Imagine YHWH doing for us what he did for Abraham in Genesis 15:1. In a vivid dream (or whatever a “vision” was), YHWH tells Abraham not to fear. He’s fully aware of the scary situation Abraham is in – of a deranged psychopath likely seeking revenge for the embarrassing defeat Abraham had inflicted on him in the previous chapter (14:14-16).
Imagine the relief and the gratitude Abraham must have felt to have YHWH be that real to him, and exactly at the time he needed it too. In response – still in the vision – Abraham bursts out with “O Sovereign Lord,” like saying, “O you wonderful God, thank you, you knew that’s what I needed.”
It’s the first time he’s responded to YHWH like that, as though a new door has opened in his mind about YHWH, which is interesting, because what it triggers is the freedom in Abraham’s mind to question YHWH. He’s never done that before either, but in all the things that have happened in Abraham’s life so far, YHWH has been developing and growing Abraham’s relationship with him.
And working backwards through Abraham’s “O Sovereign Lord,” there are now three things he’s understood about YHWH: first of all, that he’s “Lord” – YHWH in Hebrew – the same “I AM” YHWH in Exodus 3:13-15 who clearly stated his desire for a personal relationship with his people. He’s a relational God, not like the many impersonal gods Abraham grew up with in his homeland.
Secondly, he understood YHWH as “Sovereign,” which in Abraham’s own words in Genesis 14:22 meant “God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,” the great powerhouse in the universe who’d enabled him to defeat his enemies (20).
But thirdly, he now saw YHWH as “O,” as a being he felt he could express his most personal thoughts to, including a question that was bothering him, as to how YHWH could bless all nations through him and his offspring when “I remain childless” (15:2). “You have given me no children,” he adds rather bluntly in verse 3.
Does the Sovereign Lord take offence? No, he takes Abraham outside for a look at the stars, and in the way he said, “So shall you offspring be,” it melted Abraham’s doubts (6).
But “What was it that made Abraham believe?”….(next blog)
