Tag: God provides

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God Provides

Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments. Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and bracelets, all articles of gold; so did every man who presented an offering of gold to the Lord. Every man, who had in his possession blue and purple and scarlet material and fine linen and goats’ hair and rams’ skins dyed red and porpoise skins, brought them. Everyone who could make a contribution of silver and bronze brought the Lord’s contribution; and every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it.  (Exodus 35:21-24, NASB)

Prior to the time of the Bible passage above, Moses had been given detailed instructions on how to build the Tabernacle, a portable version of what was later to be the Temple in Jerusalem.  The details included the dimensions and the materials.  Moses then solicited the materials from the Israelites.  This passage tells what happens next. 

The people had escaped from Egypt.  As the text says, they donated items of gold and silver; blue, purple, and scarlet fabric; fine linen; goats’ hair; rams’ skins dyed red; porpoise skins; items of bronze; and acacia wood.  Wait.  These people were in the middle of the Sinai Desert, the “wilderness.”  Where did they get this stuff?  Porpoise skins?  The short answer is, “God provides!”  A more correct answer is, they plundered from the Egyptians! 

Exodus 35:21
Exodus 35:21 image.  Found at Feel the Words, https://www.feelthewords.com/scriptures/ot/ex/35/21.

Before the night of the Passover, God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbors to give them articles of clothing and jewelry.  They would need them for their journey.  Miraculously, the Egyptians handed over what their neighbors asked for!  Thus the Israelites plundered Egypt! 

God doesn’t give us assignments without giving us the means to accomplish them.  When Moses solicited the materials to build the Tabernacle, God knew the people had what was needed.  He does the same thing with us.  We just need to pay attention!  For Jesus-followers, we can rely on the Holy Spirit, our Helper!  He doesn’t leave us or forsake us.  God provides! 

Worship: “Gadol Elohai” (“How Great Is Our God”), by Joshua Aaron
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Provider

Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife.  So the two of them walked on together.  Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”  And he said, “Here I am, my son.”  And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”  Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”  So the two of them walked on together.  Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.  Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”  And he said, “Here I am.”  He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”  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.  Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”  (Genesis 22:6-14, NASB)

I love this story of the near-sacrifice by Abraham of his son, Isaac.  The parallels with the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ are interesting!

At the outset of Genesis 22, we’re told that God would test Abraham. (v. 1)  God tells Abraham to take Isaac to the land of Moriah, and offer him up as a burnt offering to the Lord. (v. 2)  When arriving near the site, Abraham instructs two of his assistants to remain in place while he and Isaac go to worship, and they would then return. (v. 5)
In the passage above, Isaac carries the wood for the sacrifice, and wonders where is the lamb for the sacrifice, to which his father replies that God would provide the lamb.  Abraham binds his son to the alter, and is about to slaughter Isaac, when the angel of the Lord intervenes, telling Abraham not to kill his son.  Nearby, a ram is caught in a thicket, and provides a substitute sacrifice in place of Isaac.


Abraham and Isaac, by Anthony van Dyck, ca. 1617.  Found at commons.wikimedia.org
The parallels between Jesus and Isaac are interesting.  Abraham was asked to do what God later did:  They each offered their son/Son for a sacrifice.  Isaac carried the wood up the mountain on which he would be bound; Jesus carried a wooden cross up the slope of Calvary to which He would be bound.  We’re not told of Isaac’s reaction when his father was about to kill him, but he didn’t seem to have put up a struggle; Jesus went to the cross willingly, and He did so for you and for me.  Abraham was told to take his son to the land of Moriah; it was on Mount Moriah that King David purchased the site on which his son, King Solomon, would build the Temple, which was in sight of Calvary, where Jesus was sacrificed.

Another aspect of this story is Abraham’s faith.  He told his men that when done worshiping, he and Isaac would return.  In answer to Isaac’s question as they were hiking up the mountain, his father replied that God would provide the lamb.  God had told Abraham that He would establish a great nation by Abraham, and that it would be accomplished through Isaac.  If that was to be true, then how was it that Isaac would die that day?  Abraham had complete faith in the Lord; he knew he could trust God’s word!  His son would indeed live!

God provided the lamb that day.  On another day in the future, He would provide another Lamb, Who would take away the sins of the world!  The Bible says that Abraham named the site where the story took place “The Lord Will Provide.”  Hence one of the descriptive names of God, “Jehovah Jirah,” or “Yahweh Yireh.”  These translate to “the God Who sees,” or “the God Who provides.”

Our Lord God is the Provider.  Have you called on His name?


Worship:   “God Will Provide a Lamb,” by Michael Card