This one is my personal favorite. It’s probably the most famous name for God–Jehovah Jireh. Jireh (Jye-reh) is derived from the word Raah (rah-ah) which means to see. Like Roi, but in this context, specifically to see to something–to provide. Jehovah Jireh is only mentioned once in Genesis 22:14, “And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said, “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.”” This is one of the most well known and controversial events in the bible. Abraham being called to sacrifice Isaac.
“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together. Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together. When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.” (Genesis 22:1-13)
There’s so much to this one event. It shows faith–obedient faith through the trials of life. It demonstrates Habakkuk 2:4, “…The righteous shall live by faith.” Paul emphasizes this verse in Romans and Galatians. This event also foreshadows the crucifixion of Christ. Additionally, it shows that Jehovah is different from the other gods and idols.
God told Abraham to take Isaac up to Mt. Moriah (currently known as the temple mount in Israel) and offer him as a sacrifice. Notice God says, “…“Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac…” We know that Abraham had Ishmael before Isaac, but Isaac was the son that God promised Abraham, the child that would make Abraham the father of many nations, and the only son of Abraham’s only wife, Sarah. In the life of a child of God, we must expect tests from God; trials that produce endurance in our faith. This, “endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:4-5)
Abraham trusted that Isaac was the promised son in whom all nations shall be blessed. “But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and about your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac,” (Genesis 21:12) He even believed that God could resurrect Isaac if he had to die. “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.” (Hebrews 11:17-19) Abraham took two servants with him and Isaac. “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.”” (Genesis 22:5) It was tough for Abraham to do this because he didn’t know how God would provide. It didn’t make complete sense to him. It was entirely conceivable to him that he would actually have to kill Isaac, and then God would raise him from the dead as Hebrews 11 suggests. Also, note that Abraham told his servants, “...we will come back to you.” This implies that he would come back to his servants with Isaac alive. He didn’t know what was going to happen up on the mountain, but he knew that God will keep His word and bless all the nations through Isaac.
Abraham demonstrated his faith and lived by that faith through his whole life, especially in this crucial moment. And what happened up on that mountain? “Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together. Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.” (Genesis 22:6-8) Abraham even says, prior, that God Himself will provide. That’s exactly what happens. “Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.” (Genesis 22:10-13) God wanted a sacrifice, and God provided that sacrifice. Abraham found a ram and sacrificed it.
Notice Abraham says, ““God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.”” God indeed provided the lamb. Not Abraham’s only son, but His only son. The lamb who takes away the sins of the world. This completely shows that God, and God alone, will provide for us. He will provide for our needs, when we need them. Abraham witnessed the unveiling of God’s provision through Isaac. Jesus told the Pharisees, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56) When Isaac was miraculously born, Abraham saw Christ’s miraculous birth. When Isaac was married, Abraham saw the marriage supper of the lamb. When Isaac was on the alter, Abraham saw the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Isaac was not sacrificed, but Jesus was. Both Isaac and Jesus willingly laid down their lives and rose again; Isaac figuratively, Jesus literally. Isaac was in the loving presence of his father. Jesus was forsaken by His Father at that moment. Jesus experienced more than just death on the cross. He experienced the consuming fire–the wrath of God’s judgement upon sin. It’s also interesting to note, that not only is this a foreshadowing of Jesus’s sacrifice, but Jesus was actually there with Abraham and Isaac. Yes, Jehovah Shammah, but he was there as the Angel of the Lord; a pre-human incarnation that appears in the Old Testament numerous times. Abraham proved his faith, as James talks about.
Lastly, this event shows that Jehovah Jireh is different than all the false gods and idols. God took something that Abraham was familiar with. All the pagan nations at that time sacrificed their children to false idols — the darkness of the unseen realm. So Abraham would have been well familiar with this practice. God took something the pagans did and basically said, “That’s what those entities want and demand. Well, I’m going to do things differently. I will provide. I am God, there’s nothing you can offer me. There’s nothing that I need. You are my creation, and you cannot provide for me. But I will provide for you. All you need to do is trust me and obey.” The false idols don’t provide for their worshipers, the worshipers provide for their false idols. In fact, God forbids human sacrifice later in the Old Testament.
Again, God is the one who provides. “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) The only one who could pay the penalty for our sin by living a sinless life, thus fulfilling the law. The ultimate provision, our salvation. But He provides for everything, not just our salvation. God is good. “He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?” (Romans 8:32) “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)
This is a tremendously arduous practice. But we must work towards this. If Jehovah Jireh provides for the plants and animals, He will definitely provide for His most beloved creation. When Abraham said, “God Himself will provide.” and then named the place “The Lord will Provide.” He is effectively saying to God, “You see all this need of mine and make provision for it.” He sees our needs and will provide for them, too. From our greatest need–salvation, to our smallest needs. God is Jehovah Jireh.
Psalm 66 describes God’s provision for His children. “Let the whole earth shout joyfully to God! Sing about the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, “How awe-inspiring are your works! Your enemies will cringe before you because of your great strength. The whole earth will worship you and sing praise to you. They will sing praise to your name.” Selah
Come and see the wonders of God; his acts for humanity are awe-inspiring. He turned the sea into dry land, and they crossed the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him. He rules forever by his might; he keeps his eye on the nations. The rebellious should not exalt themselves. Selah
Bless our God, you peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard. He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip. For you, God, tested us; you refined us as silver is refined. You lured us into a trap; you placed burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us out to abundance. I will enter your house with burnt offerings; I will pay you my vows that my lips promised and my mouth spoke during my distress. I will offer you fattened sheep as burnt offerings, with the fragrant smoke of rams; I will sacrifice bulls with goats. Selah
Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth, and praise was on my tongue. If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. However, God has listened; he has paid attention to the sound of my prayer. Blessed be God! He has not turned away my prayer or turned his faithful love from me.“
“I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will bless you and be kind to you! May God bless you with his love, and may the Holy Spirit join all your hearts together.” (2 Corinthians 13:13)
314Apologia 