Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord Shall Provide
DAY 3 WRITTEN BY: ANDREW CRAIN-
Genesis 22:13-14
Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said, “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.”
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Hebrews 11:17-19 tells us that this mountaintop encounter in Genesis 22 was a test of Abraham’s faith after God had promised Abraham that his descendants would come through his son, Issac. God let Abraham go to the last moment toward sacrificing Issac—even to the point of raising the knife—only to provide the ram as a last second substitute sacrifice. The Lord did provide, but only after Abraham demonstrated his faith in believing that God would fulfill his prior promise even if Abraham did kill his son, Issac.
Abraham’s faith was not tested so that an all-knowing God could find out what Abraham would do. God already knew that. Instead, Abraham’s faith was tested both for his benefit and for ours. In placing his faith in God and seeing God provide a substitute sacrifice, Abraham’s faith undoubtedly grew as a result. In demonstrating his willingness to obey despite God’s instruction seemingly contradicting God’s prior promise, it should come as no surprise that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6).
You and I are also beneficiaries of Abraham’s exercise of faith. Abraham’s faithfulness was the result of a decision to obey God no matter what. Abraham’s faith was not an accident. Abraham decided to believe. And once that decision was made, Abraham’s actions followed accordingly. Abraham’s faith is a model for us all.
Additionally, just as God provided the ram as substitute sacrifice upon Abraham’s demonstration of faith, Jesus is provided as a substitute sacrifice for the payment of our sins upon the placement of faith in Him as our Lord and Savior. That is, God, as our provider, has provided for the salvation of those who decide to place their faith in the sacrificial lamb that is Christ. What have you decided?
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Lord, you are the God that provides. Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, in whom you provided as substitute payment for my sins so that I could be saved through the placement of my faith in Him. I pray that my actions every day would follow the decision to place my faith in Christ and to trust and obey your Word, such that You are glorified as a result.
