As we started out learning in this series, Jesus evidently thought the Names of God were important because He taught His disciples to pray by first “hallowing” God’s Names.
 
We learned that this means to honor and make holy His Names in our sight as we approach Him in prayer. Evidently, this is key for our prayers being effective, but why? It’s because by first hallowing His Name, we will go into our prayer times full of faith, confidence, and persuasion knowing who we are directing our prayers towards. No, there will not be that unbelief that questions if God is hearing us or if He will grant us our requests. We will know who He is and will have the full assurance of faith that gets the best results in prayer.
 
And let me remind you that knowing who He is, is much more important to Him than knowing the technicalities of His various Names, like being able to rattle them off or how to pronounce them. I would much rather you know me as the person I truly am than just knowing what my name is.
 
You see, there’s a lot of people out there who know who I am and know what I do (meaning, they know my name and that I’m the pastor of this church). But guess what? Most of these people don’t really know me. They don’t know what I’m into, what makes me tick, what I like to do for fun, etc. Even a lot of people that have come to church here for years don’t really know me. Sure, they know what I do and how I do it. But it’s like the children of Israel – the Scriptures teach us that they knew His acts, but Moses actually knew His ways. And why did Moses know His ways? It was because He took the time to get to know the LORD and He revealed Himself to Moses.
 
That’s what we need to do, saints! We don’t need to go about this the way the majority of the church has. No, we need to pursue the knowledge of God, desiring to see Him for who He is in truth, and let Him reveal His true self to us through His Names.
 
So we have covered most of His Names over the past several months, and last week we looked at what is probably one of the most well-known Names He has – Jehovah Shalom.
 
We learned that while the word shalom is generally defined as “peace,” it means so much more: It describes safety & welfare like in the areas of health or prosperity, and at its root, this word describes “completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, and quietness. So we learned that the word shalom seems to best be described as “wholeness.”
 
Essentially, we learned that this word which describes being whole, complete, or sound is similar to what we see in the New Testament Greek word for “saved” – the word sozo.
 
You see, while “saved” is that general one-word definition for sozo, that word doesn’t totally describe what it means. Sozo describes being made whole, being healed, delivered, set free, etc. So I see shalom as the Old Testament counterpart to our New Testament word for salvation because both of these terms have one-word definitions that most people use that do not fully encapsulate their meanings. Not to mention, their meanings are extremely similar because they both describe being made whole, complete, and safe & sound.
 
I like one definition I’ve heard that describes shalom: It’s this – Shalom is nothing missing and nothing broken. In other words, because it describes being complete, whole, and sound, there’s no room for anything to be missing, incomplete, or broken. Glory!
 
So we learned that if the LORD’s Name is Jehovah Shalom, then this making things whole, complete, and sound, with nothing missing and nothing broken is a part of His nature! “Shalom” is who He is – the One who causes completeness, wholeness, safety. He is the God of peace – peace from war, peace from turmoil, and peace from strife, etc. Yes, He is the Prince of peace, peace being the fruit of who He is.
 
So with the presence of the God of peace comes the presence of the peace of God – peace both on the inside and on the outside. Therefore, Jehovah Shalom obviously desires for us to have nothing missing and nothing broken in every area of our lives including our souls. And that’s exactly where this peace begins – in our heart, soul, and mind. Once we experience peace in there, finding peace on the outside becomes a lot easier.
 
But it’s important to understand that this is His heart and who He is, church! He is shalom. He wants us whole. He wants us at rest. He wants us complete, sound, and entire – both on the inside and on the outside. He is our God of Peace, Jehovah Shalom!      
 
VICTORY OVER THE AMALEKITES
 
Now the next Name of God that I want us to look at this week is technically the last covenant keeping, Jehovah Name – Jehovah Nissi. I will have one other very special Name that we will cover next week, but this is the last Jehovah Name of God on our list to cover.
 
Jehovah Nissi surfaces in Exodus chapter 17 in a powerful story that Pastor Robert referred to last week at the beginning of our service. Let’s look at it …
 
Exodus chapter 17 picks up the story of the Israelites shortly after they left their Egyptian bondage and were traveling to the land of Canaan under the leadership of Moses. While they were camped at a place called Rephidim, they were attacked by the Amalekites.
 
Now it is important to understand that when Israel faced the Amalekites in battle here, that it wasn’t with an experienced & trained army. No, it was as a tribe of herdsmen escaping slavery in Egypt and travelling uncertainly to a promised land they hadn’t seen in over four hundred years. They travelled with women, children, and herds, not with horses, chariots, and an abundance of weapons. So they were basically trespassers travelling through the lands of fierce fighting peoples.
 
But they were traveling with something else, something else that no other nation on earth had – the very presence of God. So Israel did not fight its battles alone. No matter how inexperienced or overmatched they were, they were never the underdogs. No matter how desperate they felt, they were never at a loss. Amen!
 
So Moses put Joshua in charge of leading the Israelite army, charging him to choose some men to go and fight Amalek and his people. Moses said, “I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” That was the battle-plan.
 
Now the rod that Moses was referring to was the rod that he had used at God’s direction to work miracles—including parting the Red Sea so the Israelites could escape the Egyptians, and also bringing water from a rock to quench their thirst in the wilderness, a miracle that had just happened before this situation in Rephidim. It was called the Rod of God.
 
When the armies met in battle, Moses, along with his helpers, Aaron and Hur, was standing on a nearby hill holding high the rod of God in his hand. And the Bible tells us that as long as he held the rod up, Israel prevailed. However, as the day wore on, Moses got tired, and understandably so. You see, he was not a spring chicken anymore and as the battle continued to wear on, his arms dropped to his side. When this happened, the Amalekites rallied and began to prevail over the Israelites.
 
So when Aaron and Hur realized what was happening, they came to Moses’s side, dragging a small boulder close for him to sit on and each took an arm and raised them again over the battle. As they did this, the Israelites started winning the battle again. All day long Aaron and Hur stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands with the rod held high, and God gave Israel the victory over their enemies.
 
Yes, the people of Israel prevailed in battle that day. It was a day to remember, for it was the day God first showed them as a nation that He fought for them, that He led them into battle, that He protected and conquered on their behalf, and that He was their banner.
 
 
 
 
WHAT IS A BANNER?
 
So at the close of the battle, Exodus 17:14 says that the LORD told Moses to “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” So “Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner” (Exodus 17:15).
 
So when Moses names the altar, “Jehovah Nissi – The LORD is my banner,” what was He saying?
 
By building this altar and calling it “Jehovah Nissi,” Moses was showing that he recognized the Lord as the source of their victory. By building an altar, Moses was also creating a place of remembrance and celebrating what God had done. It was an expression of gratitude for God’s victory over the enemy.
 
Yes, I believe He was referring to what wrought the victory they experienced that day – Moses arms lifting up the rod of God. Yes, during the battle, the miracle-working rod of God was like a banner flying over their army, identifying them as God’s people who were depending on Him for victory. It represented God’s power working on their behalf as it being lifted up caused them to prevail. So Moses’ staff served as a banner of sorts.
 
I like the Spirit Filled Life Bible’s explanation of this in its note for Exodus 17:15 – “A banner is the pole like standard beneath which armies or communities rallied. When lifted up, it called the people together for battle, for meeting, or for instruction. This phrase also could have been a battle cry. Erecting an altar was Moses recognition of the presence of God. At this altar, he was honoring God as the giver of victory over the Amalekites.”
 
You see, the first point in this commentary is technically what a banner is. Here, we see it described as a “pole like standard.” The Hebrew word itself describes something lifted up like a standard, signal, signal pole, or a sign. So we might say a banner could be a flag, a sail, or a sign. In this case, it was Moses’ staff.
 
Now if we consider how banners are used, I believe it will begin to reveal some of what this title means.
 
You see, we use banners for several reasons. These reasons are, but are not limited to:

1. To celebrate and honor

 
Sometimes we hang banners from the rafters of arenas honoring champions. They are also raised to honor soldiers returning from war. They adorn public places to celebrate occasions or people who deserve honor.

1. To remember and commemorate

 
Towns all over America raise banners on certain holidays every year to commemorate something dear to them – maybe it’s a patron, a hero, a tradition, or a special day.

1. To label or identify

 
Banners announce names and images which people can recognize from a great distance. Sometimes, they show the location and identity of a business or event so people can navigate to it.

1. To announce or declare

 
Banners are also used to announce important events or to simply make people aware of a product.
 
So no matter what the purpose is of the banner, they are meant to be visible. In other words, they are meant to be seen, unmistakable, and unignorable. Yes, they are attention grabbers.
 
This reminds me of what the LORD ministered to me one time about the Truth itself. He told me that the truth is “that which is not hidden, which makes God known.” And when He said that to me, He began revealing to me how Jesus, who is most certainly the Truth, fits this description. He also showed me how the Word, which is also called the Truth, fits this bill. And also how the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, has an assignment to do the same thing.
 
So all of the things we call the Truth are not meant to hide anything about the truth. Yes, they all make God known like “banners” make things visible and known.
 
Now banners are also not just for those who see them; they are also for those who raise them. In other words, they are to draw people to whatever they are advertising. They are an invitation to that person’s gathering place.
 
So when Moses built the altar and called it, “The LORD is my banner,” he was creating a place of remembrance and an advertisement & celebration of the LORD’s victory over the Amalekites. It was a declaration not just of who God is and what He has done, but of who they were as His people.
 
ANY MORE BANNERS?
 
God is called Jehovah Nissi – “God Is My Banner” – only in Exodus 17:15, but elsewhere in the Bible His “banner” is an illustration of His protection and salvation.
 
Let’s look at a few Scriptures that refer to this:
 
Psalm 20:5 says, “We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners!”
 
Psalm 60:4-5 says, “You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.”
 
So I want you to notice that the Psalmists were tying together salvation & deliverance with their banners.
 
Speaking of the Messiah who was to come, Isaiah prophesied, “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people … He will set up a banner for the nations” (Isaiah 11:10, 12).
 
So Jesus Himself is prophesied to be our Banner – which we have beautifully illustrated through the Cross.
 
Do you remember how Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (See John 12:32)? Well, we know that He is referring to being lifted up from the earth on a wooden Cross, right? When He was lifted up, He became God’s banner of salvation!
 
In fact, the first time the Hebrew word nissi itself is used is in Numbers chapter 21 in the story of the bronze serpent set on the pole that was used to save the people who were bit by the snakes. Well, in verses 8 & 9 the word that is used for “pole” there is where we get nissi from.
 
Now we know that this bronze serpent was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ because in John 3:14-15 He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
 
So the Lord was telling us here that just as Moses raised up that pole and put the bronze serpent on it, He was going to be lifted up on that Cross. Therefore, the same way the children of Israel were told to set their eyes on that snake on the pole in order to live, we too must set our eyes on what Jesus did for us on the Cross in order to have eternal life.
 
So, Jesus is ultimately our banner of salvation & deliverance! So this is how He is Jehovah Nissi to us today – by the victory we’ve received in Christ Jesus.
 
WHO ARE OUR AMALEKITES?
 
So yes, Moses built an altar and named it Jehovah Nissi, but did you know that the Bible tells us exactly why he did this? We know it is for remembrance, but verse 16 tells us the exact reason.
 
Exodus 17:16 says, “for he said, ‘Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’”
 
It’s important to know what it was about these various “ites” that the LORD had such a problem with.
 
The New Testament teaches us how all of these things that were written beforehand are for our instruction and were types & shadows of the spiritual realities that you and I walk in today. Therefore, all of these various “ites” represented the same enemies that you and I face today.
 
So what about the Amalekites? Who were they and what did they represent? Well, Amalek was a descendent of Ham. You remember him, right? He was one of the three sons of Noah – the one who dishonored his father’s nakedness. If you ever have a hard time remembering which one of Shem, Ham, and Japheth was the dishonorable son, just remember which one was the “ham” of the bunch.
 
Not only that, but Amalek was the grandson of Esau, who went on to live in Canaan and obviously where the Canaanites (another bad group of “ites”) came from. And I don’t think I need to tell you that Esau too was a “ham” himself. But in honor of Thanksgiving being this week, let’s call him “the turkey.”
 
So Amalek hailed from a bunch of “Hams & Turkeys,” amen?
 
Now why do I make this point? It’s to show you that the Amalekites hail from a line of those who, while being birthed by godly characters like Noah & Isaac, deviated from righteousness and godliness and chose the sinful route.
 
Where do you suppose they got that from? From the original sinner, of course – that is, Lucifer.
 
You see, Lucifer was the devil’s name before he became Satan. So I see the Amalekites as being a good description of the “devilites” and the “demonites.” Yes, the Amalekites were those who turned from the ways of God and became a cursed people like the devil did himself. 
 
And this is very important for our story because it shows us what this story means for us: While we don’t have a threat of going to war with the Amalekites today, we are at war with the one they represent – the kingdom of darkness.
 
This is why the LORD said this warfare with the Amalekites would be from one generation to another. It’s because it didn’t end with this one victory. No, the ones that the Amalekites represented would be a thorn on this earth for many generations to come – that is, the devil.
 
And the Gospel is this – that through our Banner of Victory, the Lord Jesus Christ, God has granted us this victory over our Amalekites. Amen!
 
So let’s look at some New Testament “Banners” that show us how the LORD has promised us victory over our “Amalekites,” the kingdom of darkness.
 
OUR BANNERS OF TRIUMPH
 
In Colossians 2:15, Paul says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
 
Now this verse describes what Jesus did when He was resurrected on the third day. When He was made alive after spending three days and three nights in the pit of hell, Jesus plundered the enemy’s camp – totally defeating him. Amen!
 
What did this look like, you ask? Well, let’s look at the words the apostle Paul used in this verse…
 
Notice the first two words in this awesome verse – “Having disarmed”.
 
Now this isn’t something Jesus is going to do; this is something He has already done- “having disarmed!” Amen! You see, one major mentality that we need to have regarding this is we are not fighting to get victory; we are fighting from a place of victory. Amen?
 
The word “disarmed” describes “stripping the garments and/or armor off.” This word was used to depict the stripping of the enemy’s weaponry and artillery and leaving him without any weapons with which to retaliate with. One scholar even noted that this word describes “stripping to the point of complete nakedness.” The King James Version translates this word as “spoiled” which would describe Jesus as taking the possessions of the principalities and powers.
 
Therefore, all of this means that when Jesus was resurrected, He totally whipped and stripped the enemy and left them with nothing. He took all of their armor away from them! This gives new meaning to the Old Testament verse that says, “No weapon formed against you will prosper,” doesn’t it (See Isaiah 54:16-17)? So since under the New Covenant, Satan has been stripped of his weapons that he used to keep us in bondage before Jesus came, now no weapon can even be formed against us because he doesn’t have any weapons anymore! Amen! 
 
So how could he ever defeat us if he doesn’t even have any weapons left? The only way he can, is if he can convince us that he’s got an effective weapon against us. The only way he can win is if he can get us to give up, thinking he’s won. No, saints, the only effective weapon that he can form against us now is the illusion that he even has an effective weapon! In other words, his only effective weapon now is deception!
 
It is like someone who robs a bank with his pointed finger in his pocket. If that robber convinces the bank employees that what he is pointing at them is a real gun, then he can cause them to give him all the money. But if they know that he does not really have a weapon, then they will not give him squat! Amen? 
 
Now there are two other beloved Scriptures of mine that further verify this victory Christ has won for us …
 
In Second Corinthians 2:14 the apostle Paul said, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ…” 
 
So we see here that the Holy Spirit promised us that God always leads us in triumph. No, not sometimes, not when God wills to, not when we’ve been good. No, God always leads us in triumph. So the next time the devil comes to your front porch and tells you, “Not this time!” you just respond with one simple word- “Always!” Amen! He always leads me in triumph!
 
Now the word “triumph” that is used here and also in Colossians 2:15 in an interesting word: It describes a victory parade for a conquering army and its leader.
 
Let’s look at the rest of Colossians 2:15 …
 
The words “public spectacle” come from two different Greek words: The first is deigmatidzo and it means “to display, to exhibit; to expose to public disgrace.” This word was used to denote “the display of captives, weaponry, and trophies that were seized during war on foreign soil.”
 
You see, in those times, when the war was over and the battle was won, the victorious king would return home and “display” the treasures, trophies, weaponry, and even the captives that he had seized during his conquest.
 
So after Jesus stripped the enemy of all their garments and weapons, leaving them totally naked, He exposed their pitiful condition for all the hosts of heaven to see. He forever has “exhibited” them and “put them to an open shame.” Amen!
 
This is why God prophesied that there would come a time when we would “look upon, gaze at and consider” satan and say, “Is this the one who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world a wilderness and destroyed its cities?” It’s going to be amazing to us when we will be able to see him for who he really is. We will be so awestruck that we will gaze upon him and ponder how in the world that he ever “shook kingdoms, destroyed cities, made the earth tremble, and made the world a wilderness.” It will not only be amazing, but it will also be very disappointing to realize that he did all of this by lies – which are his only weapon!
 
The second word used for “public spectacle” is parresia which describes “boldness, confidence, openness.”
 
So by adding this word, Paul was showing us that this grand celebration was no quiet affair either! On the contrary, Jesus “boldly, confidently, and loudly” exposed His disarmed and defeated foe. He completely humiliated the enemy when He exhibited him as defeated for all the world to see. Jesus rubbed his nose in it in a not-so quiet way! Amen!  
 
And that is where the word “triumphing” comes in that we already briefly defined in Second Corinthians 2:14 … 
 
The word “triumphing” comes from the Greek word triambeuo and referred to a “Roman triumph” which was basically “a glorious triumphal parade.” This was the triumphal procession (or parade) that the conquering leader would lead back into his kingdom after defeating his enemy. Do you reckon there were any banners being used during this celebration of victory?  
 
But notice that Paul said here, “Thanks be unto God who always leads us in triumph.”
 
So now we can see that those principalities and powers that Jesus whipped and stripped were not the only ones that He led in that triumphant parade of victory; Paul was illustrating to us here that we were also being lead in this victory parade! Glory to God!
 
No, Paul was not saying that we were in the same boat as the kingdom of darkness; he was saying that we are the soldiers that accompany Jesus after He spoiled the principalities and powers and led them in this parade that was humiliating for them but joyous for us. Amen! Again, we partake in His victory without ever having to fight in the battle! We just get to be a part of the festivities!
 
But I want to show you one more Banner Scripture that illustrates to us the glorious victory that Jesus Christ has won for us …
 
In First Corinthians 15:57, the apostle Paul says, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
So, again, we always triumph in Christ. Why? Because He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Saints, we already have the victory in every trial and tribulation that comes our way through the works of our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!
 
So in light of all of these exceedingly great and precious promises, what is our responsibility? If Jesus has already won the battle for us, what part do we play in experiencing this victory?
 
Well, first of all, look at what verse 58 says here in this passage of Scripture. Paul goes on to say, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable …”
 
So what he was saying was, “Therefore (in light of this victory Jesus gave us) be sturdy and immovable”. The devil will always turn up the pressure on us but all we are to do is stand and resist his pressure to give up. The only way the devil can defeat us is if he can make us stop standing our ground and quit.
 
That’s why in the early church “patience” was the most the most desired virtue. The word translated “patience” meant “staying under power”. In other words, it was the power to stay under Satan’s pressure without moving. The early church had an extreme amount of pressure on them to deny Jesus, but they knew if they had “the queen of all virtues” (what they called “patience”) they would win one way or the other.
 
But through First Corinthians 15:57 and Second Corinthians 2:14, what do we see that our response should be in light of this victory and triumph that we have? What do both of these verses start with? They both start with “thanks be to God.”
 
So our response to trials and tribulations that come our way should be what? “Thanks be to God who always leads me in triumph and who always gives me victory!” In other words, our job is to thank God for the banner of victory that He has already provided. Amen!
 
Keeping our focus on all that we have to be thankful for will keep that spirit of discontentment and discouragement under our feet where it belongs. Thanksgiving always precedes victory (kind of like Thanksgiving precedes Christmas)!     
 
CONCLUSION
 
So God is our banner because of the saving power that He has shown in our lives. He is the One who always causes us to triumph and gives us the victory! Yes, in Him, we are more than conquerors like the Israelites were in that day!
 
Therefore, because of this salvation & deliverance, we diffuse the fragrance of His knowledge in every place we go. Yes, our lives are like a banner that both celebrates and honors Him. Through our testimony, we remember & commemorate what He has done for us. The LORD our banner testifies of the goodness, faithfulness, and mercy that He has graced us with.
 
Likewise, we are to be like His flags that represent & identify Him to others. Yes, He gives us a new identity, and our signet is “His children and His kings & priests.” But the ultimate privilege we have is to “announce” Him and His salvation to this dark & perverse generation.
 
So we make Him visible and show the beauty of His transforming work. Church, God is our banner because all of this is an invitation, a summons, and a drawing to any who would believe and become a part of His victory! Amen!

Church, knowing & understanding the Names of God is one of the most noble tasks we can have because as we learn to hallow His Name, we come to know & understand Him, which is the chiefest of things one can do.
 
I for one want to come to know God more intimately and personally. I want to know Him in truth and have no false notions about who He is. And knowing His Names is a way to make sure that we have clear understanding of who He is as these various Names reveal to us His character and nature.
 
You see, while our names might not tell others a lot about who we are as people, God’s Names do. Yes, when we see Him as Jehovah Rapha, we know that healing is one of His primary interests. When we see Him as Jehovah M’Kaddesh, we know that He is in the sanctifying business. When we see Him as Jehovah Rohi, we know that His mode of operation is of a shepherd. And like we learned last week, when we see Him as Jehovah Tsidkenu, we know that He Himself is righteous and He delights in making others righteous. 
 
So we have come to recognize Yahweh and Yeshua as our healer and provider, as the shepherd of His hosts, as One who sanctifies and makes righteous, as the faithful, present One, etc.
 
And let me remind you that knowing who He is, is much more important to Him than knowing the technicalities of His various Names like being able to rattle them off or how to pronounce them. I would much rather you know me as the person I truly am than just knowing what my name is.
 
You see, there’s a lot of people out there who know who I am and know what I do (meaning, they know my name and that I’m the pastor of this church). But guess what? Most of these people don’t really know me. They don’t know what I’m into, what makes me tick, what I like to do for fun, etc. Even a lot of people that have come to church here for years don’t really know me. Sure, they know what I do and how I do it. But it’s like the children of Israel – the Scriptures teach us that they knew His acts, but Moses actually knew His ways. And why did Moses know His ways? It was because He took the time to get to know the LORD and He revealed Himself to Moses.
 
That’s what we need to do, saints! We need to take the time to get to know Him by inquiring of Him and praying over His Names.       
 
JEHOVAH SHALOM’S ORIGIN
 
Now this next Name of God I want look at is probably one of the most well-known Names He has – Jehovah Shalom.
 
One of the reasons it is more well-known is because the term shalom itself is very common. But even though we might be more familiar with this word, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we have the correct understanding of its meaning. And that’s what we are going to learn today as we study “Jehovah Shalom.”
 
Now this Name of God is first used by Gideon when the Angel of the Lord appeared to him at Ophrah in Judges chapter 6 … 
 
In the days of Gideon, the children of Israel were living in a constant state of fear and trepidation because of the Midianites. The Midianites, a once defeated enemy, had reemerged from the East and began plundering Israel which caused the Israelites to live in hiding, dwelling in dens, caves, and strongholds in the mountains (See verse 1).
 
You see, the Midianites would reap, destroy, and plunder every time the Israelites sowed, and this resulted in Israel becoming “greatly impoverished” (See verse 6) and to live in fear. So because of their predicament, they cried to God for help, and He sent them a prophet who reminded them that their own disobedience had caused their current troubles.
 
So it is important to realize that their plight was not because God was testing them or even because the devil was attacking them. No, this was self-induced – for verse 1 shows us that the children of Israel (yet again) did evil in the sight of the Lord which resulted in them being delivered over to the Midianites for these 7 years.
 
I say this to say that everything we will be learning today about God’s Name is not what the LORD was planning on doing for those who deserved it. No, it was to those who had brought this on themselves. And this is something that I believe we would do good to understand – that not all of our trials & tribulations are unjust. Yet, in the LORD’s great faithfulness, He promises to give us shalom.
 
So the Lord did not just leave them with – “Hey, it’s all your fault, you know?” No, He also sent them Gideon – a man who was not immune from this fear and non-peaceful state himself:
 
We find Gideon in verse 11 threshing his father’s wheat in the winepress “in order to hide it from the Midianites.” So Gideon was not threshing the wheat in the proper place, but in a private & unsuspecting corner because he too feared the Midianites.
 
So Gideon was just like the rest of the Israelites, but notice how the LORD refers to him in verse 12 – “The Angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor.’”
 
What an interesting way to refer to a man who was hiding in a winepress for fear of the Midianites. But as we see time and time again, the LORD likes to call those things that be not as though they were and called Gideon here what He knew he was to become.
 
Now in verse 13, Gideon was perplexed as to why, if the LORD was still with them, they had all of these things happen to them. But the LORD never acknowledged this; instead He “turned to him and said, ‘Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?’” (verse 14).
 
But even though the LORD commissioned Gideon to save Israel, he felt weak, frail, and incapable. However, his uncertainty and fear were dispelled by the promise God made to him of “I will be with you” (Judges 6:16).
 
Then, to confirm the identity of the LORD, Gideon asked for a sign. When he witnessed the food he prepared for the angel miraculously consumed by fire, Gideon was filled with even greater fear. He had seen the Angel of the Lord face to face! The immediate response from the LORD was: “Peace be to you. Do not fear, you shall not die” (Judges 6:23).
 
As a result of these words, Gideon’s heart was infused with confidence and courage. We might say, He experienced peace in the truest sense. And then the next thing we see is Gideon building an altar at Ophrah of the Abiezrites and named it “The Lord is Peace” or “Jehovah Shalom,” a tribute and reminder of the Lord’s provision and promise of peace.
 
So now he could confront the enemy and undertake these great exploits for God. His encounter with the God of Peace had taught him that he was not alone and that the LORD would be with Him against the Midianites. Yes, the day he set out to wage war against a numerically superior enemy, Gideon enjoyed the peace of God.
 
Church, we too can experience this shalom, not just after the enemies are defeated and the circumstances have changed, but like Gideon here, we can build our own altars of knowing God as Jehovah Shalom before our enemies seem defeated.
 
Therefore, peace is not just the absence of our Midianites; it is the presence of the One in the midst of our Midianites. Let me say it this way – peace is not the absence of problems; it’s the presence of the answer to every problem. This is why Paul speaks of this peace as that which “passes understanding” because it is present in the midst of our den of lions to give us rest in the middle of the storms of life. Amen!
 
So no matter what situation we find ourselves in or what circumstances we are experiencing, He wants to reveal Himself to us like He did to Gideon – as Jehovah Shalom.
 
SHALOM!
 
Now let’s look at this very common and recognizable Hebrew word shalom in detail …
 
I say it’s more recognizable to most people because the word shalom is probably a word that you’ve heard before. For most of us, we’ve generally heard it used as a Jewish greeting. We here in America might greet one another with a “Hi” or “Hello,” but with some Jewish people, they like to greet with this word “Shalom” – wishing peace to the person they are acknowledging.
 
But while the word shalom is generally defined as “peace,” it means so much more. So let me give you some definitions of this popular Hebrew word.
 
Strong’s defines shalom as to be safe or to be well. It describes it as welfare like health or prosperity. And at its root, this word describes “completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, and quietness because the root word, salem, describes being whole or entire. So the word shalom seems to best be described as “wholeness.”
 
Now why is this important to understand? It’s because this word shalom which describes being whole, complete, or sound is essentially what we see in the New Testament Greek word for “saved” – the word sozo.
 
You know, we spent time here defining this word for “saved,” and while that is the general one-word definition for sozo, that word doesn’t totally describe what it means. Sozo describes being made whole, being healed, delivered, set free, etc.
 
So I see shalom as the Old Testament counterpart to our New Testament word for salvation because both of these terms have one word definitions that most people use that do not fully encapsulate their meanings. Not to mention, their meanings are extremely similar because they both describe being made whole, complete, and safe & sound.
 
I like one definition I’ve heard that describes shalom: It’s this – Shalom is nothing missing and nothing broken. In other words, because it describes being complete, whole, and sound, there’s no room for anything being missing, incomplete, or broken. Glory!
 
THE GOD OF PEACE
 
So if the LORD’s Name is Jehovah Shalom, then this making things whole, complete, and sound, with nothing missing and nothing broken is a part of His nature! “Shalom” is who He is – the One who causes completeness, wholeness, safety. He is the God of peace – peace from war, peace from turmoil, and peace from strife, etc. He is the ultimate Peacemaker – which is why, when we too are peacemakers, we are called children of God.
 
In fact, we see “peace” described as one of the fruit of the Spirit, right? Well, the fruit of the Spirit are not just what God wants us to produce; they are what God Himself produces. Yes, they are called the fruit of the Spirit for a reason – because they are the Holy Spirit’s fruit. This means that they are a part of His nature and what He Himself is like. Therefore, peace is one of the Godhead’s core virtues that He possesses.
 
But the fact remains, this is who our God is. He is this God of Peace, no matter how broken and unhealthy things seem to be in our lives, and no matter how much anxiety and fear are pervading us. Shalom is who He is, saints!
 
In the New Testament, we see the Lord often referred to as this – the God of Peace. So this shows us that even from the New Covenant perspective, God was known as being associated with this peace well beyond the Book of Judges.
 
In one of these instances, the apostle Paul said, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9).
 
The context of this verse is that of peace: Paul had just shown us how a believer can walk in peace no matter the circumstance. He said to rejoice always (4:4). Then he told them to not be anxious about anything, but to pray about everything while being thankful (4:6-7). And just before our verse, he said to think only on certain things (4:8).

So this leads us to the ninth verse where the apostle Paul brought them back to simply doing the things they learned from him and saw from his behavior. And if we would just do what he said and did, the “God of peace” would be with us.
 
In Romans 15:33, Paul prayed the same things – “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
 
So, what did Paul mean by praying the God of peace would be with them? And what did he mean when he said that the God of peace will be with us if we do these things (Philippians 4:9)? Didn’t the Lord promise to never leave us nor forsake us? Didn’t He promise that He would be with us, even to the end of the world? Sure, He did! He was, is, and evermore shall be “Jehovah Shammah,” right?
 
So, why did Paul say that God will be with us if we do the things that He both taught and demonstrated in his life? That seems contrary to these other Scriptures that teach us that God is with us simply because of who we are, not because of what we do, right?
 
But we must understand that there is a difference between God being with us spiritually and Him being with us experientially (i.e. tangibly in the physical realm around us). God most certainly is with us all the time positionally—in the spiritual sense—but we also have the ability to have Him be manifested in our lives in an experiential and tangible way.
 
But we need to understand that us physically experiencing Him is not automatic. If it were, we would all be experiencing it—for God is no respecter of persons. No, in my experience, only a few believers consistently carry the presence of the Lord with them in their everyday lives. But this is a blessed place to live, saints—where His presence is experienced, felt, and tasted. Amen!
 
But the apostle of faith had a specific fruit of God’s tangible presence in mind here. Mind you, the context of all that he was teaching in Philippians 4:6-9 revolved around peace. So, it can be surmised that he is concluding his instructions on walking in the peace of God by saying “the God of peace will be with you,” right? Therefore, it is clear to me why Paul referred to God as “the God of peace” here: Again, it was because the subject up to this point in Philippians chapter four is the peace of God.
 
Now here is a powerful truth: The fruit of having the God of peace manifested in our lives is having the peace of God manifested in our lives! In other words, when we live in the presence of the God of peace, we will live in the presence of the peace of God. So, when we have peace, we’ve experienced a piece of God. Hallelujah! That is what the Holy Spirit had in mind as He inspired this truth to be recorded!
 
Therefore, the examples that the apostle Paul gave through his words and deeds are how we can experience more of the God of peace in our lives which, in turn, causes us to experience more of the peace of God in our lives. Peace is the manifest presence of the God of peace.
 
This is important to understand, saints – that peace is the manifest presence of God. This is why time spent in the presence of God is so important – because it yields peace!
 
ANTI-PEACE
 
Now, on the contrary, strife is the manifest presence of the devil. But when you have the peace of God all around you, that’s proof that you have God all around you. Fear and strife are the devil personified, while love, joy and peace are the Lord personified! 
 
So if the presence of the devil is strife, confusion, and basically anything that is “anti-peace,” then we are to resist it!
 
You see, if we look over at James 3:16, you will find a truth about strife that should cause you to avoid it like the plague it is. It says, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
 
This verse tells us that where you find these little foxes of “envy and strife” you will find disharmony, confusion, and also every evil work. And notice that James doesn’t just say some evil works, but he says every evil work. Some examples of “evil works” are sickness, disease, infirmities, poverty and lack. Basically an evil work would be considered anything and everything that has come into this world as a result of sin & the curse and what the devil uses to steal, kill, and destroy.
 
So this means that when we allow these “little foxes” such as strife to come into our lives, it packs its bags full of all these evil works and brings them with him. This would be similar to how, in the natural, these little foxes might bring certain diseases with them. Friends, this is what Ephesians 4:27 means when it says that we can “give place to the devil” in our lives. Why? Because when you give these little foxes place in your hearts, they spread their diseases.
 
You see, there are many believers out there who love Jesus and serve Him faithfully but have allowed these little foxes into their homes. As a result, they are struggling against some of these “evil works” and do not understand why they are experiencing such difficult circumstances in their lives. And while we do need to understand that all difficulties we encounter are not necessarily a result of someone yielding to these “little sins,” the fact remains that some of them can be. 
 
This is why the apostle Paul exhorted the church of Colossae with the following words – “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15). What he was telling them was that because we are called to being one body of Christ, we have to let peace rule in our hearts – that is, let peace call the shots, not strife, contention, and division.
 
You see, church, as First Corinthians 14:33 teaches us – God is not a God of confusion but of peace. So if there’s confusion and a lack of peace, then God ain’t in it. No, if there is confusion present, then it’s because the God of peace is not present. Jehovah Shalom produces the exact opposite of confusion.
 
SHALOM ON THE INSIDE & THE OUTSIDE
 
So when it comes to this peace that God is and desires to give, where does He desire to impact us? 

I ask this question because there are certain ways that we tend to think of peace. For example, for most of us here in the United States, when we think of peace, we first think of that inner tranquility and peaceful state that frees us from anxiety, fear, etc. But how many of you know that this is not all that peace describes? Sure, it includes having peace on the inside (that is, in our soul, mind, etc.), but the peace that Jehovah Shalom provides is also peace on the outside. So it’s not one or the other, but rather, it’s having peace in both our inner life and our outward life.  
 
As we’ve seen already, shalom describes wholeness, soundness, and completion, and it implies having nothing missing and nothing broken. Therefore, we are not just talking about that inward, tranquil state of the soul; we are also referring to peace in every area of our lives from our relationships, our finances, and our health.
 
This peace on the outside might also be how we use it when it comes to wars & conflicts. So peace on the outside might be peace from war. But as we’ve seen, peace describes having anything in our lives made complete, whole, or sound. That could be our physical bodies, our bank accounts, our relationships, and the list could go on and on.
 
Let me show you a few Scriptures where the God of Peace is referred to as doing such:
 
One that we ought to be very familiar with as we spent months camping on it earlier this year is First Thessalonians 5:23. If you recall, this verse says, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
So notice that He is called the God of Peace, and what He is specifically stated to do is to sanctify us “completely” and that our “whole” spirit, soul, and body would be preserved blameless. What we see here is exactly what peace is stated to do – make everything “complete & whole.” And here it’s describing not just things on the inside of us like our spirit & soul; it includes our bodies as well.
 
Second Thessalonians 3:16 says, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
 
So here the apostle Paul said that our Lord of Peace will give us peace always and in every way. That sounds to me like the peace He is affording us includes any parameter of time and every circumstance of life. Amen!
 
Hebrews 13:20-21 says, “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
 
Again, we see our God of peace making us “complete,” but this time, it is in every good work to do His will. So this is obviously talking about more than just spiritual & soulish things. This is talking about having “peace” in every good work.  
 
Finally, Romans 16:20 says, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
 
Here the peace that God provides is said to crush Satan under our feet shortly. This is an obvious reference to the decimation of the devil and the kingdom of darkness when Jesus returns and puts His enemy under His feet.
 
Therefore, peace here describes an end to the battle between good & evil. It describes something similar to what we would describe as a people or place having peace because there is absence of war. And this is certainly something that peace produces – from total absence of warring & fighting to the end to all of the curse on the earth.
 
So all of this comprises what we’ve seen in all of God’s Names – Him being our Healer, our Provider, our Sanctifier, our Righteousness, etc. All of these Names describe shalom in the various areas of our life.
 
But I think we do well to spend some time talking about Him being Jehovah Shalom on the inside of us …
 
You know, there is a serious need for having peace in our hearts. If you’ve ever experienced this peace that I speak of, you know that it is one of the best feelings we can experience and one that money cannot buy.  
 
Well, as we’ve made the point of already, this shalom comes as a result of the presence of the Prince of Peace. I like to say it this way – the peace of God comes from the presence of the God of peace. So if we want to have peace on the inside, it can only come by the LORD taking up habitation in our heart.
 
Now that isn’t all there is to walking in God’s shalom. The Scriptures teach us about ways that you and I can tap into peace and a lot of these revolve around what we focus on and fill our minds with.
 
Philippians 4:6-7 teaches us how the peace of God will guard our hearts & minds and that is through us learning to cast all of those cares upon Him in prayer. Yes, by being thankful and taking everything to Him in prayer, we can experience more shalom in our lives.
 
But this ultimately revolves around the way we think. This is why Philippians 4:8 goes on to describe only thinking on things that yield peace. Saints, you show me a person who is filled with doubt, anxiety, fear, and turmoil and I’ll show you a person who has stinkin’ thinkin’. In other words, there is no one out there who mainly thinks on things that are true, lovely, noble, of good report, etc. that are riddled with negative emotions. Sure, there might be someone who is not mentally well, but even they are not thinking right, which yields the negative emotions.
 
I’m here to tell you, saints, where the mind goes, the man will follow. Yes, whatever we focus on in our hearts & minds is what will be produced in our souls. And I’m not necessarily referring to our lives replicating what we are specifically thinking on. That can certainly happen.
 
But let me give you a good example of what I’m talking about that most people struggle with:
 
Most people have no joy, are depressed, and have zero peace because their minds are always focused on themselves. Yes, they only think about things which concern themselves and you know this because this is all they talk about – themselves. It’s “me” in the morning, “myself” in the afternoon, and “I” in the evening. So many people spend all of their day thinking only on things which concern themselves, ranging from how they feel, what people aren’t doing for them, how they can be happy, etc., etc., etc. And I don’t think I need to tell you that this will only produce a fallen countenance. Why? Because we are not designed to have our minds full of ourselves. The LORD has designed us to be considering others and thinking about how we can love and bless them. Amen?
 
Let’s look at a verse that is a great example of how shalom comes into our inner lives…
 
Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
 
The fact the Bible says that He (the “You” here is Him), will keep us in perfect peace. Isn’t that what Philippians 4:7 says – that the peace of God will guard our hearts & minds in Christ Jesus? That means that it’s the peace itself, or rather the peace Himself, that will keep us in peace. But not just peace; perfect peace! And guess what Hebrew word Isaiah uses here – It’s shalom! But not shalom and some other word; He says, “shalom shalom” – thus the reason it’s translated as “perfect peace.”
 
So this isn’t just any old completeness, soundness, or wholeness; this is a complete, sound, and whole kind of completeness, soundness, and wholeness! Amen!
 
So how will the LORD of Peace be able to keep us in this perfect peace? It’s when those who trust in Him keep their mind stayed on Him!
 
You see, church, the key to having this peace is keeping our minds focused on the LORD. The Scriptures repeat this truth time and time again. Even in the New Testament, we are taught that to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6).
 
So if we are experiencing this shalom, we can conclude that we have evidently been keeping our minds stayed on the LORD and have been spiritually minded. On the flipside, if we are riddled with anxiety, fear, etc., then that means we haven’t been doing this. 
 
So Jehovah Shalom obviously desires for us to have nothing missing and nothing broken in every area of lives including our souls. And that’s exactly where this peace begins – in our heart, soul, and mind. Once we experience peace in there, finding peace on the outside becomes easier.
 
But it’s important to understand that this is His heart and who He is, church! He is shalom. He wants us whole. He wants us at rest. He wants us complete, sound, and entire – both on the inside and on the outside. He is our God of Peace, Jehovah Shalom!      

REVIEW
 
So we have been studying the Names of God for a few months now and we are doing this not just to be able to win a theological argument and to be able to impress God or others with our knowledge. No, we are studying God’s Names in order to truly “hallow” who He is. That means that we are attempting to make who He is more holy in our eyes.
 
And for what purpose? Why is it important to have hearts that both understand and glorify His Names? It is to know Him better and have more confidence when we approach Him!
 
It’s all about knowing God, church, and no, not just knowing about Him, but knowing Him personally & intimately.
 
So that is what we have been doing – coming to know our God more so that our prayer lives can blossom and our walk with Him can go to a different level.
 
So we came to first know God as Elohim – the All-Powerful, All-Knowing Sovereign Creator who rules over all, and who is the judge over all His creation.
 
Then we looked at a few of Elohim’s descriptors –  El Shaddai, El Elyon, and El Roi. These three Names show us God as the All-Sufficient One, the Most-High God, and the All-Seeing Creator.  
 
We then turned our attention to the most accurate Name for God, the Name, Yahweh. We saw how this name describes God as the Great I AM, the self-existing One, and the one who was and is to come. Through this Name, the LORD essentially says, “I AM” and we would say, “The LORD IS.” Yes, this Name basically invites us and even teases us to know Him better by leaving an open-ended sentence of who He is.
 
So then we saw how, through this Name Yahweh (which is commonly known as Jehovah in our English-speaking Bibles), He began to reveal Himself more specifically to His chosen people and answer that question – Who is He?
 
So far, we have learned about six of His “Jehovah Names.” These Names are:  

1. Jehovah Shammah –The LORD is There.
2. Jehovah Rapha – The LORD is (our) Healer.
3. Jehovah M’Kaddesh – The LORD is (our) Sanctifier.
4. Jehovah Sabaoth – The LORD of Hosts.
5. Jehovah Rohi – The LORD is (our) Shepherd.

 
Most recently, we looked at the Name, Jehovah Jireh – the LORD our provider.


We looked at the story where this Name came from – where the LORD told Abraham to go sacrifice Isaac in Genesis chapter 22 – and a couple of our biggest takeaways were how the Lord’s nature is to be a provider and how that provision comes into our lives.
 
First of all, we learned how the LORD being called our provider should not surprise us because, in our lives, who is supposed to be the provider for us according to the flesh? It’s our earthly fathers. This is meant to be our first exposure to what provision is supposed to look like.
 
And then, after we leave our father and become one flesh with another, who is generally meant to be the provider in that next relationship? The husband. And aren’t we called the Bride of Christ? Therefore, we are married to the LORD as His body, and we can expect that same “Jireh” tendency in our covenant with Him.
 
So if the LORD is called our Heavenly Father and our Husband, then you will not meet a better provider than Him! Yes, God knows how to provide for His children and His bride. He delights in providing for His creation. He loves being the source of any and all provision – of course, first spiritually, but also in the physical realm.
 
Now like I said, another big point that was made last week is how the LORD does indeed provide, and we saw how this provision came to Abraham for several reasons:
 
Number one, he was willing to do what the LORD was asking Him to do. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t balk. No, he rose early in the morning and went where God told him to, which is a big point in God’s provision.
 
He also believed God’s Word: We saw how from Hebrews 11:17-19 he was holding fast to God’s Word that in Isaac, his seed would be called – meaning, He believed the LORD would provide a solution. We saw that this was why Abraham said to his servants that he and Isaac would come back to them when they went up the mount together that God showed him. 
 
Then we saw how Abraham spoke out his faith further to Isaac when he said that the LORD would provide for Himself the necessary sacrifice – showing us that its important to use your words to activate the faith for God’s provision.
 
And finally, we saw how where the LORD told Abraham to go had everything to do with the provision being present because the mountain that God showed Him already contained the ram that would wind up being the sacrifice. Therefore, the pro-vision – the ability to see the need beforehand – was already at the place God showed Abraham to go to. Therefore, his provision was where he was supposed to be, not necessarily where he was.
 
Church, Jehovah Jireh is who He is. The LORD desires to provide for you. In fact, He has already made that provision. All you need to do is find out where He wants you and simply believe that He is who He has said He is. Amen!
 
JEHOVAH TSIDKENU
 
Now the next Name of God that I would like us to cover is one that is written all over your Bible – Jehovah Tsidkenu – describing the LORD our Righteousness.
 
No, this Name of God is not a phrase that you’ll find in more than a couple of places, but what I am referring to as being all throughout the Scriptures is the concept of righteousness. Yes, the term “righteousness” most certainly is a word that is laced throughout our Bibles in both the Old and New Testament.
 
You see, righteousness was what the LORD was constantly having to correct Israel about through His prophets – their inability to do what was right in God’s sight. And it was what the LORD came to restore to us through the Lord Jesus Christ and was a hot topic throughout His epistles to the church. So from beginning to end, we see righteousness as a word that is used over and over. Therefore, because the Lord speaks so much about it throughout His Word, we can see that it is in His heart in abundance – for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
 
But even though God speaks much about righteousness in His Word, there are only two uses of this Name “Jehovah Tsidkenu” in the Bible, and they are both in the Book of Jeremiah. So let’s look at both of these instances because we don’t just want to study what this Name means; we also want to look at the historical and Biblical context that this Name of God was given in.
 
The first time Jeremiah speaks of Jehovah Tsidkenu is in Jeremiah 23:5-6 when the LORD said, “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
 
Now it’s important to understand that Jeremiah was the LORD’s prophet during a very difficult time in Israel’s history. He was the man of God that both warned Israel of what was to come and also witnessed the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian empire as well as the destruction of the Solomon’s Temple. This was the period known as the “Babylonian captivity”, when the Israelites were exiled into Babylon.
 
So Jeremiah was prophesying here to a people who were being carried away into bondage that there would be a restoration of Jerusalem through the reign of a righteous king, which I’m sure provided Israel with hope even in the midst of their difficult circumstances.
 
The second time the Name “Jehovah Tsidkenu” appears is ten chapters later where Jeremiah again makes the reference to the restoration of Israel:
 
Jeremiah 33:14-16 says, “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
 
So the LORD basically repeats Himself here to remind His chosen people of what He was promising to do for them.
 
Church, I don’t know if we fully realize how important it is to have truths repeated to us like this. If Jeremiah’s listeners were anything like us, they probably had forgotten what the LORD had said a couple of chapters after he said them, much less ten chapters later. Therefore, the LORD repeating things to us is most certainly necessary.
 
And here’s a good word of wisdom for us: When the LORD repeats things to us, they are truths that we need to pay special attention to. And this truth of the Branch of Righteousness who was to come is certainly the Truth that we need to hear.  
 
You see, what Jeremiah was ultimately prophesying about is this day & age that you and I are blessed to be a part of – the new and better covenant of the Christ. Therefore, when the LORD is called here – Jehovah Tsidkenu – THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS – it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is being prophesied about. So, Jesus is both the LORD of righteousness and the LORD our righteousness.
 
This is important to understand because oftentimes the Jews were looking for an earthly Messiah when it came to the bondage they found themselves in. Yes, they were looking for some sort of a king to save them from various forms of oppression they incurred. During Jesus’ day, it was their Roman oppression, and during Jeremiah’s day, it was their Babylonian oppression.
 
Yes, Israel had been through a variety of captivities – all self-induced, mind you: They had been enslaved by the Egyptians, conquered by the Babylonians, governed by the Persians and then by the Greeks, and finally, they were conquered by the Romans.
 
So by the time of Christ, there were many movements pushing for an overthrow of their latest oppressors, and they looked towards the Messiah as prophesied in the Scriptures to come and deliver them from their worldly oppressors.
 
This is where Jesus did not meet the expectations of many of the Jewish people. Instead of leading them in a political revolution, He repeatedly explained that his kingdom was “not of this world”, and that the real enemy he came to deliver them from was sin and their slavery to the devil. In other words, he was not aimed merely at their freedom from Roman rule, but at the freedom of all human beings from the tyranny of sin and death. Therefore, in the freedom that Christ brings, we can become truly righteous. And it is only through Jesus, the Savior of the world, who makes this righteousness possible. That is why he is our righteousness and why Jeremiah calls him “Jehovah Tsidkenu.”
 
Now it is important to understand that God does care about the natural oppression that people face. It’s certainly not that He turns a blind eye to it. There is just something that is more important – and that is the spiritual oppression that people are under. Therefore, their Messiah came to first deliver God’s people from their spiritual bondage to sin and not to the physical bondage they were in. 
 
We do know that the LORD does indeed care about righteousness being executed on the physically oppressed because of how He constantly corrected His people about this very thing. Yes, we see Him oftentimes referring to the virtues of righteousness and justice in regard to what He expected His people to do for the poor, the widows, the orphans, their servants, etc. So it is clear that the LORD’s pet peeve was injustice towards those in need.
 
So yes, our righteous LORD certainly cares about us practicing righteousness on the oppressed and needy. He has done this for us numerous times and He expects us to do the same for others. 
 
So for this to be repeated in Jeremiah’s Book and also to be a reoccurring theme in the rest of the Prophets, it must be a big part of God’s nature and Name because He is the LORD of righteousness.    
 
WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS?
So what exactly is “righteousness”? I don’t want to just assume everyone knows this term, but want it to be clearly understood.
 
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines “righteousness” as so – Purity of heart and rectitude of life; conformity of heart and life to the divine law. Righteousness as used in Scripture and theology, in which it is chiefly used, is nearly equivalent to holiness, comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life to the divine law. It includes all we call justice, honesty and virtue, with holy affections; in short, it is true religion.
 
Now that’s about how clear righteousness is to a lot of people. Not only that, but that definition makes me realize that not only is it hard to comprehend, it’s hard to apprehend as well!
 
So let me dummy it down for you: The term righteousness is just a religious cliché. But it’s really very simple – this term really just means “rightness,” that is, being right and doing right. And when I say, “being right,” I’m not referring to being right in our opinion or our doctrine. No, this refers to being right in God’s sight.   
 
This is why a good layman’s definition of righteousness is simply, “right standing with God.” Righteousness is the condition of being in right relationship with the Lord. So essentially being righteous is being considered righteous by God and therefore, our relationship with Him is “right” where it needs to be.
 
Now another term that you’ll see used to describe this righteousness is justification or being justified. I like a play on words that I’ve heard used before – it’s “just-if-I’d (never sinned).” And that’s exactly what righteousness is – It’s being justified in the eyes of God to where, when He looks at me, He does not look at all of my mistakes and shortcomings. He sees me “just if I’d never even had those mistakes or shortcomings.” 
 
A rather comical story along these lines that I’ve heard my father in the faith tell before is when he had a job developing pictures in a photography studio. People would come into the studio to look at their proofs and say things like, “This picture doesn’t do me justice.” I never had the nerve to say this, but I often thought, “You don’t need justice, you need mercy.” LOL!
 
And thanks be to God that all of us who once deserved justice for the things we had done have received mercy instead. That’s what righteousness is.
 
So again, righteousness can simply be defined as “rightness.” I like to define it as so – righteousness is who or what is right in God’s sight and in agreement with His standards. And when you look at the various Scriptural examples of what the LORD calls “righteous and righteousness,” you’ll find that it is taking someone who is in a less fortunate position and elevating them up out of it. This can be meeting the needs of the poor, healing the sick, or providing for the orphan or widow. 
 
So again, in the Old Testament, when we see so much about the LORD correcting His chosen people about it, what we are seeing is God admonishing the Jews for not doing the “right” thing. And in the New Testament, when we see so much about righteousness being what God freely makes all of His children, what we are seeing is the LORD bringing His people into right standing with Him once again.
 
So righteousness is both what we do and what we are. I call this positional righteousness and practical righteousness. Positionally speaking, we have been made right through the blood of Jesus and, practically speaking, we are also called to do what is right through the help of the Holy Spirt.  
 
So when God is called the LORD our righteousness, what that means is that He is the LORD of rightness. He is the One who delights in making people right and in agreement with His standards, and He is the One who desires right to be done for people who need help. This is His Name – Jehovah Tsidkenu.
 
THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY
 
Now it’s important to understand that while God has His own Names, the devil has his names too. And these names that he is given in the Scriptures likewise teach about who he is and what he does.
 
You see, one of the devil’s proper names – “Satan” – literally describes an “adversary” or “opponent.” So when Lucifer rebelled against God and tried to take His spot, he became known as Satan – the adversary or opponent of God. He is the great adversary of all that is of God. Anything that God has authored or is doing, he will be right there to oppose it – and that includes us.
 
In First Peter 5:8, he is specifically called our “adversary.” In this word lies a key to understanding one of his weapons that he loves to use against us.
 
You see, this word comes from the Greek word antidikos and literally describes “an opponent in a court of justice.” In other words, the devil is “the prosecuting attorney.” This word antidikos comes from the word anti meaning “against” and the word dikos where the word “righteousness” is derived from. Therefore, this title of “adversary” describes Satan as being the one who is “against righteousness.”
 
We see this characteristic of Satan play out in several places in the Scriptures:
 
We see it first in the Book of Job (Job 1:6-12) where Satan comes to present himself before God regularly to bring accusations against people because he is the accuser of the brethren. But we also need to understand that not only does he accuse us before God, day and night, but he also will accuse us directly both day and night. In other words, one of his primary devices that he uses against us is condemnation!
 
Another example of this is found in Zechariah 3:1-5 where we see how the high priest, Joshua, was standing before the Angel of the Lord and how Satan was standing at his right hand to oppose him. 
 
In this story, we see the devil standing there again at Joshua’s right hand like a prosecuting attorney. It is because this is his nature – to stand before our God both day and night in order to bring accusations against us.
 
Saints, this is what the enemy does – He accuses! He lives to uncover our flaws, reveal our mistakes and expose our weaknesses. When we miss it in an area, he is sure to bring a case against us in an attempt to condemn us.          
 
Yes, the devil is constantly trying to make us feel guilty and worthy of punishment. The word “condemn” in the dictionary is defined as “to deem unfit for use” in reference to a building being condemned. And this is what the enemy desires to accomplish—to convince us that we are unfit to be used by God.
 
So if this is what the devil spends all his time doing, you can bet the bank that God is doing the opposite!
 
THE ADVOCATE
 
The apostle Paul makes this point in Romans 8:33-34 when he asked the questions: “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?” and “Who is he who condemns?” That is clearly the accuser of the brethren, that prosecuting attorney himself, church!
 
Then Paul goes on to answer those questions by essentially saying, “It ain’t God doing that!” No, he says God is the One who justifies! In other words, God is not the condemner; God is the justifier! Yes, and Jesus is the One ever living to make intercession for us.
 
Just as it was with Joshua, the high priest – our Angel of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, responds to Satan’s accusations against us with, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2)
 
Now for the rest of the story… Zechariah 3:3-5 goes on to say, “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And to him He said, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.’ And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.”
 
This is a beautiful picture of what the Lord has done to our filthy garments – that is, our filthy rags of unrighteousness. He has taken our filth from us! He has removed our iniquity and clothed us with His rich robe of righteousness! Amen!
 
So the truth is that we have an advocate (i.e., a defense attorney) with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous (First John 2:1) and that makes the LORD the One who fights for our righteousness!
 
You see, First John 2:1 teaches us some invaluable truths about the nature of the LORD of righteousness:
 
Notice first that the apostle John said, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin …”
 
So what was it that John wrote in his epistle? It was LOVE and it was TRUTH. But oh so many feel that sharing about God’s great love will only drive one more into sin. This was not at all John’s intention. He said here that he wrote the things he did so that his readers would not sin. But here is the part that GRACE imparts – “… And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 
 
Notice Jesus Christ is called “the righteous” here. That’s describing His nature as that of righteousness. But His point here is that if we do miss it, sinning and falling short of the glory of God, righteous Jesus is there to advocate for us with the Father.
 
The word “advocate” comes from the Greek word parakletos which describes one called alongside of us. It was a term used to describe a legal counselor who would plead another’s cause before a judge. And this likely describes what we are told in Zechariah 3:5 when it says, “And the angel of the LORD stood by.”
 
Isn’t this also the way Jesus described the Holy Spirit to us as well – as One called alongside to be our helper? That means that the Holy Spirit, likewise, is not a condemner. Sure, He will show us when we miss it and lead us from sin, but His nature is to be our defense attorney.
 
Now we have this little saying in the world about playing “devil’s advocate.” And while I understand this just describes someone who pretends, in an argument or discussion, to be against an idea or plan that a lot of people support, in order to make people discuss and consider it in more detail, I don’t like to use it. Why? Because the terms “devil” and “advocate” shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, as the devil is the exact opposite of an advocate.
 
So we can clearly see that both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are on the side of righteousness. And if they both are, then you can be sure the Father is too! Yes, the Godhead is on our side – Jesus being our Great High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us!
 
And the truth is if He be for us who can be against us (See Romans 8:31)? In other words, if He, being the greatest defense attorney ever, is on our side then who can successfully win a case against us!?! Romans 8:32 implies that if God gave His only begotten Son for us then how could we believe that He wouldn’t forgive us of individual sins after we have been saved. If God was merciful to us when we were His enemies, how much more will He show us mercy now that we are His children? (Romans 5:9-10)
 
So again, in Romans 8:33, the apostle Paul asks the question— “Who shall bring a charge (or, accusation) against God’s elect (i.e., favorite, picked out, the one God voted for)?” He answers his own question by saying, “It is God who justifies!” In other words, “The LORD is the One busy making people right before Him!”
 
You see, God is the One who declares people innocent and righteous! Again, in Romans 8:34 he asks that other question— “Who is he who condemns?” And again, He answers his own question by saying, “It is Christ who died…” That simply means that Christ took all of our condemnation and died in our place! Praise God! But thank God, He didn’t stay in the tomb! Paul went on to explain— “…and furthermore is also risen.” Romans 4:25 says that He was raised for our justification.
 
You see, it would not have been good enough for Jesus to just die for our sins. He also needed to be raised so that we could be justified with Him. So, Paul told us that He was not only raised from the dead, but He was also raised to the right hand of God, which is the ultimate place of power and authority.
 
I think the next phrase is so awesome! Not only did Jesus die for us, not only was He raised from the dead for us, and not only was He raised up to the right hand of God for us. On top of all that, He is the one “who also makes intercession for us!” You see, Jesus is not the one bringing accusations and condemning us! He is the one standing between us and the Father, defending us as our Advocate and Intercessor! The devil is the prosecuting attorney, but Jesus is the defense attorney, which is essentially what an advocate is!   
 
You see, church, Jesus says to all of us what He said to the woman caught in adultery— “Where are those accusers of yours?... Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:10-11).
 
So, if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), then He is saying that to all of us today— “Neither do I condemn you!” Yes, the only time He will ever cast judgment on anyone is on that Great Judgment Day, when those who did not believed on Him will be condemned. But until then, He says “Neither do I condemn you” yesterday, today and forever. Amen!

REVIEW
 
What is eternal life? Jesus revealed to us in John 17:3 that eternal life is all about knowing God and Himself. So this is what it is all about – knowing the LORD personally, intimately, and experientially.
 
No, it’s not about religious practices and keeping a bunch of commandments. Eternal life is a relationship, not a religion. Therefore, knowing God is the goal and the bullseye of Christianity.
 
And what better way is there to come to know God but by hallowing His various Names? Yes, these Names of God reveal to us His nature, character, and person. So if you want to truly come to know God, you need to know His Names as they describe Him to a T.
 
So we’ve come to know God first as Elohim – the All-Powerful, All-Knowing Sovereign Creator who rules over all, and is the judge over all His creation.
 
Then we looked at a few of Elohim’s descriptors –  El Shaddai, El Elyon, and El Roi. These three show us God as the All-Sufficient One, the Most-High God, and the All-Seeing Creator.   
 
We then turned our attention to the most accurate Name for God, the Name, Yahweh. We saw how this name describes God as the Great I AM, the self-existing One, and the one who was and is to come. Through this Name, the LORD essentially says, “I AM” and we would say, “The LORD IS.” Yes, this Name basically invites us and even teases us to know Him better by leaving an open-ended sentence of who He is.
 
So then we saw how through this Name Yahweh (which is commonly known as Jehovah in our English-speaking Bibles) how He began to reveal Himself more specifically to His chosen people and answer that question – Who is He?
 
So we then learned about names such as:

1. Jehovah Shammah –The LORD is There.
2. Jehovah Rapha – The LORD is (our) Healer.
3. Jehovah M’Kaddesh – The LORD is (our) Sanctifier.
4. Jehovah Sabaoth – The LORD (of) Hosts.
5. Jehovah Rohi – The LORD is (our) Shepherd.

 
In this last name we covered, we learned that Yahweh is the epitome of a Shepherd in that He leads, knows, cares for, and tends to His sheep. Even Jesus said of Himself – “I AM the Good Shepherd.”
 
We learned how Jehovah Rohi specifically “feeds” His sheep first, showing us that God’s nature is to be sure to teach us His Word, giving us the spiritual nourishment that His sheep need. He then “keeps” His sheep, revealing to us that His tendency is to guard and protect His sheep. We even saw that Jehovah Rohi could be translated that the LORD is our Pastor – showing us that He is the Chief Shepherd over His flock.
 
There were lots of good things that we came to “appreciate” about our Shepherd last week.
 
JEHOVAH JIREH
 
Now this week, we are going to cover one of the most well-known Names of God that we have in the Scriptures – Jehovah Jireh. And not only is it one of the most well-known Names God is given, it was one of the first Jehovah Names that appeared in the Scriptures.
 
We see this Name mentioned in Genesis chapter 22, in the very familiar story of Abraham and his son, Isaac. So let me give you the backstory in case you are unaware of some of its details …
 
In Genesis 22, we read the story of Abraham being commanded by God to take his son Isaac to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him. Isaac, of course, was the son of promise, a miraculous gift from God when Abraham and Sarah were old. He was the promised child whom God had said that He would make into a great nation. Might we say, he was God’s “provision”? Absolutely! God provided for them a son, giving both Abraham and Sarah the desire of their hearts when everything in the natural said it couldn’t be done.  However, there came a testing time for Abraham and his provision. And that’s where we pick up this event – in Genesis 22:1.
 
We are told at the beginning of Genesis 22:1 – “Now it came to pass after these things …”
 
Now when you see a phrase like this, what you should immediately be asking is — What were the things that happened before what we are about to read? The reason being is because oftentimes this phrase lets us know that what is about to happen is tied together with the events that happened prior.
 
So what was it that happened in Genesis chapter 21?
 
Well, at the beginning of the chapter, Isaac was born, God fulfilling His promise to Abraham & Sarah. This is definitely important regarding what we will be covering in Genesis chapter 22.
 
Then we have the situation where, when Isaac was being weaned, that Ishmael mocked him and subsequently Hagar and Ishmael were sent away from Abraham’s tent. This, likewise, will become a big part of our story that we are covering today.
 
Then finally, we see how Abraham made a covenant with Abimelach – all of this culminating in Abraham planting a tamarisk tree in Beersheeba and there calling on the name of the LORD.
 
I’ll tell you, church, calling on the name of the Lord is a big part of what we are covering in this series. And Abraham was showing us here how even he knew the importance of knowing & calling on God’s Names when it comes to walking by faith.
 
Then Genesis 22:1 goes on to say – “… that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’
 
Here we see that God decided to “test” Abraham: Now this is a sticky topic. Does God test people and, if so, how does He do it? But before I answer that question, I want you to notice what happened when God called out to Abraham: Abraham responded with, “Here I am.”
 
Now this is not the only time the Bible tells us of a time where God called someone’s name, and they responded with these words. Why is this important? It’s because I think it’s important that we are there when God comes calling. Now I understand we might be physically present, but having the ability to hear Him and being willing to be present when He calls our name is a whole different story.
 
So I say that to say, that we need to always be present in the moment where God might be speaking to us and be willing to “wait” on the Lord (that is, be His servants ready to serve Him in whatever way He so desires).
 
But back to this idea of God testing Abraham: The first thing we need to understand is that there is a difference between God “testing” His people and Him “tempting” His people. The Scriptures are clear that God does not tempt us with evil (James 1:13).
 
You see, what was happening with the recipients of James’ letter when he said this is that they were under intense persecution as being Jewish believers. Families were being divided and they were being forced to leave their homes, jobs, etc. (See James 1:1). Therefore, because of this pressure that was being put on them, they were being tempted to sin and depart from the faith. So James was quick to let them know that God was not the author of these terrible things that they were enduring, Him being the author only of good & perfect gifts (See James 1:17).
 
So no, God does not bring harmful & destructive things upon us that tempt us with doing evil like sinning and turning away from God. That should be obvious. However, “testing” is somewhat different:
 
Just consider this situation with Abraham. He was being given a choice, wasn’t he? He was able to choose whether he would obey God or not, whether he would do what his flesh wanted or whether he would do what he knew God was directing him to do. And that is something that God might do with you and I.
 
You see, Jesus taught us to take up our cross and follow Him. Why would He tell us to do this if it were automatic or easy? No, it’s not something the LORD will force on us. So all of these people that say that the unfortunate things that have come upon them such as physical afflictions and other forms of tragedy are just their cross to bear are incorrect. No, a cross is a choice. Jesus had the option to choose to carry His Cross. Therefore, if we cannot take up or lay down the adversity that comes into our life, it is NOT (and I repeat, is NOT) our cross.
 
However, we might be presented with a choice that will test our loyalty to God, like will we do what we know is right or will we choose to do what is easy and convenient. And those kinds of things are sometimes tests that will show both God and us what is in our hearts. No, this choice won’t necessarily have a bearing on whether we go to heaven or not, but it may determine our usability to God and how much He can trust us with in the future.
 
And in the case of Abraham, his passing of the test unlocked a tremendous blessing on the human race …
 
Notice the rest of verse 2 – “… Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’”
 
You see, I personally believe that if Abraham would have failed this test, God’s hands would have been tied as to being able to do the exact same thing that Abraham was being asked to do.
 
Church, God believes in the concept of covenant. He is faithful to His Word and how He has set things up. So since the LORD gave this planet to mankind and gave us dominion, He needs us to do the right thing with this authority we’ve been delegated.
 
So when the LORD established a covenant with this man of His choosing, Abraham, He needed Abraham to first be willing to do the exact thing that God would have to do to redeem the human race – be willing to sacrifice his son. And because Abraham was willing to follow through with it, the LORD was able to follow through with it Himself.
 
Then the next thing we read in verse 3 is – “So Abraham rose early in the morning …”
 
So, Abraham promptly obeyed, didn’t he? He did not hesitate to do this difficult thing that the LORD asked him to do, but rose early in the morning to follow God’s instructions. But while we like to view this situation through our eyes, I do not believe Abraham labored over this like most people would. No, he was willing to sacrifice Isaac “by faith”— meaning, he was not grieving over doing it. He wasn’t vexed by all the emotions that one might think would accompany sacrificing their own child. No, Abraham was a believer, being called “faithful Abraham” in the Book of Galatians.
 
And the reason I can say this with such confidence is because Hebrews 11:17-19 reveals to us that Abraham acted in faith believing that God would raise Isaac from the dead.
 
You see, Abraham had a promise from God. The LORD told him what Hebrews 11:18 says – that “In Isaac, your seed shall be called” (Genesis 21:12).
 
Now this quote came from the time when Sarah saw Ishmael laughing at and mocking Isaac at the time when Abraham threw a great feast for Isaac on the day he was weaned. So when Sarah told Abraham to cast out the bondwoman and her son because Ishmael would not be heir with her son, Isaac, Abraham was very upset. You see, he obviously loved both his sons and did not want to lose Ishmael. But that is when God said these words to Abraham that “in Isaac, your seed shall be called.” What this meant was that Isaac was the only one meant to be his heir. In other words, Abraham’s name & lineage was to be passed on through Isaac.
 
So then, after the LORD told Abraham this, we see one chapter later God testing Abraham.
 
Now think about that – if the LORD told Abraham that in Isaac, his seed shall be called, why would God then terminate Isaac’s life? That wouldn’t make any sense unless you believed God didn’t mean what He said. But if you do believe that the LORD will do what He said and isn’t changing His mind or not holding true to His Word, then what’s the only conclusion you can have when He tells you to go sacrifice your son? It’s either that He isn’t really going to make you do it when you get there or that, as Hebrews 11:19 says, that God will raise Isaac back up from the dead if you do have to go through with it.
 
So the reason that I believe that Abraham concluded that God was going to raise Isaac from the dead on that mountain is because he didn’t have a reference point of God not following through with His instructions. So if God told him to go to a mountain he was going to show him and sacrifice Isaac, that was likely what was going to happen. Therefore, the only way to reconcile what God had said to him earlier with what He was asking him to do now was a resurrection! Amen!
 
Now think about that – Isn’t that tremendous faith? I mean, I doubt Abraham had ever heard of someone being raised from the dead, much less witnessed it first-hand. Yet, he believed it was going to happen here. And all because He had a WORD from God that “In Isaac, your seed shall be called.”
 
Now why do I place such emphasis on this? It’s because what we are about to learn about Jehovah Jireh and how God being a Provider has everything to do with what we believe. Yes, taking God at His Word and putting faith in what He has said is what set Abraham up for God’s provision on this day. And I can promise you that today, that if we are going to see more of Jehovah Jireh in our life, then we are going to have to do the same. Amen?
 
So like we said, Abraham rose early in the morning and took a couple of his men with him as well as Isaac and some wood for the sacrifice. Verses 4-5 pick up with this – “Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.’”
 
Notice that it was on the third day when Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place where the sacrifice was to be made afar off. Significant events tend towards happening on third days, huh?
 
And notice that we are told here that he “saw the place afar off.” What place? The mountain that He spoke about showing Abraham in verse 2. So what this means is that the LORD had a specific mountain for this sacrifice to take place on. And we will learn later in this message why this is so important.
 
But notice what Abraham said to his helpers – “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
 
Wait, what? And WE will come back to you? Most read this that Abraham said this because he didn’t want his helpers to know what he was about to do, but I don’t believe this is why Abraham said this. I believe he said they were both coming back because of what we know He believed based on Hebrews chapter 11 – that God was going to raise Isaac from the dead after he sacrificed him!
 
Then we read in verses 6-8 – “So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.’ So the two of them went together.”  
 
Church, this is where we first have the principle of God’s Name of Jehovah Jireh mentioned in the Scriptures – in these words Abraham spoke to Isaac that God will “provide” for Himself the lamb!
 
HE WILL SEE TO IT
 
Now we commonly know the Hebrew word for “provide” as jireh, but when you look it up, we “see” something a little different …
 
You see, this word comes from the Hebrew verb, ra’a, which literally means to see, look, or understand. So you might be wondering, what does God seeing have to do with Him providing? Well, some interpret this “the LORD seeing” as the LORD will see to it – meaning, He sees our situation and the need and, therefore, “sees to it” to meet that need and provide for us in our situation.
 
In fact, our own word “provide,” comes from the Latin word meaning, “to see before” (pro meaning before and videre meaning to see). So like we say that we will see to a matter; possibly this expression hits the nail on the head. Our Heavenly Father sees our need, and with divine foresight of love prepares the supply. He sees to a need to supply it; and in the seeing he is seen, in the providing he manifests himself.
 
This becomes apparent in the story of Abraham and Isaac because, how many of you know, the ram that was caught in the thickets didn’t just miraculously appear there at the last second? No, that ram was provided well before the need ever manifested itself when God led it to be in that specific place at that specific time. It’s possible that the ram had begun its journey up the other side of the mountain at the same time that Abraham & Isaac began ascending it on their side.
 
Well, is this not what the Scriptures teach us about the Lamb of God – that He was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world? (First Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8, & Ephesians 1:4). In these verses, we are taught that Jesus was that “Passover Lamb” that was selected before the actual time of the sacrifice. Likewise, Jesus was that Ram that was picked out to be the provision for Abraham & Isaac.
 
So Yahweh saw before …  
 
So, for God to see is for God to provide, as He does not just sit back idly when there is a need present before Him. Like he told us through James, if we “see” a person naked and destitute of daily food, we are to provide them with the things they are lacking (James 2:15-16).
 
Therefore, the Name of God, Jehovah Jireh, literally describes God’s nature of being our provider. And this should not surprise us because, in our lives, who is supposed to be the provider for us according to the flesh? It’s our earthly fathers. This is meant to be our first exposure to what provision is supposed to look like.
 
And then after we leave our father and become one flesh with another, who is generally meant to be the provider in that next relationship? The husband. And aren’t we called the Bride of Christ? Therefore, we are married to the LORD as His body, and we can expect that same “Jireh” tendency in our covenant with Him.
 
So if the LORD is called our Heavenly Father and our Husband, then you will not meet a better provider than Him! Yes, God knows how to provide for His children and His bride. He delights in providing for His creation. He loves being the source of any and all provision.
 
Of course, this begins with Jesus, that Lamb of God who is the sacrifice for our sins. But it includes anything & everything that we need that pertains to both life and godliness.
 
We see in the Scriptures that He desires to provide us with all of our need (Philippians 4:19) such as the food we eat and the clothing we wear (Matthew 6:33). He even wants to provide us with more than just our own basic necessities; He will provide an abundance so that we can give into every good work (Second Corinthians 9:8). Not only that, but He even delights in providing us with the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4) and giving His children good gifts when we ask Him (Matthew 7:11). And this provision of good gifts isn’t just acceptable things; its good things that go beyond what we could have ever asked or imagined (Ephesians 3:20).
 
I could go on and on with verses of the things God will provide for His people. But just know that the list has no end. It’s basically whatever we need, want or desire – that He will provide. If it’s wisdom we need, its wisdom He will provide (James 1:5). If it’s finances we desire, its finances He will provide. If it’s healing we want, its healing He will provide. There are no limits. Everything applies. The only thing God is not willing to provide are things that include sin and death. But outside of that, all things are game.   
 
HOW WE KNOW GOD IS A PROVIDER
 
Now we will get back to how the LORD provided for Abraham & Isaac in this situation, but I did want to pick up in our story and see how it exactly played out …
 
So then at the end of verse 8, we are told that the two of them went “together” up the mountain. To me, this is a significant phrase because it shows not just that they went but how they went – “together.”
 
You see, Jesus willingly went to the Cross for us. Yes, He was the Lamb who delighted to do the will of His Father – only doing what He saw His Father doing and saying what He saw His Father saying. They did all things TOGETHER, and that includes the Cross. 
 
Genesis 22:9 goes on to say, “Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.”
 
Again, all of this is descriptive of the place where Jesus was crucified – the name of that place was Golgotha, and on that mount, the LORD placed the “wood” in order, the middle Cross being reserved for His only Son. Then he “bound” Jesus, His Son, and laid Him on the altar, upon the Cross.
 
Then notice what happened next …
 
In verses 10-11, we read – “And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ So he said, ‘Here I am.’”
 
Again, we see that when the LORD called Abraham’s name that he heard Him and responded with – “Here I am” – showing us that Abraham was always there when God was wanting to talk to him.
 
So here we see Abraham’s willingness to follow through with the sacrificing of His son, Isaac. But when Abraham got to that point where he took the knife to slay his son, the Angel of the Lord calls out to him, stopping him. And we see that it was only a test, as the Angel of the Lord speaks these words to him in verse 12 – “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
 
So the test was complete, and Abraham passed with flying colors! And like I said earlier, this did something for all of us because now God was going to be able to return the favor for all of Abraham’s seed …
 
Now one would think that God already knew that Abraham feared Him, right? He knows all things, doesn’t He? Well, of course He does. But this teaches us that God does pay attention to our works and us doing something with what we believe. Likewise, Jesus’ work on the Cross should mean something to us as well!
 
You see, by Abraham not withholding His only begotten son, it proved to God that Abraham feared Him. Well, just as it was said that the Angel of the Lord knew that Abraham feared God because He did not withhold His son, His only son, from Him, likewise we should know that God loves us since He did not withhold His Son, His only begotten Son from us. Again, Jesus’ death on the Cross is the only proof you and I need that God loves us! Amen.
 
You see, the LORD did not withhold His Son, His only Begotten Son, from us! He willingly offered up the Lord Jesus for us, and guess what? That likewise ought to do the same thing for us that Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son did for God.
 
Again, He said, “for now I know that you fear God” because of Abraham’s willingness to offer up Isaac. Well, God’s willingness to offer up Jesus doesn’t let us know that God fears us, but it certainly should let us know that He LOVES us. Amen?
 
You see, the Scriptures teach us that Jesus’ death on the Cross IS THE MANIFESTATION of God’s love for us (See First John 4:9). In other words, we don’t need any more proof that God loves us than Him being willing to sacrifice His Son for us.  
 
But the wonderful truth is that if He loved us enough to give us Jesus; He loves us enough to freely give us all things! Sounds like a Scripture to me …
 
Romans 8:32 is such a powerful verse that reveals to us what our Heavenly Father did for us through the giving of His Only Begotten Son. In it, the apostle Paul says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
 
You see, we can be convinced that God is for us (See verse 31) because He did not spare His own Son for us. In other words, because God sent His Son, Jesus, to the Cross for us, we can be completely convinced that the love that inspired Him to do this for us, will freely “provide” for us anything else we need.
 
It would be like you desperately needing a blood transfusion, and the only person’s blood that would save you was my son, Levi’s. Well, if I were to sacrifice his life, shedding his blood, so that you could live through his blood, then do you really think I would not give you something else much less valuable if you needed it? Of course, I would! Why? Because if I was willing to give you my best, why would I not give you the less? Therefore, we can be completely convinced that God will heal us, meet our financial needs, and do anything else we need in our lives because, through His love for us, He has given us His very best. This proves God’s love for us.
 
So, what I believe the Holy Spirit wants us to understand is that the provision of Jesus is God’s manifestation of love. We need look no further than Jesus to know and believe that He loves us unconditionally. We need to not base God’s love for us on our circumstances. Just as we should not be moved by what we see, hear, or feel—only by what we believe—likewise, we should not let ourselves be moved off of our faith in God’s love by what we see, hear, or feel. We must simply believe He loves us because the Bible tells us so! Just like this simple childlike faith in the rest of God’s promises is what brings their manifestation to pass in our life, faith in His love is what yields a greater manifestation of that love in our lives. Amen?
 
OUR PROVISION IS THERE
 
So after the Angel of the LORD told Abraham this, notice what happened next …
 
Genesis 22:13 says, “Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.”
 
Now the provision was seen! Abraham already had seen that the LORD would provide through the eyes of faith, but now we have the substance of his faith – the ram caught in a thicket by its horns. This was what Jehovah provided – the substitute sacrifice!
 
So when we are introduced to the LORD our Provider in the following verse, it’s important to understand that this is not in the context of the various forms of provision that we generally might think of like groceries, an automobile, a spouse, money, etc. No, the provision God made here was LIFE – more specifically, a life for a life. Yes, what the LORD provided here was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns – the substitute sacrifice for Isaac, His only son (See Genesis 22:13).
 
Now this story is so very clear as to what we know the LORD has done for us: Of course, we know that Abraham and his only son, Isaac here typify Father God and His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, Jesus was a miraculous conception (i.e. a virgin birth) just like Isaac’s birth was also a miracle. Isaac was beloved of his father just as Jesus was loved by His Father. Abraham was told that all nations would be blessed by his seed. Well, that certainly has happened through our Heavenly Father’s seed, right?
 
So yes, there is so much that parallels Isaac and Jesus. Therefore, this specific instance is clearly showing us how God was willing to offer up His Only Begotten Son as a sacrifice for us. However, the story shows us how God provided Abraham with a substitute sacrifice for Isaac. So now our story shifts from Isaac being a type of Christ to the Ram that was provided being a type of Christ – showing us how when we were the ones who should have been sacrificed because it was our sin that made a sacrifice even necessary, God provided for Himself a sacrifice to atone for our sin. Amen!
 
So there are so many types & shadows here that point us to the Lord Jesus Christ and how God provided us with His life so that our lives could be spared.   
 
And then we come to the verse where we get this beloved Name of God from – Genesis 22:14. It says, “And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, ‘In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’”
 
So once Abraham had this wonderful experience of God’s miraculous provision, he decided to name the place, the mountain that this miracle occurred on. He called it “The-LORD-Will-Provide” – that is, Jehovah Jireh.
 
But what I think many miss about this story is that this provision had every bit as much to do with where it occurred as to how it occurred.
 
If you recall, the LORD told Abraham at the beginning to “go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (verse 2). So first of all, he wasn’t to go to just any land; he was to go to the land of Moriah. And there, the LORD told him that He would tell Abraham which one of the mountains to offer the sacrifice on.
 
Verse 3 goes on to tell us that Abaham did exactly what God told him to do by going “to the place of which God had told him.”
 
Then in verse 4 we are told – “Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.” So somehow, Abraham knew that this specific place was the spot the LORD was showing him.
 
And even one more time, just before Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, we are told in verse 9 – “Then they came to the place of which God had told him.”
 
So I want you to notice how many times we are being told in this chapter about the place where this sacrifice was going to occur and how it was not just anywhere Abraham decided to go, but was a specific place of God’s choosing.
 
Why do you suppose we have such an emphasis placed on this part of the story? Well, I believe it was because when it comes to God’s provision, we can’t just expect it to be just anywhere we go. God’s provision is always in the place we are supposed to be.
 
You see, what was the provision in Abraham’s situation? It was the Ram, right? Well, what if Abraham would have gone to another mountain of his choosing and only partially obeyed God? Well, that Ram wouldn’t have been there. So the provision was where Abraham was - where the LORD showed Him to be.
 
We have a great illustration of this in the game of football: A quarterback doesn’t throw the ball where the receiver is; he throws it where he is supposed to be. And just as it is with passes thrown to a receiver, God never throws the provision where we are; He throws it where we are supposed to be!
 
You see, in order to receive God’s best, we need to be where God told us to be. And a big key to running the right routes is knowing the playbook – the Word of God.
 
One of our best examples of this is found in First Kings 17:2-7 – “Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.’ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.”
 
Again, we see that the LORD will lead us to the place called “there” and that’s where our provision is. God did not send Elijah’s provision to where he was; He sent it to the place He was supposed to be. 
 
This was a good combination of natural provision (the brook) mixed with supernatural provision (the ravens). Then notice that the brook dried up – showing us that the natural provisions are capable of drying up. This is why we don’t put trust in those things.
 
Being in our place called there does not guarantee us not going through adversity. Therefore, the adversity should not lead us out of our place. Only the Word of the Lord does that (see verse 8).
 
 
You see, what if Abraham would have received these instructions from the LORD and decided to not even go to the land of Moriah, but to stay close to home? What if he would have gone into this land, but rejected the mountain that the LORD showed him, saying, “I don’t like the color of the pews on that mountain,” “I don’t like the music on that mount,” “the people on that mountain don’t respect me,” etc. etc. etc.
 
I’ll tell you, saints, this is much more of an epidemic in the Body of Christ than most realize. I fear that over half of the Christian population doesn’t go and stay in the place where the LORD has directed them. This includes everything from marriages, jobs, churches, friendships, etc. And what they fail to understand is that those places are where their provision is. It’s where Jehovah Jireh has ordained to take care of their needs. But we “wander” around our mountains looking for our provision when it is where we are supposed to be. It’s been well-said that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side. But the devil would love to have us chasing our provision, thinking its always in doing this differently or chasing after this.
 
Church, the LORD is a provider. There is no doubt about this. He desires to provide us with everything we need spiritually & physically. But there is something to be said for being in the position to receive that provision. And a lot of times that has everything to do with being in the right place at the right time, with being obedient to do whatever the LORD tells you to do, and with believing His Word above all else. This is how we can know the LORD as our Jehovah Jireh. Amen.