Jehovah Jireh: The God Who Sees Ahead Of Time & Provides

What is it that troubles your soul? What do you need? Permit me to introduce you to the God behind the name Jehovah Jireh.

One of the greatest revelations of the love and character of our great God in the old times is in the name Jehovah Jireh or Yahweh Yireh. Although most people know the name to mean “the Lord will provide,” “the Lord has provided” or even “our great provider,” the name actually stretches beyond that.

When properly translated, the name Jehovah Jireh means “the God who sees ahead of time and provides.” That is, “the God who makes the provision before the need ever arises.”

Before Abraham was asked to offer his seed Isaac (actually Christ) in faith on a mountain in Moriah, God knew he would take the instruction to literally mean to kill his immediate son Isaac (Ishmael’s younger brother now). God also knew that upon correction, he would need a ram to physically demonstrate his faith in Jesus as God’s sacrifice for sin.

From this foreknowledge of God, He provided a ram in the exact location Abraham would need it. Saving the life of his son Isaac and strengthening his faith in Him.

(Gen 22:10)  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

(Gen 22:11)  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

(Gen 22:12)  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

(Gen 22:13)  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

(Gen 22:14)  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Just a chapter before that in Genesis 21, God did the exact same thing for Abraham’s maid and her son. Before Hagar and her son Ishmael were sent away from Abraham’s place, God knew they would be in need of water and made provision for a well before they had the need. They got to see it when they arrived at that location but the well was there long before they came.

(Gen 21:14)  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

(Gen 21:15)  And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

(Gen 21:16)  And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

(Gen 21:17)  And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

(Gen 21:18)  Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

(Gen 21:19)  And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

Everywhere there is a need, He had already made provisions for it. His greatest demonstration of this is seen in His provision of His Son (the ultimate sacrifice for sin) even before the fall of man.

If God made all these provisions before the need ever arises, how much more for that pressing need that you have right now?

(Mat 6:25)  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

(Mat 6:26)  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

(Mat 6:27)  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

(Mat 6:28)  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

(Mat 6:29)  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

(Mat 6:30)  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

(Mat 6:31)  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(Mat 6:32)  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Again, what is it that you need right now? A job, a house, food to eat, your school fees, or even startup capital for your business ideas? Believe in your heart that God has already made the provisions and pray that your eyes be opened to see them. That you receive wisdom to know the right place to walk in and submit your CV, the right agent to call for a house, the right friend to call and say “Hi” and see what God would do from there.

Trust me when I say this, Jehovah Jireh (your Father), the one who sees ahead of time and provides, has already provided for that very need. May your eyes be opened to see and receive it today.

Even now in the name of Jesus, receive His provisions for you.

Glory to God!