Jehovah-Jireh, - The Lord Who Sees To It

Is your problem too big, too small, or too insignificant for Jehovah- Jireh?  Let’s consider two extremes.  First consider the children of Israel, they have just been delivered from Egyptian slavery.  The angel of death has slain all first born males of the Egyptians.  They have left Egypt loaded with jewels of gold, silver and cloths.  Now Pharaoh has decided he want his slaves back.  He chases them down as they reach the Red Sea.  God has been protecting them with a pillar of cloud by day to shield them from the heat and a pillar of fire by night to shield them from the cold of the night.  What do the Israelites do?  They start complaining to Moses, saying it would have been better to stay in Egypt as slaves than die in the wilderness.

What does Moses do?  He tells them:

“Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.  LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Moses knew his God!

What does God say:

Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward… lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea……And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.

God says: Why are you whining to me?  Get a move on!  I will see to it!

Jehovah-Jireh saw to it.

Now let’s consider the other extreme.  Jesus is at a wedding in Cana.  WHAT HAPPENS?  They run out of wine.  Could it get any worse? This must not have been a Baptist or Christian Reformed wedding!  Mary, His mother, runs to Jesus and says: “They have no wine.”  Jesus  responds: “Woman what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”  Sounds a little like he was put out my Mary’s request!  BUT Mary knew her son.  She says: “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 

Jehovah-Jireh sees to it.  Jesus did not make some cheap Boones Farm wine.  He made good stuff!

How many of us would dare to ask our heavenly Father for wine?  How many of us know Jehovah-Jireh well enough to ask for wine?  Mary did!

I’ll See To It!

When someone says to you: I’ll see to it, how do you interpret that.  We know that when someone says that, they mean, they will take care of it.  No further explanation necessary!  Sort of like the enforcer, don’t ask any more questions.  You don’t need to know the details, just know it’s taken care of.  The problems been solved.  Don’t waste any more energy thinking about it.  They will see to it.  Not sure how, when, or where; but it’s taken care.  Quit worrying!  Move on!

Did you know that your heavenly Father was the first person to have “seen to it”.   The phrase appears in Genesis 22, where God has asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.  As Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, God provides a lamb for Abraham to sacrifice in place of his son, Isaac.  After sacrificing the lamb, Abraham names the place Jehovah-jireh, literally translated: “the Lord sees to it”.  The NIV Bible translates it as “the Lord will provide”.  He is our provider.  He sees to it.

In 1986, Don Moen sung the song, Jehovah-jireh, my provider.

When you or I have a problem, which is usually all the time, all we need to know is: the Lord sees to it!  Don’t worry about it!  Don’t worry you little itty-bitty head over it.  It’s being taken care of!  Like our worrying is going to help solve the problem!  Some how our worrying is going to help!  Forget about it!  Go to sleep!  Get busy doing something productive!

Jehovah-jireh is one of the redemptive names through which God has revealed to us, one of his attributes.  It is part of His DNA that "He see to it"!  Sort-of-like when your earthly father told you that he would take care of one of your problems.  The problem was above your pay grade.  He’d take care of it! 

All of our problems are over our pay grade!

How Many People REALLY Know You?

How many people know you completely?  How many people do you really know?  Linda and I have been married 43+ years.  She can finish sentences for me, and often does.  We often find ourselves having almost identical thoughts, seemingly out of the clear blue.  However, we are still learning about each other.  It comes from spending time together.  I never sat down and tried to write down what I was like because, first of all, I am not that cerebral, second, I may not be the best person to ask, and third, I may be a little biased. 

Over the years, how many instances have you had where you thought you knew someone; and then, WHAMO!  They knock your socks off by doing something totally inconsistent with what you would expect.  How many people have had that happen in a marriage or relationship?  We just had this happen to us recently with one of my best friends.  We still are in shock.

Well, there is one relationship where this will never happen.  One relationship that is completely trust worthy.  One relationship where the other person has voluntarily written down what he is like.  A person who will never change or do some thing inconsistent with what he has told us.

Your heavenly Father!

But, you must spend the time to get to know him.  One of the ways that he has chosen to help us to know Him is by His names.  Last time I started talking about this and I want to continue.

One of His names is Jehovah and in scripture this is sometimes is translated as “Lord”.  It is often used as part a compound name.  The first use of Jehovah, or Yahweh, follows the creation.   It was Elohim who said “Let us make man in our image”, but when man comes on the scene, it is Jehovah Elohim, indicating a special relationship of Deity to man.   When man sinned, it was Jehovah Elohim, who sought out Adam and made cloths for them.   This was a type of the righteousness provided by Jehovah Elohim through sacrifice.  He revealed His redemptive character.   Jehovah is part of His redemptive name.  It is used throughout the Old Testament in His compound names to bring out His redemptive character.  They reveal a loving God, meeting every need redeeming man from his fallen state. 

In the next few blogs, I will talk about these compound names that describe His redemptive character.

Sticks and Stones

How many of you remember the saying: “Sticks and stones may break my bones; but, names will never hurt me”.  As a kid, we often heard that on the playground.  It was a sort of psychological protective mechanism, all be it false.  Names do hurt!  When you watch a debate or listen to an argument, you can tell whose winning.  The person losing reverts to “name calling”.  In today’s political climate, there are certain names that are tossed around like the playground names.  Racist, socialist, Marxist, neo-con, liberal, moderate, conservative, are just a few.  Regardless of what we would like to think, names mean something.

When we call someone by their first name, it shows a closeness.  If we use both their first name and middle name, it means we are serious and want to get their attention.  Nicknames denote a special relationship with that person, a certain respect or sometimes disrespect.

This was even more true in the past, In scripture, names were very important.  They were used as a reference to a person’s character, their position, their calling.  God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, when He established His covenant with Abram telling him that he would be the father of many nations.  The Old Testament has many such examples; but non more significant than the names God used for himself as a means to reveal His character to us.  If we are to be a people who “know their God”, one of the best places to start is to learn his names. 

The first name used in the Old Testament is found in Genesis 1:1 and here His name is Elohim, a plural noun, suggesting the trinity nature of God.  In Genesis 14:18, He is referred to as “the most high God” or El Elyon, He is God the highest.  He is “the possessor of heaven and earth”.  He has authority of the earthly realm and the heavenly realm.  A few verses later in Genesis 15:2 He is called “Lord God”, Adonai Jehovah.  Adonai means “Master”.   As “Master”, there is the implied principle of obedience and as servant, the right to His direction in service.  God is telling  Abram that He is Abram’s “shield and great reward”.  In Genesis 17:1, God tell Abram that He is “the Almighty God” or El Shaddai.  He is the strengthener and satisfier of His people, the “all-sufficient One”.  Here He is telling Abram that he will be the father of many nations and changes his name to Abraham.   He not only “enriches but makes fruitful”.   He is telling a 99 year old man, “as good as dead”, I am Almighty God, El Shaddai, I will make a covenant, a promise, between you and me, and will multiple you.

Our triune God is: the Highest, the Possessor of heaven and earth, the Authority over heaven and earth, the Master, the All-sufficient One.

Is it any wonder that “the people who know their God” shall do exploits. 

We are servants of the Highest, the Possessor of heaven and earth, the Authority over heaven and earth, the Master, the All-sufficient One!

We take our marching orders from the Highest, the Possessor of heaven and earth, the Authority over heaven and earth, the Master, the All-sufficient One!

We carry on the work of the Highest, the Possessor of heaven and earth, the Authority over heaven and earth, the Master, the All-sufficient One!

We are the body of the Highest, the Possessor of heaven and earth, the Authority over heaven and earth, the Master, the All-sufficient One!

We are the bride of the Highest, the Possessor of heaven and earth, the Authority over heaven and earth, the Master, the All-sufficient One!

We better do exploits!!

Ability vs. Disability!

In today’s culture, almost anything and everything qualifies as a disability.  More and more people want to be disabled, particularly if it qualifies for disability social security benefits.  Drug addiction is a disability.  Alcohol addiction is a disability.  HIV positive is a disability. Obesity is a disability. Depression is a disability.  Compulsiveness is a disability.  Hoarding is a disability.  Everyday we see new disabilities.

In contrast, I want to look at God’s ability.  His ability is His strength!  His ability is His power!  His ability is his might. 

We are told to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”.  His ability can be our strength, our power and our might.  If we are people that “know their God”, we can, and will “do exploits”.

People that “know their God”, know His abilities.  They know what He is able to do.  God’s abilities are Satan’s disabilities. 

God is:

“able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”  Acts 20:32

  able to perform that which he promised   Romans 4:21

“able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work”  2 Cor 9:8

“able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” Eph 3:20

“able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” 2 Tim. 3:15

“able to save your souls” James 1:21

“able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” Jude 1:24

Everything that God is able to do, Satan is unable to do.  Satan would have us believe just the opposite.  People who do not know their God, will believe Satan’s lies. People of God “are destroyed for lack of knowledge”(Hosea 4:6).  People who “know their God, do exploits”(Daniel 11:28).  People who lack knowledge, are destroyed.

Are you enabled or disabled?

Do you know your God or do you lack knowledge?

Where are you today?

Today’s Standard For “Bold”

Today is 'Pulpit Freedom Sunday'.  I would venture to say that very few people this morning are aware of this.  I would also venture to say that only a small percentage of these same people will be aware of this as they leave their churches today.

 

What is 'Pulpit Freedom Sunday'?  It is the “Sunday each year when pastors are encouraged to "present biblical perspectives on the positions of electoral candidates" to "exercise their constitutionally protected right to free religious expression”*. 

Pastors from more than 475 churches in 46 states have registered to participate this year. That's nearly five times as many as last year's approximately 100 participants. This is the fourth year for the event*.

Why are these pastors doing this?  Because the IRS has threatened to take away churches IRS tax exempt status for naming candidates.

Participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday”, in today’s culture, is considered bold.  No lion’s den!  No fiery furnace!

Yet fewer than 500 pastors have signed up to do this.  Hopefully more will speak up that just have not registered.

Again, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”.

*Read more: Hundreds of pastors thumb noses at IRS http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=350641#ixzz1ZcwIPTT3

Context Is Everything!

Might when used as a verb: indicates a possibility or probability

BUT, when used as a noun

“My brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”.

Ephesians 6:10

If we are to” be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”, we must know what it means as a noun.  If you look in the dictionary, the definition of “might” is:

The power, energy, or intensity of which one is capable.

TOTALLY the opposite!

What is the Lord capable of?  What is He able to do?

When Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were faced with either bowing to the image of gold or being thrown into the fiery furnace, they knew “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.” 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew their God!

How did God respond to their faith?  He sent the pre-incarnate Son of God into the fire to not only to rescue them but to keep them company.

When king Darius was about to throw Daniel into the lion’s dens, he tells Daniel “thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.”  But, he still had his doubts so the king spent the night fasting and was not able to sleep.  He got up early and hurrying to the den of lions, “he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?”

Daniel responded, “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me.”

Daniel knew His God!

What happens to people who know their God?

They do exploits!