Mountain Moments

Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the LORD will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” [Genesis 22.14]

So, there is more that I see in this as this day matured into evening...

Perhaps we have been blessed by the faith of Abraham - certainly his faith and obedience are worthy of consideration! 

But what about Isaac? Shall we compare ourselves to Abraham or Isaac in this story?

I say we should highly consider Isaac as the one we are challenged to see ourselves in!

Why? Because Isaac was the cursed one - the one marked for death! Isaac was the one who was literally bound for death. His destiny was out of his own control! He could only witness his fate as it unfolded subject to the faith of Abraham. Like us, Isaac was bound and powerless to help himself. 

Like God, Abraham was commited to what had to be done - a sacrifice of blood was required.

Like Jesus, the ram was caught in the thorns (crown of thorns?) and provided the substitute blood sacrifice in Isaac's place.

Like Isaac walked off the mountain having witnessed all these things, we, through the Bible and particularly the Gospels, have witnessed the substitution of Jesus on our behalf.

It seems so cheap at this point to  view Jehovah Jireh as our provider of material things when the context of the story is about eternal life!!

We were bound by the curse of the Law - deserving of  every bad thing and ultimately death. But Jesus became our substitute.

How significant then is the "mountain" in this story?  

For Isaac, at very least, the mountain was puzzling - and at it's worst, terrifying. But Isaac submitted and went. Is there a lesson there for us? I believe so. The mountain is where it all took place! And through all the puzzling and terrifying moments, Isaac saw miraculous deliverance. And so should we as we consider Christ!

What is our "mountain?"

Our mountain is that hopeless lost sense that we cannot please God in and of ourselves.

Our mountain is that sickness that has no cure.

Our mountain is that need we cannot meet.

Unless we go to our mountain, we will never see Jehovah Jireh's provision. The mountain of the LORD is our mountain because there on His mountain, only He is everything - every situation is hopeless in human sight. The miracles happen when we realize we are powerless to intervene in any capacity for ourselves!

Do you feel the hopelessness of the weight of the world? Then you are on the mountain of the LORD! He will provide eternal life!

Do you have sickness? Then you are on the mountain of the LORD! He will heal!

Do you have material need? Then you are on the mountain of the LORD! He will meet the need!

Like Isaac, we may walk up the mountain with no idea what we will face. But it is there in that moment of perfect helplessness that God will provide!

Yes, Jehovah Jireh will provide!

Father, forgive me for missing the mountain moments!