Jehovah Jireh

Jehovah Jireh, meaning “The Lord will provide.”

Runehu’hu Speaks

“From this high hill, I see the sweep of the river rolling past our village. For it, time has no meaning. From beginning to end, we trust in our great father’s changeless protection and care.

Drink in the moment and trust

“The land is green and lush. The soil is dark and fertile, providing an abundance of corn and beans. Taren-hia-wagen has blessed us, depositing his children here on these banks. Come down oh great one and see what bounty this land has produced.

“Today, fish jump from the water into our nets, just as they did the day before. Deer forage in every wooded area. The sun is eternal, shining brightly, providing grain beyond our ability to store. Warmth radiates through our bodies. The rain falls from heaven, connecting us to life and to our brothers beyond this river. We are surrounded by family.

“My heart races, drumming in my chest as I anticipate a new day of blessings. I will drink in the moment and remember this feeling forever.”

The Name of God

This quote is from Runehu’hu (Rooneh-hoo’-hoo), which means turtledove. She is my matrilineal ancestor and a Tuscaroran woman who lived in the eighteenth century. She struggled against English colonialization of North America. Her home was the coastal plains of North Carolina. She would later become a Christian, but her description of Taren-hia-wagen, or God, is familiar and comforting. She saw him as Jehovah Jirah.

We first discover the name Jehovah Jireh in the biblical story of Abraham offering his son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice. Because of his trust, in a god he could not see, Abraham saw the provision of God beforehand and followed his command to take his only son, and offer him as a burnt scrafice on the mountain. As they neared the mountain, Isaac asked his father, “Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide.” 

Next, we see Issac bound and laying on an alter, with Abraham, knife in hand, ready to kill his only son. At this point God stops him and shows Abraham a ram caught by the horns in a thicket. God had provided a substitute for Isaac.

Abraham recognized the power of this experience in calling the place of sacrifice Jehovah Jireh. This trial proved Abraham’s faithfulness. He had not placed even his only son above God, and, so,  God provided a way out.

No One Is Exempt

If you are alive, there is no escaping trials. It seems that we are either in a trial, just coming out of a trial, or getting ready for a new one. Trials are a reality of life. None of us are exempt, but we can drink in the moment and trust in Jehovah Jirah’s changeless protection and care, even today.

“So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’”

Genesis 22:14

Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear

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