In Genesis 15:5 it was YHWH himself who brought Abraham to belief in him, through his intimate knowledge of Abraham and how to get through to him. But he also had a reason for bringing Abraham to belief in him, which was to credit his belief as righteousness (6).
There’s no mention in verse 6, however, as to what that meant, or that Abraham understood what it meant, or that YHWH himself actually spoke it in the vision. It’s just a statement, almost out of the blue, but designed to fit in here at this stage in Abraham’s life.
Which is odd, because Abraham had already done a lot of believing in YHWH. He’d upped sticks and left his homeland when YHWH told him to – without even knowing where he was going (12:1). He’d sought evidence from YHWH that his promise of many offspring was true (15:2-3), and the only evidence YHWH had given him was a look up at the stars and try to count them, and so would his offspring be (5). But Abraham had believed it, despite no sign of a child in the making.
That’s some kind of faith, because in both cases Abraham was flying blind. All he had to go on was YHWH’s word. YHWH said leave, so he left. YHWH said he’d have an uncountable number of offspring like the stars in the sky, so Abraham took his word on it. And yet that was all YHWH needed to credit Abraham with righteousness. And especially at this point in Abraham’s life too, when there was no proof whatsoever that what YHWH had promised him was happening, or would happen.
Twice now Abraham had simply taken YHWH at his word. YHWH had spoken, Abraham believed him. But it was YHWH who’d brought him to this point, because belief was the key. That’s what counted as “righteousness,” or (in our terms) put Abraham one hundred percent on the right track in God’s eyes.
But why is this important for us to know? Because according to Romans 4:23-24, “The words, ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us.” So tucked away in Genesis 15:6, that one little verse set the scene for all Abraham’s offspring through the ages, as to what YHWH is doing in our lives. He’s bringing us to belief in him, because the result of that belief puts us one hundred percent on the right track in God’s eyes too.
With that in mind, then: “What constitutes belief in YHWH today?”….(next blog)
Buck To Basics 