It was a mid-summer day, when suddenly I stood accused. For ten years I devoted myself to working diligently for the company. As was my customary style, I sacrificed and labored for the good of my patients. Always protecting the name of my employer with unrelenting devotion. Then, that day everything changed. Suddenly, I stood accused of what they declared a criminal offense. My world crashed in around me. Financially, I had too many responsibilities at the time with little resources for all the hours of work. For some time, I had felt God nudging me to return to Missouri. I had placed a few applications to no avail. But here I stood on the ledge. Could I trust Jesus and know God always provides? After hours of restlessness, I knew what I had to do. I turned in my resignation letter that day, giving the required three months’ notice.
That same day, their eyes were opened. My boss knew I was innocent.
God had called Abraham out of his homeland filled with idolatrous worship. Yet, Abraham obeyed and went to a land he had not seen, believing that God would do as He promised. Years passed by and no son was born. All the years awaiting the fulfillment of the promise. There were moments of doubt and moments of failures; yet, overall, Abraham believed God always provides. On that promise, finally the son of promise was born miraculously. Isaac was born, just as God said he would be.
God Always Provides What He Has Promised.
18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” 19 But God said, “No, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.” 22 When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Genesis 17(NASB)
Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised. 2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham named his son who was born to him, the son whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. Genesis 21 (NASB)
God sees and God Always Provides
There came a time when Abraham had to send Ishmael away because of the contentions that were within the household. Those had been due to Abraham’s sin during a moment of faithlessness. Still, God always kept His promise concerning Ishmael as well. There in the wilderness, Hagar believed the child would die of thirst and hunger. She left him under the bushes where he was crying. But God sees us in our darkest moments where He reaches out to remind us that “God sees, and God always provides” a way if only we would believe.
17 God heard the boy crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.20 And God was with the boy, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. Genesis 21 (NASB).
The Test of Faith for Abraham
Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Genesis 22. (NASB)
At this point, Abraham did not know where Ishmael was. He only had the promise that God would also make a nation of him with 12 princes. Now only Isaac was with him. He was the son of promise, so how could God ask him to sacrifice Isaac? Yet, Abraham did not hesitate at all.
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place of which God had told him. Genesis 22 (NASB)
No Hesitation, knowing God Always Provides
4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So, the two of them walked on together. Genesis 22 (NASB)
Notice that Abraham said, we will worship, and we will return to you. All the years of trials and waiting had taught him to know God always provides. He knew what God had promised concerning Isaac; therefore, without question he would now obey. The same God that brought Isaac miraculously to him would preserve him. Even raise him from the dead? Maybe. Regardless, he marched on with Isaac.
7 Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. Genesis 22 NASB
Isaac Trusted that God Always Provides
It was one thing for Abraham to believe, but also Isaac had to willing lay down his life believing and trusting that God always provides. He was a young man and if he fought back could not have been laid upon the altar. There is no protest by him either.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to [b]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.” Genesis 22 (NASB)
What joy Abraham must have felt as he proclaimed, “Here I am,” awaiting and anticipating God’s next command.
God Always Provides a Way of Salvation
12 He said, “Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” Genesis 22 (NASB)
It does not say exactly that this was at the Mount of Olives; however, it was a mountain of God’s choosing in the land of Moriah. That is precisely where the Mount of Olives is located. Jesus was crucified at Golgotha which is believed to be the northern summit of the Mount of Olives.
Evidence From Hebrews Ezekiel 43:71 refers to an altar located east of the Temple ”without the sanctuary.” Here the important sacrifice. of the Red Heifer was performed. Where is this altar in relationship to the Temple? Jeremiah records that it was located near the southern summit of the Mount of Olives directly “east of the Temple,” ‘outside the camp’ of Israel some 2000 cubits (about 1000 yards) east of the central part of the Temple. In the time of Jesus this was slightly down slope from the southern summit of the Mount of Olives in full view of the Temple from the west Confirmation that Jesus was crucified near the summit of the Mount of Olives, about a half-mile east of the Temple Mount is found in the New Testament itself, in the Book of Hebrews. It states that the crucifixion occurred “without the camp” and “without the gate” of Israel (Heb. 13:11-13). These geographical references may mean little to us today, but to first century Jewish people in the Jerusalem area they could only mean one thing – Jesus was crucified on the Mount of Olives “without THE gate” and without THE camp.” This refers to a special gate – the gate to the eastern region outside the city limits of Jerusalem. Golgotha was located at the southern summit of the Mount of Olives.1
Paul and Naul O’Higgins
Isaac as a picture of Jesus, God Always Provides
In the fullness of time, Jesus was miraculously born after years of expectantly waiting. He willingly laid down to be sacrificed. The difference was that now it was God the Father who gave His only begotten son to be sacrificed for the sin of all. There was not another ram in the thicket. Not this time. He would pay the price for all. Then only by faith, you might be saved.
Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old gained approval.3 By faith we understand that the [world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible….6 the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him. Hebrews 11
Faith is Knowing that God IS and that God Always Provides for those who diligently seek Him. Do You know that?
Back to My Story
I went to Missouri. God had a plan. Even if I did not fully understand, I had to obey. At first, the job was only part time. I was tempted to doubt and did look for other opportunities. However, I knew I was where God wanted me so I waited. I even turned down another job while waiting.
Six months later, the job I had with the Veteran’s Administration became full time. Since then, by trusting God, I have been blessed beyond measure in my job. Also, I have no worries about my financial future after retirement. All because, God had a better plan for me than I could have ever worked out on my own. God once said to test Him, by bringing in to the storehouse His part. Therefore, I had learned along this journey to test Him and see what He would do. Tithing is a very important part to that. I had learned to tithe even when money was tight. You can do that if you really know the truth that God always provides.
Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking only at Jesus, the [a]originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary [b]and lose heart. Hebrews 12 (NASB)
1 O’Higgins, Paul and Nula, The Mount of Olives—Place of Jesus’s Death, Resurrection, and Ascension, Introduction.pdf (reconciliationoutreach.net)
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2024
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