God Will Provide For Himself
My Context:
Due to the beginning of a new fiscal year and our reassessment of the cost of living in N. Raleigh, etc., our budget has increased. As our budget increases so also does our support raising need. This can be stressful for someone whose livelihood comes from faith-based support. As I was praying yesterday and casting my burdens on the Lord I was doing what we often do in those situations - reminding God of His promises to us. I was reminding the Lord (or perhaps, more importantly, reminding myself) of the promise in Philippians that Paul (who was also living on faith-based support at the time) boldly proclaims, “my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (4:19). I was also reminded of the name of God which we all too casually toss around in our songs and our prayers, YHWH Jireh. As one who considers himself to be somewhat of a Bible snob a pet peeve of mine is when people generally attribute things to Scripture and either have no idea where Scripture says it or just flat out misquote Scripture. Not wanting to be guilty of annoying my own self I needed to see from where exactly that name of God comes.
An Examination of Scripture:
This search led me to a passage in Genesis that has lost its horrific impact due to our familiarity with its story. We’ve become calloused to its sting because we’ve read the story countless times. I’ve preached sermons based on this passage. I’ve drawn a hundred conclusions from this story which, if I were the editor of Scripture, I would have excluded from the biblical narrative. I hate the story and it makes me uncomfortable. It is the story of God telling Abraham to offer his son, his only son, as a burnt offering. The Holy Spirit, yesterday, led me to a part of this story that I have overlooked every single time I have read this story.
YHWH Jireh comes from verse 14 in Genesis 22. Isaac has made the hike with his father and asks his father where the lamb is for the sacrifice. Abraham’s response to his still-in-the-dark son is, “God will provide...” Of course we know that God does provide a ram in the thicket. Abraham then, in a moment of tearful worship and exhausted awe of God’s faithfulness names that place YHWH Jireh. The translation here is tricky. YHWH Jireh can mean “the LORD will see.” It can also mean “the LORD will appear.” Many translators and commentators connect verse 14 with verse 8 and render it “the LORD will provide.” All 3 options fit within the story, and all 3 options fit within the prophetic nature of this story. Especially when we consider that this very Mount Moriah is geographically very close to the mount where Jesus was crucified, so we can definitively say in retrospect what Abraham said in faith, that on the Mount of the LORD he provides.
All of this I already knew. These verses have been comfort, worship, encouragement for me on many occasions. Today He led me to one small preposition - for. In verse 8, Abraham says, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering (ESV).” It is a tragedy that about half of the English translations leave out this preposition. Many say God himself will provide..., or God will provide himself... But the power of Abraham’s statement as a demonstration of his extreme faith lies in that simple for. Abraham is saying that God is going to provide a sacrifice; but that sacrifice is not so that Abraham will be spared the torture of killing his only son, that sacrifice is not so that Isaac will be spared his young life, that sacrifice God will be providing for Himself. It is not for Abraham, it is not for Isaac, it is for Himself, for His own glory, for His own worship!
WOW!
What a complete perspective changer.
That which we offer to God as sacrifice and worship He has given to Himself. It is not ours. It never was. God did not provide Isaac for Abraham and Sarah, he provided Isaac for Himself. God did not provide the ram in the thicket to relieve Abraham from having to return home and tell Sarah what he did to Isaac, He provided the ram as a worship offering to Himself. God did not give you that gift, or that talent, or that financial blessing so that you could bless God with it, God gave it to Himself. He gave that beautiful voice of yours as a gift to Himself, so that He could be worshiped in it. He gave that financial blessing as a gift to Himself, to be used for the furthering of His Kingdom. And what a blessing it is that we are the conduits through which the Lord gives to Himself!
Application:
I don’t think it is an exegetical stretch to say also that the financial support which the Lord has blessed us with over the past 6 years He has provided for Himself. I need not ask that the Lord would provide for us the support that we need, but simply trust that He will provide for Himself that which brings Him glory. I can only pray and endeavor for the ministry that this support enables us to work to be aimed only at His glory.
Due to the beginning of a new fiscal year and our reassessment of the cost of living in N. Raleigh, etc., our budget has increased. As our budget increases so also does our support raising need. This can be stressful for someone whose livelihood comes from faith-based support. As I was praying yesterday and casting my burdens on the Lord I was doing what we often do in those situations - reminding God of His promises to us. I was reminding the Lord (or perhaps, more importantly, reminding myself) of the promise in Philippians that Paul (who was also living on faith-based support at the time) boldly proclaims, “my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (4:19). I was also reminded of the name of God which we all too casually toss around in our songs and our prayers, YHWH Jireh. As one who considers himself to be somewhat of a Bible snob a pet peeve of mine is when people generally attribute things to Scripture and either have no idea where Scripture says it or just flat out misquote Scripture. Not wanting to be guilty of annoying my own self I needed to see from where exactly that name of God comes.
An Examination of Scripture:
This search led me to a passage in Genesis that has lost its horrific impact due to our familiarity with its story. We’ve become calloused to its sting because we’ve read the story countless times. I’ve preached sermons based on this passage. I’ve drawn a hundred conclusions from this story which, if I were the editor of Scripture, I would have excluded from the biblical narrative. I hate the story and it makes me uncomfortable. It is the story of God telling Abraham to offer his son, his only son, as a burnt offering. The Holy Spirit, yesterday, led me to a part of this story that I have overlooked every single time I have read this story.
YHWH Jireh comes from verse 14 in Genesis 22. Isaac has made the hike with his father and asks his father where the lamb is for the sacrifice. Abraham’s response to his still-in-the-dark son is, “God will provide...” Of course we know that God does provide a ram in the thicket. Abraham then, in a moment of tearful worship and exhausted awe of God’s faithfulness names that place YHWH Jireh. The translation here is tricky. YHWH Jireh can mean “the LORD will see.” It can also mean “the LORD will appear.” Many translators and commentators connect verse 14 with verse 8 and render it “the LORD will provide.” All 3 options fit within the story, and all 3 options fit within the prophetic nature of this story. Especially when we consider that this very Mount Moriah is geographically very close to the mount where Jesus was crucified, so we can definitively say in retrospect what Abraham said in faith, that on the Mount of the LORD he provides.
All of this I already knew. These verses have been comfort, worship, encouragement for me on many occasions. Today He led me to one small preposition - for. In verse 8, Abraham says, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering (ESV).” It is a tragedy that about half of the English translations leave out this preposition. Many say God himself will provide..., or God will provide himself... But the power of Abraham’s statement as a demonstration of his extreme faith lies in that simple for. Abraham is saying that God is going to provide a sacrifice; but that sacrifice is not so that Abraham will be spared the torture of killing his only son, that sacrifice is not so that Isaac will be spared his young life, that sacrifice God will be providing for Himself. It is not for Abraham, it is not for Isaac, it is for Himself, for His own glory, for His own worship!
WOW!
What a complete perspective changer.
That which we offer to God as sacrifice and worship He has given to Himself. It is not ours. It never was. God did not provide Isaac for Abraham and Sarah, he provided Isaac for Himself. God did not provide the ram in the thicket to relieve Abraham from having to return home and tell Sarah what he did to Isaac, He provided the ram as a worship offering to Himself. God did not give you that gift, or that talent, or that financial blessing so that you could bless God with it, God gave it to Himself. He gave that beautiful voice of yours as a gift to Himself, so that He could be worshiped in it. He gave that financial blessing as a gift to Himself, to be used for the furthering of His Kingdom. And what a blessing it is that we are the conduits through which the Lord gives to Himself!
Application:
I don’t think it is an exegetical stretch to say also that the financial support which the Lord has blessed us with over the past 6 years He has provided for Himself. I need not ask that the Lord would provide for us the support that we need, but simply trust that He will provide for Himself that which brings Him glory. I can only pray and endeavor for the ministry that this support enables us to work to be aimed only at His glory.
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