The Word, The Assurance, The Promise
Genesis 15:1-21
Every New Year many people desire to make a promise with themselves for self-improvement. They promise such things as quitting smoking, eating less or more healthy, exercising more, etc. And, usually these New Year’s resolutions end up being pushed to the side for just one more day, or just one more week, or “just this once, then I’ll change.”
Our scripture verses today, Genesis 15, has some very important lessons for us as we prepare to go into the New Year. It tells us how we should depend on God. It also tells us how He is there for us, ready to comfort us, to protect us, and to bless us. It also tells of re-assurance and His promise to keep us as we go through life’s struggles.
Chapter 15, when we look at it in general, is filled with God’s revelation for Abram’s life. An invitation for this revelation is found in Genesis 14. There we read that Abram not only rescued his nephew Lot, but also, more importantly, gave a tithe to Melchizedek. God’s revelation does not come to Abram because of the tithe. God doesn’t need the money. Rather, God’s revelation in Genesis 15 comes to Abram because he was faithful in his tithing.
The Bible tells us that we who are faithful in a few things will be put in charge of many things and have the opportunity to share in God’s happiness (Mt. 25:21).
God desires to bless each and every member of IBC. We have that in three points that I’m going to share: His Word, His Assurance, and His Promise.
I. The Word (v.1)
Abram returned to his homeland and chapter 15 of Genesis starts with “After this..” After he rescued Lot and gave his tithe to Melchizedek something happens. The Word comes to Abram.
The Bible (New Testament) tells us exactly what and who this is. It tells us “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14)
Here the Word comes to Abram right after his faithful tithing. Abram followed God out of the Ur of the Chaldeans and relied on God to deliver his enemies into his hands. He built altars at every stop along the way, and worshipped God every step along the way. Sure, there were “sin nature setbacks,” but God still used him. God still glorified Himself through Abram.
It’s key that we understand the conditions that prompted the Word coming to Abram, so that we may know and follow the example of Abram for our own lives. Looking back over Abram’s life we see:
A Heart for God
A Devotion to God
A Dedication to God.
A Heart for God -
The previous chapters of Genesis reveal in Abram a maturing heart for God. It reveals a heart that is always filled with the goodness of God. Though sometimes slightly off, Abram’s heart was always aiming at God’s desires for his life. That was his hidden agenda. Even though he lied about Sarai in Egypt, his motive was aimed at God! In Genesis 16, we see him having a son by his wife’s handmaiden. Again, his heart was aimed at pleasing God.
We do things, sometimes the wrong things, for God. Our original intention may have had the earmarks of glorifying Him. Our heart may have had the right attitude but it’s just slightly out of tune with God’s will. God recognizes this. He recognized it in Abram. Even though Abram lied in Egypt, he was still blessed with material growth, and probably spiritual growth as well.
Even though you made the wrong decision, as long as your heart was aimed at God you will mature spiritually. Even though you mess everything up, as long as your heart’s motive was aimed at pleasing God, you will grow spiritually. Abram had a heart condition, a heart that was conditioned to aim at pleasing God.
A Devotion to God -
Along with a heart for God, Abram had devotion, a commitment to God. This is something that God is always on the lookout for. The Bible tells us in 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
Abram’s life was given over to God…surrendered to God…devoted to God.
A Dedication to God -
We see those two conditions (heart and devotion) that manifest themselves in Abram and we also see a dedication to God. When we yield our hearts to the goodness of God, when we devote ourselves to glorifying God and dedicate all that we have to following God, we will be yielding ourselves to the Word of the Lord, and fully ready to be used by God.
We should always be re-evaluating our lives and our growth in Him. We should always be careful in our walk and avoid anything that will draw us away from the Lord. The Word of the Lord can come at anytime to anyone in any circumstance, but, if we’re not ready for the Word, it won’t do us any good.
If we have the heart, the devotion, and the dedication – the Word comes, and what does the Bible says the Word brings?
“Do not be afraid (comfort), I am your shield (protection), your very great reward (Blessing).”
The Word brings
Comfort
Protection
Blessing.
Comfort –
When we are following God’s path for our lives, such as reading and studying the Bible, worshipping, praising, and witnessing, the Word, when it comes to us, brings comfort. However, when we are out of God’s will, when we have sin in our lives, the Word, when it comes to us, brings discomfort. When we are following God we are told in the Bible to not be afraid, but in Romans chapter 11, Paul cautions us that those branches that are not abiding in the vine and yielding fruit will be broken off. He then tells us to be afraid, lest we be broken off, too.
The living Word, Jesus Christ, brings a soothing comfort to our hearts and lives when we are in the right relationship with God. Yet, when we break that fellowship, the Word of God becomes the last thing we want to hear.
We are strongly advised in Hebrews 4:12.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
The living Word brings comfort to lonely, comfort to the sick, and comfort to those that incline themselves toward God. The Word brings comfort, and it brings:
Protection –
The living Word is powerful. With a Word the devil was cast out of heaven; with the Word, Jesus overcame Satan; with the Word we have the Power of the Creator of the universe to protect us.
Psalm 91:14 says, "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”
That ever-present help is there to protect. The Word, the Name, heals and protects. We can have the same protection that Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, and David had.
Abram sought God in all that he did and God delivered his enemies into his hands. God protected him. Back in Genesis 12, it was the Lord that inflicted Pharaoh’s household (not Abram). Abram thought he knew best, but the Lord knew better and delivered him out of Egypt.
Sometimes we may be slightly off in our course of action or those decisions we make, but if we’re in the Lord, He’ll deliver us, just like he did for Abram. It may or may not be as dramatic, but He will rescue you! He will protect you!
The Word brings wonderful comfort and strong protection. And, it brings:
Blessing:
The Word came to Abram and what did it say? “Do not be afraid, I am your shield, your very great reward.” There was blessing in the Word. What was the blessing? The Lord Himself! When we put our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are immediately blessed because He comes into our hearts. What other reward could top that?
II. The Assurance
The Bible tells us in verse 6 of Genesis 15, that Abram believed the Lord, and He (the Lord) credited it to him as righteousness. But, between the appearing of the Word in verse 1 and Abram’s belief in verse 6, we see Abram respectfully placing what seems to be an ultimatum before God. Abram seems to be demanding or arguing, in a nice way, rather than waiting on what God had promised him.
These verses contain no disbelief in God on Abram’s part. I believe that Abram believed in the Lord and believed the He was capable of doing what He said He could do. What I notice is a little impatience in his belief, or maybe even a disbelief that the Lord would actually bless him. Abram says, “You have given me no children…” which means 1) he believed in God, 2) that he was looking to the Lord to bring him a son, and 3) he was wondering when that would be, or, if the Lord was still planning on it, or actually going to do it.
The Lord compassionately took him out into the night and showed him the stars and assured him that his descendants would be just as numerous as the stars. This assurance, this compassionate Word spoken at just His right time, was all that Abram needed, for the scripture says Abram believed that he would have many descendants.
Do you wonder? Go to the Lord! Are you looking for a promised blessing? God to the Lord! He’s there, and He will answer.
Abram was now, for the time being, re-assured that he would have a son. But, there was the question of land. He wasn’t sure that the land would be given over to him and his descendants. How did God respond? He responded with:
III. The Promise
Earlier I talked about how Abram believed in the existence of God. This chapter shows Abram struggling not with disbelief in the Lord or in the saving grace of the Lord, but rather in believing that the Lord would actually bless him. His mind, like our minds, was finite in its thinking. He couldn’t comprehend the Lord. He had yet to see the full force of the Lord rain down on Sodom and Gomorrah. He had yet to experience the blessing of Isaac being born. Up to this point he had only talked with the Lord and had only witnessed the minor distress of Pharaoh and Pharaoh’s army.
Isn’t that the way it is with us? We’ve experienced the Lord working on and in our hearts but we haven’t really seen anything dramatic happen in our lives. Oh, we’ve seen some seemingly ‘natural’ things but we don’t see any super in the natural (supernatural).
Yes, Abram was a man just like you and me. Abram needed something more and God knew what that was, a promise. Abram needed a promise, a covenant from the Lord that He would do what He claimed He would do. Abram wanted accountability…
Be careful in what you ask for. God came down, put Abram to sleep to protect him from His glory and made a covenant with Abram. Swearing by Himself, for there was nothing higher to swear by, that He would deliver Abram the land He promised.
Abram now had his accountability, but with that accountability would come an accountability of his own. We see that with Ishmael and the people that came from him.
God promises to bless us. He desires to grow us into His likeness. He desires to sanctify us, to set us apart for His use.
The Word, The Assurance, The Promise
With the Word comes assurance, and with assurance comes the promise.
