Watchword: Daily Text

August 11, 2013

Genesis 15:1-6

Hebrews 11:1-3; 11-15

Abram was called out Ur of the Chaldees on a journey to follow God to who knows where at age seventy.  He is a man of means; so he packs up lock, stock and barrel and follows this God who called him out of his idolatrous nation.  He follows God to a land yet unknown.  He takes with him his servants, his wife, his father, and his nephew.   In the daily text for today, the Lord appears before Abram, his name had not yet been changed to Abraham for the Abrahamic covenant had not yet been ratified and reminds him that He will multiply his descendants so that they will be as the sands of the sea and the stars of the sky. Abram is speechless; for he and Sarai are well past child-bearing years. Yet God tells him to fear not, but to believe – the concluding verse is “And he [Abram] believed the LORD [Yahweh –this would become the personal name that Jews would use for God; He was Abram’s personal God; indicating a personal faith in a personal God) and he (the LORD) counted it to him (Abram) for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6, ESV).  Abram is continuing and deepening his faith walk. In later chapters in Genesis, it would be sorely tested, but Abram would prove that he really did believe God.

The passage in Hebrews reminds us of the importance of faith – true believing faith that takes God at His word.   It’s the faith that believes God made the worlds out of nothing – that He spoke creation into existence – that this God can do anything. That’s very important with respect to Abraham.  The writer of Hebrews enumerates the instances of faith in the lives of Abraham and Sarah – now in retrospect, the covenant had been ratified and their names had been changed.  First, Abraham willingly left his homeland at the call of God and followed  “not knowing where he was going”  (vs . 9 ESV) – that’s faith. Second, Sarah conceived a child in her old age, because she believed God could do it – that’s faith.  Third, many descendants came from a man who was as “good as dead” (vs. 10 ESV) because he believed God – that’s faith.  Fourth, they never saw the end of their faith – the full fruit of their faith, but still they believe.  The writer of Hebrews adds this codicil – “God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (vs. 16 ESV).   What a testimony at the end of life that God is not ashamed of their faith and He was not ashamed to be their God. WOW! What a testimony …God was not ashamed or embarrassed by them.  There were stumblings along the way, to be sure, but the overall walk was one of faith.  They soared in the end, despite their failings and we can as well.   The ending of verse sixteen is Messianic—a reminder that the promise was the Abraham would carry forth the Messianic seed- he would be in the line of Christ and one day Heaven! [1]

What about you? Is your faith for your salvation in the finished work of Jesus? Abraham looked ahead. We look back.  How is your faith walk? Do you demand proof before you walk in obedience? Or can you like Abraham follow at times – not knowing, but still trusting?   Can you put your failures behind you, claim forgiveness based solely on the cross and look to the future?  Is God glad to be called your God?

Watchword for the Day:  Trusting Obedience

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[1] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for polis (Strong's 4172)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2013. 11 Aug 2013. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=G4172&t=KJV >.