After some time, Abram began to doubt that he would see the complete fulfillment of God’s promise. Abram had good reason to doubt. The fulfillment of these promises would take more time and power than Abram could imagine.
God comforted Abram by stating that he would be his shield and very great reward. Finally, Abram openly shared what was on his mind. He reasoned that since God had not provided a son, a servant from his household would be awarded the estate.
God restated that Abram would have a son of his own flesh and blood. God reiterated that Abram’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abram believed God, and it was credited it to him as righteousness.
Next, God stated, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” Despite this decisive statement, Abram still struggled with understanding how that would be possible. Abram was probably under the impression that all this would happen within his lifetime. We were just assured that Abram believed God. We also know that Abram’s faith was unwavering. However, he did not understand how or when these great accomplishments would come to pass. The possession of the land was a major obstacle Abram was anticipating. God took this opportunity to expand the revelation and reassure Abram. God had Abram prepare for a ritual covenant. Various livestock would be cut in two, and the pledging partners would walk between the carcasses. The symbolism meant that if one of the pledging partners reneged on their part of the promise, the same fate of the animals would befall that participant. Abram understood the significance of this ritual thoroughly. It was as an oath of the highest caliber in their culture.
Next the Lord put Abram into a deep sleep. God revealed that Abram’s descendants would serve as slaves in a foreign country for four hundred years before returning to inherit the land. Then God passed through the slaughtered animals alone. This last action signified that the fulfillment of the promise rested completely on God since Abram did not pass through the animals, as was the normal practice. God alone passed through, and God alone would be responsible for the fulfillment of the covenant.
That ritual confirmed one of the most important doctrines in the entire Bible. God’s plan will be accomplished because God is Sovereign and Omnipotent. The fact that he chooses to work through men, angels, nature, or time is inconsequential. In other words, the accomplishment of God’s plan depends on God, not on man–nor anything else. Abram now understood that the plan regarding the possession of the land would take many generations to be fulfilled. He learned that it involved slavery for his descendants prior to their inheritance. He knew it would be accomplished because God would see it through, according to the promise. We can be sure that Abram spent much time dwelling on the significance of this great revelation of God.
[Jesus speaking to a first century audience of Abram’s descendants] Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.
John 8:56
The climax of God’s promise was “all families on earth would be blessed through you.” At some point, Abram began to understand completely. In this last clause of the promise, God was referring to the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Here’s how it would be accomplished: Abram was chosen by grace and called out of Mesopotamia. He would be given a new land and his offspring would be made into a holy nation. Eventually, Christ would be born to this nation, all of whom were descendants of Abram. Christ would offer himself as a sacrifice for the sin of the entire world. Consequently, the sin of the world would be forgiven. Therefore, every family on earth would be blessed because their sin would not be an obstacle to salvation. Just as Abram believed God and was credited with righteousness, so also all people who believe in God’s redemption plan would receive righteousness. Until Christ arrived, people were expected to believe up to the point of revelation they received. Now that Christ has died and rose again, we must believe in the sufficiency of Christ’s death.
The writer of Hebrews explains God’s purpose in passing through the slaughtered animals thereby confirming the promise with an oath:
“When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.’ And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
“People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:13-20
When he says, “we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us” he means all people who believe God, just as Abram did. The believer’s hope is in God’s redemption plan; God’s ability to accomplish his plan; and Jesus Christ, the one in whom the plan is embodied. Jesus has anchored our hope to the inner sanctuary of the true tabernacle of God in heaven. There is no better foundation in all of heaven and earth!
The reference to Melchizedek in the New Testament book of Hebrews is as significant as the oath God had made. Christ, in his ascension, has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. The point of this statement is that Christ’s tenure as high priest will never end. He continues to bless all the families on earth even after he accomplished the forgiveness of their sin. He serves in the true tabernacle of God, in heaven. From this holy place, he oversees a royal priesthood of believers on earth to whom he sent the Holy Spirit. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, he gives each believer any number of spiritual gifts by which they are equipped to serve mankind, just as Melchizedek had done for Abram.
The Apostle Paul connects Abram’s faith and righteousness to that of all believers. “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness.’ The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:18-25).
Faith is believing in God’s plan of redemption and is based on the finished work of Christ on the cross. Hope is fixing our eyes upon Jesus who rose from the dead and ascended to serve as our high priest forever. Love is serving others as Christ has done for us–yesterday, today, and forever!
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. … And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13
Next Section: Patience
Table of Contents: Faith, Hope and Love
Text for this post has been borrowed from my Kindle eBook Faith, Hope and Love (Book 2 of the Grace and Knowledge Series), by Brother Woody Brohm. Copyright 2013.
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