If God is your provider, why then would you ever worry?

Jehovah Jireh literally means “Jehovah will see to it” and it was the name Abraham called the place where God provided a ram as a sacrifice and as a substitute for his son Isaac.

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.  Genesis 22:14

Young Isaac questioned his father Abraham: “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham answered: “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” (Genesis 22:7-8)

Abraham and Isaac had this conversation when they stood at the foot of Mount Moriah which is not a single mountain peak but rather a long ridge of mountains and includes all of the mountains of the land of Moriah; Calvary, Zion, Olives and even includes today’s Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and which was the place God had told Abraham to sacrifice his son.  This is confirmed by the fact that God told Abraham to offer him “upon one of the mountains”.

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.’  Genesis 22:2

It was hot in those days because it says that they “rose up early in the morning”, which was something they would do, to travel early in the day, when it was relatively cooler.

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.  Genesis 22:3

They traveled 3 days to get there until Abraham could see the place from a distance.

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.  Genesis 22:4

Now notice the faith of Abraham.

Knowing full well that he was about to sacrifice his son as the Lord had commanded him to do, in full confidence that God would somehow see to it and restore his son back to him, Abraham told his servants to wait here for both of them and that he and his son would return to them once they were done.

If he had had any doubt at all, he would not have clearly and specifically included the boy in this bold statement.

And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.  Genesis 22:5

You can also see here how Abraham raised his son in the same faith that he had because there is not even a hint at a struggle whatsoever as he “bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.” (Genesis 22:9)

Now we all know that God stopped Abraham just before he was ready to plunge his knife into his son, but God never told him that He had provided a ram as an alternative sacrifice instead of his son.

Remember, it was Abraham who proclaimed God’s provision to Isaac.

Abraham discovered this himself by lifting up his eyes, looking and turning around to discover the ram that God had already provided which had been right there behind him all this time.

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.  Genesis 22:13

So when did God actually provide “a ram caught in a thicket by his horns”?

It could not have been when Abraham and his son just arrived at the place of sacrifice or this ram in distress would have bleated up a storm like the one in this video:

And Abraham, being the compassionate soul that he was, would have immediately released the ram and set it free and there would have gone the sacrifice.  For he knew that he was instructed to sacrifice his son and not an animal.

However, young Isaac, who had already been on the lookout for a “lamb for a burnt offering”, would have immediately said “No, don’t let it go.  This is  is the sacrifice that God has provided!” as his father had told him that God would do.  And that would have been the end of Abraham sacrificing Isaac.

Could it have gotten caught just at the exact moment that Abraham turned himself around after Jehovah stopped him from killing his own son?

Possibly.  But not likely.  The text does not say that it became stuck but that it was already “caught in a thicket by his horns”.  Besides the ram would have bleated just as loud at the site of people in his territory before Abraham would have had a chance to turn around and see him.  The text also does not say that he heard the ram but that he saw the ram.

No, the ram was there the whole time Abraham and Isaac arrived at the place of sacrifice without making a sound while Abraham was so focused on the task he was about to perform that he did not look around or notice it.

How could this be?  Very simple.  The ram was unconscious from being dehydrated all those hours stuck in the thicket under the hot sun bleating his heart out without any help or relief until he was simply exhausted from struggling to try to get free and lost consciousness.

The height of this mountain range ranges from 600 meters (1969 feet) to a maximum of 777 meters (2549 feet) and would have taken Abraham and his son quite a few hours worth of hiking uphill in the hot son from the foot of the mountain to get to the top.

No, Jehovah provided the ram right at that moment when Abraham proclaimed: “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.”

It was Abraham’s unwavering trust in God’s provision evidenced by his confession of faith that caused the ram to be caught in the thicket according to Abraham’s word.

So what is your word?

Is it a word of faith like Abraham?  Or words of doubt and anxiety?  (Read this article to learn how to overcome anxiety.)

Do you worry about your bills or other tribulations of life?

Why not express the faith of Abraham and proclaim: “The Lord will see to it.  He will provide for me and my household!”?

And count on His provision without wavering.

Then just lift up your eyes, look and turn around and see His provision right there behind you.  It was waiting for you all this time from the minute you proclaimed it.

Franciscus M. Dartee

Grow in Faith | Walk in Power

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