In this message it is my hope that you will discover just who is the God who provides. The questions that come up are; what exactly does He provide? How does He provide for me? Why does He provide for me? And, what must I do to be a part of His provision? Interesting for sure, but, like myself for a long time many have not given much thought to this, or understood the full impact of what it means to put their trust in the One who provides. Before we begin though let's look at the biblical definition of Jehovah Jireh. I suggest reading Genesis 22
This name for God originated in Genesis 22:13-14 where Abraham was instructed to sacrifice his only son, the one God promised him he would have. Abraham believed God about his son being the promise of a multitude of descendants and believed that even if he did have to kill his son God would raise him from the dead again. This is the faith Abraham had in Elohim, the first name revealed to man as to who God is; the creator of heaven and earth and all that is, the God eternal who was and is and is to c0me. Abraham understood who God was and this is who He put his faith in. I could not imagine just how stressful and agonizing this must have been for Abraham to face such a command and knowing that God was asking this of him. Abraham "believed" God. Why did Abraham believe God? Looking back in Genesis 14:17-24 after the war of the kings talked about in the first part of the Genesis 14 Abraham encountered the King of Salem, Melchizedek. Who was this Melchizedek, the King of Salem? Seeing that Abraham had offered him a tenth of all that he had brings into question why offer this King a tenth or a tithe of his belongings? Look at Genesis 14:18-22, in verse 22 he says "I have lifted my hand unto Jehovah God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth." Hebrews 7:1-10 describes Melchizedek without beginning or end, without father or mother, had no genealogy, but like unto the son of God. In other words, Abraham, then known as Abram, meant Jesus Christ, the son of God. So Abraham knew that Jehovah was the provider of all things through this encounter and that God would always be faithful to His word. So when Abraham was told to offer His son as a sacrifice Abraham knew God would not let Him down but would provide what ever was needed. God made this covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17:7-8.
It was in the land of Moriah that God sent Abraham to make this sacrifice. Abraham followed God's instructions to the letter. And Just as he raised his knife to kill his son, God intervened and provided the sacrifice that would actually be used. Abraham's faith was tested to the utmost on a mount where God's only begotten Son would be sacrificed for the sins of the world. From that time on God would be referred to as the God who provides. Looking now at just how this relates to you and me, I believe we'll find some very interesting and refreshing truths.
The question "what exactly does God provide today?" must be seen through Jesus Christ. John 3:16-22 shows us that Christ was the only Son, Gods Son, that would be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Abraham's experience was a shadow of what was to come and what God was providing for the rest of the world. It would be through Christ that everyone would be given the opportunity to believe in God's son Jesus Christ for the rebirth of their fallen nature or spirit. How was this provision to be provided? It would come at a cost of extreme value, a value that could not have a price put on it. God offered His only son to be the propitiation or substitute for our sins, for without that, man would have absolutely no hope of coming back into the presence of the Heavenly Father, mankind would be lost for all eternity. God provided the only way back to Him. "For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: for peradventure for the good man some one would even dare to die. But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life; and not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation," Romans 5:6-11. Romans 5:12-21 goes on with the benefits of salvation through Christ. Now the question is "why does He provide for me?
We must keep in mind that we are a created being, we are created from the Jehovah that created the heavens and the earth. We are as the scripture says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." That alone answers the question of why provide for us. In the willing sacrifice that Christ did, there was more than just the provision of salvation of our sins, there was the law that had to be fulfilled, and in that act of love by God and His Son, the law was fulfilled by Christ which meant we no longer have to live under the law, we now through Christ live under Grace. In Grace comes the full package of God's provisions, He not only provided redemption through the shedding of Christ's blood, but our healing was also provided, not just present healing, not just past wounds, but all wounds. Look at this and pay attention to the words; Isaiah 53;6, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Look at the past tense words used, He was wounded, meaning it's taken care of, He was bruised, again, taken care of, and for the chastisement of our peace, again was, it's provided for already, and finally and with His stripes we are healed. All past tense, meaning our healing, our peace, our transgressions, etc,. have all been taken care of or provided already, it's a done deal, there is absolutely nothing you can do outside of believing in Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God who was crucified for our sins, buried and rose again on the third day to be with His Father in heaven. That's it, you must believe in Gods son to be qualified to receive what is offered.
Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. The God who has already provided for your salvation, already provided for your healing, already provided for your peace, already provided for your prosperity. When Christ hung on that old rugged cross, bleeding, exhausted, beaten to a point of non recognition as a human, suffocating, humiliated, stripped of all human dignity, a crown of thorns pressed into His head, and people mocking Him made His last and final statement, "IT IS FINISHED," John 19:30. That final declaration meant, the law was now fulfilled and Gods provision is now provided. Christ took not only yours and my sins on Himself, He took our very sin nature on Himself, He became sin for us. He took every known disease on Himself so we would not have to suffer them. He took the law onto Himself and nailed it to the cross with Him so that we would no longer have to be subject to the law. This is what Christ provided for us, everything we would ever need. So what holds you back from believing in the only way back to the Heavenly Father and having the freedom He offers in Christ Jesus? The freedom from guilt and shame, the freedom to be free from a law that was meant for our condemnation and death, a freedom to forgive and be forgiven and a freedom to love unconditionally and be loved unconditionally.
How do you receive all that God offers us? Romans 10:8-13 declares this; But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
