Defining Moments

One of my favorite books is 101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck. In it, Osbeck shares the inspiring stories behind many of the hymns we know and cherish. What strikes me about many of these inspirational accounts is that many hymns were written out of defining moments in the life of their authors.

Take for instance the hymn It is Well With My Soul. Haratio Spafford wrote this great hymn after he lost his four children in an accident at sea. Frances Havergal wrote many of her hymns out of defining moments in her life. Havergal’s hymn I Gave My Life for Thee was written after she saw a picture that had been painted by an artist named Sternberg. The painting was a picture of Christ wearing a crown of thorns before Pilate and the Jewish religious leaders. Beneath the painting read the words, “This I have done for thee, what hast thou done for me?” Frances Havergal was so moved by the picture that she swiftly wrote a poem, but when she got home she was not pleased with the words, so she threw them into the fire. The paper did not make it into the fire. It is said to have floated out onto the floor, her father later picked it up and encouraged her to put music to it, which she did.[1]

Defining moments are everywhere we look. We have defining moments in history, one such moment being the cross of Jesus Christ. We have defining moments in the history of the church, the great Reformation being one. We have defining moments in the world of sports. I must admit that I cried when Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys broke Walter Payton’s all-time rushing record. As we look at Genesis 22 we come to another defining moment, a defining moment in the life of Abraham.

Those who have any knowledge of the life of Abraham most likely know what took place in Genesis 22. It is by far a defining moment for Abraham and ultimately the high point of his journey of faith.

When we see and experience defining moments in the life of faith, we notice that these moments come in different forms such as trials, tests, and tasks. Defining moments in the life of faith are moments that God uses in the life of his people for a purpose; often that purpose is to mature us.

In our study of Abraham we have seen many defining moments in his life. The first came from his initial call to the life of faith back in Genesis 11 and 12. Another defining moment came when Abraham was faced with a famine in the land that God had promised him. Then there was the promise of a child and the patience needed to wait on God to act. What is interesting about the defining moments in the life of Abraham is that they consist both of failures and victories. The Lord has a way of turning even our low points into defining moments.

The defining moment in Genesis 22 is definitely a high point in the life of Abraham, but only because Abraham faced the challenge and responded to it in a manner that was pleasing to the Lord. And just as Abraham was faced with many defining moments in his journey of faith, so are we who have started on our own journey of faith.

Defining moments usually challenge our faith, our trust, and our obedience to the Lord. All God’s people will face these tests. When we face those defining moments in our journey of faith, we need to remember that these moments are divine.

Defining Moments in the
Life of Faith are Divine

I want you to imagine for a minute where Abraham was in his spiritual journey up to this point. Abraham had been walking with the Lord more than twenty-five years. He had seen the Lord do many great things. He has seen the Lord faithfully protect him even when Abraham’s faith faltered. Most importantly, he had seen the Lord provide for him something that he thought he would never have, a son. Abraham and Sarah were able to have a child in their old age. This child would fulfill a promise of God to Abraham and become heir to the promises of God given to Abraham. Abraham was quite comfortable at this time in his life. He lived peacefully in the region with king Abimelech, worshipping and witnessing for his God.

It is almost as if Abraham had arrived in his journey of faith. God had blessed him with land and with son. But what we will notice is that the journey of faith has a final destination and that destination is not experienced this side of heaven. As long as we make our pilgrimage, challenges will come our way, challenges that are our defining moments in our journey on this side of heaven.

We become aware of this truth in Genesis 22:1. “Now it came about after these things….” This points us back to the previous chapters in Genesis to remind us of what has taken place up to this point. It also points us forward to another defining moment in the life of Abraham and reminds us that Abraham is still on his pilgrimage and that the Lord is still developing him as a man of faith. The defining moment about to take place in Abraham’s life comes as a divine test in the form of a divine task and is a test of Abraham’s faith in the Lord.

The Divine Test

Here’s more of verse 1, “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham.” The author, who was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as he wrote, indicates to the readers that what is taking place in these verses is a test that comes from the very hand of God. The Lord put this truth here for our benefit because if we did not know that this was a divine test of Abraham’s faith we might misunderstand what the Lord asked of Abraham. The Lord wants us to know that this is a test, but Abraham does not have a clue. His unawareness makes this a monumental moment in Abraham’s journey of faith.

But the Lord lets us know immediately that what took place was orchestrated by the very hand of God. The Hebrew word “nasah” is best translated as our English word “test.” Some Bible translations use the word “tempt,” but the Hebrew word “nasah” has a different meaning than our English word “tempt.” The word “tempt” has the connotation of “enticing one to do wrong,” whereas the Hebrew word “nasah” has the idea of testing something or someone for the purpose of proving the quality of that someone or something. In this context “nasah” has the meaning of God testing Abraham for a purpose, to refine Abraham’s character so that he may enjoy even closer fellowship with the Lord.[2]

It is very important that we differentiate between test and tempt. One person has rightly summarized the difference when he said, “Satan tempts to destroy, but God tests to strengthen us.”[3] Some defining moments in the life of faith come on account of the failure of our faith. Others God never intended for us to experience, but because of our faltering faith God uses our failures to define us. This is not one of those moments in the life of Abraham.

Divine tests that come from the hand of God come in different forms, but for the most part they come in the form of troubles, trials, and tribulations. The New Testament equivalent that helps us understand these divine tests is found in the epistle of James. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4). Defining moments in the life of faith are divine moments that the Lord has us experience for the purpose of growth. That is exactly what took place with Abraham; God tested Abraham through a divine task.

The Divine Task

The final part of Genesis 22:1 says that the Lord called out to Abraham and he responded, “Here I am.” The Lord then gave Abraham the divine task, his divine test. The Lord said to Abraham in verse 2, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains on which I will tell you.” As you can see, this divine test of Abraham’s faith was also a disturbing task.

Had the Lord not told us from the start that this was a test of Abraham’s faith then we might misunderstand what God asked of Abraham. When we realize the implications of what the Lord asked Abraham, we realize that this divine task is, from our human perception, contradictory and illogical. What makes this task contradictory is that the Lord asked Abraham to do something that seems contradictory to the Lord’s character. The Lord abhors human sacrifice in pagan religions elsewhere in the Scriptures; why would he demand it here? We must remember that this is only a test of Abraham’s faith, of which Abraham is not aware at this time.

This task that the Lord asks of Abraham also seems illogical from the standpoint of God’s promises to Abraham. Two great promises were given to Abraham, the promise of a son and the promise of a land, both of which helped fulfill God’s promise to Abraham becoming a great nation. The more important of the two was the promise of son because through Abraham’s descendants would come the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Seemingly, God was now jeopardizing his own plan of redemption with this task. All of God’s plans for Abraham and his descendants are now about to be sacrificed on the altar to God. This seems illogical.

The divine task is a test in the sense that the Lord asked Abraham to do something illogical. But even more telling about the type of test is found in who the Lord was asking Abraham to sacrifice, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac.” You will notice that the Lord emphasizes Abraham’s son, “your son, your only son.” This is a test of commitment and love to the Lord. Abraham could not weasel out of this command by offering up his servant or even offering up his other son Ishmael. He had to offer up the son he had waited twenty-five years to be born. He had to give up the son that his precious wife was able to conceive and give birth to through supernatural means. Even more telling of the type of test is the phrase “whom you love.” This reveals that Abraham’s defining moment was a divine test concerning his affections and who had first place in his heart.

The defining moment for Abraham was a divine test of whether he loved the blessings more than the one who blesses. Whether he loved the gift more than the giver. The defining moment for Abraham was whether he was willing to give up the blessings of God for God himself. Whether he was willing to follow the Lord when all that was in it for him was the Lord himself.[4]

Defining moments in the life of faith are moments when God pushes us out of our comfort zone to see if our affections are for the blessing rather than for the one who blesses. Our Lord Jesus Christ never hesitated to have those who wanted to follow him count the cost of discipleship. When the rich young ruler asked Jesus how he could have eternal life, Jesus did not hesitate to tell him that he had to sell all he had and give it to the poor and follow him. Jesus, hypothetically speaking, spoke about hating one’s own family to be able to be his disciple. Jesus did not mean that we must literally hate our families, but what he did mean is that he must have the preeminent place in our affections. We must be willing to sacrifice and surrender all to follow him.

We need to be careful to limit these divine moments to the spectacular. That is, we should not think of these divine moments only as consisting of a call to the mission field or full-time ministry. Everyday occurrences that come our way, when God calls us to move outside of our comfort zone, can be divine moments. This can come in the form of making a phone call to someone who needs to know Christ and telling him or her how Christ has made a difference in your life. Your divine moment could be a call to teach a Sunday school class or help your church in their visitation program or some other ministry in your church. Our own perceptions and comforts are usually at stake with these divine moments.

In 2002, I experienced one of the roughest years for me in the ministry. What I came to learn was that this was a divine moment in my life. The Lord was testing my affections and seeing where they were placed. For several months I contemplated leaving the ministry. I wanted to get out because I did not want to deal with all the heartache that can come from being a pastor. It was during this time that the Lord was saying to me, “Patrick, I know you love to pastor and preach and you love the enjoyment that can come from your calling, but will you serve me only when there is joy? Will you serve me only when things are going well? Or will you serve me when things are discouraging? Will you serve me when the only thing in it for you is me?”

Is there a defining moment you are being challenged with? Remember that these defining moments are divine moments orchestrated by the hand of God to mature you in your faith. Defining moments in the life of faith are also deciding moments.

Defining Moments in the
Life of Faith Are Deciding Moments

As the Lord dealt with me in my divine moment of testing in 2002, I had to come to a decision. Was I willing to follow the Lord and do as he commanded and called me to do, or was I willing to forsake the Lord so that I could enjoy his blessings but not he who blesses? Defining moments in the life of faith are deciding moments, a time when a decision must be made. And as we will see with Abraham he made a decision to obey the command of God.

Decision to Obey the Command of God

Unmistakably, God shows us Abraham’s obedience in Genesis 22:3. “So Abraham arose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.”

What amazes me in this verse is the absence of any discussion on the part of Abraham. All we see is swift and certain obedience. This is a great contrast when we compare other occasions in the Bible where God called men to a specific task. Take for instance the story of Moses. God called him to serve, and Moses made every excuse as to why God should not use him. Gideon’s behavior also contrasts Abraham’s obedience. When the Lord called Gideon to fight, Gideon did not immediately obey; instead, he insisted twice that God send him a sign.

Abraham of all people knew how to “help God out” in situations such as this. When famine came to the land he helped God out by going to Egypt. When Sarah grew tired of waiting on the promised son, Abraham helped God out by sleeping with Hagar. When Abraham found himself in trouble with Pharaoh and Abimelech he helped the Lord out by deceiving the two kings. In those instances, Abraham was not helping, but disobeying the commands of God. But that is not the case this time. God gave him a command and Abraham did not question, discuss, or offer suggestions. He made no attempt to “help God out,” but he submitted in total obedience to the command of God. By Abraham not trying to rationalize his way out of this divine moment, he showed his total affection for the Lord.

How would you respond to such a request? I imagine many of us, myself included, would have rationalized our way out of this divine moment. How many times does God ask us to do minimal things compared to what he asked of Abraham, and we fail to obey. You see, divine moments are deciding moments, moments where we as God’s people have to decide whether to obey the command of God.

I was once asked by a colleague in ministry, “If God reveals something to you in the Scriptures are you willing to obey it?” Another way to ask that question would be, “When God sends a divine moment of testing in your life through means of a divine task, are you willing to obey the command of God no matter the cost?” Abraham revealed his willingness to obey the command of God. Abraham’s decision to obey the command was founded in his decision to trust the character of God.

Decision to Trust the Character of God

Getting back to Genesis 22, Abraham and Isaac arrived at the place where the Lord commanded them to go. They left behind the servants that went with them and they made their way to the place of sacrifice. On their way, Isaac asked his father an obvious question. “Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, ‘My father!’ and he said ‘Here I am, my son.’ Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ ” (Genesis 22:7). Isaac carefully observed that his father made sure that everything else was taken care of, but he wondered about the sacrificial animal.

In Abraham’s response to Isaac’s question we see the foundation for Abraham’s obedience to the command of God. “Abraham said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son’ ” (Genesis 22:8). Here we witness Abraham’s trust in the character of God. Now, this verse does not do justice to what Abraham is trusting in when he makes this statement. But thanks to progressive revelation we learn exactly what he was thinking about from a New Testament writer who revealed that Abraham, “considered that God is able to raise people from the dead” (Hebrews 11:19). Abraham knew God’s character and that God was faithful to his word. Therefore, even if the Lord had him sacrifice his son, he believed that the Lord could raise him from the dead. Abraham trusted in the character of God and that was the foundation for his obedience.

Abraham might have thought that the command was contradictory, irrational, and just outrageous, but he made a decision to love the Lord even when all he got out of it was the Lord. He made a decision to obey the Lord, knowing that he could trust in the character of a good and gracious God. Defining moments are deciding moments for the life of faith, and when God’s people obey the commands of God and trust in his character, they find that these defining moments are decisive moments in the life of faith.

Defining Moments in the
Life of Faith Are Decisive Moments

The obedience and trust of Abraham to this divine moment unfolds in verses 9 through 10. “Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” All of Abraham’s hopes and dreams are about to be slain on the altar, but what happens next reveals that this divine moment was a decisive one. This moment was decisive in three different ways.

Decisive in What It Accomplished

First, it was decisive in what this divine moment accomplished. In verse 11 we are told that the angel of the Lord called out from heaven to Abraham and he responded, “Here I am.” In verse 12 the angel said to Abraham, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

God tested Abraham, who passed the test with flying colors. At the heart of this divine moment was the matter of whether Abraham feared the Lord. At the heart of this divine moment was the fact that Abraham loved God more than he loved his son. This is a significant moment in the life of faith, that moment when God says, “Do you love me even when there is nothing in it for you?” When those moments come in your life, will they accomplish what the Lord desires?

Decisive in What Was Learned

Second, this divine moment was decisive in what was learned. Notice what took place in verse 13 after the Lord stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. “Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, ‘In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.’ ”

The Lord substituted a ram in the place of Isaac, and Abraham responded to the Lord’s faithfulness by naming the place “The LORD Will Provide.” In Hebrew it reads “Jehovah Jireh.” Abraham had learned the faithfulness of God throughout the years, but never to the degree he experienced in this divine moment after he made the decision to obey the command of God and trust in his character.

Decisive in What God Did

Third, this divine moment was decisive in what God did for Abraham after he provided the ram. In verse 15 we read, “Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed.’ ”

Do you see the result of Abraham’s willingness to give up the blessing of God for God? God blessed him. This should dispel the notion that God is our enemy. The life of total surrender to the Lord is a life that God blesses. When we put God before his blessings he blesses. The greatest blessings are found in the life of surrender and sacrifice.

I shared with you earlier how defining moments in the lives of many of our great hymn writers were the sources of their inspiration. Frances Havergal, who wrote the hymn I Gave My Life for Thee is probably more known for another hymn that she wrote, Take My Life and Let It Be. Havergal was known as the “consecration poet.” These two hymns deal with our total sacrifice and surrender to the Lord. When she wrote the words to Take My Life and Let it Be, Havergal did so after a divine moment in her life. She was led by the Lord to visit a house that was occupied by five people; some of those people were unbelievers and others were believers who had strayed from the Lord. She spent five days with these people praying for them and pleading with them to come to Christ. By the end of her visit, the Lord was faithful to bring those who did not know Christ to him and those who did know Christ back to him. After leaving the house and reflecting upon the faithfulness of God in that situation, she penned these words as a prayer of consecration unto the Lord, “Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.”[5]

God’s people are faced with defining moments every day. We are faced daily with decisions about whether to give our best to the Lord or to save it for ourselves. We are faced every day with the decision to love God more than we love ourselves.

I would be remiss if I did not show you how this chapter of the book of Genesis is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary. For it was at Calvary that our heavenly Father would not spare his own Son, but would sacrifice him on the cross in our place so that we could have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, through his Son’s blood.

Christians, after all that God has done for us, how can we not surrender all and follow him, trusting him to take care of us? What divine moment in your life demands a decision? Will you show your love to the Lord and put him before yourself?

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[1]Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 Hymn Stories (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publishing) 102.

[2]Archer, Harris, and Waltke 581.

[3]Waltke 304.

[4]Walton 519.

[5]Osbeck 239.

By Faith: The Waiting is the Hardest Part

THE WAITING IS
THE HARDEST PART

Genesis 16:1–16

Introduction

If you live in Dallas, one of the “privileges” you have is dealing with the enormous traffic problem. I was reminded of this problem recently when I took a day trip there. To make matters worse, it rained on the day I went.

That particular day the traffic seemed to be bumper to bumper and I never got over forty miles per hour. Needless to say, I grew impatient. I gripped the steering wheel waiting for something to happen, waiting for someone to move. I was frustrated because I had a destination in mind, but it seemed as though I would never get there.

My story illustrates a well-known fact about human nature: we don’t like to wait. We have fast-food restaurants because we don’t like to wait, and we’ll avoid sit-down restaurants if the line is too long.

The ABC show 20/20 once aired an experiment with children on waiting and self-control. The children were given two choices: they could have a cookie right away or they could wait while the reporter ran an errand and then they could have two cookies. Some of the preschoolers grabbed the single cookie immediately, while others waited up to twenty minutes to receive their two cookies. Those who wanted the two cookies used all kinds of tactics to sustain themselves. Some covered their eyes so they would not see the cookies set before them. Some rested their heads on their arms, talked to themselves, sang, and even tried to sleep. The follow-up of this study revealed that those who were able to wait and forgo the instant gratification kept that same temperament throughout their adolescence. The more impulsive kids, those who gave into instant gratification, grew up to be more stubborn, indecisive, and stressed.

In the life of faith, waiting on God is the hardest part. Just as we dislike waiting at restaurants, in lines, and in traffic, we also dislike waiting on God to act on our behalf. It is not that we don’t want God to act; it is just that we want him to act on our behalf according to our timing, not his. We know that God wants to teach us patience, but we want him to hurry up and do it. In Genesis 16 we see Abram and Sarai struggling with waiting on God. They are growing impatient. In Abram and Sarai’s growing impatience we see why the waiting is the hardest part.

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

Genesis 16:1 shows that Abram and Sarai are in God’s waiting room, “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children.” We started our study in the last part of Genesis 11 where we were told that Sarai was barren. Yet God had promised Abram that he would be a “great nation” and that his descendants would outnumber the dust of the earth and the stars of the heavens, but still they had no child. Abram and Sarai were in God’s waiting room, in God’s holding pattern. Genesis 16:3 tells us they had been in this pattern for ten years. This was the ten-year time period between God’s promise of a child (Genesis 11 and 12) and their current situation (Genesis 16). They had been waiting for God to fulfill his promise of a seed for a decade.

From Genesis 15, we remember that Abram wondered how God would fulfill his promise when he asked the Lord if it would be Eliezer, his servant, who would be the heir, and the Lord told him that Abram’s heir would be from his own body.

Now the Lord never specifically said that the seed would come through both Abram and Sarai, but it sure is implied in verse 16:1 where the narrative says that Sarai was Abram’s wife. This designation of Sarai as Abram’s wife points us back to Genesis 2 where we see God creating the institution of marriage—a man shall leave his father and mother and become one flesh with his wife. God’s creative intention is that there be one man and one woman in marriage and that procreation would take place through this institution.

The scene is set. We find Abram and Sarai in God’s waiting room, longing for God to fulfill his promise. But the waiting is the hardest part, and during that time we are often tempted to question God’s timing and ability in our situation when he seems to be doing nothing about it.

We Are Tempted to Question
God’s Timing and Ability in our Situation

We are told in verse 1 that not only was Sarai childless, but also that she had a maid whose name was Hagar. Hagar is an important character in Genesis 16, one that we will see more of in following verses.

After the setting of the scene in verse 1, the author reveals that Sarai is beginning to question God’s timing and ability in this situation, “So Sarai said to Abram, ‘Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children.’ ” To some degree Sarai is right about the Lord preventing her from bearing a child, but she is not making a statement of fact; instead she is complaining and even blaming God for her childless situation. We need to recognize Sarai’s frustration, which is directed toward the Lord.

When Sarai was promised a child she was no spring chicken, but now, some ten years has passed and it is very possible that menopause had set in, eliminating any human possibility for her to have a child. Therefore she directed her frustration with the Lord to Abram. Sarai questioned not only God’s promise, but also his character. This is the temptation that can arise when we are in God’s waiting room, a temptation that is presented before us from the Devil himself.

What took place in Genesis 16 parallels what happened in Genesis 3. When the serpent (the Devil) tempted Eve, he did so with questions about God’s truthfulness and God’s character. The Devil was at it once again; he wanted Sarai to give into the temptation and to question God’s timing and ability.

The Devil had a vested interest in tempting Sarai. You have to remember that the Lord sentenced the Devil to ultimate defeat back in Genesis 3 when he said that the seed of the woman would crush the seed of the serpent. This was an indication of the Devil’s ultimate doom, a doom that would come through the seed of the woman, through the seed of Abraham, and that was sealed by the person of Jesus Christ. The Devil did not want the promised child to come about because he did not want to meet his ultimate destiny of destruction.

In the same way that the Devil tried to thwart the plan of God’s unfolding redemption, he also tries to thwart God’s plans for our lives when we are waiting on God to act on our behalf. In thwarting that plan he will tempt us so that we will begin to question God’s timing and ability.

It is important to note that even after Genesis 16 and all that takes place in it, Sarai will still have to wait about another fifteen years to see the promise of a child fulfilled. The reason for the long wait is that God wants Abram and Sarai to be in a situation where only God’s ability and power could bring about the fulfillment of the promise.

Similar temptations take place with people who sign up for short-term mission trips. They put their name down to go even though they don’t have the money. They make their needs known, but the money does not come. They begin to question God’s timing and ability almost to the point of backing out. I tell people like that to wait because the Devil wants to keep people from going to share the gospel, but God likes to get us to where we know without a doubt that he, and he alone, provides.

If we fail to overcome the temptation of questioning God’s timing and ability, it can lead us to more troubles. When we get frustrated with God, then we are tempted to look to the world for solutions to our situation.

We Are Tempted to
Look to the World for Solutions

That is exactly what Sarai did. Past the point of no return, she let the temptation of the Devil cast doubt about the Lord and seduce her senses, and with this she would now look to the world for a solution to her situation.

Sarai had a plan, a worldly strategy, but at least she could see something in action. That seemed more than what God was doing at this point. Sarai devised her own plot with her maid Hagar and Abram as the main characters, “Please go into my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her” (Genesis 16:2). You can see her thinking at this point, “God gives us the ability to make decisions and act on them, so maybe he’s waiting for me to do something.” At this point, Sarai, like Eve, decided to be like God and help him out with fulfilling his promise. But in reality she resorted to a human solution to a divine situation.

What Sarai proposed was a regular and accepted practice in her culture. If the wife was barren, it was not uncommon for the husband to take another wife for the purpose of having children. We should not think it too odd; it is similar to our having surrogate mothers today. But the reality of this solution is that it was a worldly way out.

Further evidence this was a worldly resolution is found in the fact that Hagar was an Egyptian. Most likely, Abram and Sarai attained Hagar during their journey into Egypt, a journey they took because Abram, instead of waiting on God, looked to the world for solutions. Also, you may remember that for the most part when God’s people went to Egypt they did so because they were not trusting in the Lord, but looking to the world for solutions. That is what Sarai did; she looked to the world instead of waiting on the Lord.

What may seem to be an acceptable practice to the world may not be from the Lord. The Lord intended for man to be married to one woman and to have children with his wife. Thus, the world may accept a common solution to a situation, but that does not mean that it is God’s will. Yet we are quick to act on our own, as evidenced by Abram’s response to Sarai’s suggestion. Here, Abram reveals one more temptation: when waiting on God we listen to other voices for our supervision.

We Are Tempted to Listen to
Other Voices for Our Supervision

Sarai told Abram the plan and then he responded, “And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.” (Genesis 16:2). Who did Abram listen to? He listened to his wife. This is exactly what happened in Genesis 3 with Adam; he listened to the voice of Eve. In both instances the husbands relinquished their responsibility of leadership by listening to the voices of their wives when they should have listened to the voice of God. In Adam’s case he should have remembered that the Lord told him personally not to eat of the tree. In Abram’s case he should have told Sarai that the Lord promised him in a vision a child through Abram and his God-ordained wife. Don’t get me wrong; sometimes it is wise for husbands to listen to their wives, but never in disobedience to God’s word, which is the context of Adam and Abram’s situations.

When we are in God’s holding pattern, we will begin to hear many voices, voices of doubt, temptation, and despair, voices with worldly solutions. But the one voice we must listen to is that of the Lord. Waiting on God is the hardest part because we are often tempted to question God’s timing and ability, to look to the world for solutions, and to listen to those whose counsel is not godly. When we give into these temptations instead of waiting on God, we will find that the troubles we are trying solve will not depart.

The Troubles Will Not Depart

Sarai might have had good intentions when she took things into her own hands, but her plans would cause problems. When Sarai and Abram tried to solve a divine situation with a human solution, they learned two lessons. First, they learned that when you fail to wait on God and resort to human solutions, troubles are not solved; instead, they become worse.

Human Solutions Can Make Troubles Worse

In verses 3 through 6 Sarai and Abram resorted to the human solution for fulfilling God’s divine plan, “After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband as his wife.” This designation of Hagar as “Abram’s wife” elevated Hagar from her lowly position as Sarai’s servant to being her equal. The change in status also shows a transfer of authority and responsibility. Hagar was previously Sarai’s responsibility, but now she would be Abram’s responsibility.[1]

Verse 4 tells us that Abram and Sarai had relations and that Hagar conceived. Their plan was successful. Or was it? Sarai would soon find out that in addition to this not solving her infertility problem, she had made things worse.

Hagar, enjoying her elevated status and the fact that she was carrying Abram’s child, let pride take over. “He went into Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.” Hagar had an attitude problem. We are told that she despised Sarai in her sight. The Hebrew word translated “despised” in this verse is the same root of the Hebrew word translated “curse” in Genesis 12:3 where the Lord promises Abram that he will curse those who curse Abram. Hagar showed great disrespect and dishonor toward her former mistress. Not only did that make things worse between Hagar and Sarai, but it also caused problems between husband and wife.

The once quiet and peaceful home was now a battlefield with Hagar despising Sarai, Sarai in turn despising Hagar, and now Sarai blaming Abram for Hagar’s attitude, “And Sarai said to Abram, ‘May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the Lord judge between you and me.” Sarai, in so many words, attacked Abram and blamed him for her problems. Isn’t that just like human nature? Instead of taking responsibility for our own sins we blame others.

Abram would respond by once again acquiescing to his wife instead of assuming leadership, “But Abram said to Sarai, ‘Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” Abram put Hagar back under the power and responsibility of Sarai by moving Hagar back to her servant position.

Sarai would use her rank to get back at Hagar, “So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.” The word “harshly” is the same word used to describe the treatment of the Israelites when they were in bondage in Egypt. Hagar received treatment so cruel that she had to flee from Abram’s home.

The human solution to a divine promise did not work out. Things got terribly worse within the household of Abram. Disunity as well as abuse plagued the home. Why? Human solutions often intensify troubles. One person has rightly said, “In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably, or succeed more miserably.”[2] Though the conception might have seemed like a successful solution to their problem, their troubles multiplied—and they became permanent.

Human Solutions
Can Make Troubles Permanent

After Hagar fled, she made her way into the wilderness and stopped by a spring on the way to Shur. It is by this spring that Hagar would have an encounter with the angel of the Lord. The appearing of the angel of the Lord is what theologians call a theophany. In this theophany we see God address Hagar’s affliction. What took place between the Lord and Hagar demonstrates the concern God has for all people. Abram was God’s chosen man, but God was and is still concerned for those (like Hagar) outside the covenant.

The Lord would take care of Hagar and her child; however, another gross effect of Sarai and Abram’s human intervention would result in Hagar’s son Ishmael becoming a permanent problem for the nation of Israel. In Genesis 16:10, the Lord told Hagar that he would “greatly multiply her descendants, so that they will be too many to count.” The angel of the Lord went on to say, “Behold, you are with child, and you will bear a son; and you shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has given heed to your affliction. He will be a wild donkey of a man, his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; and he will live to the east of his brothers” (Genesis 16:11–12). Ishmael’s future would be characterized by hostility. To be a “wild donkey” means to be in constant conflict. Ishmael and his descendants would always be in conflict with Abram’s promised child, Isaac.

Even today, looking at the relations between the Middle East and Israel, we witness the enduring and permanent nature of the problem that Sarai and Abram created by resorting to their own solution. Despite the great deal of talk about peace in the Middle East and between the Israelis and Arabs, it will truly never happen because the Lord says here that there will be constant conflict between Ishmael and his half brother Isaac. Every time you read about an explosion in Israel or about Israel attacking the Palestinians, remember that the conflict is the fruit of not waiting on God.

How can we avoid making mistakes like Abram and Sarai? How can we keep ourselves from the temptation to act on our circumstances while we should be waiting on God? The answer is found in the heart.

The Answer Is in the Heart

Let’s examine the dialogue in Genesis 16 between the Lord and Hagar. In this discourse the Lord reveals a truth that Abram and Sarai knew, but because of their impatience they forgot. What the Lord promised Hagar and how she responded reveals the great truth of this chapter—answers are found in who God is and can be attained only from within the heart of God’s people. To wait for the Lord, not resorting to our own hasty actions, we need a heart that prays.

A Heart that Prays

The dialogue between Hagar and the Lord says nothing about prayer, but the implication exists in the name the Lord gave to Hagar’s son, “Behold, you are with child, and you will bear a son; and you shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has given heed to your affliction.” The name Ishmael means “God hears.” It does not say that Hagar prayed, but we know that the Lord heard her affliction, her crying out because of the harsh treatment at the hands of her mistress Sarai.

When Hagar went back to live in the house of Abram and gave birth to the child, Abram did indeed name him Ishmael. Hagar told Abram everything the Lord told her when he appeared to her in the wilderness. Every time Abram and Sarai said the name Ishmael they would be reminded of their failure to fervently pray and wait on God instead of resorting to human devices. Too many times God’s people have the attitude “when all else fails, pray.” But the reality is all else will fail, unless we pray. Unfortunately, Abram and Sarai found this out the hard way.

Are you in God’s waiting room? Then pray. God hears you and he understands the affliction you are in. Don’t question God. Don’t look to the world. Don’t listen to other voices for direction. Pray fervently to the Lord, for he hears you and he sees you, he knows what you need and when you need it. Have a heart that not only prays, but that also believes.

A Heart that Believes

Genesis 16:13–14 proves that Hagar believed what the Lord told her, “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are a God who sees’; for she said, ‘Have I even remained alive after seeing him?’ ” What a great declaration of faith and hope. She believed the promise of God, put her hope in the promise, and then made her way back to Abram and Sarai as the Lord commanded.

God puts us in his waiting room, sometimes in long holding patterns for a reason. He makes us wait so we will learn to seek him in prayer and take him at his word. He doesn’t answer right away so that he can produce within us a character that perseveres. His purposeful delay helps us learn to trust in his wise and sovereign will. The more quickly we learn to submit and yield to him, the less trouble we will bring upon ourselves and the more blessings God will shower upon us.

As I was writing this section of the book, a secular song that I listened to as a teenager kept coming to my mind, The Waiting by Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers. The lyrics speak of a man waiting for a relationship to flower into full-blown love. But the chorus of the song can really speak to the journey of faith and walking with God. In fact, I “borrowed” words from the chorus for the title of this chapter.

The waiting is the hardest part

Everyday you see one more card

You take it on faith, you take it to the heart

The waiting is the hardest part

Certainly on the journey of faith the waiting is the hardest part. It is hard because of the temptations that will come as we wait for God to act. It is difficult because when we give into those temptations and resort to human solutions apart from God the troubles do not really depart, but often become worse and sometimes permanent. The answer for waiting is found in the heart that knows that God hears and sees, leading us to pray and believe, yielding patiently to God’s wise and sovereign will.

Are you waiting on God? To give you guidance? To bring you deliverance? Pray, believe, and wait patiently because the Lord hears you and sees you. Pray and believe because “the Lord fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them” (Psalm 145:19). Keep waiting—God will act on your behalf in his perfect timing.

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[1]Hartley 165.

[2]Wiersbe 56.

By Faith: Standing on the Promises of God

STANDING ON
THE PROMISES OF GOD

Genesis 15:1–21

Introduction

J. Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, traveled to a bank in England to open up an account for the China Inland Mission. While filling out the application, he came across a question asking him to designate his assets. Taylor wrote, “ten pounds and the promises of God.” Hudson Taylor was a great man of faith, and the foundation for his life of faith stood on the promises of God. The promises of God are stepping-stones upon the path of life that enable his people to move forward in the life of faith.

The promises of God in Genesis 12:1–3 enabled Abram to take a step of faith toward the Promised Land. The promises of God saved Abram when he took a different path, a path that was not in line with God’s plans. The promises of God gave Abram the victory over the four kings in Genesis 14, and in Genesis 15 we’ll see how they enabled Abram to continue on his journey of faith.

The promises God declares in Genesis 15 are not new; rather, they are God’s confirmation of promises he gave to Abram in Genesis 12. God’s continuous confirmation and reassurance of his promises keep Abram going in the right direction.

Genesis 15 is a pivotal chapter both in the narrative of the life of Abram as well in the story of God’s great plan of redemption for all humanity. It begins a significant transition from a focus on the Promised Land to a focus on that of the promised seed, or the heirs of Abram. Of great importance is the glimpse Genesis provides of God’s unfolding plan of redemption. Genesis 15 is mentioned three times in the New Testament, twice by the apostle Paul and once by the apostle James. In all three occurrences we find them defending justification by faith and expounding on the nature of true saving faith.[1]

All those who are on the journey of faith can stand on the same promises that Abraham was able to stand on. Charles Spurgeon has rightly said that the promises of God are the Christian’s “Magna Charta of liberty, they are the title deeds of his heavenly estate. They are the jewel room in which the Christian’s crown treasures are preserved.” The first observation that we make in Genesis 15 is that God’s people stand on his supernatural promises.

Standing on God’s Supernatural Promises

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great.” (Genesis 15:1)

As I’ve mentioned before, God’s people are most vulnerable to temptation and discouragement after great victories won by the Lord. Abram, after making a great declaration of no-compromise to the king of Sodom, would become discouraged and somewhat dismayed. After the great battle we read about in Genesis 14, God, knowing Abram’s thoughts and feelings, would address them in a supernatural way, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.” Before we examine the nature of the word of God that came to Abram, we would do well to recognize the means by which Abram received this word.

The text tells us that the word of the Lord came to Abram “in a vision.” This type of vision was one way that God’s prophets would receive a word from him. The manner in which Abram received the word suggests that Abram was a prophet, a title that in Genesis 20:7 would be specifically given to Abram.[2]

In addition, the vision that brought about the word was similar to other instances in the Bible where God’s word was used to bring encouragement to certain people or groups. The Lord also calms fears as well as encourages. In the New Testament three such occurrences (Acts 18:9; 23:11; 27:23) take place with the apostle Paul.[3] God’s vision to Abram would come to calm his fears as well as to encourage him.

The very first thing the word of God addresses is Abram’s fear, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not fear.’ ” We can only speculate as to what caused Abram to fear. It could have been the reality of the hostility that he would have to face on his journey of faith. Perhaps while he was waiting for God to fulfill his promises, doubt and fear set in. One thing we know for sure: the Lord is going to address Abram’s fears and he does so through his supernatural promises. The first promise he gives to Abram is one of supernatural protection.

The Promise of Supernatural Protection

The promise of supernatural protection is found in the Lord’s declaration to Abram, “I am a shield to you.” The Hebrew word translated here as “shield” is the same root of the Hebrew word in Genesis 14:20, which is translated “deliver.” The context of the latter is when Melchizedek declared that the Lord was the one who brought Abram’s deliverance from the enemy. In Genesis 15:1 the Lord confirmed his blessing upon Abram by promising him continual supernatural protection. The word translated as shield is appropriate because a warrior would carry a shield for protection. In the same manner, the Lord promises Abram that he would deliver him from the enemy, that he would be his protection in the midst of a hostile territory. Just as the Lord supernaturally protected Abram from Pharaoh, and just as the Lord supernaturally protected Abram from the power of the four kings, the Lord would continue to give Abram supernatural protection throughout his journey of faith.

King David trusted in the Lord’s supernatural protection when he said in Psalm 3 that the Lord was his “shield.” Likewise, when David declared in Psalm 23, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me,” he was declaring that the Lord would protect him with a supernatural protection.

The Promise of Supernatural Provision

The Lord also gave Abram a promise of supernatural provision in the latter part of verse 1, “Your reward shall be very great.” The idea the Lord conveyed to Abram is that of “payment.” This phrase is tied in with the previous chapter. It was after the blessing of Melchizedek that Abram responded by giving a tenth of all the plunder that he accumulated from the battle. By tithing on the plunder, Abram acknowledged that the Lord was truly the “possessor of heaven and earth” and that God was the source of victory.

After tithing ten percent of the plunder, the king of Sodom offered Abram all the plunder for himself; however, Abram did not accept it because he did not want to compromise his faith and bring dishonor upon the Lord.[4] The Lord affirmed to Abram that his faithfulness did not go unnoticed and that the Lord would take care of his provisions.

Some translate this verse to mean that the Lord is Abram’s reward, that is, because Abram has the Lord he does not need the tainted plunder of earthly kings.[5] I would say that because Abram has the Lord as his reward, he could be sure of the Lord’s provisions. Abram does not have to take tainted plunder because the Lord, the King of kings, is greater than any king, including Pharaoh or the king of Sodom. Abram did not have to compromise his faith to get ahead because the Lord would reward his faithfulness.

The apostle Paul declared this truth when he wrote, “My God will supply all your needs according to the riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Just as the Lord promised to reward the faithfulness of Abram, he also promises to reward the faithfulness of all his children.

The promise of supernatural provision reminds me of one of the stories that I heard while I was serving at First Baptist Church of Dallas. A woman in the church was a very generous giver to kingdom purposes. She always wore a necklace with a gold shovel pendant. She said that she wore it because it reminded her that she could never out give the Lord and that her “reward shall be very great.”

Many men would have been totally satisfied with the supernatural promises of protection and provision given to Abram, but Abram wasn’t. This is not to say that Abram disrespected these two great promises or that he did he not care for them. But Abram was looking for something greater—the fulfillment of the promise of a supernatural progeny.

The Promise of a Supernatural Progeny

Up to this point we have seen monologue recorded on the part of the Lord, but now we will “listen in” on a dialogue between Abram and the Lord. Genesis 15:2 presents the first recorded conversation between God and Abram.[6] Abram responded to the Lord’s promises with what seems at first like a complaint, “Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ ” The “ complaint” that Abram made is by no means from a lack of faith in God or from unbelief, rather it is a show of Abram’s confidence that God would, as promised in Genesis 12 and 13, make him a “great nation”[7] and make his descendents “as the dust of the earth.”[8]

In Abram’s mind the promises of supernatural protection and provision meant nothing if he had no son to benefit from the inheritance. If anything, the question Abram posed arose out of trust. Abram believed the Lord would make him a great nation and make his descendants as many as the dust of the earth, but he wanted to know when and how God would fulfill his promise.

Abram and Sarai were already up there in years and, from Abram’s perspective, God seemed to be taking his time in fulfilling his promise. Their biological clocks stopped ticking a long time ago and Abram thought a delay was not going to help. Cultural practices were also at the forefront of Abram’s mind when he said to the Lord, “I am childless, and the heir of my household is Eliezer of Damascus.” It was common practice that if there were no blood heir, the head of the household would adopt a servant in the household to be the heir.[9] But as we read further, we see that the Lord addressed Abram’s concern. God revealed how he would bring about the fulfillment of his promise, and then he illustrated the magnitude of the promise.

First the Lord addressed the “how.” “Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body” (Genesis 15: 4, emphasis added). The Lord told Abram to have no doubt about how he would bring about this promised seed. Though Abram and Sarai were childless, God would bring through them a promised descendent.

To be without a child in Abram’s day had different connotations than it does today. In Bible times, people thought being childless was a sign of God’s judgment from their wickedness. But in Abram’s case it was an opportunity for God to show his supernatural power. Abram and Sarai were both well past childbearing years and the prospect of having a child eluded them long ago, but God would use their childlessness as an opportunity to show his power. The Lord would use his supernatural power to turn Abram and Sarai’s hopeless situation into one filled with hope.

The Lord confirmed his promise of a supernatural progeny with a sign in verse 5, a sign that showed the magnitude of God’s promise, “And he took Abram outside and said, ‘Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And he said to him, ‘so shall your descendants be. ”

Obviously, from this verse we learn that Abram’s vision came to him while he was in his house. The Lord took Abram outside to look into the sky and count the stars. Imagine Abram’s thoughts as God revealed the enormity of his promise in this great object lesson. The first time the Lord reaffirmed his promise to Abram he had him look down to the ground and count the dust. Some say that this was to reaffirm the Lord’s commitment to give Abram the land. This time the Lord had Abram look up to the stars.

Most likely the use of “stars” to reaffirm the promise is pointing back to Abram’s earlier declaration in Genesis 14:22 when he said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the Lord, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth.” To declare God to be possessor of heaven and earth pointed to the creative power of God. It was God’s creative power that made the heavens and the earth, and it will be God’s supernatural, creative power that would enable Abram to have descendants that outnumber the dust of the earth and the stars of the sky. Just as the Lord was faithful in his supernatural and creative power in the past, he would also be faithful to demonstrate this power in Abram’s future.[10]

Abram could stand on the Lord’s supernatural promises of protection, provision, and progeny. In the same way, we who are living the life of faith can stand on the promises of God, knowing that the all-powerful God who made the heavens and earth will uphold his promises.

When we claim a promise such as the one given in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” God’s people can be assured that an all-powerful, supernatural God will keep that promise because of his supernatural power. Not only do we stand on God’s supernatural promises, but we also stand on God’s saving promises.

Standing on God’s Saving Promises

Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

Abram will respond to the Lord’s reaffirmation of his promise in verse 6. We find that this was a saving response to God’s promise. It is important that we understand before we get into this verse the importance it plays in God’s unfolding plan of redemption and justification before God by faith alone. This great verse is used in the New Testament to teach how one is saved, by faith alone. That is why I call it Abram’s saving response to God’s promise.

The Response to God’s Saving Promise

“Then he believed in the Lord”(Genesis 15:6). This declaration is a transition statement for the whole chapter, showing us the response to the first appearance that Abram had with God in this chapter and preparing us for a second appearance (which might never have happened had Abram responded differently).

To say that Abram believed the Lord in this verse is not to say that this is the first time Abram had faith in the Lord, for it was by faith that Abram left his home of Ur and traveled to the Promised Land. Abram’s faith had been demonstrated by his actions, that is, by his obedience to the word of the Lord. We need to view Genesis 15:6 not as Abram’s initial step of faith, but instead as his response to the supernatural promise of God reaffirmed in the first five verses of Genesis 15.

This is the first time the word “believed” is used in the Bible. It is the Hebrew word “amen.” The idea conveyed by this word is that of certainty. Faith is not something that we deem possible or hopeful, but instead, biblical faith means to believe with total firmness and certainty in the object of belief.[11] This invites the question concerning that which Abram believes with certainty. In what did Abram place his total trust concerning the Lord’s supernatural promises?

From the immediate text we can conclude that Abram believed the Lord would protect him, provide for him, and ultimately give him a child. All of these promises are directly related to the promises given to Abram back in Genesis 12. His belief revealed in Genesis 15 is connected more with the supernatural progeny than with anything else, and it is connected with the promises to become a great nation and to have descendants that outnumber the dust of the earth and the stars of the heavens. If all we had was the book of Genesis, we could conclude that this is exactly what Abram “believed in the Lord.” But the New Testament, especially the teachings of Paul found in the book of Galatians, gives us greater insight into exactly what Abram believed.

In Galatians 3 we see three indications of exactly what Abram believed here in Genesis 15. First, Paul told us that Abram believed in the gospel, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel before hand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you’ ” (Galatians 3:8). Paul pointed back to God’s promise of Genesis 12 and declared that Abram understood the statement, “All nations will be blessed in you” as more than a physical blessing, but rather as the greatest spiritual blessing of all, salvation.[12]

Second, we learn from the third chapter of Galatians that Abram believed in redemption. According to verses 10 through 14, Paul declared that Christ redeemed us from the curse of sin. This was done in Christ Jesus, who as Paul says “is the blessing of Abraham.” Christ made the payment that set us free from the penalty and the power of sin. Abraham believed in God’s redemption.[13]

Third, we learn from the teachings of Paul that Abraham believed in Christ. Paul points to this truth in Galatians 3:16 when he wrote, “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ.”

If we go back to the book of Genesis we can confirm that Paul is referring to the use of the Hebrew word translated “descendants” or “seed.” The literal translation is the singular form of the word “seed.” Paul explained that Abraham understood this promise as more than just a promise of many descendants, but as a promise of one particular descendant—the Redeemer Jesus Christ—who would bring justification from sin to the whole world.[14]

Abram believed in God’s good news, in God’s redemption, and in a specific descendant who would bring salvation and justification. Did he understand the promise fully? No! But what he did understand completely is that he believed in the Lord. This was Abram’s saving response to God’s saving promise, which brought about a saving result.

The Result of God’s Saving Promise

The result of Abram’s belief in God’s supernatural promise is declared in the latter part of verse 6, “and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” There are two words we need to understand in the saving result of God’s promise: reckoned and righteousness.

As Abram placed his faith in the gospel, in redemption, and in the coming of a particular descendant whom we know as Christ, and God “reckoned it to him as righteousness.” The word “reckoned” has the connotation of crediting or paying something to someone’s account. The Lord imputed righteousness to Abram’s account on the basis of his faith.

Some say that “righteousness” refers to Abram’s act of faith, that is, his act of faith is an act of righteousness, and to some degree it is. But, what this verse means is that when Abram believed in the promise given to him about a particular seed, a seed that would bring eternal blessings, the Lord enabled Abram to have a right standing before God.

Since the fall of humanity recorded in Genesis 3, man has been condemned before God, objects of his wrath. The question that has been asked throughout the ages is, How can a person be righteous before God? Some argue that good works will give a person right standing before God, but the Bible clearly says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). No matter how good our works are before God, our works of righteousness are as filthy rags before a perfect God (Isaiah 64:6).

Only God can make a person righteous before him. Only God can give a person right standing before him. The way God made this possible is through the seed of Abram, who is Christ. Christ took upon himself our sin and has given us his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). The only way that we can have righteousness credited to our account is through faith in God’s provision of salvation. For Abram, his faith was in the promise of salvation, but for you and me our salvation is in the fulfillment of that promise, the fulfillment being Christ.

Abram demonstrated a great theological truth, a truth that Paul declared in Ephesians 2:8–9 when he said, “For by grace you have been saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The only way one can truly have salvation, the only way one can have a right standing before God is by standing on God’s saving promise of salvation in Christ. And the way that we stand on that promise is with a confident trust, not a probable trust, not a hopeful trust, but a certain trust that Christ and Christ alone is our salvation. One of the hymns of the faith describes this truth well.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh may I then in Him be found;

Dressed in his righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.[15]

Any other promise of salvation is no promise at all; it is sinking sand. Abram was standing on the Lord’s supernatural promises, the Lord’s saving promises, and the Lord’s sure promises.

Standing on God’s Sure Promises

After Abram demonstrated his certain belief in the promise of eternal life, the Lord would then make a sure covenant with Abram, a covenant that came only after Abram placed his total trust in the Lord’s saving promise.

The Sure Covenant of God

The covenant that is made in the next verse is one primarily concerning the land the Lord promised to Abram and his descendants, but it is also a covenant that guaranteed the Lord’s fulfillment of both the promise of land and seed.

The Lord said to Abram in verse 7, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” Here the Lord reaffirmed the promise of land to Abram, and Abram responded in verse 8, “How may I know that I will possess it.” Abram believed, but he needed a little help with his faith. In giving Abram help, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, as we’ll read in the verses that follow.

This is not the first time we read of a covenant in Genesis. The Lord made a covenant with Noah in Genesis 6 and with all humanity in Genesis 9, right after the flood. This next covenant the Lord made dealt with Abram’s physical descendants and applies in a secondary manner to Abram’s spiritual descendants, those of us who have placed our faith in Christ Jesus.[16]

Covenants were very common in the ancient Near East. They were made between parties for the purpose of defining the nature of the relationship that was being entered into. The covenant defined the responsibilities and the obligations of both the parties entering into covenant together.[17] But the covenant the Lord made with Abram was different. It was one-sided. God gave the directions to Abram concerning the covenant in verses 9 through 11, telling him to gather animals for sacrifice. The Lord then prophesied concerning the future of Abram’s descendants and how they would suffer under Egyptian bondage and how the Lord would deliver them to back to the Promised Land. After he prophesied, the Lord ratified the covenant, “It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces” (v. 17). The Lord passed through the animal pieces that Abram had cut.

Normally, a covenant like this would require that Abram pass between the cut-up animals; however, it is significant that Abram did not have to pass through. This one-sided covenant was not dependent upon Abram, but upon the Lord himself. The sure covenant of God was based upon the sure character of God.

The Sure Character of God

The covenant was dependent upon God’s grace and upon God’s character. Though potentially Abram would fail at times to fulfill his covenant obligations, the Lord would never fail his. That is why the Lord told Abram that he could be sure that after Egypt he would bring Abram back to his land; God would uphold his end of the covenant. And just as the Lord has been faithful throughout history to his covenant with Abram, Christians can be assured that the Lord is always faithful to his promises. For the eternal covenant that the Lord made is made not with the blood of animals, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18–19). God’s promises are sure because they are not based on what we do, but on who God is.

What promises are you standing on? The only sure promises to stand on are the Lord’s supernatural and saving promises. The only way we can stand on those promises is through total trust in Christ Jesus. If you stand on anything else, you are on sinking sand.

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[1] Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6, James 2:23.

[2]Hamilton 418.

[3]Hamilton 418.

[4]Hartley 155.

[5]Hamilton 419.

[6]Hamilton 419.

[7]Waltke 241.

[8]Genesis 13:16.

[9]Walton and Matthews 41.

[10]Sailhamer 151.

[11]Gleason L. Archer, Jr., R. Laird Harris, and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Workbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980) 51.

[12]Boice 549.

[13]Boice 549.

[14]Boice 550.

[15]“My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less,” words by Edward Mote, circa 1834; music by William B. Bradbury, 1863, verses 1 and 4 and refrain.

[16]Boice 561–562.

[17]Hartley 157–158.