Jehovah Jireh

“Jehovah Jireh, my provider, his grace is sufficient for me, for me, for me.” Maybe you remember this praise song from the 1980’s. It comes from the difficult, but climactic, story of God’s test of Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis 22. Jehovah Jireh is an expression of trust.

In February we started the retirement move. With unknown factors, too little time, difficult moving logistics, costs, and too much stuff, we were overwhelmed. Old friends unexpectantly stopped in, helped us pack, and drove my classic Mustang to Michigan. Then family came and helped. We found a place to rent in Kalamazoo starting in May. Jehovah Jireh.

Abraham’s Pilgrimage

The Abraham story is about learning to trust God. God calls Abraham into an unknown pilgrimage. 

Abram initially responds to God’s call, but then he fails repeatedly. He fails in Egypt. He fails with Hagar. His family fails when Lot chooses luxury and is corrupted. Sarah laughs in doubt. Hagar rebels. Still God promises and provides. 

At the climax, as they approach Mount Moriah, Isaac asks where the sacrificial lamb is. Abraham responds, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Gen. 22:8). Did he believe this, or did he just not want to tell Isaac the truth? When God provided, the narrator says, “So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord Will Provide’.” Jehovah Jireh. “And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided’” (22:14).

Israel’s Journey

The narrator adds “to this day” as an application to Israel, likely after the temple had been built. “The mountain of the Lord” where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac is also the temple mount. When God sent judgment on David, David repented and offered a sacrifice on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. God provides forgiveness and stops the plague. 2 Chronicles 3:1 says, “Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David.” And to this day, Jehovah Jireh. 

The Church’s Odyssey

The Lord calls the church to follow in a chaotic world of sin. There are unknowns and bewilderments. Life in the church feels like Paul’s journey to Rome in Acts 27-28, which might reflect Homer’s Odyssey. We are heading towards a goal, but the way is stormy. There are headwinds, poor decisions, and fears of shipwreck. Some are feeling stranded, estranged, and even poisonously bitten. “But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost . . . Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved” (Acts 27:22, 31).

Mount Moriah, the place of Abraham’s test, is where Jesus died and rose. And to this day, Jehovah Jireh.