Text:
Exodus 22:6-14:
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall
be seen.
Philippians 4:19:
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Theme:
God’s ProVision
Introduction:
- The Epistle to the Philippians was written by Paul during the two years when he was “in bonds” in Rome, probably early in the year A.D. 62 or in the end of 61.
- The church at Philippi, of Macedonia, was the first-fruits of European Christianity.
- Therefore, Paul was close to the church in Philippi, as he frequently writes, and the church in Philippi was close to him.
- Although a typically poor community, the church at Philippi alone of all the churches helped him by their contributions, which he gratefully acknowledges.
- The least giving the most
- The fewest giving the greatest
- There’s always the faithful few!
- The text specifically addresses an element of Paul’s assurance or trust in God…God will provide for His Children.
- Abraham acknowledged this character of God in Genesis 22:8 when, upon being asked by his son about the whereabouts of the lamb for the burnt offering, he said, “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”. Abraham afterwards named the place “Jehovah-Jireh” which means “God will see” or “God will see to it” or simply “God will provide”.
- This being on of the six names or characters of God:
- Jehovah à The name of God given by God too the Israeites
- Jehovah-nissi à God my protector
- Jehovah-jireh à God my provider
- Jehovah-shalom à God my peace
- Jehovah-shammah à God the ever-present
- Jehovah-tsidkenu à God my righteousness
- Paul acknowledged this character of God in the direct statement found in his letter to the Philippian church when he said, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”
- It adds a bit more clarity to the character of God by also addressing the context in which God provides.
- From this point of clarity we find our theme:
- God’s PROVISION
- God is PRO – VISION
- PRO = “on behalf of”
- VISION = “the ultimate goal or purpose”
- God is providing “On behalf of the Vision”
- This being on of the six names or characters of God:
- Abraham acknowledged this character of God in Genesis 22:8 when, upon being asked by his son about the whereabouts of the lamb for the burnt offering, he said, “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”. Abraham afterwards named the place “Jehovah-Jireh” which means “God will see” or “God will see to it” or simply “God will provide”.
Body:
- As our Father, God provides for us as a Father does His children.
- Out of LOVE
- The Bible talks of God’s love
- We know that God embodies true love. In 1John 4:16, it explains, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
- Deuteronomy 23:5 gives God’s love in action, “Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.”
- John 3:16 shows the extent of God’s love à “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- Jesus says in John 15:13-14, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”
- A Father shows his love for his children by providing for them à giving them all that they NEED!
- Psalm 23:1 explains, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
- The Bible talks of God’s love
- According to the needs
- God knows what His children need!
- Matthew 6:8, “Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
- Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
- A Father knows the needs of his children
- He created them
- Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
- He is there with them
- Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
- He created them
- God knows what His children need!
- According to the Vision
- God provides “On behalf of the Vision”
- The vision is critical!
- Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
- What is the Vision?
- A Father wants his child to be HEALTHY
- God wants us to be healthy also
- 1Corinthians 6:19, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
- A Father wants his child to have LIFE
- God wants us to have life, true life!
- John 10:10, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
- A Father wants his child to be HAPPY
- God wants us to have joy
- Nehemiah 8:10 says, “the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
- 1Peter 1:8 says, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”
- A Father wants his child to be SMART
- God wants us to be intelligent
- 1Timothy 2:15 explains, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
- A Father wants his child to be STRONG
- God wants us to be strong
- Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
- A Father wants his child to be SAFE
- God wants us to be safe
- Ezekiel 34:27, “And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD,…”
- A Father wants his child to be LIKE HIM
- God wants us to be like Him
- John 15:12, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
- A Father wants his child to be BETTER THAN HIM
- God wants us to do even greater things through Him
- John 14:12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
- A Father wants his child to be SAVED
- God wants us to be saved
- Romans 10:1, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”
- A Father wants his child to be HEALTHY
- Out of LOVE
Conclusion:
- So God doesn’t provide:
- On behalf of our wishes
- On behalf of our weakness
- On behalf of our past
- On behalf of our frustrations
- On behalf of our plans
- On behalf of our flesh
- God provides ON BEHALF OF HIS VISION FOR US!
- PRO-VISION!
- God provides ON BEHALF OF HIS VISION FOR US!
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