Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Will Provide
Have you ever tried to figure out an issue only to realize it was beyond your figuring? It’s in those moments, we have to stop figuring and just trust God to provide. Jehovah Jireh.
Abraham’s Test
In Genesis, chapter 22, Abraham was tested by God:
“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.””
Genesis 22:1-2 ESV
If you read through Genesis 22 yourself, which I recommend, you see that Abraham, who had been promised his son Isaac, didn’t waiver. He obeyed God.
What God told Abraham about Isaac, before Isaac was born
Here’s what was said about Isaac back in Genesis chapter 17.
“God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.”
Genesis 17:19 ESV
So this was the child through whom God had said the everlasting covenant would be established, and God told Abraham to offer him as a burnt offering.
And he obeyed. Wow! What obedience and what trust he had in God!
Abraham’s obedience
He just got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, grabbed a few other young men and Isaac and headed to the place to offer his offering to the Lord, his precious son!
When he got there and took Isaac up to offer him to the Lord, Isaac asked his father where the lamb was for the sacrifice.
Abraham’s faith and trust in God
I love what Abraham said next:
“Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.”
Genesis 22:8 ESV
Abraham spoke in faith. He trusted God to provide. He obeyed God to the point of almost sacrificing his son, but his faith was strong. He trusted God to provide, even when he couldn’t see the lamb yet.
He took this obedience all the way to the point of having the knife ready to slaughter his son for the sacrifice when the angel of the LORD called to him and stopped him from continuing.
The Ram in the bushes!
He looked up and saw the ram in the bushes. Wow!! What a powerful moment! God provided for the sacrifice as Abraham had spoken that he would in faith.
“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”
Genesis 22:14 KJV
In the King James Version (KJV), we see that Abraham called the place, “Jehovah Jireh,” meaning “The Lord will provide.”
God has provided for me
I just love that. I know that so many times in my life, God has done just that.
There have been many instances where it didn’t make sense how something was going to work out, but I just kept taking steps forward and trusting God to work out the rest, and He did!
So many times, I’ve tried to calculate or plan, only to realize I can’t figure it out. But, thank God, we don’t have to figure it all out. We just have to trust God.
Abraham trusted God and was obedient to what God told him. He was obedient even when he couldn’t see exactly what would happen next. The faith and trust in God he had to have to put Isaac on that altar, is amazing!
It’s hard to even imagine how special the moment was for him that followed when he heard the news from the angel of the LORD that he didn’t have to go through with it and then he saw ram in the bush!!! His relief and appreciation for God’s providence had to be overwhelming.
Moments like that show you that God will never fail you. He’s always there and He loves us! I imagine Abraham recalled that moment for years as a reminder of how God will always make a way.
I love that he named the place “Jehovah Jireh,” to always remember that “The Lord will provide.”
When I first began writing this post, I caught myself humming this song, “Jireh” by Elevation worship and Maverick City. Check it out…
Jehovah Jireh
Always remember, “Jehovah Jireh,” the Lord will provide. Trust Him! Obey Him, and keep taking steps in the right direction.
Even if it doesn’t make sense when you crunch numbers or look at what you see, keep trusting Him to provide. He doesn’t need you to understand how it all is going to happen, he just needs you to trust Him.
Dig into the Word
To read this story and more for yourself, please get yourself a physical Bible, if you don’t have one already. Also, you can check it out right now by downloading the Bible app. God’s word is powerful, living, and life changing! Get busy reading! 💗
