When I have encountered circumstances in my life that feel like obstacles, setbacks, and disappointments, the Lord has often reassured me by reminding me that, whatever the circumstances were, they did not catch Him by surprise.
In Genesis, the Lord commanded Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on a mountain He would show him in “the land of Moriah.” Abraham obeyed God, but at the last second, when he raised the knife in the air to plunge it into his son on the altar he had built, the Lord stopped him, told him not to kill Isaac, and directed his attention to a ram caught in a nearby thicket (Gen. 22:13).
After Abraham offered the ram in place of Isaac, the Bible says:
“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.” (Genesis 22:14)
We often hear it said that Jehovah Jireh means “The Lord our provider.” In context, that interpretation is understandable. But the literal meaning of Jireh (actually pronounced ra-ah) is “to see.” One definition is “to look out.”
So literally, Abraham called the name of the place, “The Lord who sees,” or you might say, “The Lord who keeps a lookout for me.”
At the beginning of Abraham and Isaac’s journey to where God would show him, Abraham took wood and fire. As they were hiking, Isaac (who was about 13 years old at the time) asked his father:
“Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7)
We can see Abraham’s faith in his response. In verse 8, Abraham said:
“My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering…” (Genesis 22:8)
God’s calling to Abraham to sacrifice his miracle son of promise (the only son of his beloved wife Sarah) and the events that followed are a powerful type and shadow of what God would do for us by sacrificing His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
The book of Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 19 says that Abraham “received [Isaac] in a figure” as raised from the dead.
The mountain God chose for Abraham to offer Isaac was in “the land of Moriah,” and is now known as “Mount Moriah.” It is in what became the eastern side of the ancient city of Jerusalem and is where God directed Solomon to build the temple. It is essentially the same mountain where Golgotha is located. God sacrificed His only Son as our sacrifice on Mount Moriah, just as He commanded Abraham to offer his son in the same place 1,800 years before.
In a sense, Jesus Christ was the ram God provided in the nearby thicket. He is the one that God saw to provide.
The point I want you to understand today is that God knew in advance what Abraham would need and had already made provision for that need by making a ram get caught in the thicket. In the same way, God knew we would sin, and already made provision for our sins in Jesus Christ before the world was ever made!
The Bible says that Jesus Christ is:
“The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)
It also says that God promised eternal life to us:
“Before the world began.” (Titus 1:2)
In fact, God chose you to be His child before He created the world so you could be holy and He could pour His love out on you!
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:4–6)
Jesus said that God loved you so much that He blessed you and:
“Prepared [a kingdom] for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)
God has looked ahead for you and seen your life. He has provided everything you need to complete His calling and make it to the finish line!
“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
As David declared:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:4–6)
God knows what you need before you even ask Him (Matthew 6:8). Today, move forward in faith, just like Abraham did with Isaac, knowing that God loves you, is faithful, and has already provided what you need in Christ.
Jesus is your ram caught in the thicket!
