After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him,“So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. –Genesis 15:1-6
The second half of Genesis 12 as well as chapters 13 and 14 convey to us the major events of Abram’s life following the initial promises that the Lord had made to him. Because of a famine, he and all those with him sojourned in Egypt for a period of time. When they returned, he and his nephew Lot parted ways due to conflicts between their herdsmen. Lot settled in the Jordan River Valley but was soon taken as a captive in a civil war that broke out between the ruler of Sodom, the place where he had been dwelling, and several other regional rulers. Upon hearing of these events, Abram went with forth with a force of his men and rescued Lot. We are informed in Gen. 15:1 that the events of chapter 15 occurred “after these things.”
Having risked his own life in a conflict between rival political rulers within the land God had promised him, it seems that Abram at this time began to have doubts regarding the promises that God had made to him. In this moment of concern and anxiety the Word of the Lord came to him.
While Abram did not lack faith, but he seems to have lacked assurance. The Lord first addressed his concern regarding his heir, promising him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abram’s response to this magnificent vision was to ‘believe God’ which we are then told was credited to him as righteousness. The Lord then addressed his concerns regarding the land. Out of love and care for Abram, the Lord bound Himself to keep His promises by entering into a covenant with Abram. The form of this covenant is similar to Hittite suzerain/vassal treaties made between a lord and the one who would serve him. The difference here is that the Lord makes Himself fully responsible for the keeping of the covenant.
This amazing account shows us that God does not abandon His people to doubt. It is the Word of the Lord that encourages the hearts of those who lack assurance. When we are made aware of God’s great promises to us through the Word of the Lord it is only then that we can truly trust in Him and find rest for our souls.
Join us this Testimony Sunday as we gather around the Word of the Lord and consider the testimony of Abram. We will also hear from Brad Ford about what the Lord has been doing in his life recently. See you all Sunday morning at 9:15 for coffee and fellowship and then at 10:00 for our gathered worship service!
Soli Deo Gloria.
-Thomas