I invite you to take a journey with me through a very familiar biblical story. I want to take you through the story behind Abraham calling God, “Jehovah Jirah”.
I. God often asks His followers for their best in order to test their faith. 22:1-2
The introductory note in the first two verses puts the whole story in perspective for the reader. He tells us that this is test. But for Abraham it was not. God did not tell him that it was. And God took this another step further and gave him some clear instructions. God is so specific in what he wanted Abraham to do. “Take your Son and offer him as a burnt offering”. To make this test a little harder for Abraham, God reminded him that this was his only son, and a son who is loved dearly.
Imagine the thoughts that must have crossed Abraham’s mind. His thoughts must have gone all the way back to Ur. Did I leave my land and my people for this? Did not God promise me a son? Isn’t Isaac that promised son? Is God making a mistake? Normal thoughts of a human beings must have crisscrossed his mind.
Now, I want you to imagine something else. Imagine God asking Albert Einstein for his brain or Sachin Tendulkar for his arms, Lionel Messi for his legs, Mukesh Ambani for all his wealth. Or God asking you for your prized possession; whether it is a person or a thing. How would you respond?
The point is profound and crystal clear. God wants your best. Understand that from God’s point of view, when He asks you to surrender your best, He is not taking anything away from you. He is making sure that He alone is your priority over anyone or anything. As God did with Abraham, He often asks His followers for their best in order to test their faith.
Has he already asked you for something or someone that is near and dear to you?
II. Committed followers obey God even when things do not make complete sense 22:3-10
It is unclear the exact time God spoke to Abraham. It could have been during the previous day or it could have been during his sleep. In any case the that test tells us that he rose up early. I am assuming that he rose up from where the was laying not necessarily from sleep. But what follows is absolute obedience. No questioning or quarrelling with God. Abraham’s obedience is described for us in a series of verbs. He rose up; he saddled; he took two servants and Isaac; he gathered firewood and he went.
It is my opinion that this was a three-day long test. Because the writer tells us that they arrived on the third day. The duration points to the hard nature of the test as well as to the quality of Abraham’s faith. Three days were plenty enough for Abraham to change his mind and return or to have wrestled with God with words. Neither happened. He obeyed all the way to Moriah even though it may not have made complete sense to him.
They arrived perhaps at the foothills of this mountain and Abraham spoke. When you read this and the question that will come from Isaac, you almost get the picture that this was a very quiet trip. He told the servants to wait there while he climbs the hill with his son for worship. Then there is identical reacting of the preparation. Just as Abraham got the wood and the boy, here too he gets the wood and the boy; to be specific put the wood on the boy. But too additional things are mentioned here, fire and the knife. The readers understand fully that these two necessary items for the sacrifice were brought from home but to heighten the intensity of the story and to emphasize the genuine faith of Abraham, the writer gives these details. Other words, Abraham meant business. To take the boy and the wood is faith but to take a knife to slaughter the boy and fire to kindle the wood was faith a higher level.
But Isaac was not impressed with this faith. The curious lad said, “we have everything for the worship but the lamb”. I am sure Abraham anticipated this question a long time ago. He may even have rehearsed an answer several times over. But when you take the whole story into account, you know that the words uttered were not fanciful but of faith. He answered, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” This statement highlights Abraham’s great faith. He was not merely trying to calm the child. Abraham’s actions in this story tells us that he believed in God for provision but did not wait around for it, rather went ahead with God’s instructions.
Father and son arrived at the location. He built an alter and laid wood upon it. Then he bound his son and laid him on it. He lifted the knife in the air to sacrifice the child. Is this faith at a dangerous level? No. To take the boy and the wood was faith and now to take a knife to slaughter the boy and fire to kindle the wood was faith a higher level. Now to actually raise the knife to kill the boy was faith at the highest level. Few men and women in history possessed this kind of faith.
What does it teach us? Committed followers obey God even when things do not make complete sense. I can think of lots of questions that Abraham could have asked to clarify the matter and to delay the process. He did not. His steps proved that he trusted God fully even when things did not match up. Please know that this is not blind faith. It was faith generated by years of intense experience with the Almighty.
Committed followers are rewarded with provision when they take steps of faith 22:11-14
As the hand of Abraham went up, God stepped in. He said “do not touch the child”. You have not withheld him from me so I am pleased. It is possible for God to be pleased with you even before you actually worship him. Abraham lifted his head and saw a ram caught in the thicket. He took it and sacrificed. Then he named the place, “God will provide”. Abraham would never have seen the provision had he sat idly at home. He took steps of faith; I would say hard steps of faith. Finally, as he had told his son earlier, God indeed provided.
Some of you may be the only one in your family to seek college education. So, all odds are against you. You may have doubts of your own. But friend, if you have clear instructions from the Lord, move ahead and let him remove the doubts and obstacles. Let him do the provision. When we take steps of faith, God rewards with His provision. Please keep in mind that committed followers are rewarded with provision when they take steps of faith.
Whatever you might be going through life, will you etch in your mind this truth “When the true worshipper is willing give God his/her best in obedience, God provides.” Then, like Abraham, you too will call Him, Jehovah Jireh.