God Will Provide
Continuing the series, “God’s Faithfulness,” today’s article, “God Will Provide,” develops from Genesis 22, where God instructs Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice.
Genesis 22 presents a pivotal moment in Abraham’s walk with God, during which faith is not just professed but tested and demonstrated. Abraham, a man of faith and a friend of God, is called to a supreme test.
Have you discovered faith is a journey of trust even when we don’t understand God’s leading and ways?
In Proverbs three, we are given vital insights into faith and trust:
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Prov. 3:5-6 NKJV
The problem for most of us is believing and trusting when we don’t see or understand what God is promising or asking of us.
Many of us are like doubting Thomas after the resurrection of Jesus:
“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20:25 NIV
You see, many of us are unbelieving believers! Perhaps some of us function in a type of practical atheism. We may believe in some aspects of the Christian faith but not others. For example, we may believe Jesus is a savior but not a healer.
Have you ever heard the expression, “Faith is blind?” It presupposes there is no objective evidence for faith. But our Christian faith isn’t blind—we have Jesus’ resurrection, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and God’s word, for starters.
Jesus told Thomas:
“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 NIV
Our Passage Today: Genesis 22:1-19
God’s requirement to sacrifice Isaac was the supreme test that demonstrated:
1) Abraham’s trust in God and
2) his confidence in God’s faithfulness to keep His promise.
This account explores what it means to trust God fully, even when His commands seem incomprehensible.
In verse 1, we read, “It came to pass—God tested Abraham.” Throughout scripture, we see examples of God testing His people. Like Abraham, we are not excluded.
The English word “test” comes from the Hebrew word Nāsâ, which means to test, try, tempt, or put one to the test. To try or purify is like a smelter of metals refining the precious metal of impurities.
Consider what Peter and James wrote:
The trial of our faith is “more precious than gold that perishes.” 1 Pet. 1:7 NKJV
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (endurance).” James 1:2-3 NKJV
Testing and trials are necessary to produce enduring faith. Faith that won’t doubt or quit when circumstances get tough!
God’s Call to Radical Obedience (Genesis 22:1-2)
God’s Command: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love… and sacrifice him.” Isaac was the son of promise (Genesis 17:19), and now God is asking Abraham to do something extreme.
He is to take Isaac to the land of Moriah, which scholars believe is the hills of Moriah, or Mt. Zion, in Jerusalem. He is to travel from Beersheba to Jerusalem, about a 50-mile journey.
The ancient temple once resided in this location; today, the Islamic Dome of the Rock is there. This area is also where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected.
The phrase “only son” comes from the Hebrew yachid and means an only one, an only child, a precious life. Yachid comes from yachad “to be one.” Strong’s #3173
In the Hebrew NT, the phrase “His only begotten Son” in John 3:16 is Yachid. And Yachid, Jesus, was sacrificed on Mt. Zion by God for us!
Although this command seemed to contradict God’s promise, Abraham obeyed. God’s ways are not our ways. God already knew what He would do; He was testing Abraham’s faith and trust. God was also using this even as a type and shadow of what He would do with Jesus, the only Son of God!
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV
Has God ever asked you to do something that required radical faith and obedience? Did your mind try and get in the way?
Obedience to God can sometimes challenge our understanding. Faith trusts God’s wisdom, even when we don’t understand His ways.
Abraham’s Immediate Obedience (Genesis 22:3-6)
There was no hesitation. Abraham rose early in the morning and set out without delay. He tells no one, not even Sarah and certainly not Isaac, about his orders.
His faith was active. He did not argue with God or seek clarification. He brought help, prepared wood for the burnt offering, and went to Moriah. His immediate obedience reflected deep trust.
Think of the trust that you heard God correctly when He asked you to do something radical!
How do you respond when God calls you to difficult acts of obedience? Delayed obedience is disobedience. True faith responds immediately without question. When we question God’s word or the leading of the Holy Spirit, it is often a form of doubt and unbelief.
Faith in God’s Provision (Genesis 22:7-8)
Isaac’s Question: “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham’s Response: “God will provide for Himself the lamb.”
Abraham didn’t know how, but he believed God would provide through a miracle or a substitute. He knew God’s nature. He knew God was faithful, for God had proven Himself over time.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. Heb. 11:17-19 NKJV
Trusting in God’s provision requires believing God will supply all our needs, even when we can’t see how. Paul said confidently in Philippians:
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:19
The Moment of Testing (Genesis 22:9-10)
Abraham was willing to give up what was most precious, and his faith was thoroughly tested. Abraham raised the knife to sacrifice his son, but God intervened.
Are we willing to surrender our most valuable “Isaacs” to God? Full faith means holding nothing back from Him. God often asks us to lay our vision, ministry, career, or even calling on the altar. It may seem incomprehensible.
If it’s something significant, keep praying, and ask a couple of mature people you have a relationship with to pray with you as well. Follow the peace of the Lord, as much as a word and certainly a prophecy. All personal prophecies you receive, or someone gives you, are conditional. We are to test prophecy!
God’s Intervention and Provision (Genesis 22:11-14)
Abraham, ready to sacrifice his son, the angel calls out, “Do not lay your hand on the boy.” God provides a lamb in a thicket for a sacrifice.
Abraham named the place “Jehovah-Jireh,” which means the Lord will provide, signifying God’s faithful provision.
Jireh is the English transliteration of rā·ʾā(h), which means to see, to perceive by sight, to understand, and to have prophetic vision. 1
Remember, God’s provisions are available along the road of faithful obedience! Like Abraham, this doesn’t mean your walk of faith is perfect. No, it means that you discover your life in God is a journey, and as you endeavor to stay close to Him, God promises to care and provide for you.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Heb. 4:16 NIV
God’s timing is perfect. He provides what we need when we need it. Christ, like the ram, is our substitute, taking our place on the cross (John 1:29).
God’s Affirmation and Blessing (Genesis 22:15-19)
God reaffirms His covenant with Abraham, promising numerous descendants and blessings to the nations through his offspring. Abraham’s faith preserved his son and secured God’s greater promises.
Faith in God’s testing leads to blessings. Our obedience in trials brings about spiritual growth and fulfillment of God’s promises.
Final Thoughts:
Lessons from Abraham’s Faith:
Faith Obeys Without Understanding: True faith means obeying God even when His commands seem confusing.
Faith Trusts in God’s Provision: Abraham believed that God would provide a way, and He did. Our God is faithful.
Faith Results in God’s Blessing: Obedience to God brings blessings beyond what we can imagine.
What is God asking you to surrender or trust Him with today? Will you respond with the faith of Abraham?
Ask God for the strength to trust Him completely, to obey His voice without hesitation, and to have faith in His provision.
Footnote
1 The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017).
