3 Powerful Ram in the Bush Meanings from the Bible

The Bible is full of meaningful stories. Classic stories are full of spiritual significance, but sometimes the message of those stories needs to be clarified. If you have ever heard of the story of Abraham and Isaac but were confused by the significance of it, you’ve come to the right place. In this article we will unpack the significance of the ram in the bush from that story. 

In Abraham’s story, God promised him a son. Abraham eventually had a son, then God called Abraham to sacrifice his son. He was obedient and went to sacrifice his son, but before he could do it, God provided a ram in the bush as a sacrifice instead. The ram in the bush shows God’s provision, power, and plan for all humanity as it demonstrates his loving character. 

The Story of Abraham 

Background to the Story of Abraham and Isaac

In the Bible, Abraham is considered one of the “fathers of the faith,” but what gave him that title? Abraham was a man who walked closely with the Lord and his story lived on through the Bible. 

In the Old Testament, Abraham was one of the only people deeply connected with God. Everyone in his age worshipped pagan, false gods. Unfortunately, Abraham and his wife became too old to have children, and they were childless. 

In Abraham’s time, children were seen as the most important thing in life. Carrying on the bloodline was a meaningful thing. God spoke to Abraham and told him that He would have a son and that his family would inherit a great land. He promised that Abraham’s family would become a great nation.

Abraham started to travel towards the land that God promised him, and he believed that God would fulfill His promise. Eventually, Abraham’s wife got pregnant, and they had a son.  

The Story of the Ram in the Bush 

Well, after Abraham and his wife had their son, they named him Isaac. In Genesis chapter 22, God appeared to Abraham in the book of Genesis to tell him to go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice his son. 

Abraham trusted God, so he went to Mount Moriah with Isaac. The son of promise was to be sacrificed to God. Abraham prepared Isaac to be sacrifice by tying him up. 

On the verge of sacraficing Isaac, Abraham lifted his knife. The angle of the Lord stopped Abraham and explained that God was testing his faith. God wanted to see if Abraham truly feared the Lord. Because Abraham didn’t even withhold his only son, God knew Abraham could be trusted. 

After Abraham’s conversation with the angel of the Lord, he found a ram in a bush and sacrifice it in place of his son. Stead of his son, the ram was sacrificed. 

Abraham declared the place the mountain of God and said that God is a provider. He declared it the mount of the Lord, because that is where the Lord appeared to him. 

The Significance of the Ram in the Bush

So that is the story of the Ram in the bush, but what does it mean. We clearly see a few major themes in this passage. Theme about the importance of obedience, but more than that I believe this passage reveals some key truth about the character of God. 

The ram in the bush reveals God’s character, power, and plan for all humanity. 

The Ram in the Bush as a Symbol of God’s Provision 

The first and clearest thing that the ram in the bush means is that God is a provider. God takes care of and provides for the needs of his people. 

Have you ever had someone provide for you? Maybe your parents bought you food when you were hungry. Maybe you needed some money and a friend gave you some. It probably felt good to be provided with those things. 

In the same way, God is a provider. Although He might not always rain money when we need it, God has a specific way of providing for people who love and follow him. Abraham’s story is a depiction of that. The ram was a replacement provision for what Abraham was supposed to provide. 

After these events, Abraham coined the place, Jehova Jireh. Jehovah Jireh means God is my provider. For Abraham, God provided a son, and a ram to take his sacrificial place. The name of that place has become famous for its truth. Jireh reminds us that God is a provider. 

From a different perspective, it was common in Abraham’s time for pagan cultures to sacrifice children to their gods. Human sacrifice was a common practice. 

By providing a substitute for Isaac, God differentiated himself from the other gods. He was communicating that he is the giver of life and not the taker. Furthermore, through his provision, He is demonstrating that he is a loving God. 

Many pagan gods were selfish and unloving, like people. God is declaring that he is a provider and a lover. That makes him better than all the other gods.

The Ram in the Bush as a Symbol of the Power of God

The second thing that the ram in the bush symbolizes is the power of God. The things God controls are endless. Not even a ram can defy his calling. 

God is the creator of the universe. We see at the beginning of Genesis that God was the author of all creation, and we see His authority over nature once again in this story. 

That ram was placed by God to be an alternate sacrifice for Abraham. When Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac, he was trusting God. So much so, that he did not bring an alternate for himself, but instead, God provided the alternate for Abraham. 

God placed that ram to be a provision, but also to be a symbol of God’s power over all things. Nature yields to the will of God. We see this theme throughout scripture. The stories of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, Pharoah’s heart being hardened, and Jesus’ resurrection are all examples of God’s authority over nature in scripture. 

Abraham was faced with an impossible situation. God told him to sacrifice his son. However, because God is ultimately powerful, he was able to provide an alternative. 

Some people question God’s power, because of the tests that He puts people through. God’s tests are not out of harshness, but they are used to develop us. Romans 8:28 says, “28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

It is clear that even God’s tests are powerful tools that he uses to prepare us for life ahead. 

The Ram in the Bush as a Foreshadowing of God’s Plan

The final thing that the ram in the bush demonstrates is a foreshadowing of God’s plan for humanity. In the story, the ram foreshadows that God will provide Jesus as the alternate sacrifice for our sins. 

In John 1:29, Jesus was referred to as the lamb of God. It says, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Christ Jesus is God’s own son, who He did sacrifice for us. 

Some people question why God would test Abraham in such a difficult way. However, it is clear that God was actually willing to sacrifice the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In Abraham’s story, this test confirmed God’s covenant with Abraham. It ensured that God’s promise would be fulfilled. The life of Christ Jesus created a new promise; the promise of eternal life for those who believe in him. 

Just like the ram in the bush, people placed a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. They sacrifice Him to God as a sin offering so that we can be free from the penalty of our sins. 

All things in the Old Testament point to God’s ultimate plan for saving people. The ram in the bush is another example of that. 

Conclusion

The ram in the bush is a spiritually dense story. It demonstrates God’s power over nature, his providing nature, and his ultimate strategy for restoring humanity through Jesus Christ.