You might fear, if I surrender completely to him, will God provide for all my needs?
In the previous posts we have seen in Genesis 22 that God tested Abraham by commanding him to journey to a distant mountain and there sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham obeyed God, to the point that he was moments away from slaying his son. At that moment God intervened and directed Abraham to a ram to sacrifice in Isaac’s place. The remainder of the story focuses on God’s nature as our provider.
The divine test to see whether we will surrender everything in our lives to God shows the pivotal role faith plays in that decision, particularly faith to believe in God’s provision.
During this trial, Abraham declared his faith in two ways, and in both cases his faith was answered.
We will return
First, when he and Isaac and the two servants arrived at the mountain for sacrifice and he prepared to depart from the two servants to ascend the mountain with Isaac, he told them, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you” (v. 5). Abraham’s words show that he expected Isaac to return with him after the sacrifice.
The New International Version makes it explicit: “We will worship and then we will come back to you” (italics added). “We” will come back to you. As he believed, so he received.
God will provide
Second, as he and Isaac climbed the mountain and Isaac asked about the lamb for the sacrifice, Abraham declared, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son,” (v. 8). As he believed, so he received. Somehow, sooner or later, in one way or another, faith receives answers.
This event was so important for Abraham and his descendants it inspired two lasting reminders: a name and a proverb.
A name
“Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The LORD will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided’” (v. 14). What impressed Abraham most in this experience was, “The Lord will provide,” so it became Abraham’s name for that mountain in Moriah. He now knew this truth in every fiber of his soul. As surely as he knew his own name, he knew “The LORD will provide.” The Lord will provide a Lamb. Eventually this truth found ultimate fulfillment in the Lord’s provision of a Savior who supplied our greatest need: the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
We need to believe “The LORD will provide” in every dimension of life, from food and housing to health and salvation. If we doubt that, we will suffer from fear and worry. We will ultimately trust ourselves, our works, other people, money, technology, techniques, government, employers, or knowledge more than we trust what Scripture reaffirms: “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
A proverb
The proverb based on this event adds something important to the name. The saying “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided” tells where God provides. Would Abraham have found the ram if he had gone to a mountain of his choosing? He likely had other favorites. But when God commanded him to sacrifice Isaac, he said, “Go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (v. 2). God chose the mountain for the sacrifice, and only there would Abraham find the ram from God. We have a similar proverb today: Where God guides he provides. We can count on God’s provision when we obey him.
After we pass a test and prove true to the Lord, we know him better. This is the ultimate reward of a test, for knowing God is better than life. We will trust in God’s love, faithfulness, and goodness more. We will love him more. After this severe test, what Abraham knew more profoundly was, The Lord Will Provide.
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