NL 302: God’s Promise to Abraham - Genesis 15:1-6

Genesis 15:1-6

Initial Thoughts

  • Right after the introduction of tithing - nice opportunity to bring in year round stewardship

  • Read it all!

  • GOOD CONNECTION Secondary reading:  Luke 3:8 “Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don't even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham's children from these stones.”

  • Notably missing - Sarai - she is undeniable critical to God’s plans and promise, yet remains absent from this narrative. Since the NL oddly skips over the rest of Sarai and Abram’s story- it might be worth exploring this further. Sarai is integral to God’s plan, but is written out of the narrative except for when she is used as property or tied to her difficulty getting pregnant. Perhaps time to tell her story.

Bible Study

  • Prophetic voice - according to Robert Alter - “The word of the Lord came to Abram” and this night vision are more reminiscent of the Prophets than the patriarchs

  • “This chapter is pivotal for the Abrahamic tradition. Theologically, it is probably the most important chapter of this entire collection. It has been judged by many scholars to be the oldest statement of Abrahamic faith, from which the others are derivative… There is no doubt that this chapter offers crucial resources for the themes of faith and covenant.” (Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Genesis, p. 140)

    • (1) Yahweh’s fundamental promise

    • (2-3) Abraham’s protest

    • (4-5) Yahweh’s response

    • (6) Abraham’s acceptance

  • Turning point in Abram’s relationship with God - Abram voices his doubts

    • Daniel Debevoise, Feasting on the Word:

      • God speaks: Abram listens

      • God promises: Abram believes

      • God commands: Abram obeys

    • Abraham questions: God listens and responds

      • This is the first time Abram responds to God with anything other than silent obedience

    • Faithfulness is not blind acceptance- it is questioning, struggle, but remaining in relationship

      • Abram clear doesn’t fully believe God because the Hagar incident in imminent

  • “Reward” is a problematic idea within the concept of grace

    • Reward is not a quid pro quo

    • “The use of the term ‘reward’ calls for comment. While the Hebrew term skr sometimes suggests economic settlement and may be rendered ‘wage,’ this usage implies gift and not quid pro quo (as in the Jacob narrative 29:15, 30:28 31:7). Here the reward is not a prize that is earned but a special recognition given to a faithful servant of the king who has performed a bold or risky service. Abraham and Sarah are called to live their lives against barrenness. The ‘reward’ calls them to live as creatures of hope in a situation of hopelessness… Clearly, trusting is not the cause of fulfillment, for that would reduce things to quid pro quo. On the other hand, it is clear that only those who hope will be given the gift. This does not make a very logical argument. But it is a key insight of biblical faith. It has been learned not as a theoretical matter but as an experience of God’s grace.” (Brueggemann, ibid, p. 141)

  • The irrational grace of God meets the distrustful rationality of humanity

    • we know we don’t deserve it

    • we know we cannot “earn” it

    • we assume that it isn’t real

    • H. R. Niebuhr paraphrase: “The first response of humanity to God is mistrust”

  • Abraham’s “dream”

    • The path of Abram’s blessing will not be typical but will be filled with odd twists and turns

    • God is preparing Abram that God’s promises will be fulfilled but not necessarily in the timeline or way Abram expects

    • God, at first, remains silent in the face of Abram’s doubt - making Abram elaborate on his doubts and fear

      • It can be important for us to articulate our doubts and fears- what is really bothering us. In Abram’s sake- it isn’t that Eliezer will inherit his house, but rather than God may not fulfill God’s promises

      • It is this clarified doubt that God responds to in v. 5

  • The Miraculous sign

    • God does not condemn Abraham for his doubt

    • God gives what Abraham asks for- a sign

  • Covenant

    • One sided- God makes a covenant with Abram- seems unconditional, but it isn’t:

      • God - v. 5 - Promise that Abram’s biological descendants will outnumber the stars

      • Abram - v. 6 - trusts God, remains faithful, remains in relationship with God

Thoughts and Questions

  • God acknowledges and honors Abram’s questions- how too can we encourage and honor the questions of our church and community members?

  • What are the promises of God? Do you believe them? Does your church believe them? Why or why not?

  • Are we willing to ask God for signs? What are the signs that we are given of God’s faithfulness? Can we train our eyes to be opened to see God’s signs?

  • Are we open to the strange and seemingly impossible ways God’s grace works? Abram and his descents will be blessed, but through barrenness, old age, exile, slavery, wilderness and war. Not how we might expect.

Year 3Eric FistlerGenesisComment