TEXT:

‘And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith’ (Genesis 15:6 NLT).

In Part 1 we studied how a third party’s faith could help bring about healing in a needy person, when Jesus healed the paralytic. We now consider another instance when faith enabled the natural to be superseded by the supernatural and ended with a miracle. It’s about God’s dealings with childless Abram, who was later was named Abraham, which means “Father of a multitude” (See Genesis 17:5).

1. The Decision – ‘Blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered’ (Genesis 14:20 NLT).

The enemy had overrun the area and taken captives, including Lot, Abram’s nephew. On hearing the news Abram armed his trained servants and set off in pursuit. Routing the enemy, he recovered all the stolen property and captives. Unusually Abram declined to keep the spoils of war and returned everything to its rightful owner. Even when the King of Sodom only wanted his people back, Abram refused. His reasoning was, he didn’t want the king to say he had made Abram rich.

Not only did Abram turn down the bounty, but as an act of thanksgiving he gave a tithe of everything to Melchizedek (King of Salem and Priest of God Most High). Many would have questioned why he gave away so much. People usually do question it when they don’t understand the principle and practice of tithing.

This is the first biblical instance of tithing (giving a tenth), and it was given by Abram, the father of our faith. It’s an act Christians can safely imitate, in thankfulness for Jesus’ victory over the devil, sin and death. Tithing not only helps secure the future of Christians, but also the future of the churches they are members of.

2. The Vision – ‘After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram’ (Genesis 15:1)

When we’re willing to do the natural, God can do the supernatural. When we’re willing to open our wallets, God will open the windows of heaven (See Malachi 3:10). It was after Abram had given his tithe that the word of the Lord came to him with an amazing promise.

When things go wrong, it’s easy to think God’s left us to fend for ourselves, but God’s vision was a two-fold promise.  God would be his protector and provider! Abram would be safe from retaliation by King Chedorlaomer and his alliance. He could continue to give his tithes and be generous. He had put that generous nature into practise earlier when he allowed Lot first choice of the land (See Genesis 13:6-17). After that God revealed all the land would be Abram’s and his descendants forever.

Jesus taught, ‘Give and it shall be given unto you’ (Luke 6:38). Unfortunately, too many Christians want to be given to first, before they are willing to part with anything. No, put the first thing first and you will see God come through. Psalm 23 was David’s experience of these same two promises of provision and protection God had made to Abram.

3. The Questions – ‘But Abram said, Lord God, what will you give me seeing I go childless?’ ‘How shall I know that I will inherit it? (Genesis 15:2, 8).

We could call these, “Abram’s objections!” God said one thing and Abram said, “But!” It’s ok to talk to God like that. He already knows what you are thinking, so tell Him. Abram said he hadn’t got a son and heir.

I’ve heard this phrase many times, “I know the Bible says this, but!” or “We want to claim God’s promises, but!” We see the objection more that God being the solution.

4. The Revelations – Genesis 15:13-21

God responded by giving Abram two revelations, one about an heir and the other about the land. God revealed the future for the next 400+ years. How could He do that? Because He knows the end from the beginning.

When I started my career in retailing in 1969, the company sold “Old Moore’s Almanack”, which first appeared in 1697 and is still published annually today. It makes predictions about world events, although most of them don’t come to pass. Millions of others turn to horoscopes hoping to get a glimpse of the future. God didn’t generalise but gave Abram specific revelations.

• He would have descendants like the number of the stars.
• He would die at a good old age.
• His descendants would end up as slaves for 400 years.
• They would come out of slavery with great riches and possess the land that Abram was living in, from the Nile to the Euphrates.

The strange thing was Abram believed this promise from God and that pleased the Lord and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Abram was justified in God’s eyes as righteous by faith because he believed what God told him.

Although Abram and Sarai tried to bring about God’s promise the wrong way, Sarai eventually conceived and gave birth at the age of 90, with Abram the father aged 100 years old! Naturally that would have been impossible but not to a God who can do the impossible.

Being childless may not be the problem you are facing. It doesn’t matter what it is. Listen carefully to what God is saying to you. When Mary was told, she was going to have a baby, she asked an obvious question, “How can this happen without a man being involved?” She believed the answer God gave and responded in faith, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word’ (Luke 1:38). Now, that’s a response to God’s revelation worthy of any Christan!