Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. Genesis 22:8   I love following bread crumb trails in Scripture. Types, foreshadowing, fulfilled prophecy, double meaning – in searching them down, I feel like a treasure hunter.   , I still remember the first time I understood the double meaning of Abraham’s declaration, “God will provide for Himself the lamb.” It stopped me in my tracks. That was my first glimpse of the genius of God. Abraham had no idea that one day, the Lamb of God would take away the sin of the world. For…

Yahweh Yireh. For a child of the ’80s, it’s Jehovah Jireh – a worship song by Don Moen. But y’all, the name is so much more than an uplifting, encouraging, up-tempo tune to start your worship set and get the congregation out of the doldrums. Just what did Yahweh provide for Abraham? We’ve talked about His promise that Abraham would have  a child from whom would come kings and nations and an Everlasting Kingdom. At long last, Abraham had his heir, Isaac. No pressure, Isaac! And yet, in Genesis 22, God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love,…

In Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks, Ann Spangler points out a verse I haven’t taken much notice of before. At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “Elohim is with you in everything you do.” – Genesis 21:22, Names of God Version Abraham’s life was a testimony to God’s faithfulness. I want to live my life like I’m a sign spinner proclaiming the faithfulness of El Olam. I want to encourage those around me to partake of the goodness of God like I’m  a bus going along its route, encouraging people to eat Oreos. It’s a silly analogy, but it’s a reminder…

Forever. Eternal. Without beginning or end. Do those ideas bring you peace, or do they fill you with dread? Maybe a little bit of both? ETERNITY The word carries a certain gravity, doesn’t it? Like you have to say it with some reverb in the background. E-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y. You are an eternal being. The first use of “olam” comes in Genesis 3:22. It’s terrifying. Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever (olam).” When man sinned, he became the walking…

What’s in a name? In Genesis 17, God reiterates and expounds on promises he gave Abram 24 years before. Then He changes Abram’s name. My promise is still with you. You will become the father of many nations. So your name will no longer be Abram [Exalted Father], but Abraham [Father of Many] because I have made you a father of many nations. I will give you many descendants. Many nations and kings will come from you. I will make my promise to you and your descendants for generations to come as an everlasting promise. I will be your Elohim and the God of your descendants. Genesis 17: 4-7, Names of God…