Jehovah Jireh God My Provider

Homily – Sunday, the 2nd July 2023

Reading: Genesis 22:1-14

When we say, “Our God Provides”, it is only natural that some people call it a cliché. But for some it is a hard and fast fact that they would be willing to vouch for anywhere. Today we look at the Provisions of God from the story of the call to the sacrifice of Issac that we read in Genesis 22.

I would start with a disclaimer: Harm to children envisaged is in no way appreciated.

We discuss this story today in the context of the Big Festival- Id Al Adah where the test of Ibrahim and his victory is celebrated also by our neighbours- a celebration shared by several major religions with slight variants. I grew up in a Muslim prominent neighbourhood. And Bakrid became a celebration of us too because of the mutton biriyani and savories that came from my neighbours home which we used to reciprocate for Christmas. The grandma of that home also used to tell us of the story of Ibrahim and Issac and Ishmael and Iblis and Ibrael.

When we say God Provides it is worth asking ourselves what are those small and big blessings God give us each day. What are the realities that God provides.

God Provides Companionship

God said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” We find quite often in the Bible God calling on Abraham. We once did a reflection on atleast seven occasions God called Abraham. God was a constant companion to him and a reliable and trustworthy friend.

As we often discussed we read this in a context of inexplicable loneliness that is affecting people around us. There could be various reasons that contribute to loneliness but it is a far deeper a reality that singleness.

Here is in the story we are having a powerful coping mechanism- a deep spiritual connect with God. It could range from the mystic withdrawal into the woods and monasteries to experience the bliss of the God presence to the experience of the God connect in the ordinary day to day life experiences.

The character called Iblis becomes interesting here. It is that force that constantly tries to keep you away from God thought. That force that always distracts you so that you are not able to listen to what God wants to communicate. It takes various forms that draws you away from a life that is in friendship with God. Only thing Iblis cannot tolerate is someone become friends with God or spending quality time with God.

What Ibrahim did, on the advice of Ibrael (angel Gabriel) was to throw stones at Iblis to ward him off. It is in the place where this stone throwing happened that the community gathers for the ritual stone throwing during Umra their sacred pilgrimage in Meena east of Mecca.

This story takes a new form in the story of Martin Luther who once realized that the presence of the tempter was so real that he threw his inkpot only to see it splashing on the wall against him.

Yes the greatest gift that God provides is Companionship. Jehovah Jireh.

And a simple question for further reflection- Are you friends with God?

God Provides Equipping

The Scripture says God tested Abraham . We read “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”

When something that is most precious in your life is asked for how do you normally respond?

Anything that you love more than God could be the idol in your life. And would be exactly what would the focus of our testing sometimes.

And here is a test. And the crucial question is , What are tests for?

Why does a teacher offer a test for the students?

Why is there a driving test before a driving license is given?

Why is there a serious aptitude test before someone is taken into ministry?

Why is there a safeguarding test or check before someone is appointed for work among the vulnerable?

It is to equip the person for greater or larger roles.

Tests can be formative or summative and is aimed at validating the psychometric indices (personality measurements)

When we hear of being tested in the Refiner’s Fire that means having had the resilience to bear the heat the gold is purified and can now be used for much more sublime purposes.

It is all about equipping us

God Provides Faith

Let us read on, So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men,

“Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.”

Yes note it again- Then we WILL come back to you.

That is faith in the nature of God, the quality of God, the personhood of God.

Yes the ask is tough but I do know that God is so full of love

The faith needed to comprehend the marvel of God at least in parts is also a gift from God, a provision of God.

What is Faith

Imagine a river reaching the edges and having no way to move forward. It has to move on. Pushed to the periphery the river plunges deep down confident that wherever it falls it can flow on from there. But in that falling itself it provides such a visual treat. That falling in confidence is faith.

When a door is closed before us faith is not organizing an attempt to open it again. It is the wisdom to look around and find the new door that God has already opened for you.

Its like a boy jumping off the cliff when the father says jump confident that the Father will hold him safe.

God Provides Alternatives- a Plan B

Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

Even when walking ahead to the Mount, Abraham was confident that God will provide an alternate.

The greatest alternative that God offered was Jesus as the Ultimate sacrificial lamb and this story is a pointer to the essence of the one in whom we has built our faith.

The basic issue in several of our world views is that we cannot think outside the plan A. The alphabet has 25 other letters and several combinations can further the options.

When we are at cross roads there are two options- one is TINA and the other is TAMA

Tina is There is No Alternative

Tama is There are Many Alternatives

Do not be stuck In a hole- God is showing you the way out!!

God Provides Timely Interventions

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

God is never too early, Never Too Late

The perfect timing of God is something we need to understand better and deeper.

It is said sometimes we need to let our dreams go in order to allow God to bring them back to us in God’s way and in God’s perfect timing.

We read today Psalm 13

How long O Lord shall I live with grief in my heart?

But the Psalmist concludes I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly

That is exactly what God would do, but in God’s perfect timing.

God Provides Appreciation

He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

Well Done

Voltaire once said- Appreciation is a wonderful thing it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.

Appreciation is sometimes words of affirmation and at times acts of acknowledgement.

Appreciation motivates, affirms self-worth and gives joy, it builds trust in relationships and invariably increases effectiveness. It also helps relish good experiences and good memories.

For some people the purpose of life is all about living it as God would appreciate it.

Well Done Good and Faithful Servant would be their goal.

It also should challenge us at our attitude of appreciation in our lives.

Do we appreciate the blessings God has given us

Do we appreciate the hard work people do around us

Do we appreciate our spouses

God Provides Worship Opportunities

And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Abraham is making an offering. Abraham is worship.

The opportunity to worship is a great blessing that sometimes we take for granted.

Several people in their ill health regret not being able to be part of corporate worship when life was at its best.

I had a friend who always said he was too busy on a Sunday to come to church until one day he had a transforming God encounter and the only comment he made was- that experience transformed my priorities. I realised I was busy for the wrong reasons.

In my Chaplain’s Letter of July I have written about our family altars and family prayers and how crucial they are for a happy family life.

To Conclude

God’s Greatest Provision

The Lamb who substituted so that the son could be spared. It is the pointer to Son who became the Broken Lamb whose substitution at the cross brought salvation to each of us.

Vinod Victor

2nd July 2023