Thursday, June 28, 2007

The Table of Provision

And Abraham called the name of the place, The LORD Will Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:14)
Abraham showed his faith and God stayed his hand from slaying his son Isaac as an offering to the Lord. But a sacrifice was now needed for the burnt offering. “Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son” (Genesis 22:13) So Abraham called that place “The LORD Will Provide,” because God had provided a ram for the need.

The Hebrew word for “provide” is yireh, but the root of that word is ra’ah, which means to see. God saw the need and made “provision” for it (you will notice that even our English word has reference to “vision”). A preacher explained it this way: God saw Abraham and Isaac coming up one side of the mountain, and knowing that there would be a need, He brought the ram up the other side of the mountain as a provision to meet that need.

There is a beautiful picture of redemption here. Just as Abraham would not withhold his son from God, God did not withhold His Son from us. And just as Isaac was redeemed by the ram that died in his place, that ram was a type, or foreshadow, of the One who came to die in our place, for our sins. God saw, from the beginning, that mankind would need a savior to deliver us from the terrible results of Adam’s rebellion, and He provided for that need by sending His own Son. That is why Jesus is called “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

God is the Provider. Jesus is the provision, and in Him we have everything we need. His Hebrew name is Yeshua, which means “salvation.” It includes forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with the Father, deliverance from danger, freedom from captivity, spiritual and physical healing, restoration, preservation and the provision for every need.

David declared, “O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup” (Psalm 16:5). Jesus is our portion, our provision, the One who fills our cup. And again, “I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:13). Jesus is the cup of our salvation—the Hebrew word for “salvation” here is yeshuah — and we can call upon Him to take care of us in every way.

This morning I took the Table of the Lord with this name in mind as I contemplated the bread and the cup: The LORD My Provider. I continually have needs, but God is continually my provider, and Jesus is continually my provision. As Paul said, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

The LORD Will Provide! He has seen our needs, and in Jesus Christ, He freely gives us all things. Lay hold of that provision at the Table of the Lord.

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