“God Will Provide” In The Bible

We can learn much about God’s provision in the story of God’s call to Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. So, what can we learn about the phrase “God will provide” in the Bible? Genesis 22:8 are key verses in the account of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac.

God’s Provision for Abraham

Here are verses 7-8 in the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB):

“Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “my father.”
And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”
Isaac said, “the fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.

The word translated will provide is rendered accurately in this context, but in most contexts it means “to see,” “to look at,” “to observe,” “to appear,” “to be seen,” or “to show.” (The same word is translated saw in 22:4.) This is why, in the King James Version (KJV), Genesis 22:14 reads, “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.” This same verse in the HCSB says, “And Abraham named that place The LORD will provide, so today it is said: ‘It will be provided on the LORD’s mountain.’”

Not surprisingly, since this Hebrew term typically means “to see” or some form of this verb, it appears frequently in the Old Testament—1,273 times in the manuscripts used by the translators of the HCSB. Here, in verses 8 and 14 of Genesis 22, the word carries a less typical meaning, but one that brings great comfort and assurance to every believer.

• Genesis 22:8 is not only a wonderful expression of God’s character; it’s also a grand indication of Abraham’s faith in the Lord: “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” This verse actually has Messianic implications, for it accurately describes what God would do centuries later when Jesus, the Lord’s own Son, was slain on the cross.
• Moreover, Genesis 22:14 establishes not only the name of a place, but the name of the God who provided the sacrifice on Mt. Moriah that day. The KJV mentions Jehovah-jireh, which means not only that God will see, but that He will provide! In a note appearing in the HCSB Study Bible (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2010, p. 47), God’s name is given as Yahweh-yireh, which, of course, carries the same meaning.

A term we use to describe God’s provision of the sacrifice He demands reflects a prominent theme in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments—grace! (See Num. 6:25; Pss. 103:8; 116:5: 145:8 [these verses reflect usages of two different Hebrew words—one word in the passage in Numbers and another in the passages in the Psalms]; see also John 1:14-18; Rom. 5:14-15; 1 Pet. 5:10 [the Greek word for grace in these verses appears 155 times in the New Testament].) Because God is a gracious God, He provided the ram for Abraham to sacrifice instead of Isaac, and He provided His own Son as a sacrifice for all sinners, making it possible for who place their faith in Him to be forgiven! Accordingly, believers will be thanking Him for this throughout all eternity. Are you getting a head start?

B. Nathaniel Sullivan
Christian educator, Bible teacher, and Editor

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in SundaySchoolZone.com materials are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.