Monday: God Will Provide
Read Genesis 22:8, Genesis 22:14, Genesis 22:18. How did God fulfill His promise that He will provide? What was provided?
When Isaac asked about the sacrificial animal, Abraham gave an intriguing answer: God will “provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:8, NKJV). Yet, the Hebrew verbal form can actually mean “God will provide Himself as the lamb.” The verb “provide” (yir’eh lo) is used in a way that can mean “provide Himself” (or literally, “see Himself”).
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
What we are being shown here, then, is the essence of the plan of salvation, with the Lord Himself suffering and paying in Himself the penalty for our sins!
Read John 1:1-3 and Romans 5:6-8. How do these verses help us understand what happened at the Cross, which is prefigured in the sacrifice here on Mount Moriah?
There, at Mount Moriah, long before the cross, the sacrificial ram “caught in a thicket by his horns” (Genesis 22:13) was pointing right to Jesus. He is One that is “seen” here, as Abraham explains later, “In the mount where the LORD is seen” (Genesis 22:14, author’s translation). Jesus Himself had pointed to Abraham’s prophetic utterance here, when He said, echoing Abraham’s statement: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56, NKJV).
“It was to impress Abraham’s mind with the reality of the gospel, as well as to test his faith, that God commanded him to slay his son. The agony which he endured during the dark days of that fearful trial was permitted that he might understand from his own experience something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the infinite God for man’s redemption.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 154.
| How does what happened here help us better understand what happened at the cross and what God has suffered in our behalf? What should our response be to what has been done for us? |
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In the Study: "God will provide *Himself* as the *lamb.”
Most Christians and some religious groups, and even preachers miss the main point of the sacrafice and plan within the Godhead.
Here are the 3 scriptures that explain it !
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (CSB)
18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to **himself** through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to ***himself,**
not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.
Colossians 1:19-20 (CSB)
19 For God was pleased to have all **his fullness dwell in him,**
20 **and through him** (CHRIST's DIVINE NATURE) to reconcile everything ***to HIMSELF** (God the Father)
whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Romans 3:26 (CSB)
God presented him to demonstrate **his righteousness at the present time** so that ***HE (GOD) would be RIGHTEOUS***
and *declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.*
Most preachers will say that GOD accepted Jesus's sacrafice for our sins. That's OK, but it's a far greater issue than that, the DIVINE NATURE in the GODHEAD TRIO, had to be true to the *divine nature* not MAN's nature.
Thanks for this great study.
Notice also it's NOT just reconciliation on earth, it's also reconciliation in the Heavens, where Satan's power is diminishing and can be overcomed.
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you
Romans 16:20
Who required the reconciliation? Who walked away from the original relationship?
It seems to me that the gospel is sometimes twisted to imply that an offended deity required a blood sacrifice to be appeased and thus reconciled. Yet, as you pointed out, it was God, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. That's a completely different picture. Christ voluntarily gave His life to reconcile humanity to Himself. That suggests a lot more ...
God provided *himself* (divine nature in Christ) as the lamb.
God is the sacrafice that reconciled all things to HIS nature.
God did not compromise his own nature as a good parent should not compromise their standards.
What's been offered to mankind, is immortality in the image of God/ aka Divine nature , not his earthly life back again. That's what God as done without compromising HIS divine nature !
You seem to be comparing mere mortal life again !
Immortality is a higher price !
No, Larry, I'm not "comparing mere mortal life." I was trying to lead to the point that you are making, which you did very well. 😉
I would like to think its God's work in me, as I say to my wife, I'm a dirty nose kid from Ireland that does not Know his butt from his elbow.
I have no religious man made qualifications, I'm have been a truth seeker all my life, and still have questions !
BTW, I have no denominational affiliations for over 30 years, but have attended local churchs, including SDA at times !
Shalom 🙏
Hi Larry
I hope you feel welcome here... among other truth seekers who also still have questions...and who God is working within us too...
FYI, I am in and from the land down-under (Australia).
Humans who surrender their lives to the LORD will only be made immortal at Jesus Christ's Second Coming. Until then they are given the Holy Spirit as a deposit of the promise.
Eph 1:13-14, 1Cor 15:51-54
If I really do understand what God made for me, my entire life should be a constant worship! Oh, how should I! I am my most powerful enemy! My choices just reveal how unwise I am... Have mercy, Oh Lord! May your love cover me completely!
Amen ...great comment !
We try and bring *every thought* captive to Christ, before we act it out in/with our body members. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
The questions I ask of MY thoughts is, is this godly motivation or carnal motivations.
Once we get to the source (thoughts and their motivations) we can filter it through the Word and request power of the Spirit.
This conforms somewhat to being crucified in Christ to self, and victory in HIS resurrected ZOE LIFE working in us !
Galatians 2:20-21
(Had Eve filtered her thoughts from satan's temptation, it wound not have matured into an evil desire.) James 1:13-15
Thank you brother in Christ, keep on the narrow way ! Your comments are inspiring !
Keep me in your prayers, a sinner saved by grace !
Larry 🙏👍
In the Torah the principle is a life for a life.
One mortal life = One mortal life, nothing more or less.
In the divine plan in the Godhead before creation, revelation 5, revelation 13:8, it was the sacrafice of a divine life, which purchased and perfected many immortal Sons of God !
Ephesians 1:3-14 (CSB)
3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.
5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ
10 as a plan for the right time -- to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.
11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will,
12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.
13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.
14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.
Praise God for his wisdom and power !
Just to add, to this scripture Ephesians 1 above,
I believe the plan of God was predestined *NOT* the *individuals* as in Calvinism.
However, certain offices in the kingdom of the Son of his Love were appointed to individuals as follows:
.
Matthew 20:21-25 (CSB)
21 “What do you want? ” he asked her. “Promise,” she said to him, “that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and the other on your left, in your kingdom.”
22 Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink? ” “We are able,” they said to him.
23 He told them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right and left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
24 When the ten disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers.
25 Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them.
...
Ephesians 4:11-13 (CSB)
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
12 equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Shalom 🙏
Yes, but let me explain. Ephesians 1:11. More.
In a sense we can be predestined, because God predestined a way for all to be reconciled. Now the choice is ours. Will we let Him redeem us? Will we ask for forgivness and allow Him to work in our 💕 to facilitate repentence? Will we surrender, taking hold of the power He freely gives us to be able to concecrate our lives to Him. If yes, then we have been predestined by the blood of the Lamb. Knowing this I am 😊. Psalms 35:9.
I was reflecting upon the title of today's lesson - God will provide. Those 3 words say so much about God - the self-sustaining, all-powerful I AM (eg, Isaiah 45:5). From the outset, the essence of God's 'covenant' relationship with His creation has been and will ever continue to be "I will be your God and you will be My people" (eg, Jeremiah 32:38; Hebrews 8:10).
Because we are created beings, we are incapable of being self-existent in and of ourselves, and are therefore inherently reliant upon our Creator-Sustainer (as per John 15:5). How comforting it is to know that it is the core nature of our self-sustaining, all-powerful, abundantly-beneficent Creator-Sustainer to provide all needed to benefit us, His supremely-loved creation (1 John 4:8-10; Philippians 4:6,19; Romans 8:28,32,38-39). God's eternal reputation hangs upon His faithfulness to this pledge - God will provide!
Brilliant !
A thought this morning (in my spiritual food intake) of the kingdom of Sonship and brotherhood, will be a community of connected and yet seperate minds, regardless of our containers (immortal bodies 1 Corinthians 15:40-44)
God will be all *in all* (qualities of divine nature 2 Peter 1:1-12) 1 Corinthians 15:28, as he eternally desired !
not like New Age of oneness, where it seems there is a loss of personal identity. !
What a coincidence as I too read the title, the 1st thing that came to my mind also was: Yes indeed God will provide. Infact He provided His Son to reconcile us from sin. He also wants to redeem us, if we will consent, so that we may be worthy to be called His own(redeemed by the blood of the lamb). I was thinking earlier of a song by Fanny Crosby. She was blind, yet was able to see what a wounderful Saviour is Jesus our Lord. We are not blind. Let's hope that we can see that He hideth our lives in the depth of His love, and covereth us there with His hand. A very simular encouraging thought, must have given Abraham the faith to follow through until the Lord held back his hand and said, see I have provided a way. John 3:16-17
Knowing that He provideth a away, takes our burden away, and lifts us up. Yes in deed burdens were lifted at Calvery. A couple of lifter uppers and how to, are found in: Psalms 4:6-8. Psalms 97:10-12.
We will gain much understanding and appreciation of the the "science of our salvation" if we meditate on John 8:56 in the light of the Spirit of Prophecy. In the book, _The Story of Redemption_ are these two details that pull the veil of mystery aside and give us a glimpse into the decisions that the Eternal Father made, and that the father of the faithful,(Abraham) struggled to make. On page 42 is this paragraph describing the immediate aftermath of our parents first sin:
And then to ask a mere mortal to reenact the divine struggle of sacrifice "The supreme test faith" is given to Abraham.
"Take now they son." Then, as though to probe the heart a little deeper, He added, "Thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest"; that is, the only son of promise, "and offer him...for a burnt offering." Three days this father traveled with his son, having sufficient time to reason and doubt God if he was disposed to doubt." Page 81
The similarities are striking.
*Issac and Jesus are both miracle babies.
*Jesus is the son of promise, and Issac is also the son of promise.
*The Heavenly Father's unimaginable sacrifice of His only Son weighed heavily on Him. As was Abraham's sacrifice if yielding up his only son, Issac.
*Three times, and three days salvation and obedience hung in the balance.
*Finally, Both Abraham and the Father are content with their decisions. Our Heavenly Father's sacrifice will for eternity secure the universe against sin. And Abraham's willing obedience has forever made him the father of the faithful.