(Genesis) Genesis 15:1-5 — J. Vernon McGee

Genesis 15 as a High Point in Abraham’s Story

Now, we come to chapter 15, and chapter 15 just joins right on here. God reveals Himself to Abraham more completely and reaffirms His promise, and we come to one of the high points of the Bible here in chapter 15, and another one will be in chapter 17.

God’s Fourth Appearance to Abraham

Listen to this, and we'll get into it today just a little ways. It's after these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abraham in a vision. This now is the fourth time that God has appeared to Abraham.

This is the fourth time, and now God is developing him, you see, bringing him farther along. And God does well to appear to him now because, you see, Abraham has taken a tremendous step of faith when he went out and rescued Lot, when he turned down the booty that the king of Sodom offered him.

God as Abraham’s Shield and Reward

Now God says to him, Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. And friends, that's lovely, that's wonderful. He says, first of all, I'm your shield. I do not know this, but let me suggest it to you.

I think during the battle that Abraham got in real danger, and he wondered whether he'd come out of it alive. And God just reminds him, I'm your shield, Abram, I'm your shield, and I'm thy exceeding great reward.

You did well to turn down the booty. I'm your reward. I intend to reward you. Oh, when a man today is willing just to believe God and look to him, what God can do with him. And Abram said, Now wait just a minute.

Abraham’s Honest Concern About Childlessness

Now if you think Abraham is one of these pious boys who gets his halo shined every morning, you're wrong. Abraham is very practical, and he's going to get right down to the nitty-gritty now. And I think God likes us to do that, friends.

I wish we could get rid of this false piousity and hypocritical attitude that so many of the fundamentalists assume today, and they don't seem real to me. Some of them, they are just way out yonder, that's all.

Now will you notice this man Abraham, and this is quite wonderful. Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus. What he's saying to God is this.

He's saying, I don't want more riches. I don't need that. The thing that's on my heart is, I'm childless, and I want a son. You have promised to make me a father of nations, and my offspring would be as numberless as the sand on the seashore, and I don't even have a child or a chick around anywhere.

And according to the law of that day, the coat of Hammurabi, Eliezer, his steward, his head servant, he had an offspring, and in time he would inherit if Abraham didn't have one. And Abram said, Behold to me thou hast given no seed, and lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

God’s Promise of a Son and Heir

This boy is born in my house. And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, and you know God's practical when a man will be practical with him. This shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowel shall be thine heir.

I'm going to give you a son, Abraham. I'm going to give you a son. Now God took him by the hand, brought him forth, and it was night. You say, how do you know it's night? Well, let me read. Verse 5, Genesis 15,.

Abraham’s Seed Like the Stars

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. This is remarkable, friends. God said to him, First your offspring will be as numberless as the sand on the seashore.

And now he says as numberless as the stars in heaven, and it had to be night for Abraham to see the stars. Now this man Abraham actually has two seed. He has a physical seed, and that's the nation Israel.

He has a spiritual seed, and that's the church. How do they become a spiritual seed? By faith. Paul told the Galatians, Ye are the sons of Abraham. How? By faith in Jesus Christ. You're not in a natural line.

Spiritual Sonship by Faith

I had the privilege of speaking to a group of very fine young Jewish men, many years ago young men, in Nashville, Tennessee. And I had known some of them before I was saved, had been very close friends of them, and they invited me to speak.

And I spoke to them on the glories of the Mosaic law, and that the fulfillment of it was in Christ. But I began by telling them I was glad to speak to them, because I said, I know you are sons of Abraham, but I'm a son of Abraham also.

And they looked in amazement one to another, and I told them how. I was a son of Abraham. There are these two seed that we have before us, and this is a very wonderful thing. And now notice what it says here, verse 6.

Faith Counted as Righteousness

He believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness. Now next time I'm going to develop this. This is one of the greatest statements in the scripture. Abraham just believed God, that's all.

And that was counted to him for righteousness. Now Abraham does something that is quite interesting. And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees to give thee this land to inherit it.

God’s Covenant as a Binding Contract

And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? In other words, Abraham is a very practical man again. He believes in dealing with reality. And I think we need to do it today. We need reality today in our lives, in our Christian life.

And friend, if reality is not in your life, there's nothing there. Many people just play church today. Now will you notice what Abraham says? Abraham says, how shall I know it? And you know what God's going to tell him to Abraham?

I'm glad you asked me, because I'm going to meet you down at the courthouse. And I'll go before a notary public. And I will make real this contract that I'm making with you. And you are going to have a son.

And I will make a contract with you. And so you meet me down there, and I'll sign on the dotted line. Now there's somebody going to say to me, or write me and say, look here, Dr. McGee. I've been following you along in Genesis.

And so far, you've been sticking to the text, which you surely have departed here. Because it says nothing about God meeting him down at a courthouse, and nothing about going through a notary public. Well, friends, may I say to you, according to the law of that day, that's exactly what God said to Abraham.

And we're going to see that next time.