PUT IT ON THE ALTAR

Genesis 22:14 “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."

You may have heard about the guy who fell off a cliff and on his way down he was able to grab onto a tree branch jutting out from the face of the rock. As he hung there reviewing his options, he started yelling, “Is anyone up there?” He was surprised to hear a voice say to him, “Yes, this is God.” The man was greatly relieved, and quickly stuttered, “God, can you save me?” “Of course I can, responded God.” The man was really happy now and shouted out, “Great! What should I do?” The answer from the Almighty was not what he was expecting: “Let go of the branch.” After a long period of silence, the man replied faintly, “Is there anyone else up there?”

We’re like that man sometimes, aren’t we? We want God to help us but we don’t always want to do what he says. Specifically, we’re not always interested in letting go of those things that we think are holding us up. It’s tough to release our grip and give control of our lives to God. We kind of know that God will provide but maybe we’re not really sure he’ll come through for us. And so we hold on, and wonder if there is someone else who can help us.

In our scripture, we are reminded of a great test in Abraham’s life. God requires that Abraham offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. Isaac was the son of promise to Abraham and Sarah. Notice the four phrases God uses in Genesis 22 – your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love. God is making it very clear who he is talking about and he is putting his finger on the fact that Isaac was everything to Abraham. And that was part of the problem because God alone should be everything to him. God was saying, “We’ve walked together for many years and now you have the son you’ve longed for. Tell me, Abraham; is this son more important to you than your relationship with me?”

The three words – take, go, sacrifice – must have taken Abraham’s breath away. Once again, Abraham is commanded to go somewhere he had never been. When Abraham had left Ur years earlier, he sacrificed his present security and now God seems to be telling him to sacrifice his future security. There was no doubt what he was being asked to do. A burnt offering was a total sacrifice, with the offering being completely consumed by fire and signified the complete dedication of the one making the sacrifice. There was no way the offering would be walking back from the altar. Total commitment will always be costly as David said in 2 Samuel 24:24: “I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” God gives no explanation; just an expectation that Abraham would obey this staggering command. Sometimes we are not given reasons either because God just wants us to faithfully follow Him.

Of course, Abraham obeyed the Lord and the Lord provided. Abraham passed the test and as a result, he called that place “The Lord will Provide.” This is the name Jehovah Jireh. At just the right time, God came through for Abraham.

He is a provider and he always supplies the right thing at the right time and at the right place. He is never late but he is seldom early and he certainly does not cater to our timetable. God tests us to grow our faith, to keep us focused, and to make us fruitful. What are you giving up? It strikes me that before we can know Jehovah Jireh, before we can experience God as Provider, we must first be willing to obey him fully. If you want God to provide you must be prepared for him to do so. We don’t have to fully understand in order to surrender but we do need to fully trust. Is there anything you’re holding on to today? What is your Isaac? It may be your career. It might be a relationship or a possession. Perhaps it’s your retirement or your college plans. Maybe it’s a child or a parent. It’s time to put it all on the altar.