Names of our LORD (CONTD)

2. Jehovah Jireh (Genesis 22: 14)

The Lord our Provider

Abraham was in a very tight spot in his life. So far his life was one of obedience. Whatever Lord asked him, he obeyed implicitly. There was never a question of “why”, “what”, “when”,”how” etc in his life. Lord asked him to leave his family, father’s house and native place. Then Lord guided him to separate Lot from his life. Again Lord asked him to separate himself from Hagar and his son Ishmael. Abraham obeyed everything God commanded him. At last he had only his son Issac. Then came the commandent, hardest of all. Lord commanded him to sacrifice Issac. Previously Abraham was promised that he would have sons as the stars of the sky and as sand on seashore and as dust of the earth through Issac. So how can this be. He believed God and had experienced so far that He is trustworthy. God can never lie. Abraham knew that he could trust God whatever happens. The very next morning he went straight to obey Lord .

At the last moment when he raised his knife to kill his son God intervened. Suddenly he saw a ram nearby. He sacrificed the ram in place of Issac. Previously Issac had asked his father when he was following him where the lamb for the sacrifice was. Abraham’s answer was that Lord will provide. In other words Jehovah Jireh. Of course God provided one at the last minute.

God allowed Abraham to go through the agony God was going to face 2000 years later when He gave up His only son for our sake. Abraham ended his life as the friend of God (James 2: 23). True friends share everything their aspirations, dreams, pains etc. Isacc was released from death only on substitution and he symbolises Christ. The ram also is a shadow of Jesus when it was sacrificed in place of Issac.

Jehovah Jireh is the Lord our provider in all situations of our life.