YHWH had just told Abraham in Genesis 15:1 he had nothing to fear, because if things got scary YHWH would be his shield and his “very great reward.”
Which was good to know because the four kings and the thug whom Abraham had just defeated in an embarrassingly successful night-time raid that had his enemies fleeing for their lives in their night clothes, would surely be thirsting for revenge. And who knows when they’d strike – and with massively superior forces too.
Had Abraham put his entire family in serious danger? But isn’t that one of the great dilemmas of living in this world? Psychopaths and egotistical bullies are the worst people to embarrass, or expose as lazy, incompetent, arrogant, reckless sadists, as we see in our own world when people with such weaknesses are exposed and they live only for revenge.
But YHWH clearly understood that, because it was right after the possibility of a counter attack by the bullies, that he personally “came to Abram in a vision” (1). But a vision so clear it becomes a two way conversation, as if they were talking to each other in person. So why a vision instead of ‘in person’ then?
Well the timing and content of the vision suggest Abraham was well aware of the repercussions of his actions and he really was scared, so he was probably taken up with getting everyone ready for the counter attack. YHWH, therefore, speaks to him in a quiet moment, telling Abraham he has nothing to be afraid of, because YHWH himself will be his defence, and Abraham’s trust in him will be greatly rewarded. To which Abraham replies in those three crucial words: “O Sovereign Lord.”
He could have said just “Sovereign Lord,” like we might start a prayer with “Almighty Father.” But he started with “O,” because (for us too) an “O” adds to how deeply we feel, like saying to someone in pain, “O my dear, I hope you get well soon.” Well, this kind of “O” is how Abraham now felt toward YHWH, and it came to him to say it right after YHWH had expressed how personally he felt toward him too.
So through the very real circumstances in Abraham’s life, YHWH has been growing Abraham’s relationship with him – to the point in Genesis 15:2 “When Abraham feels free to question” him….(next blog)
