God had really tested Abram’s trust in him, having made huge promises to Abram in Genesis 12, but by the end of Genesis 14 and all sorts of setbacks, still no evidence of God fulfilling his promises.
Abram hadn’t buckled, but after receiving a vision in Genesis 15:1, in which God told him, “No need to fear Abram, I’m your shield and your very great reward,” Abram felt the need to ask God in return, “But what reward can you give me when you haven’t given me any children to pass it on to?”
Abram had a point, because God had told him back in Genesis 13:15, that “All the land you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.” An amazing promise, but a problem too, because Abram didn’t have any offspring, and his wife couldn’t have children either (11:30). So it seems that God had deliberately brought Abram to this dead end, with no apparent or even possible solution.
Was Abram’s servant Eliezer, therefore, supposed to inherit the promises instead (Genesis 15:2-3)? But what else was Abram to conclude? Limited as we are to the laws of the human realm in which we operate, children don’t appear out of nowhere.
But all God did to solve this impossible problem was say to Abram, “No, Eliezer isn’t your heir; a son from your own body will be your heir” (4). At which point, God takes Abram outside and says, “Look up and count the stars – if indeed you can count them all – because that’s how many children you’re going to have” (5).
And as Abram stared up at that glittering night sky, his first response wasn’t, “But how is that possible when me and Sarai haven’t got any kids, and we can’t have kids now at our age?” It was instead, “I believe you,” Genesis 15:6. No explanation needed, as to how on earth God was going to pull this one off; just trust God, no matter what.
And on that basis alone, “God credited Abram with righteousness” (6), so that he now, in the footsteps of Abel, Enoch and Noah, inherited the title, “heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Hebrews 11:7).
But imagine what Abram’s wife thought on hearing what God had said to her husband. Was it, “Are you pulling my leg?” Or was it, “God promised; enough said”?….(next blog)
Buck To Basics 