Two weeks ago now I wrote about El Shaddai and how that name means “the powerful strong one” or “the God who suffices.” This name emphasizes the fact that God is able to keep His promises, to fulfill His word. When God says it, it’s as good as done.
The next name is Yhwh Yireh – often translated as “the LORD will provide” but more true to the Hebrew meaning is “the LORD who sees” or “the LORD will see to it.”(according to one author). The name first appears in Gen 22. God comes to Abraham and tells him to take Isaac and sacrifice him. Abraham obeys and is about to sacrifice his son when God stops him. There in the thicket is a ram and God tells Abraham to take the ram in place of Isaac. Then the name appears “the LORD will provide” and often we focus on the ram not realizing that God provided a whole lot more.
Abraham was a human being with the same hopes, fears, dreams, and love that we have. God even acknowledges Abraham’s love for his son “take your son whom you love…” Then there’s the whole idea of a child and what it means in the Middle East to have a son – especially during Bible times. A child was your life insurance, your guarantee for a future, someone to provide for you and your family in your old age. Someone to carry on your family line (which was vital). A son meant you would be ok no matter what. This was Abraham and Sarah’s only child, their only son.
What about us – not even having the added pressure of needing children to take care of us in our old age would we be able to sacrifice a loved one if God were to ask us? How was Abraham able to – he didn’t have the Holy Spirit or a Bible… yet he was obedient. BC God provided not only a ram but exactly what Abraham needed to obey. He also provided all that Abraham needed to obey – faith, the ability to walk by faith, to trust, to believe, to hope beyond the death of his son…
How much more for us who have the Holy Spirit and His Word. We can learn about God – His faithfulness to His promises, His love, His wrath, His discipline, His desire for us to walk in holiness and His promise to give us exactly what we need so that we will. Our God is not only El Shaddai- who can guarantee His word – He’s also Yhwh Yireh who will provide exactly what we need to walk out His Word.
2 Cor 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.