Friday | 24 May 2019
The Lord said to Abram, ‘I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.’ Gen 15:7. The Lord was reiterating what He had earlier promised to Abram at the terebinth tree of Shechem. Gen 12:6-7. Abram, who was fully engaged, by faith, in this discussion, asked, ‘How shall I know that I will inherit it?’ Gen 15:7-8. We see that Abram believed that the promised son would come from his own body, and that his sons would be born of God, but he did not understand how this would happen.
The apostle James wrote, ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him’. Jas 1:5-6. Having received the shield of faith, Abram asked God how he would know that he would inherit the land in which his descendants would dwell. That is, in the fellowship of Yahweh, Abram lifted up his voice for understanding. Pro 2:3.
Abram’s participation in the dialogue of Yahweh was the prayer of incense, which was possible by the faith that he received by the word of Yahweh. Because of this, the question that he asked was according to the will of God. It concerned his participation in the fulfilment of God’s will. In response to Abram’s question, God told him to present himself to God with an offering, so that he could be joined to Yahweh’s offering. Through the fellowship of offering, he would receive the capacity of illumination.
Significantly, Abram chased away the vultures that came to steal his offering, before he had received understanding from Yahweh. Gen 15:11. We can liken these vultures to the birds of the air, spoken of by Christ in the parable of the sower and seed. The birds endeavour to devour the seed of the word from the heart of a person who is without understanding.
Further Study:
1 Corinthians 2
Daily Proverb:
References:
Gen 15:7-8
Then He said to him, ‘I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.’ And he said, ‘Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?’
Gen 12:6-7
Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
Jas 1:5-6
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
Pro 2:3
Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding.
Gen 15:11
And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.