The God Who Sees to It

Scripture Reading

We open the Word to Genesis chapter 22, which you immediately recognize as the account of the offering up of Isaac.

And it came to pass after these things that God did test Abraham, and said unto him, "Abraham." And he said, "Behold, here I am."
And He said, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and cut the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

And Abraham said unto his young men, "Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder, and worship, and come again unto you."

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son. And he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, "My father." And he said, "Here am I, my son."

And Isaac said, "Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering."

And they came both of them together unto the place which God had told him of. And Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham." And he said, "Here am I."

And He said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me."

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh: as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen."

And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, "By Myself I have sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice."

So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. 

And Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

The Significance of Names

 “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh.”

In the Bible, a person's name is much more than identification. In the Bible, a person's name also is information. In the Word of God, a person is given a name that reveals what he is. The very name Isaac means "laughter" because Isaac brought joy into the hearts of Abraham and Sarah, and Sarah laughed when she heard she was going to have a son. So she named her son Isaac.

Abraham's name had been Abram, meaning "exalted father." God changed it to Abraham, meaning "father of a multitude." You remember that Jacob's name was changed to Israel (“a prince”), and Simon's name was changed to Peter. Simon means "a hearer," and Peter means "a rock." Not only were men given names to indicate their character and their place in God's work, but God's names do this as well.

The Name Jehovah Jireh

As you read the Word of God, you find that our great God has many different names. He has a great name of power, "God Almighty," and the great name of Covenant, "Jehovah Jireh." In the Bible, at least seven times in the Old Testament, the name Jehovah is linked to another name. Jehovah is "I Am that I Am." When God revealed Himself to Moses, He said, "By My name Jehovah, I shall be known. I am that I am."

Our Lord Jesus picked up that name, Jehovah, and finished it for us. "I am the light of the world," "I am the bread of life," "I am the True Vine." So Jehovah is seven times in the Old Testament linked to another name to reveal to us what God is like.

Here in Genesis 22:14, Abraham takes the little Hebrew word that means "to see" and links it with Jehovah: Jehovah Jireh, which really has three meanings to it. I want you to remember these meanings. It means the Lord will see to it, it means the Lord will be seen, and it can mean the Lord will make it clear.

Assurance in Jehovah Jireh

I want to take those three meanings of the name Jehovah Jireh just to encourage you tonight. Some of you are having a rough time. Some of you are facing a week that's going to be very demanding. The name Jehovah Jireh is a name that God gives to us when we're going through the tests of life. He said, "This is My name; remember it." This chapter begins with the Lord testing Abraham. Now, when you're going through a time of testing, remember this name of the Lord, Jehovah Jireh, because the meaning of this name gives us three very wonderful assurances. I want you to lay hold of these assurances. Don't give up, don't quit, don't feel like God's forgotten you. Just lay hold of these assurances. 

Assurance Number One: The Lord Will See to It

Assurance number one: The Lord will see to it. The Lord will provide. "Provide" just means "to see in advance." “Pro” means beforehand. Everybody knows what video means, even if you never took Latin: “to see.” Pro video, “to see in advance.” Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will see to it. The Lord has gone before; He's taking care of it. If you're going to be like Abraham and live a life of faith, you're going to be tested. Lot didn't go through this. God didn't have to ask Lot to go through this kind of circumstance. You know why? The world revealed what Lot was. You find Christians who are living carnal lives, sewage lives, gutter lives, worldly lives. They don't face tests like this. They couldn't take it. If they did face it, it's the person who's walking by faith. It's the person who says, "My life's in God's hands. I want Him to direct me all the way. My Savior leads me. I'm going to walk by faith and not by sight." The life of faith is always tested because a faith that can't be tested can't be trusted. And God puts you and me through tests for several reasons. First of all, that we might find out what we're like ourselves. Oh, you say, "I know what I'm like." Oh no, you don't. Oh no, you don't. Nobody does. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? You say, "Well, I know my own heart." No, you don't. Peter thought he did, Lord, though everybody else forsake you. I'll go with you to prison and death. Oh, did he? No, he was sincere, but he was dead wrong. And God puts us through tests that we might come to know ourselves.

But God puts us through tests for another reason. God tests us that He might bring out the best in us. The devil tempts us that he might bring out the worst in us. And God tested Abraham so that Abraham's faith might grow and that God might be able to say to Abraham, when it was all over, "I will bless thee." The blessing doesn't come at the beginning of the test. The blessing doesn't always come in the middle of the test, but when the test is all over and we've trusted God and we've obeyed God, then God comes along and says, "I will bless thee," because now I know I can trust you with a blessing. And so the life of faith is a life of testing.

Now, as you walk in this life of faith, the tests become more difficult. Is there somebody here tonight who has the idea that the longer you walk with the Lord, the easier it gets? There's somebody here tonight who says, "Boy, I got saved months ago, a year ago, and man, it's going to be easier and easier." I've got news for you: It gets harder and harder. In fact, I've got a shocking revelation to give to you. When you first start walking by faith and trusting the Lord, your biggest problem is your neighbor—other people, unsaved friends, unsaved relatives make life difficult for you. But then, as you start progressing in your spiritual life, your biggest problem is not other people. Your biggest problem is yourself.

But here's the revelation that may shock you: As you continue walking by faith and growing in the Lord, your biggest problems will be with the Lord. God will do things you can't explain, and God will demand things you can't understand. When Abraham first began his walk of faith, his biggest problem was his father and his brethren and his nephew. God said, "Abraham, get out of your land and leave your family." So he took his father along; he was delayed till his father died. He took Lot along; he got into trouble till Lot got out of there. When Abraham began that walk of faith, his biggest problem was other people. Then, when he got that thing settled, his biggest problem became Abraham himself. He started doing things his own way, and he begat Ishmael, and Ishmael was born. He loved Ishmael. Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn son, and God said, "You throw Ishmael out and you cast Hagar out." And his biggest problem was with himself. He cried out and said, "Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee." But you get to Genesis chapter 22. Abraham's problem is not with people. Abraham's problem is not with himself. His biggest problem is with God.

Trust and Obedience

God says, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom thou lovest." This is the first occasion for the word "love" in the Bible. God, how could you do this? You gave me Isaac. He's an answer to prayer. He's a fulfillment of promise. God, how can we do this? Abraham didn't argue. Abraham obeyed because he knew God. Jehovah, the Lord will see to it. And as Father and Son were walking together, as only Father and Son can walk, Isaac, who was not a little kid pictured in a Sunday school paper but a young man, asks the logical question, "Behold, you've got the wood and here's the fire. Where is the lamb?" And Abraham said, "God will see to it. I'm trusting Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will see to it." And somebody here tonight is facing something this week that keeps you awake, and the devil is saying, "How can you go through that?" And the answer is, "Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will see to it." God provides for your future. God never asks you to step out without preparing the way. When He puts forth His sheep, He goes before them. Now, when, and where, and how, and to whom, and what, and why is He Jehovah Jireh?

Let's just quickly run down that list of questions. How can God be to you and to me the Lord who sees to it? Where does He see to it? In the place where He sends you. If Abraham had stayed home, God wouldn't have seen to it. If he had gone to some mountain someplace else, God wouldn't have seen to it. When the child of God is in the place where God sends him, then God sees to it. When does He see to it? Just when we need it. God didn't give them the ram before they left home, and God didn't give them the ram while they were on their trail, and God didn't even give them the ram before they built the altar, and God didn't give them the ram after he built the altar. It's at the very point when He's about to kill His son when God stops him, and God meets the need.

You know, my problem is whenever I'm facing something, I want God to make me a spiritual storage battery. I want God to give me everything right now, and God says, "Oh no, now you find grace to help in the time of need." The Greek in that verse means, "You'll find grace to help in the nick of time." You see, God practices brinkmanship. God allows us to take a step, and take a step, and take a step, and that next step, then God provides. When does He provide? When we need it. How does He provide? Naturally. An angel didn't come down and say, "Here's a ram." That's not the way you and I want things to happen. Oh, God, perform some miracle. God did perform a miracle. He got a ram to get his horns caught in the bushes, and he couldn't get away, but it was provided very naturally. When the child of God is in the will of God, God sees to it. But God doesn't always perform some great miracle, just in some very natural, normal way. He meets the need. To whom does He become Jehovah Jireh? Those who trust and obey. Abraham trusted God, and Abraham obeyed God, and so God saw to it. What does God provide? Just what you need, nothing more, nothing less. They didn't see a whole flock of sheep. God sent exactly what he needed, when he needed it, where he needed it. This is the life of faith. And when you trust Jehovah Jireh, you can be sure that the Lord will see to it.

Ah, you see, I've been praying and He hasn't seen to it yet? He will. He's never a minute late. He's never a minute early. He'll see to it. Why does He do this? That He might be able to bless us and through us bless others. You see the point of verses 17 and 18? When Abraham had obeyed, there stood before God an old man and a young man, and they're worshiping God. They've put the burnt offering on the altar, and now Isaac is a living sacrifice. He's been on the altar. Typically speaking, he died, he was raised from the dead, and there he stands before God. And God looks down and says, "Through you, other people are going to get a blessing." This next week, you're going through something you may not know about yet. I may not know about it, but God does. Don't be afraid because He's Jehovah Jireh. The Lord will see to it.

The Lord Will Be Seen

There's a second assurance in this name. They called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh in the Mount of the Lord, "It shall be seen." It not only means the Lord will see to it, but it also means the Lord will be seen. The Lord Jesus, over in John 8:56, makes an astounding statement. He said, "Abraham saw My day and was glad." Abraham saw the Lord Jesus Christ. How could Abraham see the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, the more you think about Abraham, the more you understand that statement. He saw the Lord Jesus Christ in Isaac. He saw Him in Isaac's birth. Isaac's birth was a miraculous birth—not a virgin birth, not a supernatural birth, but a miraculous birth. Abraham was too old to beget children. Sarah was too old to conceive children, and yet God performed a miracle of resurrection power in their bodies, and Isaac was born. Abraham saw the Lord Jesus in Isaac's life—the obedient son who was persecuted. Isaac was obedient to his father even to the point of death. Abraham saw the Lord's death and Resurrection in Isaac.

It takes no imagination to see in this the picture of our Lord's death. Abraham, the loving father, willing to give his son Isaac, the only son, willing to give his life. Abraham takes the wood and lays it upon Isaac. This little Greek, this little Hebrew word "laid upon him," "laid upon Isaac," is used in Isaiah 53:6: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." That wood's a picture, not of the cross; that wood's a picture of the burden of sin that Jesus bore for us. The fire is a picture of the Holiness of God. What is sin good for? Sin is good only to be fuel for the holy wrath of God. Our God is a consuming fire, and Isaac is on the altar, and Isaac is about to die, and then there's a substitute that comes along. You see, in Christ, everything is preeminent. No substitute took His place. And so Abraham saw in Isaac's birth and life and death and Resurrection the Lord Jesus Christ. And when Abraham said, "The Lord will provide Himself a lamb for a sacrifice," he was looking ahead to Jesus.

Jesus Christ. Isaac's question is the basic question of the Old Testament: "Where is the Lamb?" "Where is the Lamb?" It's not answered until John the Baptist shows up on the Jordan River Bank and says, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world." Now, let's apply this to us tonight. You're going to be going through something that'll be difficult. God will test you. Remember, He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will be seen. You know why? You're going through this test that you might see the Lord Jesus Christ. If Abraham had not gone through this test, he would never have seen Jesus Christ, and he would never have rejoiced. Abraham saw my day, and he was glad. Abraham saw my day, and he rejoiced. Now, the test was not a joyful test, but the result of the test was joy. I don't know what you're going to be going through or what I'm going to be going through. It may not be enjoyable. It may bring pain and tears and fear, but He is still Jehovah Jireh. And if we trust Him and obey Him, He'll reveal Himself. He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will be seen.

Those three Hebrew children didn't enjoy going into the furnace, but they discovered Jehovah Jireh. They saw the Lord. He was right there with them. In the year that King Isaiah died, Isaiah the prophet said, "I saw also the Lord." Daniel is praying and asking for God's help for his people, and he sees the Lord, and he falls flat on his face. Ezekiel, the displaced prophet, is by the canal, and he's looking up, and he sees God. Do you think John enjoyed working in the Roman salt mines on the aisle of Patmos, an old man exiled? And he looks across the sea to where the saints of God are gathering at Ephesus and other places. Then he looks up, and he sees the Lord. If you want to escape the altar, then you won't see the Lord. If you want to avoid the sacrifice, then you won't see the Lord. If you want to stay home and say, "No, Lord, I'm not going to do Your will," then you won't see Him. But, oh, if you step out by faith and obey Him, you'll discover He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will be seen. And the people that I have met who have gone through the trials of Life are the people who best know the Lord. 

Assurance Number Three: The Lord Will Make It Clear

There’s a third meaning and a third assurance for us to lay hold of. He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will see to it. He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will be seen. He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will make it clear. You see, the highest tests of life cannot be explained. In the years I've been a pastor, people have asked me to explain things, and I couldn't explain them. They look at you and say, "Well, you've studied theology, and you've read your Bible. Now tell me why." And I say, "I don't know why, but God knows."

When God came to Abraham and said, "Take your son, your only son. Yes, Lord, your only son. Yes, Lord, Isaac, whom you love." Why? Some pagan philosopher reading this chapter would say, "This is foolish. What kind of a God do you worship?" I recall some of the editorials that came out in liberal magazines after the five men were martyred down in Ecuador. "What a waste of Christian manpower." Recently, I was reading one of Elizabeth Elliott's later books, and several times in that book she mentioned the fact that no, they couldn't understand, but they knew that God knew, and then everything began to work together for good.

Why is a person sick? I don't know. Why is a baby born deformed? I don't know. Why do things seem to fall apart? I don't know. But God knows, and He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will make it clear. You see, when God said to Abraham, "Give up your home," that's no problem. Lots of people have given up their homes. "Abraham, give up your nephew," that's no problem. Lots of people have given up their loved ones. Why? There are men and women across the world today who have said goodbye to their loved ones and their near ones to drill for oil or to dig for diamonds or to run something. Lots of people do that. But when God comes along and says, "Take the son I've given you, take the blessing I've given you, the answer to prayer, the answer to promise, take Him and put Him on the altar," you can't explain it until it's all over. And when it was all over, Abraham could look back and say, "Ah, it's all clear now. Now I know why God did this. I'm glad that God's smarter than I am. I'd hate to think that a God as I am is running this universe." And you know what? God doesn't have to give you any explanations. Throughout this Bible, people cry out, "Why? Why?" And God doesn't answer, "You know why." You don't live on explanations. I've used this illustration before; I'm going to use it again. You fall down the stairs and break your leg. They take you off to the hospital. They X-ray your leg. They set your leg. The doctor comes in and says, "Let me explain to you how the bone is broken," and so he gives you all the explanation of how the bone is broken. Does that make you feel any better? Can you settle back and say, "Boy, that's terrific?" Not on your life. You don't feel any better because of explanations. But if the doctor walks in and says, "We've set the bone, and I guarantee within eight weeks you'll be walking again," that's what makes the difference. It's not the explanations that keep you going; it's the promises. And when you walk by faith, you live by promises, not by explanations. So don't get bitter against God and say, "Well, He didn't explain it. He doesn't have to explain it." And if He did explain it, you wouldn't understand it. Don't you think that the God who runs the universe knows how to run your life? I'm not asking God for explanations. I quit doing that a long time ago. When I find myself climbing a mountain, heading for an altar, when I find God asking me to give Him something that's very precious and dear, I say, "Lord, give me a promise. Just give me a promise," and He does, and He becomes Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will make it clear.

Living by Faith

Sometimes you and I are like Peter. We have to tell the Lord what to do. "Oh Lord, not my feet only, but all of me." And Jesus said, "Peter, what I'm doing, you don't understand now, but you'll know hereafter." I'm glad for that. Next time you find the darkness moving in on you and the devil saying, "What good is it to pray? What good is it to trust? What good is it to go to church?" Just listen to Jesus. Just listen when He says, "What I'm doing, you don't understand now, but you'll understand hereafter." I'm Jehovah Jireh. God will make it clear, and if He doesn't make it clear in this life, He'll make it clear in the next life. Not now, but in the coming years, in a better land, we'll know the meaning of our tears, and then someday we'll understand. Meanwhile, we walk by faith because our God is Jehovah Jireh, and you can be sure that the Lord will see to it when you need it, where you need it, how you need it. The Lord will see to it. He's Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will be seen.

And after you come back from that test, people will say, "There's something different about her. There's something different about him." Yes, there is. He saw the Lord. He's Jehovah Jireh. You can be sure the Lord will make it clear, but He's only Jehovah Jireh to those who trust and obey. So don't be afraid. God says, "There's a mountain I want you to go higher. Climb that mountain, lay on the altar what I'm asking for, and don't be afraid." And don't fight, and don't argue, and don't ask for explanations. Just trust me. I'm Jehovah Jireh. I can see to it, and I will.

Prayer

Gracious Father, many times we have acted like little babies in our fussing and our fretting, and for this, we're sorry. Many times we have been disobedient. We've stayed at the bottom of the mountain instead of climbing to the top. Forgive us. Forgive us when we have delayed. Forgive us when we have feared. Thank You, Father, that You are the God who sees to it.

I pray that You'll encourage us all tonight as we step out into the dim unknown and see only one step at a time, but that's enough for us. You are already seeing to it, and all things are already working together for good. And so encourage our hearts. I pray, Father, for those who may be here without Jesus Christ, who have no God to see to it, who have never been to Calvary and trusted Christ. May that one tonight trust Him. I pray for that disobedient Christian who's missing the blessing. Oh, may that one come back to the altar tonight for Jesus' sake. Amen.