“So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide. And it is said to this day, On the mount of the Lord it will be provided.” -Genesis 22:14 AMP
I was reading in Genesis and I came across this verse at the end of the story where Abraham was tested by God in regards to sacrificing his only son. Abraham took two servants, his son (Isaac was estimated to be about twenty-five years old according the ancient historian Josephus at this time), the split wood, and the fire embers carried in a “fire pot” (a common practice for keeping fires in Abraham’s time). After going some ways he told his two servants, “…stay here with the donkey and I and the young man will go yonder and worship and come again to you” (vs. 5). From this statement we can see that Abraham still believed God’s promise that Isaac’s (as yet unborn) children would inherit the promises made to Abraham. Abraham and Isaac arrived at the location God directed for the sacrifice then “Abraham built and altar there; then he laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar on the wood” (vs. 9b). Think about it; Isaac must have also believed God’s promise or else he (in a full man’s strength) would not have allowed his father to bind him and put him on the altar. Just as Abraham lifted his knife to slay his son God stopped him and provided a ram. The ram was not there a few minutes before. It appeared just in time: God’s time.
Abraham went to the “mount of the Lord” and God spoke with and provided for him. Going to the mount of the Lord, making an altar and offering a sacrifice was a form of worship for him. We may not sacrifice physical animals in our day and time but there are other sacrifices we make. We give of our money, time, effort, and intellect (ideas and guidance) to the work of our churches, local ministries, and mission efforts (just to name a few things). Yet are we giving because it is expected of us? I think the most important sacrifice we can offer the Lord is making the effort to spend quality time with just Him. I have observed how we often get so busy with our lives that we do almost everything by habit. I know I have. Am I saying that giving of our money, time, and effort is a bad thing? No. Yet if it robs us of just being in the Lord’s Presence, reading His Word for ourselves, and listening to what He has to say, then yes it is!
Going to “the mount of the Lord” is meeting and spending time with Him. If you do not spend time reading God’s Word in a quiet setting on a regular basis I encourage you to start doing so. I have made this my regular routine first thing every morning and have grown in my walk with the Lord by leaps and bounds. I am filled with peace and joy no matter what my day is like when I spend quality time with Him every morning. He is my “Alpha” the One Who I spend my first moments with every morning, and “Omega” the One Who I spend my last waking moments with before I go to sleep. But do not let me tell you what spending time in His Word can do for you…let His Word tell you:
“God’s laws are perfect. They protect us, make us wise, and give us joy and light. God’s laws are pure, eternal, just. They are more desirable than gold. They are sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.” – Psalm 19:7-10 (TLB)
“But Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’” –Matthew 4:4 (AMP); Luke 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3
