There are a handful of special names for God in the Bible. Last week, we covered the name Jehovah Rapha, or The Lord who heals. Today, we will talk about the name Jehovah Jireh, or The Lord will provide.
What Does Jehovah Jireh Mean?
Jehovah Jireh is translated from Hebrew as “The Lord will provide.” This term is made up from a combination of Jehovah, or Yahweh—our attempt at pronouncing YHWH, (a personal name for God in the Bible) and Jireh, (meaning will provide). While the English translation “provide” captures the essence of the word, the Hebrew word jireh technically means “see to it.” So, Jehovah Jireh can also be translated as “The Lord will see to it.” He sees us, our needs and our problems, and He will see to it. He will provide.
Where is Jehovah Jireh Found in the Bible?
The name Jehovah Jireh, or Yahweh Jireh, is first found in Genesis 22. Abraham has finally received his long desired (and promised) son Isaac. After decades of waiting (with some missteps along the way), God miraculously provides a son to this old man and his aged, barren wife. The name Isaac means “one who laughs,” this name giving insight into the joy that his boy brought into his parents’ lives.
And this is when the test comes. In the promised land. One day, God calls out to Abraham and asks him to do the unthinkable. “Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” (Genesis 22:2).
Abraham does not hesitate and sets out immediately the next morning. Was his faith so great, that he already knew that the Lord had a twist in mind? We don’t know, but as Abraham was leaving the servants in Genesis 22:5, he does make a statement (“we will come back to you.”) which indicates that he believes that Isaac will accompany him on the journey back.
When Isaac asks where the lamb is for the burnt offering, Abram responds in faith. “Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.” (Genesis 22:8).
Nevertheless, Abraham continued through the motions. He tied Isaac up and even picked up the knife. Was his faith wavering? We don’t know. Hebrews 11:19 explains that Abraham trusted that God’s promises about Isaac would occur, so he reasoned that God could even raise Isaac from the dead if that was His will. At the last moment, God stopped him:
“But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:11-14).
Could many of us pass this test? I’m not sure. Why did the Lord test Abraham in this way? The following verses answer this question:
“The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:15-18).
We must love the Provider more than His gifts. Abraham proved that God would be his God, even without the beautiful gift of a son. Notice the wording, “your only son.” Abraham technically had another son, Ishmael. But Ishmael was not the promised son. This wording, and the entire symbolism of the test, foreshadows what God would do through the descendants of Abraham. “All of the nations on earth would be blessed,” by God Himself sacrificing His only Son (Jesus) for the sins of the world. For God though, it would not be just a test, the death and the sacrifice would be real. God showed Himself to be Jehovah Jireh, the Provider, for our most desperate need that we could not provide for ourselves (redemption).
What Does Jehovah Jireh mean to us today?
Jehovah Jireh really will provide for our needs. Don’t be anxious! “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1). Our Shepherd guides us to what we need and gives us more than enough: “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5).
“I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25). Sometimes the provision comes at the very last moment, as it was with Abraham and Isaac. But it always comes. Have faith. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6). In Matthew 6, Jesus reminds us not to worry about our basic needs:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:25-33).
What has Jehovah Jireh put in your hands? God is a multiplier. Sometimes, He likes to use what He has already given us, to give us more. When the Lord called Moses to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt, Moses had quite a few insecurities. He asked the Lord, “What if the people do not believe me?” Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.” (Exodus 4:1-2). The Lord instructed Moses to throw the staff down, and the staff became a snake. This was the first sign that Moses was able to use to gain some credibility in Egypt.
This same staff was used over and over as a tool as the Israelites were eventually redeemed and led through the desert to be taught by God and prepared for the Promised Land. God could have chosen any tool, but He decided to use something that Moses already owned.
Similarly, the prophet Elisha encountered the widow of a godly man. Her husband died and creditors threatened to take her sons as payment for outstanding debt. “Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” (2 Kings 4:2). Elisha instructed her to borrow as many jars as she could from her neighbors. He then instructed her to pour the oil (from her small jar) into the jars.
She kept pouring and pouring, and the oil kept flowing and flowing. She was then able to sell the oil and pay her debts. So her needs were provided for miraculously, but using materials that she already had in her home. Elisha could have just snapped his fingers and provided the gold that she needed to pay her debts, but the Lord loves to use what we already have.
Jesus fed the 5,000 in the same way. He had compassion on a large crowd and healed their sick. This took quite a few hours and it was getting late. “As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.” (Matthew 14:15-17).
Jesus instructed the people to sit. He gave thanks, broke the bread and fish, and kept breaking them. As He broke the pieces, the pieces kept flowing. Enough to feed five thousand men, plus women and children. Not only enough, but the pieces left over outnumbered the amount of food that they had in the beginning. “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” (Matthew 14:20). Once again, Jesus could have simply made bread appear, like manna in the desert (Exodus 16), but He chose to use the materials that they already had. Is there something that God has already provided for you, which could lead to provision that you currently seek?
Provision is often a Process. The Lord has not indicated that He intends for His people to struggle their whole lives. The Bible teaches about wealth and the process by which to obtain it. Notice in Deuteronomy that it shows that God “gives you the ability to produce wealth.” That means that you are building it up over time: “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” (Deuteronomy 8:18).
In fact, biblically, fast money is not the avenue that we should be seeking. Proverbs shows that money gained little by little is the better way to keep it over time: “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” (Proverbs 13:11).
If you are currently struggling, or at the beginning of your journey, don’t give up! Zechariah states that the Lord “rejoices” to see the small beginnings! “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” (Zechariah 4:10). God has a plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11), and He has your best interest in mind (Romans 8:28). Do not worry about your needs, or even wants, because He is Jehovah Jireh. The Lord will provide. Trust in Him.
I hope you enjoyed learning about Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. Keep reading as I continue the series researching the Names of God. Next up, I will be covering the name El Roi, or the God who sees me.
