Ninth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Genesis 15:1-6                             

Genesis 15:1-6

“Standing on the promises of God.” These are the words from the refrain of an old gospel song that points us to the anchor of faith. And it is not us, nor is it in us to provide that anchor. Genesis 15 is celebrated as that marvelous text wherein God promises Abram a family. A BIG family.

The text we read this week from the Old Testament is punctuated twice with these words: “the word of the LORD came to Abram (him)” (15:1, 4). Think Jesus. That word of the LORD which New Testament Christians see so clearly as Jesus from the introduction of John’s gospel is the word which comes to His Old Testament Christians. He loves, watches and delivers those living before His birth in Nazareth just as surely as He does anyone born into His family today. 

That anchor I mentioned a bit earlier is this word bringing the declaration of a promise to one of His chosen. In fact, this is the promise that delivers and will deliver not only Abram, but all the family that will come from him. Listen to the word of the LORD: “Then he (word) said to him (Abram), “So shall your offspring be” (v. 5). Like the stars of heaven. “That’s the grandeur of your coming family, Abram,” God could say. And so critical is the promise … “So shall …” You see, it shall be. It shall come to pass. God’s declaration is absolutely sure. It is not dependent on Abram, only offered to him. And he, like we, obtain and secure the blessing of God’s promise by the very faith the promise produces. “And he believed the LORD” (v.6).

The promise is good because the One who promises is good. Abram believed Him. So should we.