The Promise
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1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”
5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
I Am your shield
I Am your shield - God introduces Himself according to what He will do for Abram, and what He will do for you. Shield of faith?
He called Himself by a name that held a promise. The psalmist used the same name to describe the “God who defends His people”.
He also called Abram by his name. Remember: He knows your name. Looking at
Does He call you by your name?
16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
The counter-argument is of no use. Childless. Eliezer. Servant to be heir.
Your reward will be great
This statement is full:
As the reason to take courage. The reason to trust in God’s character more than he trusted in his circumstances.
Of the promised offspring that will be as numerous...
Affirming that his faith is well placed
Faith is the gift of God. So is the air, but you have to breathe it. So is bread, but you have to eat it. So is water, but you have to drink it.
So how do we accept this gift? Not by a feeling, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17). It is not for me to sit down and wait for faith to come upon me with a strong feeling of some kind. Rather, faith comes when we take God at his word.
Faith comes when we take God at His word.
The counter-argument is of no use. Childless. Eliezer. Servant to be heir.
Sometimes it is necessary though. Necessary for us to admit to God we struggle. The same as saying ‘Lord I believe. Help my unbelief!’
Our argument often sounds just like his. God says ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’. We might reply with ‘but God, I am alone’. God says ‘all things work together for good for those who love Me, who are called according to my purpose’. But we say ‘how could this happen to me?’.
Our argument often sounds just like his. God says ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’. We might reply with ‘but God, I am alone’. God says ‘all thing work together for good for those who love Me, who are called according to my purpose’. But we say ‘how could this happen to me?’.
Your very own son will be your heir
The most specific of the statements, the words Abram was hoping to hear. The answer to his most pressing concern: the child of promise would be Abram’s own, as yet unborn, son.
We should take great boldness from God being willing to address Abram’s concern specifically.
What do we know to be true about this exchange between God and Abram?
God made the effort to pursue Abram. He treats all mankind the same. God pursues man. The psalmist writes: where can I go to escape your presence? God is relentless in His pursuit of YOU. There is nowhere you or I go that He will not come after us. The OT book of Hosea is a metaphor of His love for Israel. Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd who goes after the lost sheep.
Since we have the whole story, we know God kept His word. Every time we recognize God is faithful our faith grows.
Abram believed God and He reckoned it to him as righteousness
How do we know Abram believed God? How did God know? ‘man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart’
Reckoned, counted, credited - all accounting terms. What balanced the books? Belief! Not striving. Not paying. Not pleading. Believing. This comes before circumcision was required.
This is the first time we read of believing, and just as early do we hear of imputed righteousness. As long as there has been record of believing, there has been imputed righteousness! Praise God!
But why this statement? Why was righteousness necessary? Because then, like now, sin was a problem of man that separated him from God.
wrath of God against godlessness
What in your life have you trusted to Him? How did Abram know he could trust the Lord? How do you? You can trust the Man who died for you.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.