Gen 15:1-6 | KingComments | STEP | Here begins a new part in the history of Abram. This history can be divided into three parts containing 1. in Genesis 12-14: God’s public acts with Abram; 2. in Genesis 15-21: God’s ‘private conversations’ with Abraham; 3. in Genesis 22-24: Abraham as a picture of God the Father. After his refusal to accept anything from the king of Sodom, the LORD speaks to Abram in a vision. From what He says, we can conclude that Abram needs comfort, encouragement. The LORD encourages him by saying Who He is for him. Is Abram afraid, perhaps of retribution of his defeated enemies? The LORD says unto him that he himself is his shield, his protector. Did Abram refuse goods? The LORD says to him that He Himself – not: shall be, but – is his very great reward. This is a great encouragement to anyone who refuses to have anything to do with the world. For everything we refuse for the sake of the Lord Jesus, the reward is not so much something the Lord gives us, but what He Himself is for us. For what we refuse for His sake, He Himself comes in place with all His riches. Owning the Giver is much more than owning what He gives. The Lord wants to be everything to the heart of every one who refuses the wealth of the world.

‏ Genesis 15:1-6

Introduction

Here begins a new part in the history of Abram. This history can be divided into three parts containing

1. in Genesis 12-14: God’s public acts with Abram;

2. in Genesis 15-21: God’s ‘private conversations’ with Abraham;

3. in Genesis 22-24: Abraham as a picture of God the Father.

Who the LORD Is for Abram

After his refusal to accept anything from the king of Sodom, the LORD speaks to Abram in a vision. From what He says, we can conclude that Abram needs comfort, encouragement. The LORD encourages him by saying Who He is for him. Is Abram afraid, perhaps of retribution of his defeated enemies? The LORD says unto him that he himself is his shield, his protector. Did Abram refuse goods? The LORD says to him that He Himself – not: shall be, but – is his very great reward.

This is a great encouragement to anyone who refuses to have anything to do with the world. For everything we refuse for the sake of the Lord Jesus, the reward is not so much something the Lord gives us, but what He Himself is for us. For what we refuse for His sake, He Himself comes in place with all His riches. Owning the Giver is much more than owning what He gives. The Lord wants to be everything to the heart of every one who refuses the wealth of the world.

Two Promises

Abram still has a question. The LORD can indeed give him much, but to whom will he leave it? Abram cannot see further than his immediate surroundings. The only one who qualifies as his successor is his servant. Will he be his heir?

Then Abram gets the wonderful promise that he will have a son himself. In that son, the son of the promise, God will fulfill His promises. That speaks for us of the Lord Jesus, the Son, in Whom all the promises of God are yes and amen (2Cor 1:20).

To give an impression of the size and nature of his offspring, the LORD takes Abram outside. He invites him to count the stars. They are untenable. So shall be his descendants. The stars also refer to the fact that Abram shall also have a heavenly people as descendants.

Abram Believes the LORD

Abram believes that the LORD is able to raise life from his already dead body and from the barren and now also dead womb of Sarah (Rom 4:19-20; Heb 11:11). That faith is reckoned to him as righteousness. This truth, that righteousness before God is obtained by faith, is repeated three times in the New Testament (Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6; Jam 2:23).

Abram is declared righteous. His trust in God, that is faith, is answered by God with the awareness that he may and can be in God’s presence. Abram’s faith does justice to God, it does justice to Whom God is. The point is not so much that he believes in God, that he believes that He exists, but that he believes God, that he believes in what God says, that He will do what He says. On this basis God justifies Abram and convinces him in his heart that there is nothing that hinders of being with God. Abram trusts God on His word, while the external circumstances show the opposite.

In Romans 4 this is extended to all who believe: “Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, [He] who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification” (Rom 4:23-25). We read here that whoever believes in God Who raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead, Who was delivered over because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification, is justified by God, that is: declared righteous. Righteousness means being able to be in the presence of God without charge, completely free and in accordance with the right, without any fear of condemnation.