♫ Jehovah-Jireh.
My provider.
His grace is sufficient
His grace is sufficient
for me—
for me— for me...♫
for me— for me...♫
Have you ever heard the song entitled,“Jehovah-Jireh”?
The lyrics include:
♪ My God shall provide all my needs.
♪ According to his riches in glory.
♪ He shall give his angels charge over me.
♪ Jehovah-Jireh careth for me...♪
What is “Jehovah-Jireh”
(pronounced Jah-HO-Vah-Ji-Rah)?
First, in this scriptural passage, several important points are revealed. We read the account of Abraham being told by God to sacrifice his only son. Abraham’s son, Isaac, was very dear to him. We read that this was a test by God of Abraham’s truest self—that self which supersedes mere words.
Verse 1 says, “God did tempt Abraham…” That quote, alone, causes concern to some because James 1:13, 14 says God does not “tempt” anyone. However, the word “tempt”, in this passage, simply means “test”. After all, temptation in the bad sense would be to lure someone with something they already desired or had some inclination to do or have. But it is clear in this passage that Abraham did not want to sacrifice his only son.
The text states Abraham loved Isaac. Therefore, he would not have wanted to kill him. Further, verse 12 proves the meaning of “tempt” here is “to test” because God said: NOW I KNOW you fear me since you were about to sacrifice your only son at my word. In essence, you’ve taken and successfully passed the test.
Secondly, we see that God gave very specific instructions to Abraham on what to do and where to do it. It was crucial that those instructions were followed. If Abraham had not gone to the correct place, for example, the outcome would have been entirely different because what was at the specified place (in preparation for the test), a ready ram, may have only been there at that location (v 13). In following every step, Abraham showed faith in God as well as obedience to Him.
Thirdly, of course we can see a comparison to Jesus with regard to the “third day” (v 4) and an only son sacrifice (v 2, 12, 16). We are also able to gain understanding that as Abraham proceeded to follow through on God’s instructions, there was no indication of grumbling, anger, or doubting God’s voice. This serves as a lesson for the faithful to grasp. In addition to obedience, the attitude during any trial or test is important. It may seem simple, but following God’s instructions, especially when they are not pleasant, may not be easy at times. We have the end result of the test. In verses 15-18, God declares to Abraham that since he did not withhold his only son and did obey his voice, both he and his lineage would be blessed greatly.
Finally, the place where all of that happened is “Jehovahjireh”, as named by Abraham (v 14). But the place is not the main point. Whether or not the word “Jireh” is interpreted as “provider”, or anything else, is not very significant in light of the message of faith, obedience to God’s voice, and sacrifice of one’s most precious and valued connections.
It is not the place that’s worth singing about as much as the message surrounding the incidents which happened there. Yes, God did provide a ram, but, again, that ram would never have been utilized had Abraham failed to follow God’s instructions. According to that passage in the 22nd book of Genesis, God honors total obedience and personal sacrifice to Him.
Additionally, we could consider the issue of the word “Jehovah” itself. We could discuss whether or not it is a poor or incorrect translation of the tetragrammaton “YHWH”. Nonetheless, we have foundational principles here. God is pleased when we are obedient to His voice and are sacrificial concerning all we value. Creator notes our attitudes as well as our actions. We do well to keep Abraham’s Jehovah-Jireh experience in mind as an example of genuine faith as we continue our individual journeys through this world on our way to God.