(An audio version of this post can be found at https://www.spreaker.com/episode/genesis-15-verses-1-11-17-21-we-can-trust-god–58429879)

In Genesis 15:1-11,17-21, Abram wants to know who God is, and how God can be trusted, especially since there had been a delay between God’s promise of an heir for Abram and its fulfillment. In verse 1, the phrase “Do not be afraid” is heard. This is the first time this phrase has been recorded in the Bible. Fear comes when God’s people take their eyes off of the One who promises and begin to worry about the promise. Because Abram refused great wealth in Genesis 14:21-22 and did not have an heir, He needed to know that God was his shield and exceedingly great reward—his Protector and Provider.

Abram held God responsible for his lack of an heir, but Abram also had a level of faith to even register disappointment that God has not yet done what God said God would do. Questioning God is considered to be the opposite of faith, but it is through his questioning that Abram rises to a higher level of faith. Because of his question, God reinforced the promise using a means of “signing a contract” that was common in that day. Abram expected-and believed-that God would keep His Word, which is why Abram spoke in the way he spoke. The heart of the interaction between God and Abram is faith and trust. If Abram understands God to be righteous, to be one whose word is firm and secure, to be one who will make good on God’s promises, then Abram can believe. The same is true for us. Belief is hard enough when there is a delay between God’s promises and their fulfillment. It would be impossible if the God in whom we believe is not trustworthy, is not righteous.

One way to learn faith is to ask questions. Ignoring them or suppressing them actually deprives us of the opportunity to grow. We may never get an answer to all our questions, but when we allow our questions to come out into the open, we open our hearts to experience the awareness that God really is God, and that we entrust our lives into God’s loving care.

Even though Abram enjoyed a special relationship with God he was not exempt from the circumstances of life, and he was not immune to the reactions common to man. He was so upset by the events that led to his military expedition on behalf of his nephew, Lot, that God had to remind him of some of the great promises upon which their relationship was built. God’s promise that He would be Abram’s shield was appropriate in that it came after Abram showed that he did not want to form an alliance with the king of Sodom. Abram was asked to believe that his shield was a better idea than relying on the support and strength of the kings in the region.

Abram was childless, but for a man of extraordinary wealth, it was important to avoid dying without a plan for inheritance, which was the ancient culture’s mark of irresponsibility. Abram did what others in his situation would do: he adopted a servant, Eliezer, as his heir. This “quest for a son” underlies Abram’s entire story. Abram was worried that the promise that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him did not mean that he would be the father of a child. He confronted the fact that perhaps God was going to fulfill this promise through the perfectly acceptable practice of regarding a servant of a childless man as an heir. This was not what Abram had in mind and he said so in no uncertain terms. Abram’s faith was not without fear and uncertainty. It was not untouched by reservations and questions. Even though Abram did not see how God could fulfill His gracious promise to him regarding an heir, he trusted the Lord. He looked beyond what he could see to what God could see.

God helped Abram deal with his fears. God stimulated Abram’s faith through His word so that Abram would learn to trust the Lord for all that he (Abram) could not do for himself. God still proclaims His truth through His Word in order that men and women might believe Him and trust Him to be all that they could ever wish for in time and eternity. The promises made by God stimulated Abram’s faith, calmed his fears, and gave him a hope for the future. We should not easily forget that we are also children of Abram if we believe in the same Lord of the promises. In Christ we have much more to go on than Abram ever had.

Verse 6 sets the clear pattern traced throughout the Scriptures: a person is saved only and always by grace through faith, and nothing more. In other words, God applied the results of atonement to those who believed in the Law of Moses in Old Testament times. Those people were, in essence, saved on credit, waiting for that payment for sin to be made. Now that Jesus has made the payment, citizens on this side of Calvary need only look back and trust what Jesus did on the Cross.

God was not only the provider of the covenant with Abram; His character and unchanging presence were its promise. Still, Abram wanted a sign. More important than a sign, however, is an obedient will. Abram went from a present clarity to a future ignorance, from what he had to what he did not have. He went from the known to the unknown, from everything that was familiar to all things strange, He was a stranger in a strange land. Abram realized that everything he does now is for future generations. All of his actions, all of his life, all he would give from that moment on, would not have a lot to do with him, but would have everything to do with the future. Whatever he thought he was going to get out of it for himself-as great and famous as God would make him, and God’s plan of building a great nation through him-all that would be realized long after his death.

God used a familiar ancient custom-a covenant-to solemnly ratify His agreement with Abram. Verses 18-21 offer new details about the covenant God promised Abram in Genesis 12:2-3,7. The Lord gave this land to Abram’s descendants. The specific territory-about 300,000 square miles-covered far more area than the nation of Israel has ever occupied. But in the future kingdom, it will all be theirs.  God keeps His promises and rewards our obedient faith. When God promises to direct our paths, we can be confident that He will carefully lead us.

Bibliography

  1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 20113; pp. 22-23)
  2. Briscoe, D.S., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 1: Genesis (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 132-138)
  3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
  4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
  5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2020; pp. 21-22)
  6. Sara M. King, “Commentary on Genesis 15:1-6.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org.
  7. The Rev. Dr. Alan Brehm, “Learning Faith.” Retrieved from www.thewakingdreamer.org.

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