Bible Studies
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 – Reckoned
Key Verses: (NRSV)
- 1: "After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” - Abram had traveled great distances and had endured many hardships as he followed God’s plan for his life. But in the midst of it all he remained dedicated and righteous. Even so, fear had crept into his heart…
- 2-3: 2“But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ 3And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’” – The promises had been made, yet Abram was losing patience. He and Sarai were growing old and he could not see how God was going to fulfill the promise of greatness…time was running out, or so he thought.
- 5: “He brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall you descendants be.’” – The promise restated. The dream reconfirmed.
- 6: “And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.” – Abram was a righteous man; made so by his faith in the Lord.
- 8-9: 8“Be he said, ‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ 9He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer…’” – Righteous, faithful, and filled with God’s promise of amazing bounty, yet Moses still struggled with doubt and in need of reassurance.
- 18: “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram…” – God provided Abram with visible assurance that His covenant would be fulfilled.
- Are you fearful? Do you have doubts?
Promises of the Gospel:
The story of Abram is very familiar to us. We know that he was chosen by God to be the father of all nations. Abraham was blessed beyond his wildest imagination. We also know Abraham to be a righteous man. That because of his faith in God and because he followed God’s plan for his life every step of the way, he became the shining star that we all aspire to follow. But Abram had doubts. He feared for his future. He could not see how God would be able to follow through with his promise of many descendants. He took steps on his own, just in case. He lost patience. As we look closely into Abram’s life we see our own doubts, fears, anxieties, and lack of patience revealed. We know how Abram felt because we feel that way every day. But just as Abram wrestled with his fears, he also experienced God’s presence. Abram’s faith grew strong through those God-moments and because of his faith, God deemed him to be a righteous man. It is a promise and a destination available to us all.
1“A Life God Rewards – Why Everything You Do Today Matters Forever” by Bruce Wilkinson with David Kopp, Multnomah Publishers, 2002.
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