Genesis 22:14 NKJV And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
There was a series of events that led up to this moment when Abraham told his son Isaac, Jehovah Jireh — “The Lord Will Provide.”
A short review of Abraham’s past helps us understand the faith that he had in God.
After the flood, all of the peoples of the earth came from Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Part of God’s covenant with Noah was for them to be fruitful and multiply, and repopulate the whole earth, (Genesis 9:7). Noah lived 950 years before he died. His long life gave him the opportunity to influence his many descendants and give testimony of God’s faithfulness. Genesis 10 shows the rapid growth of Noah’s descendants.
After the flood, everyone on the whole earth had one language and one speech.
Everyone settled down and lived in the land of Shinar. They built the city and tower of Babel which became the principal city of ancient paganism known as Babylon. It became a site of confusion once God confused the language of all people there.
After the tower of Babel and the rebellion against God, people were scattered over the face of the earth.
From that moment, people lived progressively shorter lives. Noah lived 950 years. Shem lived 600 years. Nahor the great grandfather of Abraham lived 148 years.
While Abraham was living in Ur of the Chaldeans, he married his wife Sarai, but she had no children. God spoke to Abraham while he was in that land of confusion and paganism.
Genesis 12:1-3 NKJV Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
It always impressed me that Abraham was 75 years old when God spoke to him.
The older I get the more I appreciate the challenge that it must have been to get up and leave everything you knew. I acknowledge the confidence that he had in God. Out of all of the peoples that were on the earth, God chose Abraham.
As soon as Abraham heard the word from God, he took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son and all their possessions and departed to go to Canaan.
Genesis 15:6 NLT And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
Abraham’s life was marked by faith in God.
From the moment He spoke to him in Ur of the Chaldeans, Abraham believed God. His faith and trust in God would impact him and his wife Sarah, and their posterity. God promised that he would be blessed and would be made a great nation. As a result of that blessing, all the families of the earth would be blessed. Before he witnessed the fruit of God’s covenant, Abraham believed God and walked in obedience to faith. It is one thing to walk in God’s blessing, and it is another to believe God before the blessing comes. Abraham believed in the integrity of God.
Throughout his life, Abraham believed God.
He found God to be faithful when he left his family. God was faithful when he settled down in Canaan. Even when famine came and he took wife and possessions and went to Egypt, Abraham believed God. While down in Egypt, God multiplied his possessions and blessed him. Lot and his herdsmen separated from Abraham, and settled in the plain of Jordan, in Sodom.
Genesis 13:14-16 NKJV And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.
It wasn’t long after Lot settled in Sodom that three kings came and took all of the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their possessions. Lot, Abraham’s brother’s son, was also taken. Because Abraham was walking in God’s blessing and favor, he was able to take back all that the enemy had stolen.
Genesis 15:1 NLT Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”
You need to know that Abraham was getting older, and he was becoming more aware that he and Sarah did not have a child. Even when you are walking by faith, you are not exempt from speculating how God will do what He said.
Genesis 15:3-5 NLT Abraham said, “You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
Genesis 15:6 NKJV And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
You need to know that everyone who walks in faith is going to face the trial of their faith.
After God renewed His covenant, Abraham and Sarah still did not have a child.
Do you know that it is hard to believe when everything around you questions your faith and trust in God? Have you ever tried to figure out how God was going to do what He said?
When Sarah saw that she was still barren, she gave Hagar, her Egyptian maidservant, to be Abraham’s wife.
God had not made a promise to Abraham and Hagar. Hagar had a son and called him Ishmael, but he was not the promised son. Now Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. It had been 11 years since Abraham had left his homeland. God had given him promise and renewed it, but he and Sarah still did not have a son. Thirteen years later God appeared to Abraham once again.
Genesis 17:1-2 NKJV When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
While God was renewing His covenant with Abraham, He spoke of Sarah his wife.
Genesis 17:16-18 NKJV And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”
Sometimes it is easier to believe in the blessing you have in your hand than the promise.
Genesis 17:19 NKJV Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.”
Then God said within the set time next year, Sarah will have a son.
In Genesis 18, the Lord appears to Abraham the fifth time.
Now Abraham and Sarah were well advanced in age, and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Then the Lord told Abraham, “Sarah your wife shall have a son.” Sarah was listening and she laughed within herself.
Genesis 18:14 NKJV Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
During the next year much happened in their lives.
Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their wickedness. Lot fled to the mountains of Zoar. Abraham and Sarah traveled to Egypt. Then just as the Lord had promised, Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age. Twenty-five years after he left Ur of the Chaldeans, when Abraham was 100 years old, Isaac was born.
Some time later, God tested Abraham.
Have you ever thought you have been through enough in life?
You know that you believe in God. You know that you have walked by faith. You know that you are going to stay true to the Lord. Yet, here comes another test of your faith. There must come a time in your life that you truly have faith in God.
Genesis 22:1-7 NKJV Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Something just did not look right to Isaac. “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb?”
Genesis 22:8 NKJV And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
Here is a lesson we all need to learn. God will provide. Even when you cannot see how it can happen, God will provide.
Genesis 22:9-10 NKJV Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
The Book of Hebrews tells us that Abraham believed that God was able to raise him up from the dead. This is what we call “walking by faith.” Abraham believed God. As soon as he stretched out his hand to slay his son, the Angel of the Lord stopped him and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” The Lord said, “I know that you fear God!” As soon as Abraham heard the Lord, he looked behind him and a ram was caught in the thicket.
Genesis 22:14 NLT Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Whatever you are facing, you need to come to this place where you know, Yahweh-Yireh.
Jehovah Jireh — “The Lord Will Provide.” God has the answer for your greatest test of faith. He has provided the Lamb. Jesus Christ is the answer for your greatest test of faith.