel to Moriah. 3 days of seeing his Son for the last time. Abraham's own hand would be the hand that held the sacrificial knife.
Abraham left the servants behind so that they would not try to interfere. He built the altar, arranged the wood, and tied his son up and placed him on the altar. Finally, he raised the knife to kill him son and the angel of the Lord stopped him.
Scripture tells us that in all that Abraham did, he was expecting a miracle from God. Abraham said to his servant, "We will come back to you." Abraham wasn't lying to his servant- He was expecting God to do something. Abraham believed that if God did allow him to kill Isaac, that God would raise him from the dead. When Isaac asked him about the lamb for the sacrifice, Abraham answered that God would provide it; and God did.
The name Jehovah Jireh tells us…
2. That God sees beforehand.
The word Jjireh means to see beforehand- To take precautionary measures. Think how often God sees beforehand to meet our needs. He wants to walk with you and I, to care for us, to provide for us. He sees beforehand what the needs will be, and He has told us not to worry about what we will wear, for He is our God, our provider, and He will take good care of us. All we need to do is trust in Him.
Conclusion:
God tested Abraham. We must expect God to allow us to be tested with what we hold most dear. Is there something standing between you and Christ?
