A New Name Part IV

Genesis 17:20-22:

As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful andmultiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

A Promise for Ishmael  (17:20-21)

While the spiritual blessings must come through Isaac, God will not overlook the love of Abraham for his son nor of His own promise to Hagar (cf. 16:10ff.). Ishmael would become a great nation, and of him would come 12 princes, but the spiritual blessings could only come through Isaac. The doctrine of divine election is to be seen in this promise.

Abraham’s Obedience (17:22-27)

Verses 22-27 stress the important role of obedience in our Christian lives. It is precious to God. Because of this, He recorded the circumcision of Abraham, Ishmael, and all of Abraham’s household. The response of faith to divine commands is always obedience.

While there was a time lapse of 13 years from the birth of Ishmael to this appearance of God, there was only about three months from the circumcision of Abraham to the birth of Isaac.

Conclusion

There is little in this passage which is new to anyone who has read their Bible. Let us not forget, however, that a good deal of what was said was new to Abraham.

New revelation was simply clarification of the promise of Genesis 12:1-3. It suddenly occurred to me in my study of this passage that all of Abraham’s life was primarily focused upon the promise of Genesis 12:1-3. It took him a lifetime to begin to grasp the promise which initially took only three verses to record. The pinnacle of Abraham’s growth in faith is seen in his willingness to sacrifice his son (chapter 22). This act was the ultimate test of Abraham’s faith in God’s promise to bless him through his descendants.

If it took Abraham a lifetime to grasp three verses of Scripture, how long will it take us to fathom the depth of the riches of His grace (cf. Romans 11:33-36)?

This passage helps me come to grips with the desire to learn ‘new’ truths for my own life and for my preaching. God is not so interested in us knowing new truth as He is in us grasping the few great truths of His word. How easy it is to think that we have learned some truth, only to pass on to another. In Abraham’s life, God revealed a truth, then continued to return to it, testing him, and then revealing more of that truth than he had known before. Which one of us can say that we have come to fathom the doctrine of the grace of God or of the atonement? Who would be willing to claim that he had seen all of its implications? I believe that, like Abraham, we can expect God to be at work in our lives, expanding and expounding upon the few great and central truths of Christianity.

The more I study the life of Abraham, the more I see that his was a relationship of growth. He came to learn more and more about the God Who called him. He came to a deeper and deeper understanding of the meaning of God’s Word. As he did so, he invariably drew nearer and nearer to God. There was not only a growth in Abraham’s knowledge, but in his intimacy. At first, God only spoke to Abraham (12:1). Twenty-four years later He revealed Himself to Abraham and spoke with him. Abraham, for the first time, communed with God and interacted with Him. Later, he would be called the friend of God.

You and I cannot have a static relationship with God. Not if we are truly born again. God will not allow this to happen. He may allow us to fail such as Abraham often did. He may leave us to ourselves for a time, as Abram found God silent for 13 years. But sooner or later God will break into our lethargic lives and draw us closer to Himself. That is what the Christian life is all about.

Applying the Scriptures:

How does God assure us today? How does that assurance help us follow God's plans?

A New Name Part III

A New Name Part III

Genesis 17:15-18

Genesis 17:15-18:

And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”

As we have seen, God was establishing His covenant with Abraham. Abraham's new name foretold a bright future with many offspring. In addition to getting a new name, the Lord promised Abraham that his descendants would inhabit the land of Canaan as an eternal possession. Moreover, God sought to mark His people in a physical way. The major external sign of the covenant would be circumcision of males. In Genesis 17:9-14, God reminded Abraham that he and his descendants were to keep His covenant. Circumcision was one such way to keep the covenant.

Just as Abram's name was changed to Abraham to reflect his new reality and future, so also Sarai's name would be changed in anticipation of her new and coming reality in verse 15. The Lord commanded Abraham not to call his wife Sarai any longer. Instead her name would be Sarah. The name Sarah means “princess” or “noble lady.” People knew Sarai as the old woman with no children; Sarah would be her new name and bring with it the new reality of the building covenant community.

As God had promised to bless Abraham, he also promised to bless Sarah in verse 16. The result of God's blessing would be a son for Abraham by her. Through the promised son, Abraham's faith legacy would be passed on through the generations.

The feminine singular pronouns her and she are important in this verse, calling attention to what God was going to do specifically through Sarai. Twice in this verse, the Lord declared, “I will bless her.” So what happens to a childless woman, unable to conceive, who is empowered by the Lord? The Lord answered the question for Abraham: “I will give you a son by her.” The emphasis in the phrase by her was on showing that God's empowerment would bring life out of a presently dead womb.

The bold promise that “she will produce nations” stood in stark contrast to the previous description of Abraham's wife in Genesis 11:30. Moreover, not just nations but “kings of peoples will come from her.” Just as God's blessing made fruit trees bear fruit, so also would His blessing result in Abraham fathering a son by Sarah.

Just as he had done earlier when God had appeared to him (17:3), Abraham fell face down. Yet this show of reverence-if that is what it was-was accompanied by a laugh of skepticism. Abraham knew his circumstance; he would soon be 100 years old, and Sarah would soon be 90. God's renewed promise accompanied by a change of name for his wife seemed to overwhelm Abraham and rattle his frail faith.

The simple revelation that he laughed is loaded with irony and foreshadowing. In Hebrew, the verb for laughed (yitzhaq) is the basis of the very name Abraham would give to his son by Sarah, the name rendered into English as “Isaac” (Gen. 21:3). Clearly, Abraham's laugh revealed the skepticism with which he received the news that he and Sarah would have a son.

Abraham asked two questions to himself-literally, “in his heart.” Did Abraham think God did not know his heart? His first question (Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man?) betrayed Abraham's lack of confidence that he could father a child at his advanced age. His second question (Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?) bespoke his doubts that his barren wife could produce a son. It would seem Abraham had grown weary of unfulfilled promises of offspring.

So in verse 18 Abraham decided to introduce God to a plan for a substitute heir. The statement, “Abraham said to God,” stands in sharp contrast to the previous verse in which Abraham “said to himself.” Like Abraham, we need to remember God is a discerner of the thoughts and intent of the heart. He can hear the words we offer Him in prayer and the ones we speak to ourselves.

Abraham's statement, “If only Ishmael were acceptable to you,” (“might live before thee,” KJV; “might live under your blessing,” NIV) conveys a strong desire, yet one that has not much chance of happening. Abraham was being very specific in this context. He did not desire that Ishmael merely live but that Ishmael should be considered as the substitute in God's plan. Thus Ishmael became an example of the folly of human effort to shortcut God's plan. Abraham offered an alternative, but did God really need a way out? As we shall see in 17:21, God's words nixed any possibility that Ishmael would be a substitute for God's plan.

Applying the Scriptures:

Why do we try to offer alternatives to God's plans? What are some dangers that come with following our own plans instead of His? 

A New Name Part II

A New Name Part II

Genesis 17:1-8

Genesis 17:1-8:

When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram,but your name shall be Abraham, or I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

Yesterday we looked at the emphasis on God affirming His covenant with Abram. Today, we will pick up and examine verses three thru eight.

In verse 3 we see the reaction to the Lord appearing to Abram. He “fell facedown.” Impressed by this appearance of God, he exhibited the actions of respect toward a superior. Abram's respect garnered additional words from God, who spoke with him.

In verse 4, the Lord's initial phrase, “As for Me,” also could be rendered “behold” (ESV), calling for heightened attention to what immediately followed. The Lord then affirmed the covenant between Him and Abram. Though the content is similar to previously stated promises, the language is more pointed. For the first time, God explicitly stated Abram would “become the father of many nations.” The emphasis was as much on Abram's becoming a father presently as it was on the multitude of his offspring in the distant future.

The name Abram meant “exalted father”; as the head of his household and servants, Abram filled that role. However, Abram's name was no longer adequate for the increased role and reputation he would soon experience. Thus, in verse 5 God declared, “Your name will no longer be Abram.” His new name, Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude,” reflected the new reality of his approaching status as the father of the promised son and subsequently of a multitude of offspring. Though Isaac would not be born for another year, his birth would mark the beginning of God's fulfillment of making Abraham into a great nation. At last, God's blessings of wealth, livestock, and land would be crowned with the addition of descendants.

Care should be given not to overlook the important words, “I will make you.” Everything and anything Abraham would experience, acquire, gain, or possess was first and foremost a reminder that God was the one bringing about Abraham's success. For only the second time, the wording “the father of many nations,” was used. Centuries later, the apostle Paul referred to this wording to emphasize God's ability to give life to the dead and to call into existence things that did not exist (Rom. 4:17-18).

As Abraham no doubt became increasingly more dejected over not having a son, so also God intensified His promises in verse 6. The phrase “extremely fruitful” renders a Hebrew construction that utilized a repeated particle of abundance. To capture the literal sense, we could translate the statement, “I will make you abundantly, abundantly fruitful.”

The Lord wanted to dispel all doubts from Abraham's mind regarding the great scope and magnitude of His promises and His covenant. Abram the aged and aging individual would be transformed into the father of “nations and kings.” In the last half of this verse in Hebrew, the phrase “nations and kings” precedes the verb “come” for emphasis. The small prepositional phrase “from you” ties together God's powerful promise and Abraham's frail frame.

Using language reminiscent of His covenant with Noah, the Lord vowed to keep His covenant with Abraham. The Hebrew word rendered “keep” literally means “to cause to stand” and appeared first in the context of God's covenant with Noah (Gen. 6:18). Again God is identified as the chief source of action. The covenant was first and foremost His doing. Described three times in this chapter as an everlasting covenant (17:7, 13, 19), the agreement God was making with Abraham was a reflection of God's own might and integrity.

Moreover, God affirmed His covenant not only to Abraham but also to his future offspring throughout their generations. Isaac would become the first recipient of the second generation to enjoy covenant promises (26:3), but God's assurances extended far beyond Isaac as well. God expressed an ongoing, unending relationship with Abraham and his descendants after him. That relationship would be characterized by words such as “your God” and “the God of your offspring.”

Once again the Lord returned to the covenant promise of land in verse 8. Abraham's multitude of descendants would need a place to live, to thrive, and to serve the Lord. God chose the land where Abram was then residing, “all the land of Canaan.” Generally speaking, Canaan was bordered on the west by the Mediterranean Sea and on the east by the Jordan River, along with some additional territory east of the Jordan River for two and half tribes. To the south, Canaan was defined by the Negev, the great southern desert, and to the north by the mountains of Lebanon.

Most notable in the covenant promise was the Lord's pledge the land would be “an eternal possession.” Students of history can point to eras when Abraham's descendants did not inhabit the Promised Land: the 400 year sojourn in Egypt., the time of Babylonian exile, and the long period following the Roman expulsion in the second century A.D. until the Jews' declaration of statehood on May 14, 1948. Even when dwelling in the land, the people of Israel have been subjected to domination and oppression at the hands of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Some scholars believe the church extended the land aspect of the covenant to encompass the entire earth, thus interpreting it as the attainment of eternal life. At any rate, the land continues to be a debated aspect of the Abrahamic covenant.

Applying the Scripture:

In what ways are future generations blessed by our faith? How do our choices make a difference in the lives of those who follow?

A New Name

A New Name

Genesis 17:1-8, 15-22

Genesis 17:1-8:

When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham,for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

Getting a new name often brings excitement. Many a bride cherishes taking her new husband's last name as they begin the journey of life together. More new names arise as babies are born into the family. With newborn babies come new realities. Sometimes the particular name given to a newborn child creates excitement or even controversy.

For example, a recent news story told of new mother who chose to give her newborn son the first name Messiah. Later, during a paternity hearing at which the boy's father asked that the child carry his last name, the magistrate ordered the mother to change her son's first name. The judge ruled that Messiah was a title, not a name. Still later, an appeals court judge overturned the first ruling, allowing the mother to give her son the first name Messiah and granting the father's wish of giving the boy his last name. Only time will tell what new realities await the young child as he grows up.

This week we will examine one of the first occasions in Scripture when a name change signaled a new reality. God would change Abram's name to Abraham, but He would also change the aging and childless father into a great nation. With the name change came a great change in status.

I. Understanding the Context

Two tensions developed and intensified in Abram's life. On the one hand, he knew the Lord was trustworthy and would provide him an heir. On the other hand, his aging body and that of Sarai his wife served as daily reminders that bearing a child was becoming more improbable each year. Genesis 16:1 is important for understanding the impact of these tensions on Abram and Sarai. We are told Sarai had not borne any children for him. Had Abram blamed her? Maybe. Perhaps she blamed herself. In any case, we are introduced to her Egyptian handmaid, Hagar. Sarai proposed that Abram have children by her. The subsequent conception resulted in difficult relations not only between Sarai and Hagar (Gen. 16:4, 6b-9) but also between Sarai and Abram (16:5-6a). Meanwhile, Hagar received God's promise of a son and offspring in terms reminiscent of the promise to Abram (16:10).

Two passages in this section of Genesis (16:1-18:15) deal with circumcision. In 17:9-14, the Lord prescribed circumcision for all males of the covenant community. Newborn males were to be circumcised on their eighth day of life (Gen. 17:12; see Luke 2:21). Six times in these six verses (17:9-14) the covenant is mentioned; circumcision is mentioned five times. The second passage, 17:23-27, reveals Abraham's full obedience. He, his son Ishmael, and every male associated with his household were circumcised (17:26-27). Abraham was 99 and Ishmael was 13 (Gen. 17:24-25).

Three messengers came to Abram to declare to him that the long wait for an heir would be rewarded fully (Gen. 18:1-15). The three were emissaries of God. One of them was the Lord Himself (18:1). In the context of Abraham's hospitality (18:1-8), the Lord declared Abraham and Sarah would have a son in about a year's time (18:10). Sarah's skepticism and derisive laugh (18:12) invoked a rebuke from the Lord in the form of a rhetorical question. The Lord asked, “Is anything impossible for the LORD?” He then restated the promise of a son (18:13-14). Abraham, like Sarah, also had laughed (17:17), but the Lord in time would turn their derisive laughs into joyous laughter (21:6).

II. Explore the Text (Gen. 17:1-8)

In verse 1 the notice that Abram was 99 years old reminds us that 13 more years had passed since Ishmael's birth. We can infer that Abram's patience and faith were sorely tested. Thus, when the Lord appeared to him, Abram was no doubt in need of a fresh encounter.

The Lord gave five brief speeches to Abram in 17:1b-22. He began by declaring His name: “I am God Almighty,” or El Shaddai in Hebrew. God later declared this name to Jacob at Bethel, restating His promise of many descendants (Gen. 35:11). In turn Jacob told his son Joseph of the Bethel encounter and of El Shaddai. The name conveys power and authority.

God prescribed to Abram a plan based on His powerful name. “Live in My presence.” Staying close to God would enable Abram to benefit directly from His power. We would do well to remember this truth too. God's command utilized a verb meaning “to walk around.” As Abram went through life, he was to walk around in God's presence. We should too (3 John 1:4).

The second aspect of God's prescription, “be blameless,” was a command instructing Abram about how to stay in His presence. The term “blameless” occurs nearly one hundred times in the Old Testament. Noah (Gen. 6:9), David (2 Sam. 22:24), and Job (Job 9:21) are examples of people characterized as blameless. One wonders if God was telling Abram to be like Noah, since the term appears first in Scripture as a description of the ark-builder and not again until it occurs in the Lord's command to Abram (Gen. 17:1).

In verse 2 the Lord emphasized again His covenant with Abram. The phrase “My covenant” appears nine times in Genesis 17. A covenant was an agreement between two people or parties. In this case, God initiated and guaranteed the covenant so long as Abram and his descendants were compliant with His stipulations. God's covenant is everlasting, though any given individual or generation might forfeit the claims to covenant blessings because of misconduct. Any defect is in human conduct, not in God or His covenant.

The personal nature of the covenant is seen in God's statement, “I will establish my covenant between Me and you.” What eventually would become a long history between the Lord and His people started as an agreement between Him and Abram. The result of this agreement was the promise God would greatly multiply Abram's descendants. The timing and specificity of this statement might indicate that Abram's advancing years were once again gnawing away at his belief he would father a child by Sarai.

Applying the Scripture:

What connection is there between our fellowship with God and our obedience to Him? How does one affect the other? 

God's Plan

God's Plan

Genesis 15:7, 13-16

Genesis 15:7, 13-16 (ESV):

And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”... 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace;you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

God is sovereign. Abram entrusted his future to the Lord's sovereign plan to provide him offspring. Once Abram was relieved from worrying about offspring, God renewed His promise regarding the land Abraham's descendants would one day call home. The phrase “this land” is emphatic in Hebrew (repeated in 15:8). The phrase referred to the geographical territory extending from “the brook of Egypt” to the most northwestern extent of Mesopotamia, marked by “the Euphrates River” (15:18).

In addition to its geographical boundaries, the Promised Land was identified by its inhabitants at the time, ten people groups in all (15:19-21). The conquest and possession of the land by God's people would have to wait for over 400 years and the leadership of Joshua. At every point along the way, God expected His people, as the offspring of Abram, to believe His Word and to follow Him by faith.

In response to Abram's query about assurance that he would possess the land, the Lord led him to offer a sacrifice (15:8-12). Abram obeyed the Lord, preparing the sacrifice as God instructed. Then Abram fell asleep as nightfall came and was soon overtaken by “great terror and darkness” (15:21b).

In verse 13, we see that God's assurance to Abram did not begin in a comforting way. Rather, the Lord guaranteed Abram his offspring would become sojourners in a land that did not belong to them. The term “foreigners” is best understood in terms of “resident” or “legal” alien in today's terminology. This came to pass when Abram's grandson Jacob and his family sought sustenance in Egypt through Joseph (Gen. 46:1-34). Initially welcomed in Egypt, the Hebrews' status changed when a new pharaoh came to power (Ex. 1:8).

Additionally, at some point during their sojourn in the foreign land, Abram's descendants would be enslaved and oppressed. The enslavement happened after Joseph's death (Ex. 1:6), and the oppression came in the form of becoming forced laborers (Ex. 1:11). Adding to the grim news was the Lord's guarantee the enslavement and oppression would last 400 years. Why tell Abram things that would not happen until well after his death? Today, we might answer, “God leveled with Abram.” Abram did not understand the dynamic whereby the ten people groups in the Promised Land would be displaced, allowing his descendants to inherit the land. The Lord helped him see the covenant enterprise was to be a long and complicated venture.

In verse 14 the Lord followed the difficult news of enslavement and oppression with some good news. He Himself would “judge the nations they serve,” a clear reference to Egypt and the events described in Exodus 1-15. The judgment would come in the form of ten plagues (see. Ex. 7-12). The promise that Abram's descendants would “go out with many possessions” was later confirmed in Exodus 12:35-36.

Abram could believe and accept the news of enslavement and oppression as God's plan because the Lord was showing him His sovereign control over the course of human history. We too can trust God, knowing He has a sovereign plan even when we do not understand all of its particulars.

God's sovereign plan in verse 15 included blessing Abram with a long life filled with peace. The statement, “you will go to your fathers in peace” was a positive affirmation of a fulfilling life for Abram. The term peace (Hebrew, shalom) carries the ideas of wholeness, prosperity, success, well-being, and health.

Additionally, the phrase, “go to your fathers” served as an idiom for death. That is, God's sovereign plan began with Abram, but it would continue long past the patriarch's death. The phrase, “and be buried” confirmed Abram's eventual death. Though Abram was approximately 85 years old already, he had lived less than half of his full lifespan. God's promise that Abram would be buried “at a ripe old age” would not find fulfillment for another 90 years (Gen. 25:7-8).

Finally, in verse 16, having guaranteed Abram a long and peaceful life, God continued to unfold His sovereign plan. His people would return to the land “in the fourth generation.” The Old Testament concept of a generation could fluctuate in terms of its duration. In this context, each generation signified about 100 years. The promise “they will return here” referred specifically to the Promised Land.

The reason Abram could not take immediate possession of the land was because “the iniquity of the Amorites” had not yet reached its full measure.” The term Amorites served as a general term for all the inhabitants of the land. Centuries later, the Sovereign Lord would use Joshua and the Israelites to judge the iniquity of the Amorites when, and only when, He determined their waywardness was beyond the point of no return.

Righteous Abram had to content himself with meeting his sons and grandsons and with living a long life in peace. Full possession of the land by his descendants would come more than three centuries after the faithful patriarch had gone to his fathers.

Applying the Scriptures:

God showed Abram the broad contours of His sovereign plan. How would you say God has revealed His sovereign plan to you? As you wait for God's promises in your life, how would you categorize your Christian pilgrimage: faithful follower, doubtful disciple, worthless witness, or a combination of these?

Waiting on God's Promise Part II

Waiting on God's Promise Part II

Genesis 15:4-5 (ESV):

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.” 5 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.”

I. God's Promise (Gen. 15:4-5).

God addressed Abram's doubts directly. Once again a Hebrew particle, here rendered now (“behold,” KJV, ESV), was used to call special attention to what follows-in this case, the content of God's statement. The word of the Lord came to Abram, but we are not told how. Perhaps it came as an extension of Abram's vision (15:1). This time, “the word of the Lord” included a negation and a restatement. First, God negated Abram's understanding of how things would unfold. Eliezer of Damascus would not be Abram's heir. The Hebrew word order strongly emphasizes God's negation.

The negation of viewing Eliezer as Abram's heir was followed by a strong restatement of God's promise. This promise adamantly affirmed one who comes from Abram's own body would be his heir. The word body refers to the inward parts of Abram's physical body, a tangible way of stating that Abram would father a child at his advanced age and in spite of Sarai's similar advanced age and inability to conceive.

The promise, “will be your heir,” is emphatic in Hebrew. The Lord sought to dispel all doubt from Abram's mind. He knew Abram was an old man and growing older, He knew also that Sarai had been unable to bear children. God also knew He had promised to make of Abram a great nation. Abram did not need to remind God of His promises or worry about how He would fulfill them. Abram needed to believe.

In verse five, God reinforced His promise to Abram by quantifying it in a meaningful way. He took him outside. The ability to see the stars suggests the vision of 15:1 occurred at night, and the distinction between this vision and a dream was not wholly distinguishable. God instructed Abram to look at the sky and count the stars. How appropriate for God to use the grandeur of His creation to underscore the magnitude of His promise to Abram! The added conditional clause, “if you are able to count them,” hints at God's sense of humor. At the same time, however, God was impressing upon Abram just how great a nation He had in mind.

Abram stood gazing into “the heavens,” a literal rendering of the term sky. The star-spangled heavens were evidence enough of God's majesty and power. But God was not seeking from Abram a general affirmation of His creative power. God was seeking a specific confirmation from Abram regarding His promise to give Abram offspring. So God explicitly declared to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.” Looking back from a 21^st century perspective, whether one thinks of the millions of Jewish people who have trodden the earth since Abraham's time or the billions of Christians, Abram's children by faith, God certainly has fulfilled His promise. Abram indeed became a great nation, just as God had told him.

II. Abram's Faith (Gen. 15:6).

V. 6, “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.”

Genesis 15:6 is just five words in the Hebrew text, but the scarcity of words amplifies the declaration it makes. Careful readers might notice some English Bible translations mention Abram by name here, while other translations render the statement according to the literal Hebrew text, “And he believed in the Lord.” The translations supplying Abram's name for clarity are following the Septuagint, the second-century B.C., Greek translation of the Old Testament.

The verb rendered believed is from a Hebrew term that is the basis of the English word amen. The basic thrust of the verb is to confirm something or to accept that it is reliable. When Abram saw those countless stars he confirmed in his heart what the Lord had promised about his countless offspring. All believers who are waiting on God's promises must be willing to say “amen” to them, accepting them as true even when they are yet unfulfilled.

How did God respond to Abram's confirmation? He credited it to him as righteousness (15:6b). The verb rendered credited carries the ideas of reckoning, accounting, or esteeming. Though Abram would live to be 175 years old and do many good things, he could not live long enough or do enough good to merit God's salvation. Yet one starry night Abram looked up at the heavens and decided to take God at His Word.

The term righteousness in this context refers to being in a right relationship with God. God's answer to how He would bring redeeming grace to lost humanity suddenly sharpened into focus. Salvation would come by faith in the word of God, a word the Lord offered by grace and not by anything Abram or anyone else had merited. Faith in God and His provision is the only path to righteousness.

The message of this verse reverberates through the pages of the New Testament. When Paul sought to convince the Romans that justification was by faith rather than by words, he referred to the event in Genesis 15:6 (Rom. 4:3). When Paul addressed the “foolish Galatians,” he spoke to them of being Abraham's sons if they believed as he did (Gal. 3:1-7). In James 2:21-26, James declared that righteousness resulted from believing God by faith. Faith, in turn, manifested itself in righteous works (James 2:23).

In summary, because Abram believed God, God declared him righteous. Righteousness is not earned but is Gods' gift to those who place their faith in God through Jesus Christ, “the source and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2).

Applying the Scriptures:

How would you compare what Abram did to what a person does when accepting Christ? Read Romans 4, Galatians 3:1-7, and James 2:21-26. Take note of the ways Paul and James used Genesis 15:6 in explaining salvation. 

Waiting for God's Promise

Genesis 15:1-7 (ESV):

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I amyour shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 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?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 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.” 5 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.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

“Do you pinky promise?” “Cross your heart and hope to die?” Perhaps you have heard children use thee phrases or something like them when they want to be sure a promise is taken seriously. Even at a young age we come to realize that not all promises are kept and some people are more faithful in keeping their promises than others. We know we are not perfect at keeping our own promises. We might wonder if anyone keeps their promises anymore.

We might even wonder if God keeps His promises. Genesis 15 deals with the promise God makes. God promised Abram earlier in Genesis 12:7, “I will give this land to your offspring.” In the intervening time, however, Abram and his wife, Sarai, still had no child. Perhaps Abram wondered if God was going to keep His Word. Perhaps he wondered if he could trust God completely. God calls us to trust Him with our lives and future. He asks us to trust Him because He is trustworthy. Even when we face trials or difficulties, we can trust God to keep His Word. He is a promise keeper, and He will keep His promises to us no matter how long it takes.

This passage, Genesis 15:7-21, is considered by many Bible scholars to be a type of covenant renewal ceremony. The main covenant promise in focus was the land (15:7, 18-21). Abram had believed God concerning his offspring (15:6). However, he sought assurance that “this land” would be his and his descendants' to possess (15:7-8).

Though the term “covenant” appears just once in this passage, the ceremony wherein the smoking fire pot and flaming torch passed through the divided animals was tied directly to the agreement God made with Abram to give him “this land” (15:17-21). As for the ceremony itself, the exact meaning is not explained, yet sacrifices did become a part of Israel's later religious expression. Moreover, the 400 years of sojourn and slavery in Egypt were foretold to Abram as a precursor to the exodus and enrichment of God's people. Abram himself would live a full and blessed life and die in the Promised Land (15:13-16).

I. Abram's Frustration (Gen. 15:1-3).

Perhaps the course of Abram's life journey thus far had unnerved him somewhat. In Egypt, he felt the need to protect himself by claiming Sarai was his sister instead of his wife (12:10-20). Though God worked the situation in Abram's favor, Abram later experienced the capture of Lot and his possessions by marauding kings (14:1-6). Did these events weaken Abram's trust in the Lord? God's treatment of Abram suggests these events did unsettle him. However, Abram was not in the covenant enterprise alone. When his faith needed reinforcement, the Lord appeared.

The phrase, “after these events” ties the vision of 15:1 to the events described in Genesis 12:10-14:24. The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. Giving visions was one way the Lord spoke to people. For example, He used visions to communicate with Abram, with Balaam (Num. 24:4, 16), and with Ezekiel (Ezek. 8:4). In this verse, the content of the vision was the “word of the Lord,” meaning a specific instruction for Abram for his particular situation. Through this vision, God spoke a message of comfort to Abram.

God's message was brief and clear: “Do not be afraid, Abram.” This terse command revealed both Abram's frailty and God's comfort toward His covenant partner. Though most English translations reflect the imperative tone (“Fear not,” KJV, ESV), the Hebrew grammar allows for a bit softer admonition, something like, “Stop being afraid, Abram.”

God gave the reason Abram should not fear with the statement, “I am your shield.” The word shield referred to a defensive piece of armor used to safeguard the bearer. In Ur and Haran, Abram had his relatives to be his shield, his security. In the Promised Land, far removed from his extended family, he had to rely on the Lord. The effect of God's statement was to remind Abram that the Lord was reliable.

The Lord also encouraged Abram by reiterating to him, “Your reward will be very great.” This promise was intended to refocus Abram on the covenant enterprise before Him. As promised, God would be with Abram, show him the land, protect him, and make him a great nation. After trouble in Egypt and a skirmish with foreign kings, Abram was shaken by not destroyed. The Lord stepped in to direct his attention away from the immediate, troubling circumstances and back to the covenant He was establishing with Abram.

The term reward referred commonly to payment for work done. During Abram's life, his work was to have faith in God. Jesus taught the same truth (John 6:29). Abram's reward would come in the form of God fulfilling His promises to the aging patriarch.

Abram's response to God's vision revealed his focus on the lack of a child. The transitional word but indicates the contrast between the brightness of God's promise and the bleakness of Abram's attitude at the time. Abram felt it necessary to point out to God, “I am childless.” The literal Hebrew would be something like, “I am going childless.” The lack of a son persistently plagued Abram's thought process. Already, Abram had waited about 10 years since God first promised him a son (Gen. 16:3).

Before stating “I am childless,” Abram asked, “Lord God, what can You give me?” Rather than hear this as a statement of skepticism regarding God's ability, it seems preferable to understand Abram's question as a confession of melancholy. Time was marching on, Abram had aged another 10 years, yet he had no son.

As Abram contemplated his dismal state, he sought alternative ways of understanding how God could fulfill His promise. Did God intend for Eliezar of Damascus, a foreign-born house servant, to be the channel of divine blessings? Was he to be Abram's heir? The term heir renders the literal Hebrew for the “son of acquisition.” Was Abram to pass on his growing wealth of cattle and sheep, of land and influence, to his servant from Damascus? Is that what God meant by promising to make of Abram a great nation (Gen. 12:2)?

In verse 3 Abram became more direct. The word look (“Behold,” KJV, ESV) brought heightened attention to what he wanted to say. You have given me no offspring. Abram might have been telling God, “It's fine for You to say, 'I will make you into a great nation' or 'I am your shield,' but what good are those assurances if I have no offspring?” His melancholy was deep.

Abram once again reminded God, “A slave born in my house will be my heir.” This final statement of the verse is introduced with a Hebrew particle similar to the one rendered look at the beginning of Abram's statement. To grasp the impact of this particle the word so (“lo,” KJV) could be rendered “and behold!” This particle was utilized to call special attention to Abram's claim regarding Eliezer. While baseless, his statement placed in sharp relief the difference between God's promise and Abram's perception of reality.

In summary, after receiving a vision from God, Abram expressed frustration over not having a son who could be his heir. Abram wondered if his servant was to be his heir.

Applying the Scriptures:

How does God's timing differ from ours? What challenges arise to our faith as a result? What benefits might there be to a delay in the fulfillment of God's promises? 

Abram Goes Part II

Genesis 12:7-9:

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.

Abram's entrance to the Promised Land is marked by the recognition that “the Canaanites were in the land.” This fact was certainly a reminder that God's plans would include some genuine adversity and possible conflict. But God reiterated His promise that this land would be given to Abram's offspring.

Abram's response to the promise of God was worship. This was an act of faith in God's promise for the future and an act of worship to God for His presence in Abram's life.

This altar was, of course, a physical structure. It was a tangible reminder that God had been with him to this point and that God was going to provide for his future. It was a visual reminder of the promises God had made concerning both children and land. But it was also a spiritual structure in the sense that it stood for the faith Abram placed in the God who had promised. It represented for Abram the greatness of the Lord who was leading him into the future.

In verses 8 & 9 Abram continued the pattern of worship that would mark his life. Abram left Shechem and traveled to the hill country east of Bethel. The name Bethel means “house of God”; the city was originally known as Luz (Gen. 28:19). Bethel lay approximately 20 miles south of Shechem but was located along the same central mountain range. The terrain is marked by rocky hills and deep ravines. The journey would have been arduous for Abram and his group.

The two actions-pitched his tent and built an altar-mark Abram as a man of faith. Each time his pitched his tent, Abram was pitching it in the land God promised to show him (Gen. 12:1b). His faith was demonstrated by His action. Second, the reason Abram built an altar was to express his continued trust in the Lord and to offer thanksgiving for His guidance and protection. This was not merely an altar where religious ritualism was performed. It was an altar where genuine worship of the Lord occurred. Though the Lord had not yet completed all the promised work in Abram's life, Abram was committed to worshiping God. Worship is an integral part of the life of faith. It is a reminder of the greatness of God, His worthiness of our praise, and the personal connection we have to Him.

Furthermore, Abram called on the name of Yahweh at Bethel. What a powerful expression of Abram's acceptance of God's covenant with him and his descendants. Abram, who had left his land, his relatives, and his father's house (12:1), was not worshiping Yahweh in the Promised Land. The name Yahweh first appeared in Genesis 4:26 as one of the names by which people referred to God. Abram experienced Yahweh in many powerful ways. However, not until the exodus event did the fuller meaning and character of the name Yahweh become known (Ex. 6:3).

The long journey of Abram's obedient faith continued as his contingent of people made their way to the inhospitable desert region south of Judah. But faith in the Lord had led him this far, and he continued to need faith for the adventures to come.

Apply the Scriptures:

 Consider writing a brief, autobiographical account of your spiritual journey thus far. What part did physical journeying play in pursuing God's call on your life? What things did you have to let go of in order to go where God wanted you? How did you overcome anxiety and apprehension? Share the account of your pilgrimage with others.  

Abram Goes Part I

Genesis 12:4-6:

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.

In the United States, when a person retires, there is the assumption they are going to “take life easy.” This is a season where a person or couple enjoys the benefits of their years of work. Many times, it is assumed there will be a good deal of traveling to places you've always wanted to go, expierencing things you may not have been able to do during your working years, and generally just relaxing and enjoying “the good life.”

Now don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with any of that. Folks should enjoy a lifetime of hard work by getting to do things they had planned and prepared for. The problem is many times we assume when we retire from our jobs we retire from serving the Lord. I have heard many times from well meaning folks, “I'm too old to do ______.” Or, “I have served my time doing ________.” Perhaps it is, “God can't use me anymore at my age.”

Here in the narrative of Abram's call from God, we see that while one may retire from active employment in the world, there is no retirement from serving God.

Knowing he was leaving everything familiar-that is, community, security, and identity-Abram went, as the Lord had told him. In a word, Abram obeyed. He set out on an unknown route for an unknown destination. Despite all the difficulties of following the Lord into the unkonwn, Abram obeyed the Lord. Simple obedience is the demonstration of our faith in the Lord. Obedience to the Lord has no age limit. Rather than arguing with the Lord about the reasons why he couldn't leave his home at the age of 75, Abram simply obeyed. He went solely because the Lord said so. The journey was not merely a physical one. The presence again of God's covenant name Yahweh, the Lord, reminds us that Abram was also on a spiritual journey. He would be the father of a people through whom God's redeeming grace would come to lost humanity.

The reminder that Lot went with him displayed Abram's fatherly care for his orphaned nephew. Lot's presence would factor into Abram's journey of faith several times, so the mention of Lot here foreshadowed more things to come. We are also reminded that Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. God had much to accomplish through Abram.

The end of the verse is important too. Abram left Haran. Being obedient to God meant Abram had to uproot and relocate. Sooner or later, God's call on a person's life will involve dislodging from the familiar and setting out on a spiritual journey toward the unfamiliar. When God called, Abram went. When God calls us, how will we respond?

Genesis 12:5-6 are important verses for understanding Abram's pilgrimage of faith. First, Abram finally learned of the physical destination of his journey. Several times in the Bible the places Haran and the land of Canaan are found together. In Genesis 11:31, we read of Abram's father, Terah, starting a journey toward the land of Canaan before settling in Haran. In Genesis 27:43 and 28:10, we find Jacob returning to Haran from Canaan to escape his brother Esau's wrath. In the New Testament, we read of Stephen recounting Abraham's journey from Haran to the Promised Land (Acts 7:2-4).

Second, we are reminded of others who would play important parts in the unfolding story of redemption. Sarai would become the mother of the promised son in the promised land. Lot would come to play a contrasting role to Abram. Lot was blessed only in so much as he was related to Abram.

Third, the reference to Abram taking all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people he had acquired in Haran indicated that God's blessings on Abram began even before he set out for Canaan. God was already in the process of making him a great nation. He blessed them with the possessions they needed to survive and to thrive in a new land.

Fourth, Abram set out for and came to the land of Canaan. Abram no doubt believed the Lord would displace the current inhabitants of the land so His people could thrive there. However, the terse summary here puts the emphasis on God having delivered Abram to the Promised Land (12:1b).

As Abram continued his journey, he passed through the land to the site of Shechem. Shechem, meaning “shoulder” was located on the shoulder of Mount Ebal. Years later, Abram's grandson Jacob purchased land at Shechem upon returning to the Promised Land (Gen. 33:18-20). Abram's great-grandson Joseph was buried at Shechem when the Israelites gained control of the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership (Josh. 24:32). The oak of Moreh refers to a significant location in Shechem.

That the Canaanites were in the land at the time Abram arrived raised the question of how Abram's people would call the land their own. It necessitated continued faith that God would fulfill all His promises in spite of the circumstances. Perhaps Abram wondered how this inhabited land could become the place where God would make of him a great nation.

Applying the Scriptures:

In what ways might it be easier to follow the Lord as you get older? In what ways might it be more difficult?

God's Call Part II

Genesis 12:2-3:

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Yesterday we examined the initial call of God on Abram's life and how it required radical obedience to leave the comfort of your hometown and family. Today, we want to look at the promise God gives to Abram that is conditional on his obedience.

In verse 2 God's promise to show the land to Abram was substantial in terms of the same three things Abram was asked to leave in verse 1. In the place of his land, or community, God would make Abram “into a great nation.” In place of the security Abram derived from living among his relatives, God would “bless” him, giving him divine security. Finally, in the place of the name, or reputation, Abram would receive from his father, God would make Abram's “name great,” establishing a unique identity and reputation.

If you take an Old Testament survey class, you will be told the essentials of building a nation are a people, a law, and a land. God chose Abram to become the father of His people. The Lord would give the law to His people at Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:12). Eventually God would bring His people Israel into the Promised Land (Joshua 1:1-9).

The phrase “great nation” testifies to a future political entity, sharing a mutual land, language, and government. More importantly, the great nation Abram would become was opposite of what he was at the time the promise was given. He already was advanced in years (Gen. 12:4), and his wife Sarai was unable to conceive (11:30). Yet God's entire promise rested on the necessity for this couple to bear a child. God's promise envisioned Abram becoming a great nation of people dwelling in their own land, speaking their own language, and living in accordance with God's law.

Regarding the statement “I will make your name great,” we see a sharp contrast to the efforts of the people at Babel/Babylon. Those people sought to make a name for themselves (11:4). With Abram, the emphasis was on the Lord's actions, expressed in repeated “I will” statements. Interestingly, God would later change Abram's name to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude” (Gen. 17:5). His identity would be enhanced as he became the patriarch of God's people.

In verse 3 we see that the entire covenant enterprise God sought to establish with Abram rested on His blessings. Already in 12:2 we noted the statements, “I will bless you” and “you will be a blessing.” One way of understanding the biblical concept of blessing is to view God's blessing as empowerment. The result of divine empowerment ensures success in life's ventures. Another emphasis of blessing focuses on blessing as the result of obedience. Thus, persons are not motivated to serve God as a means of getting a large family or material things. Rather, they obey God to enjoy His presence.

God's promise to bless Abram also included security. Abram would find ultimate security in God's presence and blessing. Moreover, God's statement “you will be a blessing” extends the promise from Abram to his descendants and eventually to all the world's families who would come under his influence.

Two aspects of God's blessing as security are contained in 12:3. First, God promised to “bless those who bless” Abram. The promise to bless is emphatic. If security came in the form of large, extended families with bountiful crops and livestock to support them, then God was promising such security not only to Abram but to all who aided him.

The second aspect of blessing as security is in the statement “I will curse those who treat you with contempt.” The KJV renders the statement, “I will...curse him that curseth thee.” The difficulty lies in how to translate the two different words for curse found in the Hebrew. God promised to curse ('arar) anyone cursing (qalal) Abram. The first term carries the idea of thwarting someone in their efforts. The second term denotes taking someone lightly-that is, dishonoring or treating that person with contempt.

By promising to bless those who would bless Abram, God guaranteed Abram a future place of great influence. Abram's security in part would derive from the proverbial “strength in numbers,” but at all times it would be directly attributed to the Lord's blessing. On the other hand, those who chose to treat Abram's presence and influence with contempt would find their efforts being thwarted by God.

The final statement, “all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you,” means God's blessing would come to others through Abram and his descendants. At last, the answer to the question raised by God's judgment at Babel/Babylon is answered. How would God bring His redeeming grace to lost, scattered humanity? He would do it through Abram and his descendants. Ultimately, this promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, God's Son, who took on human flesh as a descendant of Abraham (Matt. 1:1).

Applying the Scriptures:

In what ways has Abram's obedient faith been a blessing to the world? In what ways can our obedient faith be a blessing to others?