The Lamb God Provides - The One Year Book of Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament

The Lamb God Provides

“Father?” Isaac said to Abraham as they walked up the mountain together.

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

Then Isaac asked the question that must have pierced Abraham deep inside: “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

“God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered (Genesis 22:7-8).

Abraham was so confident in God’s promise to him that he believed God would provide what was needed. And sure enough, God did provide: “Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means ‘the LORD will provide’). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided’” (Genesis 22:13-14).

There is an obvious progression in the Old Testament in terms of God’s provision of a sacrifice for sin. First God provided one lamb for one person—Abraham offered a ram in place of his son Isaac. Next God provided one lamb for one household. This happened at the first Passover, when every family in the covenant community offered its own lamb to God. Then God provided one sacrifice for the whole nation. On the Day of Atonement, a single animal atoned for the sins of all Israel.

But all these lambs were just preparing us for the coming of Christ. They were signs pointing to salvation in Christ’s sacrifice. Finally the day came when John the Baptist “saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29). This was God’s plan for provision all along: one Lamb to die for one world. By his grace God has provided a lamb—“the Lamb who was slaughtered” (Revelation 13:8).

My Provider, you always give to me what you demand from me. Again and again I see that your demands are not burdensome but that in Christ you provide for me everything you require of me.