Jehovah Jireh

© Elise Grinstead 2013

Jehovah Jireh. 
The Lord will provide. As Abraham so named the mount where he was asked to lay his son Isaac upon the fire as a sacrifice, it is there we see the passion and mercy of God. (Genesis 22)

Jehovah Jireh.
Abraham first had to walk the road with his son, wood on Isaac’s back and fire in Abraham’s hand, in full faith that God knew the intended outcome of walking on such a road with such a strong request. Abraham, whether he was filled with sadness or bewilderment at God asking him to give his son, or whether he was filled with confidence and trust in the Lord’s sovereignty, or if he fell somewhere in between those two ends, he still walked the road.

Jehovah Jireh.
When Isaac himself noticed there was no lamb for the offering, and asked Abraham where the offering was, Abraham replies “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." Prophetic in nature both not for just him and Isaac, but also of God the Father and His Son, Jesus—in this moment Abraham speaks out of trust. Whether the outcome of God’s command was to be fulfilled or something else to happen instead—the answer is the same. God will provide.

Jehovah Jireh.
In the moment that is not spoken of but we can fill in the gaps of what transpired—Isaac and Abraham built the altar and it was then mutually recognized that Isaac was to be the sacrifice. In submission to his father and God, Isaac is bound and laid upon the altar. In trust of God and denial of all fatherly instincts, Abraham binds up his son, the one declared to be the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham.

Jehovah Jireh.
The knife is above Abraham’s head to slay his beloved son—the apex of such a trust and walking forth fully into what is commanded.

Jehovah Jireh.
Upon such a sight and action—is God still good? When such things call us to forsake all of our instincts and instead trust in the sovereignty and provision of the Lord in what He has asked us to do, regardless of what the outcome may be? That we may slay what we hold dear on this earth, as a sign of our devotion to God? These are hard questions…yet—

Jehovah Jireh. 
The angel of the Lord appears and commands Abraham to relent and release the knife, for it was shown that Abraham truly fears and obeys God—he did not withhold even the most precious thing to him. And in consistent character for Abraham, he looks abreast and sees a ram caught in the thickets, and this he captures and provides as the sacrifice instead of Isaac.

Jehovah Jireh. 
Upon the angel appearing and calling off the whole action, Abraham does not become flabbergasted. He does not cry such things as “why did you even have me go through this if you didn’t intend for me to kill Isaac?” No, instead, he follows what He knows to be true—the Lord will provide—and immediately sees the Lord’s provision in the ram.

What began in trust that the Lord would provide ended in trust that the Lord did—even though what ended up happening was completely different. God provided the Lamb—Jehovah Jireh.

In faith, we so often balk at what the Lord puts before us and asks us to do. If the outcome of what He asks is not desirable or does not appear logical, we easily write if off as something crazy being asked of us. Surely He would not ask us to do such a thing? Surely He would not lead us down such a way? Surely He would not bring about such results?

We are so often cynics of our own faith. Cynical in what we profess to be true, because when it’s asked of us to actually walk it, it seems too far-fetched. No, that’s not meant for me. I’m doing just fine here. Cynical because instead of trusting the journey to bring about what God intends for it to, rather than focusing on the possible results, we self-create our own chasm between what is reasonable for faith to provide and when faith is asking too much of us. Sometimes we have a choice to walk down a road and other times we are thrust down it unwillingly, due to circumstances. There, we easily say, it is too much, I didn’t ask for this, or, it is not enough for what You are asking me to give up. And in such statements, we essentially say and believe…

Jehovah Jireh.
God cannot or will not provide. But in reality, we don’t receive the Lord’s provision because we are unwilling to receive what it may be. Closed fisted and closed mouth like a child who will not eat the nourishment given by his parents for what is good for him, we simply refuse because it doesn’t look good, right, or desirable. And therefore, we struggle against the One who ultimately knows what is best.

But by faith…

“We understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”¹

By Faith…

“we have the assurance of things hoped for, [yet] the conviction of things not seen.”²

And without faith…

“it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”³

And by faith…

We gain approval, though we do not receive what was promised, because God has provided and will provide something better for us.⁴

So, we must walk the road to our own mount where we too can see and name God to be…

Jehovah Jireh.

1: Hebrews 11:3
2: Hebrews 11:1
3: Hebrews 11:6
4: Hebrews 11:39-40