Jehovah Jireh ~ The Lord will Provide
Church culture today, typically highlights this name emphasizing financial benefit based primarily on Philippians 4:19. To understand Jehovah Jireh as only a provider of finances is very limiting to the character and nature of God.
As I’ve noted before, we are invited into the knowledge of God. The Apostle Peter actually instructs believers to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God. Since we are predestined to be conformed, God is working through His Spirit to reveal himself to us through and in every occurrence in life. The more we can see, understand and receive of Gods workings in the midst, the more we can align to His character and nature. There is the learning process of revelation and revelation occurs through the process of learning.
We are going to look at Abrahams process of learning who Jehovah Jireh is and see how His revelation grew with every experience he had in God. We are going to discover the offering of Issac is actually a culmination, a fullness of revelation for Abraham and his unshakable confidence in Jehovah Jireh.
Jehovah Jireh is a redemptive name and we see it’s ultimate fulfillment in the Father’s gift of Jesus. A redemptive name simply reveals God’s desire and nature for our restoration. Redemption is defined as repurchase: to get or win back. 2 : to free from what distresses or harms: to free from captivity by payment of ransom: to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental.
‘Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19
As we consider Abraham’s journey, we discover the process of his learning begins
in Genesis chapter twelve; called by God and given his initial promise.
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
Abraham moves out not knowing where he’s to go and comes to a land he learns the Lord will give to his offspring. His revelation builds upon this future promise of provision. With this revelation, Abraham builds an altar and worships the Lord. He moves on, settles on the east of Bethel and builds another altar to the Lord. Each time and place Abraham is seeing and increasing in the knowledge God and His provision.
Abraham learns in Egypt, the God who provides blessing also provides affliction on those who dishonour Abraham (cf Gen12:3). We find Pharaoh afflicted with great plagues and Abraham very rich in livestock, silver and gold. He’s learning the Lords provision is not just financial gain, but also divine judgment and deliverance.
We see this again within his relationship with Lot. Abrahams willingness to yield the better land and his intercession for Lot shows his growing knowledge and deepening dependence on Jehovah Jireh to provide.
Chapter fourteen we see Abraham expressing confidence in His God; ‘the most High, the possessor of Heaven and Earth’ and the one who provides for Him. Affirmed by God in Chapter fifteen, Abraham asks what God will give him since he has no child.
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Every time Abraham encounters the Lord, he is learning through the experience God is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. His revelation eventually becomes the heart knowledge that is foundational to His willingness to offer Issac. His learning process built the confidence for his trust in Jehovah Jireh so by the time He had gotten to this place He was firmly established in ‘the Lord will provide’.
Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Genesis 22:8
The altar Abraham built on this mount reveals a culmination of an established revelation which we also see as his unshakeable confidence expressed in Romans chapter four.
As we grow and increase in the knowledge of God, our personal revelations become the foundation that provide strength and stability for our times. From these, we truly do go from faith to faith, strength to strength and glory to glory.
Always mindful of Romans 8:32 ~
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things.