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Genesis 15:1-8: Questions, Questions.

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

² But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’ ³ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’  ⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.’ ⁵ He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’  ⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.  ⁷ He also said to him, ‘I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.’  ⁸ But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I shall gain possession of it?’ NIV UK

It is possible to have a deep, meaningful and close relationship with God; one in which you know His nearness and His speaking, and yet to still have questions. This was Abram’s experience (2,8). See how merciful and tender God was with His servant. He took time to answer his questions. He remembered he was dust.

‘’It is good to share your concerns with the Lord, even if what you say seems to evidence unbelief or impatience in your heart. God is not deaf to your questions or unconcerned about your feelings. He did not rebuke Abraham; instead, He gave him the assurances that he needed. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Warren W. Wiersbe.

It is good to know that God understands our fragility and He is patient with us.

Genesis 15:1-6: Higher thoughts.

“After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

² But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’ ³ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’  ⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.’ ⁵ He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’  ⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” NIV UK

The heroes of the Bible are not plaster saints. They don’t live in stained glass windows. They are truly human beings. We can identify with them at so many levels.

Take the case of Abram. God had just spoken to him in a vision. Yet it seems his next words were expressive of doubt (2,3). As Abram saw it, his servant was the only heir he would ever have. But God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts; His ways are higher than ours. We so often get it wrong when we come at a problem using only human reason. Thank God for that amazing organ we call the brain. Let’s praise him for intelligence, and use it. But we need to do more than just think and discuss. Let us pray!

In fact, that is what Abram did. His thoughts were at a low level. But at the same time as expressing them, he prayed: ‘’O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless…?’’ God’s answer was immediate, and to the point: ‘’This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.’’ In a matter of moments, everything changed for Abram (4,5), and we know from elsewhere in Scripture that this was a key moment in salvation history when:

‘’Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.’’

 What was it like for this man of God to one moment be staring into the abyss of unbelief and despair, and the next to be full of faith? But with God, things can change; and they can change mighty fast!

Genesis 15:1: Provision and protection.

“After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:  ‘Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield,  your very great reward.’ “NIVUK

This is the first time in the Bible we read about the Word of the Lord coming to a person. It’s an expression we will find over 100 times in the Old Testament. By faith in God’s Word we can overcome our fears. It’s been pointed out that in this verse God promised Abram both provision and protection:

Protection: ‘’Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield.’’ This is the first of many ‘fear-not’s’ in the Bible. Why might Abram have been afraid? Well, he had just won a battle, but defeated foes don’t like the dishonour of losing. Maybe he feared they would rally, and come back after him – return for another bite, as it were. Eastern kings didn’t take losing lightly, or allow enmity to die quickly. But God promised him that He was his shield. A believer, hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3) can feel even more secure. By the way, notice that God spoke to Abram by name.

Provision: ‘’I am…your very great reward.’’ We thought about this wonderful truth last time. It can also read: ‘’…your reward will be very great.’’ Abram had said ‘No’ to the offer of great wealth, because it was tainted. The Lord made it clear His servant would not lose out. If the Lord is your Shepherd, you can trust Him with your needs. Someone said, ‘God is willing to take full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.’

Warren Wiersbe points out that God’s ‘’I am’’ is more than sufficient for man’s ‘I am not.’ That’s good to know.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for your personal word – that you still speak to your people by name.

HE IS RISEN…WHAT MORE NEEDS TO BE SAID. A MOST BLESSED AND HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL.