JEHOVAH-JIREH
Genesis 22:1-14
The name Jehovah-Jireh comes from one of the most moving and significant events in the word of God. Gen. 22. In this story, Elohim appears to Abraham with the astounding command to offer up as sacrifice his only and beloved son Isaac.The word “jireh” is a verb meaning ” to see” or “to be seen”. The KJV says “Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh, as it is said to this day, “in the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”
What connection can there be between the word “see” and “provide”? With God, we must remember, that “to see” is also “to foresee”. He knows the end from the beginning. God as Elohim is all-knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful. For provision, after all, is merely a compound of two Latin words meaning “to see beforehand”. And to “provide” is simply the verb and “prevision” the noun of seeing beforehand. Thus to God prevision is necessarily followed by provision. All this is constantly expressed in the name Jehovah-Jireh. Abraham is saying “In the mount of the LORD, God’s provision shall be seen”.
A second lesson that this name points to lies in the expectation of something yet to come. Notice that the text says that not only has the LORD provided (by supplying a ram in place of Isaac), it says “the LORD shall provide”. Jehovah is a God who is always providing. The place, Mount Moriah, is known as the place of the LORD’s provision “to this day”. This character of the LORD in providing is ongoing.
Abraham’s obedience unleashed God’s blessings on his life. Obedience is key to faith. Jam. 1:23-25 gives us great detail of the unbreakable bond of faith and “doing” (obedience). If you want to unleash God’s blessings on your life, if you want to discover that God is your Provider, then you must obey. God is sufficient (El Shaddai) to provide (Jehovah-Jireh) our every need and fulfill His every promise if we will only trust and obey. In fact, the LORD has already provided, He has “seen” to it that your needs will be met. Trust and obey for there is no other way.
PRAYER: O Lord help me to provoke your provision for my needs through obedience to your word.
