Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”
The above passage is taken in the middle of the story of Abraham offering Isaac on the alter, as a test from God. The capture the tension in the story we have to recall the journey Abraham has been on since the promise of having his "seed" fill the earth with little "Abrahams." God had promised Sarah, his wife, and Abraham that, in their old age, God would give Abraham an heir, through whom God would bless the nations. Sarah, of course, thinks this is humorous and laughs at God's notion that she could get pregnant at her age. To "make things happen" and to "help God out" she gives her handmaid to Abraham and she gives birth to Ishmael. That, of course, doesn't accomplish God's plan, because God had said it was through Sarah and Abraham that this blessing would happen, not through Abraham and Hager. Finally, at the age of 100 years, Abraham is blessed with a son, Isaac (appropriately named so ... his name means "laughter"). Now, in chapter twenty-two we see that Isaac, a young lad, is to be taken up to the mountain to be offered by Abraham. Abraham had faith that even if he did offer Isaac, this was the promised son. God had promised THIS child to be the blessing. Abraham had finally come to the place that he unequivocally believed God's promise. He was ready to take God's promise to the bank (Romans 4:20, 21). He even came to the place of faith (based upon the reasoning behind the promise) that if he did sacrifice Isaac, God would HAVE TO raise Isaac from the dead ... Isaac WAS the promised child. Read what the book Hebrews tells us about this story:
Hebrews 11:17-19
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “IN Isaac your descendants shall be called.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
This passage tells us that Abraham "considered" God is able to raise people from the dead. Abraham used his reasoning, based upon his faith, that God can provide, even in unusual ways, to accomplish His promises. Abraham goes to the extent to name the place, "Yehweh-jireh," - God will provide. The translation is actually, "God will see to it." Abraham knows that God "will see to it," no matter what, "see to it" means. God promises and then makes His promises happen. We are to "consider" the promises of God as they blend with the "power" of God. We ought not concentrate on our circumstances, but rather the equation of God's power mixed with God's promises. The truth is, if God promises He is obligated to make it happen. He is NOT obligated to make it happen how we believe it should happen. Ask Daniel, Joseph, Job, and many other of God people, about that truth. Through God's Word He gives us His promises and tells us about His power. We are to marry those thoughts and apply them to our situation. God will provide - Jehovah-Jireh!!!
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