Author: Unknown | 12/11/2016 12:58:27 AM
Jehovah Jireh
"The Lord our Provider"
Jehovah-Jireh is one of many names of God in such a compound form with Jehovah. Obviously, each of these names derive a part of their meaning from the name Jehovah. Jehovah, as we have seen in an earlier study, is the name which reveals God as the eternal, self-existent One and the God who is deeply concerned with righteousness.
At the same time, Jehovah also carries the significance of God in special covenant relationship with His people. He has separated them out from the other people of the earth and has set His affection upon them in such a way that He is actually jealous to have the place of priority in their affections.
Many of these compound names of Jehovah arise out of some significant historical event in the Old Testament. Each of them acts as a portrait of some particular aspect of God's character which is shown toward His redeemed as He meets their needs.
HISTORICAL ORIGIN
The historical origin of the name Jehovah-Jireh is most important in helping us to understand the significance of this name. The story is found in Genesis 22. In verses one and two, we read: ... God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here l am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, who you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about. "
There is no indication that Abraham knew that God was testing him in this request. It seems impossible for us to imagine what Abraham's feelings must have been in response to this amazing request from the God who called him out of his father's country. He must have experienced deep sorrow and pain and great perplexity. And yet, there is no indication in the text that Abraham questioned or objected to this command.
The story goes on to tell of how Abraham got up early the next morning and saddled his donkey to go and obey God in this command. A very significant conversation took place between Abraham and Isaac after they had arrived at Mount Moriah: Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes my son? "Abraham replied. "The fire and the wood are here, "Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? "And then, Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." (verses 3-8)
In verses 9 through 14, we read: When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord cried out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said, "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
"Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide (or, "Jehovah-Jireh" in the KJV). And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."
This is the historical incident out of which this name, Jehovah-Jireh arises. And it is a very significant incident which is later highlighted in the New Testament in Hebrews 11:17-19, in the heroic acts of faith mentioned in that chapter. However, the greatest significance of this event is not Abraham's faith, but the amazing truth which is revealed about God Himsel.,
THE MEANING OF THE NAME
The word jireh is a transliteration of a Hebrew word which appears many times throughout the Scriptures. It is a form of the verb "to see." Its use here in the story of Abraham and Isaac has the meaning of God making a provision. This meaning comes from the fact that God "sees" beforehand what is needed and makes provision accordingly.
In fact, the word "provision" is actually a compound of two Latin words meaning "to see beforehand." Also, in the dictionary, "provide" is the verb and "prevision" is the noun of seeing beforehand.
Therefore, the significance of this name, Jehovan-jireh, is that God foresees our need and makes provision to meet that need. That is why some translations (i.e. the NIV) are perfectly correct when they translate this name, Jehovah-jireh, "God will provide."
SOME KEY LESSONS:
- A Commemoration:
In verse 14 we are told that Abraham called the name of that place "Jehovah-jireh," or "the Lord will provide." That place was, therefore, to serve as a constant reminder of the wonderful grace of Jehovah.
An overwhelming horror must have flooded Abraham's soul as he thought of plunging the knife into the body of his son. Remember, this was Abraham's only son, the son he had longed for and prayed for, the child of his old age. Imagine the relief and the sense of deliverance Abraham must have experienced.
Furthermore, it is of tremendous significance that this was the Mount Moriah which later became the site of the Temple and the place where the sacrificial system of Israel's worship was practiced (II Chronicles 3:1). The very heart of Israel's system of worship had to do with substitutionary sacrifices.
Therefore, this great event commemorated God's faithful provision for Abraham's need. It commemorated God's amazing grace and deliverance.
- Prediction:
The name which Abraham gave to this place, "Jehovah-Jireh," means "Jehovah will provide," not merely "Jehovah doeth provide." Abraham clearly saw more in this event than an immediate provision and the deliverance that came with it. There are a number of allusions to this event in Genesis 22 in the New Testament which indicate that Abraham saw more than the immediate provision and deliverance in it.
In John 8:56, for example, Jesus said to the Jews, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it and was glad. Whether or not Abraham knew about God's promise recorded later in Genesis 3:15 is arguable, however, Scripture seems to indicate that he looked forward to a deliverer whom God would send into this world. Jesus himself seemed to confirm this in the verse quoted above.
Therefore, an important lesson we are to learn from this event is the lesson of hope! Jehovah is a God who always provides. He always foresees our need and makes provision to meet it. II Peter 1:3 says, His divine power has given us everything we need... ,
THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE
There is profound spiritual significance to this event in Genesis 22. Abraham understood the' reality of sin and he recognized the need for atonement. The many altars he had built and the many sacrifices he had offered were proof of this fact.
It seems inevitable that Abraham would have understood at least one important lesson from this experience. God was impressing upon Abraham the temporary and inadequate character of all these other sacrifices. Hebrews 10:4 notes that it was impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. These were only shadows of a sacrifice infinitely more worthy.
Abraham was made to understand that even Isaac was not an acceptable sacrifice. None born of flesh alone could suffice. Isaiah 40:16 says: Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. Only the infinite Son of God who humbled Himself and was made to be of like nature with mankind could provide an acceptable sacrifice!
God was teaching Abraham that the only sacrifice acceptable to Him is the one chosen and appointed by Himself. On Mount Moriah, God was teaching Abraham (and all of us now) what He Himself was willing to provide. He was indicating something of the awful cost to Himself of the provision, the sacrifice for sin He would supply.
The Old Testament prophets speak of the glory of Mount Moriah, the mountain of the Lord (Isaiah 2:2-3; 56:6-7 & 13; Micah 4:1-2; Zech. 7:3, etc.). The glory to which the prophets referred was not merely the glory of a temple made with hands. Hebrews 11 says that Abraham looked for one ...which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Abraham undoubtedly also looked for a better and more enduring sacrifice. And the Mount Moriah of which he spoke when he said, On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided (Gen. 22:14), became the site of Calvary and the scene of that grand and awesome sacrifice of God's only begotten and much loved Son, who would suffer the judgment of our sins upon Himself as our sin-sacrifice upon the cross.
Also, Abraham and Isaac, as father and son, were types of Jehovah's provision for our sin when He sent His only beloved Son into the world; For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son... (John 3:16). The Apostle Paul said, he spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, (Romans 8:32). Also, the Apostle John said: In this was manifested the love of God toward us, in that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him (I John 4:9).
Therefore, when Isaac asked his father, Abraham, Where is the lamb? and Abraham answered, God will provide himself a lamb (Genesis 22:7,8), there was deep and profound spiritual significance to these words. John the Baptist later said of Jesus, Behold the lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
Jesus, the Son of God, is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). God foresaw our need and made this provision before the world began (Ephesians 1:3-8). It is through the blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot, we are redeemed (I Peter 1:18, 19). He is the lamb who is at the center of heaven's glory (Revelation 5:11-13):
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give (or "provide") us all things? (Romans 8:31-32). And my God will meet (or provide for) your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ (Phil. 4:19).