The Calling of Abraham (18)

Rev. J.B. Zippro, Grand Rapids, MI

What wilt Thou give me, seeing I go childless?” In this request in Genesis 15:2, Abram was not only complaining about a temporal need. It was connected to what the Lord had spoken to him in his life from the beginning up until this time. The Lord had given him so many things. He had riches, honor, and victories over his enemies, but what the Lord had promised him He had not yet fulfilled. As far as Abram was concerned it could not be fulfilled any more because it was impossible for him.

This is the experience of all God’s people when they look upon themselves. Do you know something of that complaint? You say, “Lord, it is impossible,” speaking not only about temporal needs but also about the spiritual needs of your soul. You say, “The Lord has given me many things, and I should not complain when I look upon all the wealth and riches I have, but I am missing the one thing for which Abram was longing and was unable to see.” Matthew Henry said that Abram was kept in the dark which means that despite all his honor, cattle, and victory over King Chedorlaomer, and notwithstanding all the gifts which were presented to him, the one promise that really mattered had not been fulfilled.

It had to do not only with the portion of the promise which said, “I will make of thee a great nation” but especially regarding that part of the promise which stated, “In thee shall all nations be blessed.” That was, in fact, the promise of the coming Messiah. When would that be fulfilled in Abram’s life? If that promise is not fulfilled, how shall the Messiah then come, whose coming is also connected to the whole plan of salvation for a lost and miserable sinner? How should that then be fulfilled in Abram’s life? How would he see Christ in his life? “Childless is also Christless,” says Matthew Henry. To go childless would be a trial for Abram, but in going Christless, how shall he stand before the Lord, and how shall that promise be fulfilled? Perhaps you also have the same complaint, “Lord, how shall that be fulfilled in my life?” There is a people that go Christless over the world, and their sighing and crying is, “Lord, how shall Christ be manifested and revealed in my life?”

“I dare not deny that the Lord has begun that good work, but there is still a missing of the one and only Savior, and I still do not have the assurance that I am engrafted in Him. I long for the consciousness of my soul that I may be aware that I am in Christ and know that I am sheltered in Him.” Perhaps also in your life there is a wrestling in your soul—Christless.

Then the Lord came unto Abram with His Word. It came unto him in a very solemn manner. When Christ desired to impress something upon His hearers, He would commence with saying, “Verily, verily,” or as it can also be interpreted, “Amen, amen,” meaning it is certainly so. It was in this manner that the Word of the Lord came to Abram.

We may at times be impressed with a text or with words of a psalter. Sometimes they stay with us for a while, but most of the time by the next day we have forgotten them or have to think long and hard to bring them to remembrance. This raises a question in our heart, “How can we know that something is of the Lord?” When the Lord speaks, He comes with His Word, always with power. It is frequendy when we are in deep need and have reached an end in and of ourselves. The Lord always makes room for His Word, and it is not a case of, “I was thinking about it.” We note also here that Abram is in great need when he says, “Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed.”

The confirmation of the promise

Then the Word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thy own bowels shall be thine heir.” No, not Eleazer of Damascus but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels. That is repetition or a further explanation of the promise. First, the Lord had said unto him, “I will make of thee a great nation.” Then the Lord had said, “I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth,” a promise which the Lord repeated in Chapter 13, but here the Lord gives a further revelation, “He that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.” It shall not come from a servant but from him personally. It cannot be stated more plainly, “For what is impossible with man is possible with God.” As if this is not enough, the Lord confirms it not only with an audible promise but also with a visible confirmation. The Lord takes him by the hand as a father with his child; He brings him forth abroad and says, “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them; and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be.”

Look toward heaven, Abram. Abram was looking toward the earth and himself where things were impossible. There was no way, no salvation, childless and Christless, but now the Lord says, “Look now toward heaven.” When we have a clear night, and especially when we are away from the big cities, then we can see how innumerable the stars are in the sky. In this manner the Lord desired to confirm for Abram His promise, “So shall thy seed be.” All those stars were preaching unto Abram and confirming the fulfilling of God’s promise. His dark soul became light in seeing all these stars, but there was one Star that seemed to be the brightest Star, shining and glittering, which pointed to Him who is the Light of the World and of whom it is said, “He is the bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22).

We see here that Christ has testified of Himself, “I am the Root and the offspring of David, and the bright and Morning Star.” That was the deepest content of the promise, and in the bright shining Star, Abram was able to see something of God’s wonderful way of salvation. Abram beheld with his eyes God’s salvation, and in like manner, would we ever forget the time when the Lord revealed His promise and shone with His light in our heart? What a wonder if we may have a blessed view of that dear Savior who has come in the fullness of time to seek and to save sinners and who has taken upon Him our human nature and has come to fulfill all the promises!

— To be continued —

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