“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you,’” (Genesis 12:1-3).
What a promise? So off Abram went in obedience to the Lord and probably with great expectation. I can imagine him picturing in his mind a great piece of land filled with livestock and crops, him sitting on the veranda looking at his many great-grandchildren playing on the lawns. He may have imagined at least twelve children, each with maybe twelve children, I don’t know. That is probably what we would have thought, isn’t it?
Abram became very rich, but remained living in tents until he received another promise. “The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted,’” (Genesis 13:14-16), and much later in Genesis 17:1-4: “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.” And then Abram’s name changed to Abraham.
Considering yourself and the way you are thinking, the way you were brought up and are taught at church; if you were in Abraham’s shoes, how would you have felt and thought? We probably would have imagined some kind of empire that we could run with all our children, or maybe a world-wide ministry with which our children helped us and would continue with after we have passed away.
But there was Abraham who eventually got one son, only one son at the age of one hundred years. Even though he was blessed financially, he was still living in tents and what was the chance of more children. But the worst was still to come. “Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about,’” (Genesis 22:2). The rest of the account could be read at http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2022:1-18&version=NIV1984.
This passage ends with: “‘I swear by myself’, declares the Lord, ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me,’” (Verses 16-18).
Because Abraham was in covenant with the Lord, his sacrificing of his only son gave God the mandate to sacrifice His only son, which is why all believers, i.e. God’s children, are Abraham’s descendants – as numerous as the dust of the earth.
Did Abraham see the numerous children promised to him? No. Hebrews 11 tells of those who lived and suffered by faith and concludes with these words: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect,” (verses 39, 40).
Everything is about God’s plan and in our next message we are going to look at how we fit into it.
Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.
Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.
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