JEHOVAH-JIREH (THE LORD WILL PROVIDE)

Note: The nature of God is beyond our figuring out. We need help if we are going to begin to understand who God is and how we can relate to Him. It takes God to know God. This is why He gives us His many names that describe who He is. We need these many names to get a true picture of the nature of God. Over the next few Fridays, we will look at the different names of God in the scriptures. This week, we look at Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord will provide).

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19.

“Provision” is not something that most Americans think much about. We don’t think about it because it doesn’t impact our daily lives for most of us. We use the word euphemistically when we stock up on “provisions” for a road trip, meaning some soda, chips, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. In a spiritual context, we use the word to describe unexpected upgrades in life: when God provided for needs in apparent ways like a check in the mail to cover rent or the generosity of a friend to pay for a hospital bill. We recognize these as God’s provision, but we don’t go through life depending on provision.

The name “Jehovah Jireh” is first seen in Genesis 22:14: “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.”

In Genesis 22:2, we read, “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” Without hesitation, Abraham took steps towards obeying God. He intended to do the unthinkable because God asked him to. He trusted God to make a way to provide for the promise He had made. Even when Isaac asked his father where the sacrificial lamb was, Abraham exhibited great faith with his words: the Lord will provide. He then laid his son on the altar.

Pause for a second and consider this scene in your mind. Abraham stands over his son, distraught in anguish, as sweat pours from his brow. For a moment, he turns away to gain composure, then clinches his teeth and lifts the knife high into the air, pausing just long enough to secure control of the blade in his quivering hand. Suddenly, he hears a voice say, “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” God had provided a sacrifice.

God did the same for us. God wasn’t providing a physical need for Abraham. Jehovah Jireh gave the gift of life. He saved Isaac’s life by providing an alternate sacrifice in his place. He kept His promise to Abraham by sparing his only son’s life so he could go on to become a great nation. We often think of God as a genie who grants wishes based on our faithfulness. We credit Him for providing us with homes, families, jobs, and riches. But God’s provision does not stop there. God is Jehovah Jireh because He sent us Jesus. In John 10:10, Jesus states, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” You see, Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. God perfected His provision for us by offering up His Son, Jesus. In doing so, He gave us everything we could ever need to be fulfilled, and He did it freely. When you think of God as Jehovah Jireh, the great Provider, you must stop and think about all the ways God provides for your needs.

Discussion Questions:

What does the name “Jehovah Jireh” (The Lord Will Provide) mean to you in your personal faith journey?
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to trust God despite it not making sense at the time? How did you navigate that situation?
In what ways can we see God’s provision in our daily lives, even when we don’t understand His plans?