Through the Whole Bible is actually a blog series that will take me approximately 3 years if I do a chapter a day. Since I probably won't do Sundays, that's probably closer to 4 years. Eventually, I may double up and try to get done quicker, but who knows? I need a good long project. Keeps me moderately sane.
We've made it fifteen chapters into Genesis and approach Genesis 15 (LINK). This is the first place, that I can see, that Abram expresses doubt about God's promises. He has lived a bit of doubt, back in Genesis 13 (note here) when he doubted God's ability to provide in Canaan and protect Sarai from the Egyptians.
Yet he never gave full voice to those doubts. Now, though, he does. In fact, he tells God that the promise is impossible to fill.
Therefore, God creates a magnificent sign, Sarai is miraculously pregnant and delivers a baby the next day, right?
No.
God restates His promise. He takes Abram out to look at the stars and reminds Abram of the promise.
Then, God demonstrates the depth of the promise by making a covenant with Abram. He speaks of the four hundred years that will intervene between the promise and the possession.
And Abram believes God and goes about life. It will be many more years before the promise of Isaac is fulfilled---and then another four centuries before the children of Abraham are numerous and dwell in the land.
What is our takeaway from this?
1. We don't get signs. As much as we want them, we don't get them. Not often, anyway. We get the reminder that God's Word is sufficient. He has said, He will do. Any sign is extraneous to that Word: if we trust His Word, we'll see the sign for what it is. If we don't, it won't really matter anyway, will it?
2. We don't always get to see the end. Abram did not see the actual fulfillment. Yet he could trust it was coming. What about you? Do you trust that God will bring it to bear?
3. We do get to trust God and see Him at work. Is that not enough? I know some days are harder than others. Really, I do. Yet we can see Him work.
Now, then, there's this: we believers live between Promise and Possession. The Promise is made: He is coming back for us.
Don't lose faith between now and the possession.
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