Yahweh Yireh ~ The LORD will provide.

I have always been fascinated by the account of Abraham taking Isaac  to the altar. Having children of my own, I try to visualize myself in this situation. I am sure Isaac must have known what was about to happen as they were going to the sacrificial altar without a sacrificial lamb. I believe he must have willingly laid on the altar. But, I most importantly believe that Abraham KNEW that the LORD was going to provide an alternative because the scriptures tell us in Genesis 22:5 "Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we'll come back to you." Did you catch that? "Come back to you."

Let's fast forward to when Isaac is laid upon the altar. Scripture says in Genesis 22:13-14: "Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham named that place The LORD Will Provide,  so today it is said: "It will be provided on the LORD's mountain." (HCSB Version)

"When we put something on the altar, sacrificing it to him, we acknowledge two things: that he is God, and that we are not God." (pg 68-69).  This story can teach us that sacrifice requires a loss, but usually a reward of greater measure. We should never obey just to be blessed, but imagine the blessings we miss because we choose our own way and disobey the LORD.

Deuteronomy 15:4-5 says "There will be no poor among you, however, because the LORD is certain to bless you in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance -- if only you obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow every one of these commands I am giving you today." (HCSB Version)

"When you pray to Yahweh Yireh, you are praying to the God who sees the situation beforehand and is able to provide for your needs." (pg 62).

"El Olam is the Hebrew name for the God who has no beginning and no end, the God for whom a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. His plans stand firm forever, plans to give you a future full of hope." (pg 51) El Olam is the everlasting God or the Eternal God.

I found it fascinating that this name of God is only used in scripture four times. Genesis 21:22-34 tells the story of Abimelech and Phicol who made a peace treaty of sorts with Abraham. Abraham named that place Beersheba because the two men had swore an oath there. Beersheba itself means "well of the oath." Abraham then planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba. This particular type of tree is a long-living tree that requires large amounts of water and can produce as many as 500,000 seeds per plant.

"When you pray to the Everlasting God, you are praying to the God whose Son is called the Alpha and the Omega. He is the God whose love endures forever." (pg 51)

El Shadday is our God Almighty! "When we pray to El Shadday, we invoke the name of the one for whom nothing is impossible." (pg 40)

Genesis 17 tells the account of when Abram met with the LORD at the ripe ole age of 99 years old. Th Lord said to him, "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God (El Shadday); walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, as for me, behold my covenant is with Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee..." (Genesis 17:1-5)

El Shadday (EL shad-DAI), is often translated as God Almighty, but it may literally be translated as "God, the Mountain One." "Like the mountains themselves, God is seen as strong and unchanging. El Shadday reveals God not only as the one who creates and maintains the universe but who initiates and maintains a covenant with his people." (pg 42)

"The next time you feel tempted beyond your power to resist, call on the name of El Shadday, asking him to help you bear up under it, confident of his ability to sustain and bless you." (pg 44)

"Lord, help me to know you as my All-Powerful God, the one who is able to sustain and bless me, to fulfill every promise he makes. Increase my awe of you and of your power so that, like Abraham, I may follow you faithfully, always believing you are enough for me." (pg 41)

El Roi (EL raw-EE) is the God who sees me.

I particularly enjoyed learning the beginning to this name of God. Hagar, who was an Egyptian slave, encountered God in the desert when she fled after finding out she was pregnant with Abram's child.

"The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"

"I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.

Then the angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count."...

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." (Genesis 16:7-13)

There is so much more to this story. Hagar eventually fled again when Ishmael was a child. They were practically on the brink of death as they were stranded in the middle of the desert and out of water. Hagar remembered El Roi promises to her and felt abandoned. Abraham and Sarah had treated her and Ishmael so poorly and unable to bear this pain anymore. But, listen to what happened next...

"God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation."

Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink." (Genesis 21:17-19)

Though Hagar and Ishmael had to endure years of trial, God upheld his promises. The well which God placed in front of her that day was named "Beer Lahai Roi" [the "well of the Living One who sees me"]. (Genesis 16:13-14)

When you pray to El Roi, you are praying to the one who knows everything about you.

Ask El Roi, the God who sees us, to open our eyes to His work and to increase our faith even and especially when his promises seem impossible to fulfill.

"Decide to obey fully, to follow completely, to keep your eyes fastened on him. Let El Roi take pleasure as he watches over you, and you will soon find your heart stronger and your confidence deeper without quite knowing how it happened." (pg. 38)

Here are some promises in scripture to encourage and lift you up...

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

"He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber...The LORD watches over you--the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." (Psalm 121:3, 5-8)

"The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." (Proverbs 15:3)

I mentioned a few posts back about how much this book has encouraged me and helped me feel closer to the Lord in that I can call on a specific name of God in my prayers. Kind of like when you say your child's whole name, first-middle-last, to really get their attention.  "Praying the Names of God" by Ann Spangler.

Elohim ~ God, Mighty Creator

Elohim (e-lo-HEEM) is the plural form of El or Eloah, one of the oldest designations for divinity in the world. It is used more than 2,500 times in the Bible.

"When we pray to Elohim, we remember that he is the one who began it all, creating the heavens and the earth and separating light from darkness, water from dry land, night from day." (pg 15)

For Genesis 1:1 says "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

We can offer God thanks and praise that he has created us and made us in his own image. He had the power to create the heavens and earth from absolutely nothing. We should confess any tendency to forget that human life is very sacred and ask God to renew our sense of wonder and gratitude for the things he has made.