The Greatest Word of Faith

There exists in the Old Testament a very small word which is a treasure chest of faith. I’ll give you a hint. It’s two letters long (I told you it was small). Give up? Here it is – “He said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then WE will come back to you.’” (Genesis 22:5)

This was a dark time in Abraham’s life. But there had been happier times for the Patriarch. One such time was when he was 100 years old and holding his newborn son in his arms. He had waited 25 years from the time God told him that he’d have this precious bundle of joy. Talk about a proud daddy! Many times Abraham would simply sit outside his tent, smiling as he watched his little boy run and play. Finally, he was content that he had a son to whom he could pass on his knowledge of God, his wealth, and his possessions.

As Abraham was thinking how much joy his son brought him, out of the blue like a flash flood that roars down a dry river bed, his world came crashing down on him. Just as clearly as he heard God’s voice before, Abraham heard God say, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Genesis 22:2)  There was no mistaking God’s voice nor His demands. It made no sense to him, but he knew he must obey.

You know the story. For three days, a melancholy Abraham, Isaac and two servants trudged along the dusty road northward towards Jerusalem, the vicinity of the mountains of Moriah. There, at the base of the hill, Abraham delivered his “word of faith.” Having no idea that God would provide a substitute sacrifice at the top of the mount, “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.” (Hebrews 11:19) Regardless of what happened at the top of the hill, Abraham knew that he AND ISAAC would return to the servants.

Of course, before Isaac was slain, God stopped him and provided a ram for the sacrifice. It was then, atop that hill beside the altar, that Abraham gave the name of “Jehovah Jireh” to God, meaning “the Lord will provide”. Christians often remind themselves that “God will provide” for all their financial needs. While that is true, we see God’s plan more clearly when we realize that, years later, “Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on MOUNT MORIAH.” (2 Chronicles 3:1) Years later, Jesus would also be crucified on a hill outside Jerusalem. There, at His cross, we see God’s provision, not of a ram, but that of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus, who willingly gave His life to pay the penalty for our sin. 

There are times when God asks us to do something that seems unreasonable. The joy can be suddenly extinguished by the tsunami of problems we face. We may not know how God will deliver us, but because of the Cross, we know that He loves us and will never leave us alone. At the top of our mountain, God will reveal to us some other facet of His beauty. “WE” (God and you) will come through it.

I see a similar work of God in the lives of our orphans in India and Rwanda. Unlike Isaac, their parents were not wealthy. Many of them were abandoned to a life of begging. But God delivered them through the love and grace of our partners. Now, these orphans have a home with a loving family, lifelong friends, knowledge of the Lord, and a bright future ahead for them. Your faithful generosity enables this provision by Jehovah Jireh to be a reality.

By Marlon Furtado