WEBVTT 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:09.199 Good morning. 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:10.800 My name is Dan. 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:15.359 If I don't know you, I'm the pastor of college ministry, and it is my joy to open God's Word with you this morning. 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:18.480 Would you turn with me to Genesis chapter 15? 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:30.079 Genesis 15 as we continue our study, our Advent series, Jesus in Genesis, a glimpse of the gospel in the first book of the Bible. 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:37.600 We look to the father of faith, Abraham, Genesis chapter 15, verses 1 to 6. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:46.320 Let me read it for us to set our minds on this text. 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:56.000 After these things, the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision. 00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:00.560 Fear not, Abram, I am your shield. 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:03.359 Your reward shall be very great. 00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:07.439 But Abram said, O Lord Yahweh, what will you give me? 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:11.439 For I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus. 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:16.799 And Abram said, Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir. 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:20.400 And behold, the word of Yahweh came to him. 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:26.000 Your very own son shall be your heir. 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:35.519 And he brought him outside and said, Look toward heaven and number the stars, if you're able to number them. 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:40.079 Then he said to him, So shall your offspring be. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:48.480 And he believed Yahweh, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:51.280 So reads the word of the living God. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:03.519 Father Abraham died last November. 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:06.640 At least that was his stage name. 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:22.960 Pierre Kartner was a Dutch musician that you probably don't know by reputation, but you certainly do know his work if you've grown up in the church since 1971 when he released his campfire hit, Father Abraham. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:26.800 Father Abraham had many sons. 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:29.120 Many sons said Father Abraham. 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:31.840 I am, and so are you. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:34.719 So let's just praise the Lord. 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:37.599 Right arm, left arm. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:40.560 It's like a Christian hokey pokey. 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:45.840 I am one of them? 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:47.599 Is that true? 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:56.639 I mean, if you're not a physical descendant of Abraham, if you're not ethnically Jewish, are you one of his sons? 00:02:57.039 --> 00:03:00.159 Well, according to Paul, yes, Galatians 3, 7. 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:05.360 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:12.319 So if you have faith, then you're a son of Abraham because you have a faith like Abraham's faith. 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:22.240 My guess is that most of us don't think of our lives of faith like Abraham's life of faith. 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:25.360 His life seems very distant to us. 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:30.719 4,000 years ago, very different culture, very different problems from the ones that we face today. 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:38.159 When we think of faith, we we tend to think of problematic versions of it like blind faith. 00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:41.039 Well, I just gotta believe because I believe. 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:49.280 Or a kind of magic faith that says, I have faith that it's gonna happen, like if you just said it enough, that magically it would appear. 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:53.280 Or a kind of prideful faith. 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:56.159 Well, I have faith in myself. 00:03:57.919 --> 00:03:59.360 But is that really faith? 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:04.400 Is that the kind of faith that would make you a son of Abraham, the father of faith? 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:06.400 I don't think so. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:26.959 No, what Abraham had, what we need, and what God gives as his consistent design for faith, is sweeter and stronger and stranger than the hallmark faith that you see around Christmas time. 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:39.199 The faith that you need in the darkest days of your journey is the same faith that propelled Abraham for 100 years of faithful wandering in a land that he never owned. 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:50.720 And it's the same faith that was in the heart of a young Nazarene virgin who was given a message and a son, and she believed. 00:04:51.839 --> 00:05:02.639 And that faith holds on to this one reality that is so simple it's often overlooked or just taken for granted, and yet it is what makes faith faith. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:11.120 And it's this faith like Abraham's believes that God is faithful. 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:13.040 That's it. 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:22.079 Faith like Abraham's believes that God is faithful, that he keeps his word, that he does what he says. 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:26.720 That God is a faithful God. 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:36.879 And so I want you to consider this morning, before we even start looking at the life of Abraham, and we'll look at several chapters of it in an overview fashion. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:43.279 Before we do, I want you to consider for yourself where are you in your journey of faith? 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:46.560 Are you here this morning with no faith? 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:48.959 You have never begun the journey of faith. 00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:50.319 There's other people who have faith. 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:56.000 You've happened upon church on the Sunday morning, so you know that there is such a thing, but you yourself don't possess it. 00:05:56.639 --> 00:06:01.120 Or are you in a valley of faith, a struggle, a crisis of faith? 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.000 Are you on the mountaintop, the pinnacle of your faith? 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:05.199 Where are you? 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:08.160 Wherever you are, you need to hear the same thing. 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:12.959 And it's the lesson of the life of our patriarch of the faith, Abraham. 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:17.759 It's that faith is faith in a faithful God. 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:26.879 And that faithful God promises Abram a son, and we'll see how that impacts our faith in four parts. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:32.079 When God promises a son, first, he summons your faith. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:34.240 He summons your faith. 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:40.399 Abram, before he was called by God, had faith in Sin. 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:47.360 Sin was the Akkadian name for the moon god of Ur, also called Nenna. 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:50.959 And sort of the patron saint of Ur. 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:59.199 There was a massive temple to Sin or Nenna in the city of Ur where Abram grew up. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:02.560 This is in Mesopotamia, near the Euphrates. 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:07.759 He was a pagan moon worshiper before he met God. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:15.439 But his faith in the moon, which was also known as a fertility god, was not working out. 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:27.759 Abram, his name means father of many, was married relatively young to his half-sister Sarai, and they started to try to have kids. 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:36.560 And then years went by and decades went by, and whether it was him or her, they didn't know, but they couldn't conceive. 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:39.600 The father of many was the father of none. 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:42.959 And this fertility God thing really wasn't working out. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:57.680 And it was in the middle of that life of the Hebrew, the descendant of Eber, living in the time of the patriarchs, that God spoke. 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:06.800 And to this empty-handed Hebrew, a moon-worshipping Mesopotamian man, was given the promise of a son. 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:14.160 Turn with me to Genesis chapter 12, as we see the beginning of Abraham's life of faith, his summons to faith. 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:16.000 Genesis chapter 12, verse 1. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:30.639 Now Yahweh said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you, and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:38.960 And I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:45.279 This is typically called the Abrahamic covenant, or at least the first explanation of it. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:48.399 And you can see there's three elements to it in the text. 00:08:48.559 --> 00:09:05.519 There's a promise of a land that he's going to give to Abraham, there's a promise of a nation or descendants that he's going to give to Abraham, and then there's a promise of blessing, that he's going to bless Abraham so that then those who bless Abraham get blessed by him, and everyone gets blessed in the whole world. 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:07.360 It's a blessing for everyone. 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:10.159 That's the promise. 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:25.919 The upshot is that God, the creator God, is inserting himself into this pagan man's life to promise him that he will offer eternal, abundant life through him and his sons. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:29.279 But notice it comes at a steep price. 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:34.559 He says, go from your country and your kindred and your father's house. 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:39.200 This is a command, this is a summons, it's a demand, really. 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:44.000 If you really believe what this promise is, then you will act in this way. 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:46.960 Meaning you will leave everything you've ever known. 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:59.919 You'll leave your house behind, you'll leave your family behind, you'll leave your culture behind, maybe even the language group behind, and you will find yourself in a distant land completely unknown. 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:08.559 And it all hinges on this question: Will God keep his word? 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:09.759 Is God faithful? 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:13.759 That's what Abraham has to answer in response to this promise that's made. 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:17.200 Does he think that God will actually keep this promise? 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:21.600 And appreciate the promise itself has problems. 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:25.519 Number one, he's been infertile for years. 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:28.399 And God just promised him a whole bunch of kids. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:30.639 How's that gonna happen? 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:37.600 Secondly, Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8 tells us, well, that when he went out, he didn't know where he was going. 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:38.320 God didn't tell him. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:41.759 He didn't give him like a pin, drop a pin on the GPS. 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:43.120 He just said, go out. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:44.720 I'll tell you later. 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:51.120 And third, he was gonna have to leave family, leave a religion behind. 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:55.279 There are probably people in his family telling him, What are you, you crazy? 00:10:55.440 --> 00:11:00.480 You think you heard from a God, and so you're just gonna up and leave everything you've ever known? 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:02.559 We have a God. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:03.759 You can worship him. 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:09.279 So why? 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:11.840 Why should he believe this? 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:15.440 This faith is a demanding, costly call. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:19.600 It's not just let me add this God to my pantheon. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:27.919 This is a leave everything, burn the ships, and follow this God kind of summons. 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:29.759 And look at verse 4. 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:31.840 So Abram went. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:33.039 He did it. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:37.279 Hebrews 11, chapter 8 tells us he had faith. 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:39.120 He believed this promise. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:40.879 He trusted in God. 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:44.240 He believed that God would make good on his word. 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:45.759 And what does that mean? 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:54.879 Well, faith is a notoriously hard word to define in the Bible, but I think probably the simplest way to say it is that faith is trust in God and his promises. 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:59.519 Faith is trust in God and his promises, largely for the future. 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:03.840 And faith usually answers two questions. 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:08.000 Can God and will God? 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:10.320 Is God able? 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:12.559 Is he powerful enough? 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:15.120 And is he faithful? 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:17.279 Is he willing to do it? 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:20.639 And Abram answered yes and yes. 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:25.600 All we know is that he got this message, and that's what caused him to believe. 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:29.519 The summons produced the faith that it demanded. 00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:39.840 Romans chapter 4, verse 18 tells us, in hope Abraham believed against hope, meaning this is crazy. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:42.159 Nobody would have done this. 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:45.919 This didn't make any sense on an earthly plane. 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:49.600 And yet Abraham believed. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:51.840 He trusted God. 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:54.080 And so he went. 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:56.320 Why? 00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:04.080 Well, because he believed in the character of the one who had promised the faithfulness of God. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:06.399 And it's the same for you. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:09.600 The gospel is a summons of faith to you. 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:13.360 It demands to be heard, it demands a hearing from you. 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:15.519 And the question is the same to you. 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:22.240 Is the God who promises eternal life through Jesus Christ, the Son of Abraham, is he faithful? 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:32.720 Well, first he summons Abram by faith, and then he tests it. 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:34.559 He tests your faith. 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:46.879 At 60 years, Abram packs up the U-Haul and leaves from Ur, heads to Haran, and then 75 years old, he leaves from Haran to Canaan. 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:57.039 To give you a sense of perspective about this, it'd be like if you're living here in Washington, D.C., and then you migrated to Atlanta, and then a number of years later you migrate down to Orlando. 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:01.679 Only you don't actually know that that's where you're supposed to end up, and there's no Disney World at the end. 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:05.279 This is a matter of faith. 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:10.320 And chapter 12, verse 6, we see he ends up in the promised land. 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:11.120 He's at Shechem. 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:13.039 It's kind of in the middle of nowhere. 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:16.879 If you notice in the life of Abraham, everything's denoted by trees, right? 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:19.039 The oaks here and the mumreys there. 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:20.480 This is where he is. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:21.919 He's just in a forest. 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:28.320 And verse 7, Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, To your offspring I will give this land. 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:32.240 So, okay, now he's got a general sense where he's going to be. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:40.480 And then he continues to journey around, building altars, worshiping God, probably calling on God, asking, Is this where I'm supposed to end up? 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:44.320 And then verse 10, the first test of faith comes. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:53.120 Now there was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:58.960 In the Hebrew mindset, the famine was always God's fault. 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:02.399 It was, there's no such thing as a natural disaster. 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:05.120 It's only ever a supernatural one. 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:06.080 God did this. 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:11.519 God is the one who brought this famine, and he's always bringing famines in the Bible and moving people around with him, isn't he? 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:14.000 And often down to Egypt, which is exactly what happened. 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:20.879 So when he was about to enter Egypt, verse 11, he said to Sarai, his wife, I know that you're a woman beautiful in appearance. 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:24.320 Which, by the way, she was 65 at this point, so way to go. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:29.600 And when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife. 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:32.399 Then they'll kill me, but they'll let you live. 00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:40.799 Say you're my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake, which is true, kind of. 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:44.240 He's a half-sister, but a half-truth is a full lie, right? 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:50.080 Abraham comes up with this plan because he thinks if I don't lie, I die. 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:52.799 I gotta help God out here. 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:59.679 I know God made this promise that I'm gonna have all these descendants, I'm gonna inherit this land, but things are looking rough right now. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:02.399 So I gotta take matters into my own hands. 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:04.639 And so he does. 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:08.399 And Pharaoh takes Sarai into the house, and for a little while it works out. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:14.240 Verse 16, and for her sake he dealt well with Abram, and then he gives a bunch of money, gets rich off of this thing. 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:19.679 But then verse 17, God brings a plague. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:24.159 Yahweh afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai. 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:26.399 That won't be the last time you see plagues in Egypt. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:28.240 Abram's wife. 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:32.960 And so Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this you have done to me? 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:40.000 Same exact wording as Genesis 3.13, God's words to Adam in hiding. 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:42.240 What have you done, Adam? 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:48.159 Now in the mouth of a pagan king, what have you done, Abram? 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:50.080 Why did you do that? 00:16:51.200 --> 00:17:00.080 You see, what he's pointing out here is that though Abraham has faith, Romans 4 tells us he had faith that never wavered. 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:02.639 He also had fear. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:09.839 And that's a reality for any believer, that if you have faith, it's always going to be mingled in some way with fear. 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:15.119 And he let the fear drive him and his decisions to sin. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:20.640 He was questioning: is God really able? 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:23.039 Is God really faithful? 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:43.440 One of the things we need to see in the testing of Abraham, which happens over and over and over again, is that when you face an obstacle to your faith, appreciate that God has never met an obstacle. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:47.359 He only ever has opportunities. 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:57.599 If there is a hurdle in your way in the life of faith, it has God's name on the side of it, property of God. 00:17:58.160 --> 00:17:59.440 He put it there. 00:18:01.039 --> 00:18:03.839 He has a design for this famine. 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:05.680 This didn't happen by accident. 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:07.119 This wasn't a plan B. 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:09.519 This didn't catch God by surprise. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:15.599 That temptation is not an enemy to God's plan, but a part of it. 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:31.200 That trial, that sickness, that pain in your life is a crowbar from the Almighty to rip open your heart and expose what's inside and show it to you, to test your faith. 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:36.319 Meaning, God is not just faithful when things are going well. 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:40.160 God is faithful in the famine. 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:43.039 God is faithful because of the famine. 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:49.680 To us, it seems like the promises of God are always on the edge of a knife. 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:51.599 That must have been what it felt like to Abram. 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:54.640 But I mean, God's always got this thing balanced. 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.039 He knows exactly what he's doing. 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:01.519 His promises may seem slow to us, but for him it's right on time. 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:10.960 And you may think in your life, the trials and tests that you face, you may think those are a challenge to the faithfulness of God. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:16.240 The life of Abraham tells us, no, that is the faithfulness of God. 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:28.640 Samu Rutherford, who was a Puritan pastor and preacher, knew something about testing in his life. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:33.119 He married two women and had nine kids. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:40.640 One of his wives died before him, and he buried eight of his children. 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:44.400 He was exiled during his ministry. 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:48.240 Became an enemy of the church or the state in some sense. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:54.799 And you know what he said about those tests, those trials in his life? 00:19:55.680 --> 00:20:02.000 He said, the cross of Christ on my back is like wings to a bird. 00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:05.599 It's like a sail on a ship. 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:08.960 The wind only ever blows me to him. 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:15.039 He said, faith is only ever helped by adversity. 00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:21.519 He said, the devil is the whetstone that sharpens the believer's faith. 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:32.880 He believed that God was faithful not only in fulfillment of promise, but also in testing of faith. 00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:35.519 And you know, tests can come in multiple ways. 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:37.440 We see this in the life of Abraham itself. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:42.160 He's not just tested by famine, he's tested, chapter 13, by plenty. 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:47.200 He comes back to the land and he's got so much stuff, him and Lot can't even share the same lot. 00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:49.759 And so they have to separate. 00:20:57.920 --> 00:20:59.759 And so they have to start separating. 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:02.000 It's a test of plenty. 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:05.440 What are you gonna do with all of the wealth that you've been given? 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:21.599 Or chapter 14, we see the first battle in scripture, this battle of the two armies of kings, and Abram inserts himself in the middle of it, heroically rescues Lot and brings him back and has all this spoil, and then there's this test of whether or not he's going to give it to the king of Sodom. 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:30.079 I mean, tests can look a lot of different ways, but the point is that the solution in the midst of that test is always the same. 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:31.920 God is faithful. 00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:36.319 The question that you have to answer is always the same. 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:38.400 Will God be faithful? 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:43.119 Even in the test. 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:45.119 Even in the trial. 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:49.839 And he proves that he is. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:58.000 The third thing that he does, after summoning his faith and then testing his faith, he strengthens his faith. 00:21:58.400 --> 00:21:59.680 In chapter 15, he's now back. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:02.880 Back in Hebron, still without the promised child. 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:05.680 And Abram continues to fear. 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:10.640 And so the Lord, in his faithfulness, gives him strength to endure. 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:12.000 Chapter 15, verse 1. 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:15.440 After these things, the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision. 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:18.799 Fear not Abram. 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:22.960 This is the first fear not in the Bible. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:27.680 People like to say there's 365 fear-nots in the Bible, one for each day of the year. 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:29.200 It's not true. 00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:30.240 There's not. 00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:32.319 I counted about 81 of them. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:33.039 There's still a lot. 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:34.400 This is the first one. 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:41.200 And it is a profound statement because it's acknowledging from heaven. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:45.119 I understand, Abram. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:47.279 You're afraid. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:51.279 You wonder whether or not I will be faithful to my promise. 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:53.599 So let me help. 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:55.200 Fear not, Abram. 00:22:55.359 --> 00:23:03.200 I am your shield, your deliverer, the one who will guard you and keep my word, and your reward shall be very great. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:07.839 That land that I promised you, those kids that I promised you, they're coming. 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:09.440 You can bank on it. 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:13.680 But Abram expresses his concern. 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:20.640 Verse 2, but Abram said, O Lord Yahweh, what will you give me? 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:25.279 For I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus. 00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:27.119 It would have been a common thing in the ancient world. 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:33.119 If someone didn't have a biological offspring, they would choose someone from their house to inherit all of their wealth. 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:34.960 And he's saying, Is that what I'm gonna have to do? 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:36.240 That's the plan now? 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:39.359 You haven't given me an offspring. 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:40.960 What am I supposed to do? 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:43.200 So God confirms. 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:45.759 Verse 4 Behold, the word of Yahweh came to him. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:48.400 This man shall not be your heir. 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:51.359 Your very own son shall be your heir. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:58.319 Literally, the one coming out from your loins, from your own body, that one will be the fulfiller of the promise. 00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:00.960 In verse 5, he illustrates this. 00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:09.839 He brought him outside and said, Look toward heaven and number the stars, if you're able to number them. 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:13.359 And then he said to him, So shall your offspring be. 00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:17.440 Notice, if you are able to. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:23.119 If you're in northern Virginia, you're like, yeah, three and a plane. 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:24.079 Done. 00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:35.839 But if you live in a world lit by fire, then when you look up at the night sky, it is a sea of stars. 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:44.799 People who count these things estimate that our universe contains one septillion stars. 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:47.440 Ten to the 24th power. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:49.279 Can you count that? 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:53.680 The point is, no, you can't. 00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:55.599 You can't even count that. 00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:58.079 But you know who can. 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:01.599 Psalm 147, verse 4. 00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:04.799 He determines the number of the stars. 00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:08.240 He gives to all of them their names. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:13.359 Not only can God count all the stars, he names them like Julie and Ben. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:18.319 God is able, that's the point. 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:20.880 And Abram, of course, you're not. 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:26.000 And that's why it requires faith. 00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:31.039 And so, verse 6, he believed Yahweh. 00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:36.559 He had faith in Yahweh, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:41.519 The preeminent Old Testament statement on justification. 00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:46.160 God justifies him by faith and faith alone. 00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:50.559 And the point in context is of course God has to be the one to do it. 00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:52.319 He's the only one who could. 00:25:56.079 --> 00:26:02.240 Which is why God goes on, verses 7 to 21, to confirm not only his promise about the descendants, but also about the land. 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:03.599 And he makes it a covenant. 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:19.519 He says, Go get some animals, chop them in half, and then he puts Abram to sleep and he sends a smoking fire pot and a fire through it, cloud and fire, and he sends his presence through the middle of it, saying, I am binding myself to make this promise to you. 00:26:20.160 --> 00:26:31.440 So much so that if it requires me to take my own life like these animals, I'll do it to be faithful to this promise. 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:34.480 And you know that's what he does. 00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:43.279 When he sends Christ, he, so to speak, rips into his flesh in order to keep his promise to his people. 00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:52.960 This is the first instance of the word faith in the Bible. 00:26:53.359 --> 00:26:56.640 And what it means is I don't do it, God does. 00:26:56.960 --> 00:26:59.680 He's faithful, so I trust him. 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:05.039 When Abram's strength was failing, what did God do to strengthen him? 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:11.119 He just showed him more of his own faithfulness, more of his own character. 00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:13.839 And that's how faith is always strengthened. 00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:18.240 Faith is always strengthened by looking at the object of faith. 00:27:19.200 --> 00:27:23.519 And you get this because you've seen kids looking at their Christmas gifts. 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:38.640 I have some at my house right now who like to wander up to the tree and look at the gifts and touch the wrapping paper, pick it up, shake it a little, look at it from different angles, read one of them can now read the label on the top. 00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:40.240 Why? 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:42.799 The more he learns about it, the more excited he gets. 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:44.240 He wants to know what's inside. 00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:45.839 So it is with faith. 00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:48.079 He's not giving him a new promise here. 00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:49.200 It's the same promise. 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:51.200 He's just saying, turn it around, Abram. 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:56.799 Look at it from every angle and see, no matter how you look at it, I am faithful. 00:27:57.279 --> 00:27:58.960 I will keep my word. 00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:01.920 You can bank on it. 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:08.000 Especially look at the frum tag. 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:10.720 And see that I'm a faithful God. 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:13.279 I will do what I said I will do. 00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:17.119 Do you realize the strength of your faith is not in your faith? 00:28:18.319 --> 00:28:24.720 The strength of your faith is in the faithfulness of God and your grasp on it. 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:32.240 I love the hymn, Be still my soul. 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:35.519 The Lord is on your side. 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:41.839 Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:46.640 Leave to thy God to order and provide. 00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:52.079 In every change, he faithful will remain. 00:28:53.039 --> 00:29:00.240 Be still my soul, your best, your heavenly friend through thorny ways leads to a joyful end. 00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:09.920 Faith is strengthened when it catches a glimpse of the faithfulness of God. 00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:16.160 And you know what happens next? 00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:19.599 Back to the testing. 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:22.400 Another test, chapter 16. 00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:24.240 More tests. 00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:31.599 Sarai comes in, says to Abram, Behold, now Yahweh has prevented me from bearing children, like it's his fault. 00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:33.680 Go into my servant. 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:38.559 It may be that I shall obtain children by her, and Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:44.799 Last time we heard that, Genesis 3, 17, because you have listened to the voice of your wife, Adam. 00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:47.759 Same kind of temptation. 00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:52.559 And what happens in this test? 00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:55.119 He exposes more of Abram's fear. 00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:58.240 And then what happens on the other side of that? 00:29:58.559 --> 00:29:59.279 17? 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:01.680 He strengthens his faith again. 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:04.319 He gives him more reason to believe in God. 00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:06.319 He gives him a sign, circumcision. 00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:08.720 I'm going to make good on this promise. 00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:10.160 You can believe it. 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:12.559 And then more tests, Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:18.079 He says in chapter 18, verse 14 is anything too hard for God? 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:25.119 The answer, of course, is no. 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:28.880 The question is, will you believe it? 00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:37.440 Will you have faith in the faithfulness of God that He can and He will do everything He says? 00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:48.400 Well, the joy of faith is that not only are we tested and strengthened, tested and strengthened. 00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:50.640 I mean, that's that's the Christian life, isn't it? 00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:53.279 It's back and forth tested and strengthened. 00:30:53.599 --> 00:30:56.640 But one day your faith will be sight. 00:30:57.839 --> 00:30:59.359 And that happens to Abram. 00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:04.720 Now, named Abraham, the life of faith gives way to the life of fulfillment. 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:06.720 Chapter 21, verse 1. 00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:11.039 And Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said. 00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:11.759 I love that. 00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:12.799 Just underscoring. 00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:14.799 He said he would, and he did it. 00:31:15.279 --> 00:31:19.519 And Yahweh did to Sarah as he had promised. 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:23.200 Exactly like he promised. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:26.480 He was faithful to it. 00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:32.000 Obviously, this is a miracle, which is how God set it up, so that he's the only explanation for it. 00:31:32.240 --> 00:31:37.519 I mean, there must have been so much joy in that moment, but she finally conceived. 00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:41.039 They've been waiting 25 years on this promise. 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:50.559 They've moved all over the world, and at last the child of promise has come, and they saw in bold relief the faithfulness of God. 00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:53.200 God promised and God did it. 00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:56.079 Because God always does. 00:31:56.400 --> 00:31:57.839 He's faithful. 00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:00.000 That doesn't mean that the fight of faith was over. 00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:06.880 Chapter 22, the very next chapter, probably going to be the hardest test of Abram's life, which we'll hear about next week. 00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:12.400 Sarah dies, another test, trying to find a wife for Isaac, that's another test. 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:17.200