In the life of Abraham, we can see how God invites us into the wonder of his promises. Yesterday, we focused on how God gave Abraham something to look at (nabat) to engage his faith. Stars filling up the night sky became a visual of Abraham’s promised offspring.
Today, I want to fast forward a few years and see how this display of promise has affected Abraham’s journey of faith. As we do, we are going to encounter a second Hebrew verb for wonder, ra’a. The first-hand meaning of ra’a is “to look at, to see.” But it has a little more depth. It can also mean “to see to it or provide.” Ra’a is the same word used in the title for God—Jehovah Ra’a, which literally means “the God who sees to it” or, more often, “the God who provides.”
Hopefully, in that very brief explanation, you can see (punny) the connection between wonder, seeing, and seeing to it. God doesn’t just see, he sees to it. Because he sees our need, he gives us provision. Let me emphasize that again. Pro-VISION. Pro-seeing. Pretty great, right?
In Genesis 22, we see a story filled with all kinds of wonder—dialogue, looking, and seeing.
Abraham and God are having another conversation. By this time, Isaac, Abraham’s promised heir, had been born and is old enough to hike mountains and reason. God says to Abraham, “…take your only son, whom you love, and offer him to me on the mountain I show you.” Abraham begins the journey the next morning. Along the way, there is a dialogue between Abraham and Isaac that is reminiscent of the way God and Abraham discussed things.
Isaac says to Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac asks, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the offering?” Abraham responds, “God will see to (ra’a) the lamb, my son.” So they went both of them together. Genesis 22:7-8
On the mountain, Abraham builds the altar, and binds Isaac and lays him on top of the wood. With the knife in Abraham’s hand, God intervenes, finally. “Abraham, Abraham! Don’t lay a hand on the boy.” Verse 13 says, “Abraham lifted his eyes and looked (ra’a) to find a ram caught in the thicket.” Provision.
They offer the ram as the offering that day, and Abraham calls the mountain “the Lord will see (ra’a)” Also translated “the Lord will provide.”
There’s a lot of seeing—wonder—going on in this story. I’ll try to recap. God invites us into his promises by giving us something to look at (nabat). It is in the seeing where we encounter a who God sees (ra’a). It is in relationship with God where we discover that he not only sees, but he sees to it.
God doesn’t speak a promise without backing it up with his provision.
Jesus, I want to be as convinced as Abraham about you. You are complete, God. Thank for you inviting me into the promise and the provision. You are the God who sees and sees to it. Walking and talking with you is the best part of life.
Brave Sparrow 