Trust in the God who overcomes (Gen 15:1-6)

Whenever I read Abraham’s story, it never fails to amaze me how he responded to God under circumstances that looked bleak. It reminds me of numerous occasions in my life when the chances of having something hoped for seemed slight in the extreme and the obstacles overwhelming. At times I could not even imagine how God could resolve a particular dilemma – there seemed no solutions even if I could have waved a magic wand over it! Abraham is so relatable because his story is not unlike ours with mountain top experiences and deep ravines that look hopelessly dark. In this particular incident, Abraham is meant to be encouraged – after all, against all odds he gained a tremendous victory over four kings and rescued his relative, Lot. Now God affirms His protection and help (Gen 15:1). The Hebrew ‘shield’ (magen) goes back to the same root as ‘deliver’ (miggen) in Gen 14:20 and echoes Melchizedek’s statement that Abraham’s military success was made possible by God. The patriarch relinquished any claim to the booty that was legitimately his (Gen 14:22-24), and God honours his non-grasping attitude by promising him great rewards.

Engagement in trust

Yet, Abraham is preoccupied by the heartache of not having physical descendants, who would carry on his name and legacy, a tragedy in the ancient world. Although it is clear from his later response and from God’s estimate of him that he trusts God (Gen 15:6), it does not preclude his questioning or wondering about a particular situation. For all he knows, God’s promise of many descendants may have been intended through an adopted son, but it is still painful for him to think that a stranger will inherit all God will give him (Gen 15:2-3).[1] It is also through Abraham’s probing that God reveals more of His plan, namely that the promise refers to physical descendants (Gen 13:4). God also understands Abraham’s need for affirmation given the enormity of this promise and gives him an extra sign by showing him the stars of the sky (Gen 15:5). Abraham’s response of faith to such an outrageous promise is mind-blowing. It is not simply a mental assent to the truth, but trust in the God who promised (the phrase in Hebrew, like in English is ‘believe in’ a person).

Trust as the foundation of the relationship

Reality from a human perspective often belies God’s truth and promises, so trust in God can be hard. A biological child for Abraham would seem impossible in his stage of life and with a barren wife. For us the challenge may be to believe God’s promise that a relationship with Him and living according to His principles will lead to true joy and flourishing rather than things that look attractive and good to us in the world, but which God says will destroy us. Whether we are drawn to particular ways of living, material things, achievements or experiences that offer satisfaction, relationships that promise fulfilment, we are constantly making choices to trust God and His Word or listen to our own counsel. Thus, trust is the foundation on which a relationship with God is built.

God’s response

There is, however, another aspect to Abraham’s attitude, namely that he is not simply a passive recipient of God’s plan. He engages the Lord with his questions and gives voice to how he feels. It is a living and dynamic relationship, not one of apathy that accepts with resignation what God’s will is. Yet even in his questioning, Abraham’s overall attitude is one of uncompromising trust in the God who called him. To such faith God always reacts in extraordinary ways. It is not an accident that following His approval of Abraham’s response (He reckoned the latter’s faith as righteousness – more on this in my next post), God makes a covenant with the patriarch (Gen 15:18) as an extra affirmation of the promise already given in the previous chapters. In other words, God incorporates our response into His plans and will, so those who answer Him with trust will find their faith affirmed and His commitment even more sure.[2] May we be challenged to seek God in growing trust each day.

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[1] Those who adopt today may feel that this distinction between an adopted or a biological child is offensive, but in the ancient world adoption was a practical arrangement in order to have someone look after one in old age or illness and inherit after the death of the adopter. Thus, it was not motivated by the love of having children and the emotional bonds such a relationship created. Rather, an adopted person was generally an adult and the transaction of adoption was more like the contract that elderly people without relatives draw up with a caregiver, who, for instance, might inherit the person’s house in exchange for looking after them.

[2] This principle in no way invalidates the Christian conviction that salvation is by God’s grace alone, not something that we earn. It is simply the point that how we relate to God will affect our lives. Just as in human relationships, those who stand by each other through thick and thin develop a deeper connection and a strengthened commitment, so it is with God.

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