Yahweh Will Provide

Wayne Burger

by Wayne Burger

(June 2023)

Even though it was only a three-day journey, the trip must have seemed a lot longer. Abraham
was going to the mountains of Moriah to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice as God had
commanded (Genesis 22:1-4). When they arrived and started up the hill, Isaac must have begun
to wonder if he was to be the sacrifice because he asked, “Behold, the fire, and the wood, but
where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7).
The faith of Abraham was manifested when he said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for
the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8). He built the altar, put the wood on it, bound his son,
laid him on the wood, and drew back “the knife to slay his son” (Genesis 22:10). At that moment
“the Angel of the Lord said, ‘Do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God since you
have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me’” (Genesis 22:11-12).
“Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket
by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the
place of his son” (Genesis 22:13). “Abraham called the name of that place ‘Yahweh Will
Provide’” (Genesis 22:14).
God has always provided for His faithful servants, but Abraham wanted to specifically designate
a place to that effect! How did God provide that ram? It wasn’t a miraculous provision, but rather
a providential provision. “Providence” means “God working through natural means to bring
about His will on earth.” Today we don’t know for certain that an event that happened is God’s
providence. But, in all of our activities, we do all that we can, and we let God do what He will
do.
We may not know how God does it, but we trust that He will provide for us. Jesus said, “My
Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” (John 5:17). Paul assures Christians,
“We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those
who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). How does He do that?
Maybe He works through the normal events of daily life. Maybe He works through His angels.
The Hebrew writer said about angels, “Are they not ministering spirits, sent out to render service
for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). People love to talk about
angels being active in their lives, and they may be, but angels can’t be seen. They are spiritual
beings, not fleshly, and therefore can’t be seen with human eyes. They may be working on our
behalf, but we will never see them or hear them.
Maybe God works through the Holy Spirit who is given to Christians when they are baptized
(Acts 2:38; 5:32; Galatians 4:6). Paul’s prayer for us is that we will “be strengthened with power
through His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). How does He do that? Paul also reminded
us, and the Philippian brethren that “It is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for
His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). We just need to do all that we can do and trust that God
will also work to bring about His will in our lives and activities.
Application
Let’s trust in the promise that God will provide. Let’s not worry about how that happens. We
know that God is all-powerful and therefore capable to accomplish His will on earth. We just
need to be faithful servants as was Abraham and trust that Yahweh will provide.