BE ROOTED, KNOW GOD BY HIS NAMES: YAHWEH YIREH

D ecemb er 20, 20 20

WORSHIP WORD
Angels We Have GENESIS 22:12-14 YAHWEH (YHWH) is the personal Name of God which reveals
Heard on High, For 12
He said, “Do not reach out that He is personal and relational, the Supreme Moral Being,
Unto Us (Open the your hand against the boy, and the Promise Keeper. The word YIREH means “to see in
Eyes), King of Kings and do not do anything to advance.” Because the LORD sees in advance, He will
him; for now I know that you provide. He knows our real need when many times we don’t
fear God, since you have not even know what we need, which gives us tremendous
withheld your son, your only
WELCOME son, from Me.” comfort and peace in this life. Matthew 6:31-33 show us how
13
Then Abraham raised his we often fail to understand the heart of God, such that Jesus
How will you eyes and looked, and behold, gives warning on our worrying about our basic needs. The Lord
behind him was a ram caught our Provider is also our Heavenly Father so trust and seek Him
celebrate Christmas in the thicket by its horns;
differently this year? first. God will provide for what we need His way, His time, for our
and Abraham went and took
the ram and offered it up as eventual good—to accomplish His purpose in and through us.
a burnt offering in the place When He provides for all our needs, it is for our good and
of his son. 14 And Abraham for His purpose.
named that place The Lord
Will Provide, as it is said to We see this Name used in Abraham’s great test of faith in
this day, “On the mountain of
the Lord it will be provided.” Genesis 22. God asked him to sacrifice his own son Isaac at
Mt. Moriah (vv.1-2). Abraham was tested (Heb. NASA, which
It is CHRISTmas week and means to reveal), like testing steel bars for buildings or like
it will be a lot different from tests that pilots must pass before they can fly passengers.
other Christmas celebrations God has to test us in order for us to grow. James tells us that
we’ve had. With the current
pandemic still wreaking our testing (Gk. Perasmos, translated as trials) is not a bad thing
havoc and safety precautions (James 1:2-4). It helps us learn endurance and develop our
established to help alleviate character further to completion or full maturity. What areas
its harrowing effect on do we need to grow in that Abraham was tested on?
people’s health, celebrations
have really been affected
1. THE TEST OF LOVE
Now more than ever, we In Genesis 22:2, the word LOVE was first mentioned in the
remember Christ—the very Bible, it described the love of a father to his son. This is
reason for Christmas. His birth significant because Isaac is a picture of Abraham’s hopes and
was “good news of great joy” dreams. For many years, Abraham waited for a son. Isaac was
(Luke 2:10) for all the people,
according to the host of given to him after many years of patiently waiting, so it was
angels who declared this to a big test when he was given this task of offering his only
the shepherds in the field. son to GOD. Anything that you love more than you love God
The LORD has provided a becomes an idol. Do not just think of statues made of stone
great Gift for all of us. Our and wood when we talk about idolatry. The Bible warns us in
greatest problem is sin
(Romans 3:23); our self-will Ezekiel 14:3 and 6 that idols can be formed in our hearts and
going against the will of God, God describes them as stumbling blocks and iniquities. The
making us like sheep who idols of the heart are invisible to many people, but God sees.
have gone astray (Isaiah These idols are not always bad things. They can be good things
53:6). We have a great need that take the place of God. Remember, however, that there
for forgiveness! The good
news is that CHRISTmas is should be nothing in this world that takes the place of God.
God’s greatest provision of Ask yourself “what do I really love most?”. What makes you
a SAVIOR to our greatest really happy when you possess it and angry when you lose it?
problem. Do you love anything or anyone else more than GOD?
We shall learn from our pas-
sage today how GOD IS OUR
PROVIDER (YAHWEH YIREH).
The word “God provides” is
mentioned in Genesis 22
BE ROOTED, KNOW GOD BY HIS NAMES: YAHWEH YIREH
D ecemb er 20, 20 20

WORD WEEKLY
2. THE TEST OF OBEDIENCE
In the next verse (v.3), Abraham’s obedience is tested. Abraham
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
((Leaders: Please choose questions that PRAYER POINTS
are appropriate to the level of spiritual
got up early in the morning and followed God immediately. maturity of your members)
I. Thanksgiving
Delayed obedience is disobedience. John 14:15 reminds us that Worship God for who He is, what
our obedience to God shows if we truly love Him. Obedience 1. Self-Check. He has done, and what He will do
brings blessings! It is not always easy; but we can trust and Do you have “Isaacs” in in our lives
obey Him knowing it is God who provides. Seeking Him first is your life today? What would
this (or these) things be for II. Country and the World
something that we will never regret doing. Are you willing to obey Upright and moral governance of
you that steals God’s prime
God even when you don’t feel like doing it? Learn to trust that He spot and priority in your Public Servants
knows best. He desires for us to obey Him every step of the way. life? An “Isaac” can be A God-centered Philippines
anything or anyone that Repentance and Salvation
3. THE TEST OF FAITH God is telling you to offer
Abraham was tested in FAITH as well. We see his faith in to Him. III. Church
That CCF Members would honor
vv. 4-6. He saw the place and told his servants, “I and the boy and love God and make disciples
2. Setting It Right
will go over there, and worship and WE WILL return to you.” Elders, Pastors, Leaders, and
Based on the passage that Families
He declared a statement of faith even if he knew he was to offer we have studied, what do Ministries and Churches
his son. Sometimes, you cannot reconcile circumstances and you think is God asking worldwide
reasoning. Faith means you learn to wait on the Lord and keep you to do regarding your
doing what He wants you to do. That was difficult for Abraham, “Isaac”? IV. CCF Facilities
yet he followed. Faith is something that grows, and God can Worship and Training Center
develop our faith. Abraham’s progressive journey of faith is seen 3. Living It Out Prayer Mountain
in all the trials and tasks he faced. Hebrews 11:8 tells how his faith This Christmas, how can
in the Lord got deeper and discovered that blessing does not you be a blessing to others V. Personal Concerns
through the good news of Deeper intimate relationship
come from the promised inheritance, but from God alone. His with God
the Gospel of Christ?
faith was built over many years and when he was tested again Righteous living
(Hebrews 11:17-19), he held on to God’s promise that through Salvation of family and friends
Isaac all the nations will be blessed. Abraham did not have an
idea what God will do and how He will do it. Yet he was ready
to sacrifice Isaac because he knew God is faithful and nothing WORKS
is impossible with God (as Isaac was, himself, a miracle baby)
Abraham obeyed God fully. At just the nick of time, Abraham PRAY CARE SHARE
halted the sacrifice when God provided for him a ram as a IN ACTION
sacrifice in Isaac’s place, as Abraham claimed earlier in
Pray that people will know
Genesis 22:8. That is why in Genesis 22:14 Abraham called that
and trust Jesus Christ as
place YAHWEH YIREH—the LORD will provide. Years later, on
their Savior, God’s greatest
that same mountain, Solomon built God’s temple in Jerusalem
provision to our greatest
(2 Chronicles 3:1). Sacrifices were made in the temple, and it
need. Take the time to
was a picture (type) of what was coming-- 2,000 years ago,
share this message to
God offered His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
someone this Christmas!
In the case of Jesus, there was no ram for a substitute:
JESUS WAS THE SUBSTITUTE. He willingly offered His life as
a sacrifice.

Christmas is the story of YAHWEH YIREH—God’s provision for