"THE LORD WILL PROVIDE!"

Genesis 22:9-14                                      (ESV)
"9 When they came to the place of which GOD had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
12 HE said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear GOD, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from ME."
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 So Abraham called the name of that place, "THE LORD WILL PROVIDE"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."



Abraham was known as a friend of GOD (2 Chronicles 20:7. Isaiah 41:8 . James 2:23).  His FAITH and love for THE LORD was enough for GOD to promise him in Genesis 12:2 that "I will make you a great nation", and HE did so!  But why did GOD choose Abraham?  Why was Abraham so special?  What set him apart from all GOD's Creation?  Why would GOD ask HIS "friend" to sacrifice his son on an altar?

Abraham wasn't always faithful and obedient to GOD.  Scripture records in Genesis 17 that Abram was promised by GOD a son.  Abram listened to Sarai and took his handmaiden and conceived a son named Ishmael, who wasn't part of The Promise!  GOD didn't request that Abraham (Genesis 17:5) was renamed because GOD transformed his life, made him new again.  HE gave Abraham a son called Isaac through which GOD was glorified.

In Genesis 22:2 GOD instructs Abraham to "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 of which I shall tell you." I have written these notes on verse 12 where Abraham was being obedient to GOD.  "GOD knew all along that Abraham would be obedient.  Now, Abraham knew he could be obedient and the rewards of obedience."  GOD had already PROMISED Abraham that HE would make a great nation out of Isaac, so Abraham should have known that GOD would have to intervene because GOD's Word was at stake!!  GOD will ALWAYS, ALWAYS honor HIS Word to us!

When GOD has promised you something, HE sometimes sends an opportunity for us to prove ourselves, not for HIS benefit, but for our benefit!  GOD doesn't need to prove HIMSELF, for HE already knows HE is GOD!  HE desires us to KNOW HE is GOD!  HE wants to demonstrate HIS love and mercy to us.  HE already knows how you will respond to adversity, but HE wants us to see what our response will be so we can glorify HIS name to mankind!  When "THE LORD WILL PROVIDE" becomes more than words to us and is part of our being, only THEN can we grasp the magnitude of true FAITH in ALMIGHTY GOD!!!