ABRAM BELIEVED THE LORD


Genesis 15:1-21
Key verse: 15:6
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

In chapter 14, Abram is victorious in the war against the alliance of Kedolaomer. After this, Abram was full of a victorious spirit and confidence. By faith, he gave a tenth of everything to Melchizedek and did not take anything which belonged to the king of Sodom. The war left him with less people and money, but most of all, he gained powerful enemies. Now Kedolaomer's army could counter-attack at any time and it would mean a great danger to him. He still did not have an heir. He became fearful and suffered from a sense of loss. He was sitting in his tent with a grumbling heart. God visited him and encouraged him. Through this passage, may God help us to renew God's word of promise and grow in our personal faith in God.

I. "I am your shield, your very great reward" (1)

1. The time to learn faith. Look at verse 1. "After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.'" Here "After this" refers to Abram's fight against Kedolaomer's alliance. When Abram had heard about his nephew Lot's captivity he mustered his own soldiers and chased them. He took them by surprise at night and routed them. He won a great victory and returned with all the spoils. He did not take anything that belonged to the king of Sodom but came home empty handed. While he was alone, he was reminded of the expenses for the war and of his soldiers who were dead or wounded. He did not receive any tangible gain. God still did not give him a son. His powerful enemies might recuperate and attack him at any moment, possibly at night as he had done to them. He was in a foreign land with no friends. Fear and a sense of loss crept into his heart. It was the time for Abram to learn what it meant to live by faith.

This reminds us of the initial stage of Christian life. When we first believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we were full of spirit and joy. Yet as time passes by, we find that our situation does not get better. It often becomes worse and we encounter several practical problems; money, job, health or even persecution. God's promise seems too far and we begin to wonder what we are doing. When I went back to the United States after my stay in Anam, I could not find a job. I spent about three years of my life as a full time shepherd in Anam center and lived a life of faith. I thought that when I had done the work and that God would reward me with a great job. Even though I sent out about 200 resumes in hopes of finding a job, I still could not find one. I thought that my life of faith ended when I left Korea, but my life of faith was just beginning. It was time for me to learn real faith, just like Abram.

2. "Do not be afraid" What were God's words to Abram in a vision? Look at verse 1b. "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." God told him not to be afraid because God was his shield and his very great reward. First, "I am your shield" A shield is a piece of armour to protect from the blows of the enemy. Abram was fearful of a possible attack by his enemies. He thought that he was alone in a foreign land without any protection. But God said that he was his shield, i.e., his protection. How can God be our shield? It is because God is almighty. He is the Creator God. He can protect us from the flaming arrows of our enemies. Therefore, if we have God as our shield we are truly safe.

King Saul chased the shepherd boy David for about 10 years. King Saul was determined to kill him. David was in great danger numerous times. But overtime God protected and rescued him. David realized that God was his real protection and praised God, "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour-- from violent men you save me." (2 Sa 22:2-3) These days, security is a big issue. Taiwan plans to buy lots of modern weapons to protect them from the threat of China. Many people have several kinds of insurance for protection. But worldly weapons and security cannot be our true protection. God is our protection because he can keep us safe even though we pass through the valley of death. May God help us each day to grow in our trust in him.

Second, "I am your very great reward." Abram had given the better land to Lot. He suffered loss because of a war which he did not initiate. He won the war but he got nothing to show for it. He gave a tenth of his possession to Melchizedek but also did not take anything from the king of Sodom. Abram’s future looked uncertain and insecure. In our life of faith, reward is an important issue. No one wants to lose for no reason. So people want to grab things in the world; money, recognition, fame and so on. When they do not have anything immediate and tangible, they suffer from the sense of loss. God did not tell Abram, "I will give you a great reward." God told Abram, "I AM your very great reward." God wanted to give God himself to Abram rather than anything. Why is God the great reward? Simply because he is the Creator God, the owner of all things visible and invisible. He is the sovereign Lord and everything is under his control. If we have him we have everything.

Moses was brought up to be the prince of Egypt. He had everything he would need or ever want. He could have claimed the throne of Egypt, the most powerful country in his time. Yet he found God's reward, eternal life in the kingdom of God, was the most precious thing. He decided to suffer along with his slave people because he knew that worldly treasure was temporal yet God's reward was eternal. He was able to serve God's will throughout his life because he was looking forward to God who would reward. (Heb 11:23, 24) St. Paul was one of the best intellectuals of his time. He was a Roman citizen and an outstanding Pharisee. Yet when he found true treasure in Jesus Christ, he regarded all his worldly treasures as rubbish and earnestly wanted to gain Christ. (Phi 3:8) Everything in the world comes from God and returns to God. God wants us to come to him by faith that he gives us rewards. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." When we seek God, we can have God as our very great reward.

II. Abram believed the Lord (2-6)

1. "Count the stars" Look at verses 2, 3. "But Abram said, 'O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?' And Abram said, 'You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.'" God said to Abram that he was his shield and very great reward. Yet to Abram, God's promise seemed too abstract and impractical. He complained to God because Abram did not think God had blessed him. However, Abram had received God's great blessings. Practically, he was a rich and powerful man in his region. Yet he did not remember what God had given him, but only what God had NOT given him. This shows us about man's sinful nature. It is like when you do something nice for someone a hundred times, but if you offend or hurt them just one time, they forget all the nice things and only remember that one bad thing.

God was a good shepherd to Abram. He told him that the servant would not be his heir but a son coming from his own body would be the heir. Look at verse 5b. "'Look up at the heavens and count the stars-- if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'" In the deserts of Arizona, away from the city lights, you can see the night sky as Abram had seen that night. You can see the Milky Way and a comet if you are lucky. You can count the comets that sail past, but the stars are too numerous to count. It is truly a beautiful sight. I invite all of you to come to Arizona one day so that you can see for yourself.

2. Abram believed the Lord. "So shall your offspring be." It was unbelievable that Abram would have such numerous descendants when he did not even have a son and was getting older and older. Yet what was Abram's response? Look at verse 6. "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Abram believed the Lord when it was humanly impossible to believe. He overcame his fatalistic reality by faith. Nothing was changed with him; the threats of the enemies, his childlessness problem and so on. Yet he accepted God's promise by faith. When he believed God's promise, his sense of loss was gone. By faith he overcame his fear, the sense of loss, and Abram became full of hope.

God credited Abram's faith to him as righteousness. The word "righteousness" first appears here in the Bible. What do the words "he credited it to him as righteousness" mean? This means that Abram had a right relationship with God; that his sins were forgiven and he was accepted by God as a righteous man. Abram was sinful in nature but was credited to be righteous because of his faith in God. This tells us that one can be made righteous. In other words, one can have the right relationship with God by faith. All men are sinful and fall short of the glory of God. (Ro 3:20) No one can claim his righteousness before God by deeds. Only by faith can one be regarded as righteous. (Ro 3:28) This principle of being made righteous by faith is fully revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ. Only when we believe and have faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ can we have eternal life. (Jn 3:16) In this respect Abram is regarded as the ancestor of faith who was made righteous by faith in God. The way God accepts us as righteous children is only through faith. Before God all man are filled with sin. We are incurably sinful before him. We have to humbly accept this and receive God's righteousness, Jesus Christ, by faith.

What is faith? Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Heb 11:1) Faith means believing God's promise even in the most hopeless situation. (Ro 4:17, 18) Faith means trusting in God in all circumstances. Faith means that even though we can't do anything God can do all things. In chapters 12-14, Abram had followed God by his own effort. But now, in his most difficult time, he had to learn faith in God and grow. Our hopeless situations are a time when we can learn faith and grow spiritually. We cannot please God with good deeds or just a moral life. Hebrews 11:6a tells us very clearly, "And without faith it is impossible to please God," This double negative sentence tells us that only by faith can we please God. May God help us to grow in our personal faith in God and his promise.

III. God's vision (7-21)

1. God's initiative. God again promises Abram concerning the land. Look at verse 7. "He also said to him, 'I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.'" God did not just help Abram to believe in his promise but also revealed God's vision for the world. God reminded him that it was God who had led him out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give him the land. It was God's initiative not Abram's. All Abram had to do was to trust in God and obey him. Abram wanted to have a sign that he would take possession of the land. So God made a covenant with him.

Look at verses 9,10. "So the Lord said to him, 'Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.' Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half." In Abram's time, cutting animals in two and passing between them was a way to seal a contract. It would mean that if any party breached the agreement, they would be killed like the animals. Abram made the preparations for a covenant with God and waited for God. The sun was setting and it became dark. Abram fell into a deep sleep. In a thick and dreadful darkness, God said to Abram. Look at verses 13-16. "Then the Lord said to him, 'Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and ill-treated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.'"

2. God controls history. God told Abram about his descendants and God's future plan. It was that his descendants would become slaves in Egypt for 400 years and would return to the Promised Land. It would be the right time for the Amorites to be destroyed because of their sin. Why did God tell him the things in the future at this stage? First, God helped him to believe that God controlled history. The Exodus would take place about 600 years later. God taught Abram that he did not only create the world but also he controlled the history of the world. When we see the world, it seems to be controlled by world powers. Yet we must know that it is God who uses people and nations in order to fulfil his promise to save the world. So we don't have to be afraid of things happening in the world. God is in charge of the steering wheel of history.

Second, God helped Abram to have a sense of history. When he did not have a sense of history, he was pushed up and down by day-to-day events. He needed to hold on to a long term vision based on God's promise. Those who do not have a long term vision easily become anxious and shaky even by small things of life. God helped Abram to look forward to the things of 600 years later, four generations. They say that if people think 1 year ahead, they sow grain. 10 years ahead, they sow seed for plant. 100 years ahead, they educate children. Yet God helped Abram to think 600 years ahead and live by faith. Have you thought about what God has in store for you in the future? I pray that we all can have a long term vision based on God’s promise.

Third, Abram would die without seeing God's promise being fulfilled. Look at verse 15 again. "You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age." Abram's role was to lay the foundation of faith; to grow to be a model of faith and to hand his faith over to his son and die. Everyone wants to see the fruit in his own time. But what God wants is for us to serve God's will in our generation. We are God's instruments and servants. We claim God's promise that he would make this nation a holy nation. However, we may not be able to see this happening in our time. Yet it does not matter. Our task is to serve God's will in our time. Filling this great room with Sunday service attendants may seem impossible. It may seem that the work we are doing have no effect at all. Yet I believe it is our role to play in our time. God will continue to choose his servants and fulfill his salvation work in his way and according to his time schedule. I pray that we can all have the vision to see that day when this room is filled with foreign students at Korea University thirsty for the words of God.

In conclusion, God visited Abram when he was in despair after he had run out of his human struggle. God did not give him a son. God helped him to look up to God as his shield and very great reward. God helped him to trust in God himself. God helped him to accept God's vision for the world and live by faith. Those who have faith in God can live victorious lives wherever they go. May God help us to grow in our personal faith in God. Amen.