Monday Devo
Scripture:
Genesis 15
Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”
2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”
4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”
2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”
4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
Commentary:
15:1 After these things links this episode to the one immediately preceding. In ch. 14 Abram rejected the offer from the king of Sodom for the victory spoils as a reward. In response, God now states that Abram’s reward shall be very great. By rejecting the use of human wealth to achieve greatness (14:22–24), Abram demonstrates his willingness to wait for God to provide. in a vision. Although it is not certain, the initial vision may have taken place at night. In 15:5 God brings Abram out of his tent to count the stars.
15:2 the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus. This individual, whose name means “God is help,” is not named elsewhere. The context suggests that he is a trusted member of Abram’s household, possibly a slave, who came from Damascus. Yet the Hebrew text is somewhat obscure, and other interpretations are possible. Abram could have acquired him on the journey from Haran to Canaan.
15:6 This key verse in Genesis is quoted four times in the NT (Rom. 4:3, 22; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23). Faith in God is something that everyone in the Bible was expected to exercise. It entails trust in or confident reliance on God (see notes on John 1:12–13; Heb. 11:1), based on the truthfulness of his words, and it will lead to obeying his commands. A person’s faith or lack of it is most apparent in crises such as Abram was facing. He believed God would give him a son despite many years of childlessness. counted … as righteousness. “Righteousness” is the fundamental OT virtue characterized by a godly life lived in conformity with the law. It is the righteous who enjoy God’s favor. Here the narrator underlines the significance of faith, in that before Abram has proved himself righteous by his deeds, he is counted (that is, regarded) as righteous because of his faith.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 77.
15:2 the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus. This individual, whose name means “God is help,” is not named elsewhere. The context suggests that he is a trusted member of Abram’s household, possibly a slave, who came from Damascus. Yet the Hebrew text is somewhat obscure, and other interpretations are possible. Abram could have acquired him on the journey from Haran to Canaan.
15:6 This key verse in Genesis is quoted four times in the NT (Rom. 4:3, 22; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23). Faith in God is something that everyone in the Bible was expected to exercise. It entails trust in or confident reliance on God (see notes on John 1:12–13; Heb. 11:1), based on the truthfulness of his words, and it will lead to obeying his commands. A person’s faith or lack of it is most apparent in crises such as Abram was facing. He believed God would give him a son despite many years of childlessness. counted … as righteousness. “Righteousness” is the fundamental OT virtue characterized by a godly life lived in conformity with the law. It is the righteous who enjoy God’s favor. Here the narrator underlines the significance of faith, in that before Abram has proved himself righteous by his deeds, he is counted (that is, regarded) as righteous because of his faith.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 77.
Questions:
- On Sunday, Amber talked about Abram and Sarai. If you recall, Sarai could not have children, but God had promised the couple a son. But by Genesis chapter 16, Abram and Sarai have gotten impatient and take matters into their own hands. Sarai tells Abram to sleep with her servant in order to keep his blood line going. Sarai had suffered under the shame of her barrenness, and it led her to make a bad decision. Have you ever chosen your own path, tried to make your own way and control things, rather than trust God? What were the results?
- Suffering can breed SIN. Sin tries to convince us that if we can just get what we want - BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. If we can just solve our problem, everything will be okay. But sin never delivers what it promises. Has there been a time in your life when suffering led you to sin? What is the thing you turn to in times of suffering when you should turn to Him?
Pray:
- That God would show you HIS path.
- That you would learn to be faithful and go His way.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
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