The God Who Provides

Article by Pastor Phil Bray

“The God Who Provides”

God provides. It’s a simple concept, but one easily forgotten in our affluent society. I have been reading in Genesis of late, looking for what God is telling us about Himself in those historical accounts. Then, as I was reading Genesis 22, my eyes were opened to a new and very compelling theme running throughout the entire book of Genesis: God provides.

As Abraham and Isaac walk up Mount Moriah to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to the LORD, Isaac, not knowing his fate, asks, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:7–8). The drama continues as Abraham obediently places the wood on the altar, binds his unsuspecting son, and lays him on the altar. Sliding a knife from his belt, he raises it toward Isaac—and then the angel of the LORD calls to him from heaven and tells him to stop. It has now been demonstrated that Abraham loves God more than all else, that he fears God, and that he completely trusts in God. In that moment Abraham looks up and sees a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Quickly he takes the ram and offers it as a burnt offering “in the place of his son” (Genesis 22:13).

Notice then how Abraham responds to this unbelievable turn of events: “And Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, ‘In the mount of the LORD it will be provided’” (Genesis 22:14). Abraham rejoices in the LORD who is his provider. The LORD provided a substitute for Isaac. The LORD saw the need of His servant and stepped in to provide the support needed. The LORD is not slack or incapable of rendering aid. Not only that, the LORD rendered aid that was not even asked for! The legitimacy of the need is not proven by the quality of the asking. God sees through all of that, sees genuine needs—maybe even needs that we do not know about yet—and He provides! The theme that runs throughout Genesis is that this is precisely who God is: He is the God who sees our needs and provides the help to meet that need perfectly, even when we don’t ask Him.

The LORD provided a helpmate for Adam when He saw his need of companionship (Genesis 2:18). The LORD provided hope for the hopeless couple who, in their betrayal and rebellion, entered into the realm of death. Clearly they had separated themselves from God, and yet in their great need of forgiveness and mercy He stepped into the void. He provided the promise of seed—a child who would crush the head of the serpent and reverse the curse (Genesis 3:15). He also provided them clothing to cover their shame and nakedness (Genesis 3:21). The LORD provided Eve another child to replace godly Abel after he was murdered by Cain (Genesis 4:25). The LORD provided sons and daughters to the children of men to continue the race of humanity so that one day the Son would be born who would deliver them from their enslavement to sin and death (Genesis 5).

Even in judgment, God provides. He saw that all humanity was wicked and self-destructive, hurtling toward condemnation, and so He provided mercy and grace to Noah and his family. He provided the instructions for construction of a life-saving ark. God further provided the means to repopulate the planet with all manner of creatures (Genesis 6–9). He saw the gathering of human selfishness and rebellion again at Babel and provided separation through the events at the tower of Babel (Genesis 11).
The LORD provides Abraham, who will be the means of God’s blessing the nations. Abraham will be the one through whom the seed of Eve comes. Yet Abraham is old, and his wife is barren. Yet God sees the need—not only of Abraham and Sarah, but of all humanity bound by sin’s curse. The LORD sees Hagar in need when she is cast out because of her pregnancy by Abraham. He restores her and provides her with a child and many descendants (Genesis 16:8–16). The LORD provides safety for Lot when all the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah perish (Genesis 19). The LORD provides safety to Sarah, preventing kings from taking her into their harems and thus forfeiting the promise of a child who would deliver the world (Genesis 12:10–20; 20:1–18). In Genesis 21 the LORD provides Isaac through Sarah’s womb. The promised child is born and Abraham’s trust in God is validated. All through Genesis God provides. He sees the need of his people and intervenes to meet that need perfectly. The book of Genesis ends with God providing rescue from famine by causing Joseph’s tragic life events to unfold so precisely that he rises to power and delivers the world.
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The book of Genesis teaches us that God provides. It teaches us that God sees our needs—even those we are not aware of or are too stubborn to admit. It teaches that God sees those needs and initiates action to provide help. It also teaches that our response to such a God is faith. Abraham had to learn faith. He had to trust God when all hope seemed lost. He had to persevere in his trust. You see, we need to remember that God sees our needs. He sees what is going on in our lives. Whatever you are struggling with—relational problems, emotional problems, health problems, financial problems—God sees them all. God sees our every need, and Scripture teaches that He is the God who provides. He provides the aid, the help, the deliverance we need. God does not abandon, forget, or ignore His people. He may not work on our timetable, but He is at work, and He does provide. Never forget that. When you face life’s darkest hours, remember your God is THE God who sees and THE God who provides.