Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
A time of stress, a word from God, a plea, and a promise, all in Genesis 15:1-6. Here the Lord comes to Abram and initiates a promise. “Your reward shall be very great” (Gen. 15:1c, ESV). Yet Abram’s response reveals that something is bothering him. I wonder if this has happened to you? It certainly has happened to me. Somebody says or does something and I will suddenly become more aware of a situation that is troubling me. It may seem unrelated at first, but eventually we might find it tied directly tho that other person’s action. For instance, my wife may say something about looking for a missing item, which makes me feel guilty and defensive about the things that are certainly lurking in the garage (my domain) and which I have not taken care of or kept in order.
God promises Abram a reward. This is good news, right? Sure! Abram blurts out something about childlessness. Apparently the great reward he would desire has something to do with offspring to carry on his heritage. Eliezer of Damascus may be a perfectly fine man. He probably is, or Abram would have sent him away to avoid his become the heir. But he doesn’t want his right hand man, someone who works for him and is probably a slave of his, to be his heir. He wanted to have a child.
Before making the promise, God had identified himself as Abram’s “shield.” He is there, ready to protect him. So what is the promised blessing? You will have offspring like the stars in number.
Given time, the child of promise is born to Abraham and Sarah. One child of promise, but that child becomes a mighty nation, the nation of Israel. Out of that nation comes Jesus, who shows himself to be the savior of the world. All who trust in him are redeemed from sin and death and become children of Abram. Countless multitudes have come from Abram, according to God’s promise to him.
What was Abram’s response? In verse six, he believed God, which God counted as righteousness. We are repeatedly told in the Scripture to be like Abraham, to have the kind of faith he did. And that faith is shown in this very simple way. He believed God, which God counts as righteousness. Do we want to be like Abraham? Believe God. Take him at his word. He certainly has shown himself to be the kind of Lord who can keep his promises. Our role is simply to believe.
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