Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

This is the last name that we will look at, next week we will go back to 1 Peter.

Again we come to a name compounded with Jehovah.

We considered the name Jehovah itself, we learned that this name points to God as the eternal, the self existent One, the Independent One, the God of revelation.

The Covenant God who enters into relationship with Israel.

And these compound names arise out of God’s interaction with His people through redemptive history.

Like the others names these names arise out of a historical incident and Jehovah is portrayed in some aspect of His character.

Historical Setting

The historical setting for this name is one of the most known in all of the Bible.

This is the story of the last and greatest crisis in the life of Abraham.

One might even say that every other event in his life had been leading up to this point, all had been in preparation for this event.

We have talked about this even recently

You have the call of Abraham and then God giving promises to Abraham.

God is faithful and good to Abraham even though Abraham is not always faithful himself.

There were times of doubting, there were times of unbelief, there were times when Abraham tried to work things out in his own power.

And then you have the great and glorious verses of

Genesis 21.

So this son of promise, this one that Abraham had been looking for, this one that God had promises finally arrives.

Abraham sees God’s faithfulness and one might say that now Abraham has settled down to worship God and to enjoy his family for the rest of his days.

And then you have

Can you even imagine this?

First of all think of all the joy and the hope that comes in the birth of Isaac.

Now there has to be confusion, doubt, anguish, perplexity, but what do we see in the following verses?

v.3-4, we see obedience, we do not see grumbling, we do not see complaining, we do not see arguing with God

What was the ground or the root of that obedience?

Faith, right?

Look at v.5 (and we will return)

In faith Abraham obeys God.

Now we don’t know all that Abraham was thinking but we do get some divine commentary that helps us some

Hebrews 12.

Then in v.6-8 we have a precious set of verses as the father and son go to worship and we see how precious the father and son relationship was to these two.

Discuss the situation

Point out in v.8 we have this verb used for the first time in this passage.

God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burn offering, my son.

Literally God will see for Himself.

God will see to it my son.

v.9-14

Abraham is going to follow through, not knowing exactly what God is going to do, but he knows that if necessary God will bring Isaac back to life and the angel of the LORD stops Abraham and a ram is provided for the sacrifice.

v.14 the LORD will provide

The Meaning of the Name

Jehovah-jireh

The LORD will provide.

This verb raah is most often translated in the OT as see.

at least 1217 of 1289 times translated see, saw, see, look, appear, show, examine, examines, shown, behold, watch, view

This is the root for one of the words that is used to refer to prophets in the OT

It is used 5 times that way in that chapter

twice in v.9

v.11, v.18, v.19

It is used in 1 and 2 Chronicles several times and then in

A prophet is someone who sees right?

He sees and proclaims truth, he sees and proclaims that which is to come.

But the verb is also translated in such a way that it means to provide for, to care for something, to see to something

The idea is that he did not have to worry about it, he did not have to see to it, he did not have to take care of something because he knew Joseph would take care of it.

Well that is the same idea here in but the point is that

Yahweh will have to provide, He will have to take care of it

It speaks to our dependence upon Jehovah and Jehovah’s faithfulness to provide for His people, to take care of the situation if you will.

Notice what the text says in v.8

God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering

Burnt offering

The first place this word is used

Genesis

Read about burnt offering.

The burnt offering is the most costly offering there is, since it is completely burned up with nothing left.

The motive for the burnt offering is assumed, not specified but other references to the sacrifices show that it is offered on such occasions as thanksgiving, penitence, vows, and self-dedication.

Noah’s burnt offering could have been self dedication, thanksgiving, and appeasing the wrath of God that was still present after the flood (an acknowledgement of his own sin).

Notice

This normally speaks of substitution.

The animal died in my place.

Speaking of expiation (the removal of sin)

and propitiation (satisfying of God’s wrath)

Notice it is offered to make atonement.

Without the offering there is not atonement, there is no peace between God and the sinner.

Back to

in v.8 and v.14 Abraham says more than he knows.

God does provide a sacrifice for Isaac but this is but a type, this is but a shadow right.

Here the Lord provides a ram

Here Jesus provides the Lamb.

Can we provide a sacrifice to make atonement?

The implication is that none of this is enough.

He has provided for us in His Son.

He has provided salvation

How will He not give us all things?

We are heirs with Christ, we will rule and reign with Him.

We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Brothers and sisters

We serve a God who provides

A God who sees to the needs of His people

A God who cares for those who cannot care for themselves.