JEHOVAH-JIREH

Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

 Jehovah-jireh means “God will see” or “God will provide.”  The God who sees the end from the beginning makes provision in advance for whatever need He knows that we have.  Provision comes from “pro” which means “before” and “vision” which means “seeing.” So we see in provision, “seeing beforehand.”  God sees beforehand. When we pray the answer is on the way in advance because God has already seen beforehand, both the need and our prayer.  How great is our God!

But I think we make this name of God way too narrow. I have most often heard “Jehovah-jireh” in relation to financial provision or provision for some natural need.  Yet the context in which God was revealed to Abraham as Yahweh-jireh was a prophetic picture of Jesus becoming the sacrificial lamb for all mankind taking our place on the altar of the cross, that we may be redeemed from our sin. It was on Mount Moriah, where Abraham took Isaac to offer him on the altar as God had commanded, that God provided Himself a lamb for the sacrifice.  God had seen in advance that in obedience Abraham would go to that place with his son and He had the ram there to take the place of Isaac on the altar.  In the same way God saw down through time and saw my need for a savior and has provided Himself a Lamb for me.  He is indeed my Jehovah-jireh.  He is the provision for my greatest need….redemption.

Genesis 22:7-8 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? ⁸ And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together

 

RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTS A NATION

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

Righteousness does indeed exalt a nation.  We are praying for righteous leaders to be elected to places of leadership within our government.  That is a very good thing.  I am greatly encouraged to see the number of prayer initiatives from various Christian groups leading up to the election, because we have realized that our country is in great trouble.   I am joining my prayers with those of the multitudes of others across the nation. 

But I believe God is looking for righteousness not just amongst our leaders in government, but for righteousness amongst those in leadership in the church and amongst all of us who are called by His name.  

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

This verse is the basis for the prayer that is being sent up across this land.  God is looking for more than just petitions for a change in our land. God is looking for a change in our hearts, then He will bring a change in our land.  We are to seek His face and turn from our wicked ways.  As we seek His face we will see things in our lives that are not in alignment with His heart and His ways, that we must do something about.  That is part of humbling ourselves as we pray.  We must repent of our own wicked ways and not just pray about the wicked ways of some in our local, state, or national government. Then righteousness will lift up our nation from the place it has fallen to.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: ²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.