Genesis 15:1-6 – Putting faith in God

Abram was a man of great faith. His obeyed God explicitly. While in his pagan background he heard God spoke to him. Without hesitation, he had the courage to move at the instruction of God. He was promised that he would not only be blessed personally but through him all people everywhere would be blessed. So risking everything, Abram trusted God categorically. Leaving Ur at the instruction of God, for a land he knew not where, was simply monumental.

Though he slipped in Egypt, the promise of God remained sure. He picked up, corrected himself, and showed great courage in the rescue of Lot, his nephew. The last we discussed of him was his encounter with the king of Sodom and Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Both dealt with Abram differently. Melchizedek brought bread and wine and a blessing for Abram. And like Abram, he was a believer of the God most high, the possessor of heaven and earth. But his encounter with Abram made him aware that this God was also a covenant making and keeping God. Abram called Him LORD God most high, possessor of heaven and earth. Melchizedek knew that Abram’s victory over the coalition was granted him by God. What this king of Salem said to Abram give us a hint that the courageous expedition to rescue Lot was an act of faith. He trusted God to bring the victory. Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe of everything he had. In that, he acknowledged the priest-king of Melchizedek.

In Genesis 15:1-5, we see the human side of Abram surfaced again. In the aftermath of the victory over the coalition, he wondered how God would fulfil His promise to make him a nation, and give him a great name since he was still childless. While he was pondering the matter the faithful God spoke to him in a vision, assuring him of the certainty of the promise. Abram offered Eliezer, a servant born in his household, as the answer to the promise of God. How human was Abram! But that’s not God’s will nor was it His plan. So to assure Abram, God implicitly told him it would be from an heir out of his loin. God brought him out into the open, told him to look up to the sky and count the stars. As numerous as the stars of heaven that Abram could see, that would be how numerous his descendants would be. That left Abram speechless. Here in verse 6, we have the landmark verse of Abram’s journey: “Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Interestingly, the root word for “Amen” comes from the same root word we get the word believe. In other words, Abram said “Amen” to the promise God had just made to him. This was faith. And God reckoned to him as righteousness. Can’t imagine how Abram must have felt that night. But he certainly was strengthened. He must have arose full of vigour and ready for the next phase of his life. Abram’s faith made possible the impossible. He left us an example to emulate. We need to put our faith in God and anticipate great things in and through Him. Let’s learn to say “Amen” to the promise of God for our life.