“And Abraham called the name of the place, ‘The Lord Will Provide…” Genesis 22:14
Calling God by one of His names should be a heartfelt approach to the one we put our trust in. When we call Him by one of His names, it can have meaning to our relationship, it can express our faith, or it can declare who God is in our situation.
One of the names given to describe God is Jehovah Jireh, also spelled Yireh. It is used once in the Bible, and it is used to describe God at Mt. Moriah, where Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac. Before Abraham made the sacrifice of his son, God provided a ram to be sacrificed as a substitute for Isaac. The word used for Jireh comes from the Hebrew word ra’ah. It means “to see or give attention to, to appear or be seen, to present oneself, to be shown, and to provide.”
When Abraham named the place at Mount Moriah as “Jehovah Jireh,” he was declaring “The Lord Will Provide.” It has been translated, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” In another translation it says, “In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.” Another translation says, “On this mountain the LORD is seen.” In others it says, “On the mountain of God, He sees to it.” God saw the need, and He showed Himself to be the one to meet the need. God wants us to see Him as our supply.
What I find interesting about this story of provision is something Abraham said in verse 8. Abraham knew a sacrifice was needed to be made in God’s presence. After the altar was prepared, Isaac asked Abraham where the sacrifice was, and Abraham answered his son, “God (elohiym) will provide (ra’ah) for Himself a sheep (or goat, flock) for the burnt offering.” Abraham expected God to provide, not just to provide Abraham’s need, but also to make a way to commune with His son. In Genesis, the ram was a substitute sacrifice for Isaac. Later, Jesus was a substitute sacrifice for all of us. Jesus was provided for us and for our Father, a Father who has a strong desire to be close to us, His children.
God sees the needs you have today, and today He wants you to see Him as the One who provides what you need. Remember, it’s personal. He doesn’t just want to be Abraham’s Jehovah Jireh; God wants to be your Jehovah Jireh. He wants to show Himself in the provision you receive.
Application: God is not just a promise maker; He is a promise keeper. Abraham believed God would keep His promise, even if it meant raising Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19). If you have a dream that seems to have died, believe your Provider to bring it back from the dead!