Abram's Faith II

Instead of being overwhelmed by the appearance of God, Abram addresses God rather matter of factly. He does demur resignedly in the next few verses, but his reaction is not one of throwing himself to the ground, writhing in anguish or otherwise being cowed or overwhelmed by the divine presence. If Moses in a later passage will be said to speak with God "as a man speaks to a friend" (Ex. 33:11), we have a little of that attitude in Abram here. His complaint is practical, and is twofold. First, he doesn't have the son, the son who is necessary in order to assure the continuation of the people. Second (v.8), he doesn't have the land. God is full of promises, but to date there has been little to show for them. And, Abram is not getting any younger.

On a personal note, I recall receiving an email from a woman a few months ago who wanted me to read some of her poetry on the Book of Job. I said I would be happy to do so. She sent me her poems with a note and a gentle encouragement for me to be speedy in reviewing her poems. Her words were, "I am 92 years old and am not getting any younger!" (hence...Bill, read those poems right away please!).

Such must have been Abram's sentiment here. Time was passing, with little to show for the promises of God. Abram repeats his concern of v. 2 in v. 3. Scholars have combed ancient Near Eastern literature and discovered some tablets from Nuzi (mid-2nd millennium B.C.) which provide for the same kind of arrangement Abram here envisions. If he has no son, a slave inherits his goods. Though this historical context is illuminating, the theological point of Abram's complaint ought not to be overlooked. Abram, who no doubt has been pre-occupied with "succession issues" for quite some time, has already subtlely interpreted how God might act and still be true to the divine promise. That is, Abram is saying, 'God, you have promised progeny (Gen. 12:1-3), but that doesn't look like it will be in the cards. Thus, maybe you really meant that I would just have an heir. An heir can be anyone, really; it need not be a son of my wife's womb. Now I understand, God, what you are really doing.' But by interpreting the promise of God in this way, Abram is making allowances for God, making it "easy" for God to do what God has promised. Abram is here accommodating his faith to the "practicalities" of the world as he sees them. But if Abram, or we, go down this road in our understanding of faith, it is not too far before we begin to have pity on God. For, we think,

'God has promised something, but that something is really quite unlikely. It really is quite too difficult for God to do. Possibly God was speaking before He really knew what He was doing. I will 'save' God by not holding Him to the literal words of the promise. I will give God an 'out' by allowing something lesser to serve as a fulfilment of the promise. After all, who can blame God for overzealousness? It happens to the best of us.'

Can't you see that when we start softening the import of the promised words of God we end up having pity on God? But this is where the words of Abram tend. Though he is not content with his situation, he will try to cover over his disappointment by a reference to a lesser promise.

III. God's Promise (vv. 4-5, 7, 18)

God wants to make more than one thing perfectly clear in response, and God does so through words and through ceremony. The promise is of a natural child and the promise is of land. The former is communicated through words and an experience. Indeed, the words (v. 4) are richly evocative. Literally, they say, "This one (Eliezer) shall not inherit from you, but indeed one coming out from your belly, he shall inherit from you." The words are nearly identical to one of the passages appearing later in the OT which the Christian Church has always read in a historical and messianic way: II Sam. 7:12.

"When your days are full you shall like down with your fathers and I will make rise your seed after you who will come out from your belly, and I will establish his kingdom."

In other words, God is not only promising a son to Abram, but the words God used resounded through the corridors of time and became the foundational words for a later author who was thinking about long-term succession issues in Israel.

Then there is the visual lesson that God provides for Abram. Anyone who has spent time in the Holy Land/Middle East knows that the night sky is so chock full of stars that it almost seems as if the heavenly realm is more real than the earth on which you are standing. It is as if you could drink in the stars that are above your head; it is as if the sky is a spangled blanket, glittering with piquant, clinquant and sparkling lights all around you. There is no terror in Abram's night here but simply the vision of the innumerable stars of heaven. God's word is simple, "Thus shall be your seed."

IV.Abram's Response (v. 6)

Verse 6 is probably one of the most preached-on texts in the OT. Abram believed the Lord when God was finished with this visual demonstration, and, in some way, Abram's faith was "reckoned" for righteousness. There is a lot of uncertainty about the meaning of this verse, but what is significant is the sense that Abram here reaches a sort of decisive milestone in faith. He is convinced that God's promise is true, and he will live now in light of that promise. Have you ever had an experience in life when you just know you have either risen to a new level of awareness, that you have significantly deepened a relationship, that you have achieved a new level of security or understanding of something, a level which you know is real? I think something like that happened here for Abram. He arrives at a new depth of understanding. The only word that I want to comment on is the one usually translated as "reckoned." Abram's faith was, in some way, "reckoned" as righteousness (the word for righteousness is the standard word for the right relationship between God and humans in the OT--sedakah).

The verb hashab (reckon) occurs throughout the Scripture, and is usually translated as "conceive," "devise," or "think." When one makes plans to confound an enemy, the verb hashab is a good one to use. The most helpful usage of the verb in Genesis is in the last chapter. Indeed, the key verse in resolving the entire Joseph narrative sees two appearances of hashab.

"Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to prserve anumerous people, as he is doing today" (50:20).

The verb "intended" renders the Hebrew hashab. Thus, the verb carries with it a significant nuance of purposefulness or intentionality. When Gen. 15:6 says that God "reckoned" it to him as righteousness, then, it means that there is a two-way movement of divine and human going on here. Abram believes or trusts God's promise; God purposes or intends that it count for a righteous act in God's eyes. This is one of the things that would then "add" up to eventually result in the "reward" or the "wages" of v. 1. The passage which seems to begin as a one-way communication where God declares his backward-looking (i.e., "shield") and forward-looking (i.e., "wages") nature, now is a two-way covenantal communication where each party does his part in solidifying the commitment. Then, the ceremony that follows is a visual demonstration of this commitment.

Conclusion

The great religious traditions of the West: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, all are rooted in the faith and action of Abram. Would that his straightforward complaint and faith, his honest-speaking to God, and his trusting commitment to the One God, would become an inspiration for us in the present day who often are split by religion. Abram would truly then become "Abraham" for us (the father of all the faithful).

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