The God who provides. (Jehovah
Jireh)
Genesis 22:9-15 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” 12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the LORD will provide”).
I often wonder if I were in Abraham’s position, would I have gone that far? What was going through his mind when he bound his son and laid him on the altar? Did he show any kind of emotion? Was he shedding tears? I often wonder, when he lifted up his hand with the knife ready to slay his son, what was he feeling. Was he looking into Isaac's eyes or were his eyes closed? What about Isaac? The Bible does not record Isaac saying anything, resisting or showing any kind of reaction through this process. It is as though he went along with it. Did he think his father had lost it? Was he scared? What was going through his mind?
Right at the moment where Abraham had already sacrificed his son in his heart and he was going through with it in the physical, knife in hand and all, God shows up and provides a ram. God did not provide when Abraham started the journey but rather, He provided when Abraham was in full obedience. Just because he made the journey and went up the mountain, or just because he build an altar and even went as far as laying his son on the altar did not mean that he had fully obeyed. He could have gotten that far and changed his mind. The moment he had a knife in hand and he was about to take out his son, then he was in full obedience doing what God had told him to do and that is when God provided the ram
I often wonder, where did the ram come from? Was it there all along waiting for Abraham to show up? Did it drop down from heaven? Could it have been part of a flock but it got lost and eventually it was caught in the thicket at the right place at the right time? Maybe as Abraham and his son were climbing up the mountain on one side, Gods provision in the form of a ram was wondering all alone climbing up the mountain on the other side.
Could it be that God had already provided long before but Abraham was made aware of this provision at the point of full obedience? If he had not fully obeyed, maybe if he had changed his mind right at the time when he lay Isaac on the altar, would he have seen Gods provision? I wonder.
What kind of test is God taking you through? I want to encourage you to take heart and walk in full obedience because only then will you see the fullness of Gods provision. Do not obey partially but hang in there and go all the way like Abraham did. It will not be easy but remember His strength is manifested in out weakness as we learn to trust in Him.
As you climb the mountain of obedience don’t give up half way but strive to climb to the top in obedience and as you full carry through with what He has told you to do His provision will be there waiting for you, because on the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided!
Practical ApplicationWalk in obedience to His decrees and He will show you His provision!
James Okumu
Presenter/ Producer
Activate
Hope FM
www.jamesokumu.com
www.hopefm.org
Genesis 22:9-15 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” 12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the LORD will provide”).
I often wonder if I were in Abraham’s position, would I have gone that far? What was going through his mind when he bound his son and laid him on the altar? Did he show any kind of emotion? Was he shedding tears? I often wonder, when he lifted up his hand with the knife ready to slay his son, what was he feeling. Was he looking into Isaac's eyes or were his eyes closed? What about Isaac? The Bible does not record Isaac saying anything, resisting or showing any kind of reaction through this process. It is as though he went along with it. Did he think his father had lost it? Was he scared? What was going through his mind?
Right at the moment where Abraham had already sacrificed his son in his heart and he was going through with it in the physical, knife in hand and all, God shows up and provides a ram. God did not provide when Abraham started the journey but rather, He provided when Abraham was in full obedience. Just because he made the journey and went up the mountain, or just because he build an altar and even went as far as laying his son on the altar did not mean that he had fully obeyed. He could have gotten that far and changed his mind. The moment he had a knife in hand and he was about to take out his son, then he was in full obedience doing what God had told him to do and that is when God provided the ram
I often wonder, where did the ram come from? Was it there all along waiting for Abraham to show up? Did it drop down from heaven? Could it have been part of a flock but it got lost and eventually it was caught in the thicket at the right place at the right time? Maybe as Abraham and his son were climbing up the mountain on one side, Gods provision in the form of a ram was wondering all alone climbing up the mountain on the other side.
Could it be that God had already provided long before but Abraham was made aware of this provision at the point of full obedience? If he had not fully obeyed, maybe if he had changed his mind right at the time when he lay Isaac on the altar, would he have seen Gods provision? I wonder.
What kind of test is God taking you through? I want to encourage you to take heart and walk in full obedience because only then will you see the fullness of Gods provision. Do not obey partially but hang in there and go all the way like Abraham did. It will not be easy but remember His strength is manifested in out weakness as we learn to trust in Him.
As you climb the mountain of obedience don’t give up half way but strive to climb to the top in obedience and as you full carry through with what He has told you to do His provision will be there waiting for you, because on the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided!
Practical ApplicationWalk in obedience to His decrees and He will show you His provision!
James Okumu
Presenter/ Producer
Activate
Hope FM
www.jamesokumu.com
www.hopefm.org
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