Friday, February 11, 2022
JEHOVAH – JIREH!
Gen 22:13-14
13
And Abraham
lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and
took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his
son.
14
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.
God tested
the constancy and devotion of Abraham by asking the patriarch to offer his son, his only son, Isaac
on an altar of sacrifice. Had the sacrificial system of lambs and bullocks
shifted to human sacrifice? Why did God call Isaac Abraham’s “only” son since
Abraham had another son named Ishmael? So many “whys!” So few answers.
Isaac,
himself, asked the most painful question in Gen 22:7 when
he asked: “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” The answer Abraham gave had a
double meaning. Gen 22:8 “And
Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so
they went both of them together.” Yes, Isaac, God will provide the sacrifice, and
the sacrifice will be himself.
Jehovah-jireh,
as first introduced in verse 14 literally means “Jehovah will see, or Jehovah will
see to it.” The meaning, then, is that not only will God see but God will see
to this thing. God will both observe and act to provide. Even if
we were to translate Jehovah-jireh as
"the Lord doth provide" rather than "will provide," it would be Abraham's testimony to the fact
that Jehovah is a God who always provides; that as He provided then He
would also provide in the future--deliverance from death, the oil of joy
for the ashes of sorrow and mourning, blessings for obedience, even though
obedience be made perfect through sufferings. The naming of the place
Jehovah-jireh was meant to be proverbial of this very thing—"as it is said
to this day."
(From Names of God, Copyright 1944
by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.)
Dear Jehovah, who sees and provides,
thank you that nothing escapes your eye. Thank you that no need exceeds your
provision. Thank you that I am covered by your love. AMEN
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