Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

What is the best gift you’ve ever received?

For many of us, we’ve received many different gifts throughout our lifetime and they’ve been special in different ways.

Some gifts were fun toys whenever we were younger.

Perhaps other gifts were simply time with loved ones doing things that we enjoy doing.

Some gifts are costly and others are relatively inexpensive.

We know people in the Bible received various gifts.

Abraham received a gift a couple of chapters ago as he and his soldiers defeated some enemy kings and Abraham received a lot of possessions and wealth.

We know that Joseph received a gift from his father: the coat of many colors.

Jesus received several gifts as a youngster as the wisemen brought gifts to honor Him.

Gifts are a good thing and we see one such good gift in our text this evening in Genesis 15 as God promises Abram a gift: Himself.

What a tremendous blessing and gift!

As we continue to go through the life of Abram, we find ourselves in Genesis 15 and we will be looking at God’s promise to Abram, Abram’s faith in God, and the covenant made between both parties.

As we do this, we can’t miss the fact that Abram continued to place his trust in the Lord every step of the way.

Sure, he messed up - like we all do - but he kept coming back to the Lord because the Lord had been faithful to His promises.

We know that God is faithful to His Word and His promises - we see this in Hebrews 10:23

We have the benefit of several thousand years of Scripture to see this truth - Abram didn’t have that luxury, yet he experienced God’s faithfulness and knew that he could trust in Him.

He could trust in God with his safety, his family, his life.

Again, he took matters into his own hands and there were consequences when he did this - just as there are consequences whenever we do the same - but he has faith in the Lord.

Let’s start out this evening looking at God’s promise to Abram in Genesis 15:1 - Could someone please read this verse?

What does God promise Abram in this vision?

He promises Abram Himself as his shield and reward.

This is a great promise!

Abram and his soldiers are coming off of an impressive victory in Genesis 14 and now the Lord shares that He Himself is his shield and reward.

This is great news to someone who is fighting for his life at times against neighboring people groups and armies.

We see in the Old Testament that God promises to be a protector of His faithful people!

One such place is Psalm 91 where the Psalmist notes

God promises to be a refuge and fortress of His people.

He promises to deliver them from enemies!

He promises to be Abram’s shield.

The second part of the promise is the central theme, though, as God promises that his reward will be very great.

Thoughts on this promise?

What does God mean that Abram’s reward will be very great?

Abram is already rich, prosperous, relatively well-known.

God has already promised to give him many descendants.

What is the significance of this?

Back to Genesis 12:3 we read that God promises that all the nations of the earth will be blessed through Abram.

We know that this is looking to Jesus Christ!

Jesus coming from Abram’s line and redeeming sinful humanity from the curse of sin.

MacArthur notes that Abram’s descendants would be the ones who would bring forth Jesus.

Jesus is from this lineage and, therefore, God’s promise is not only great for Abram as an individual, but it is great for those who will come after him as well.

Let’s look at Abram’s response in the next few verses.

Could someone read Genesis 15:2-5?

Abram immediately assumes he will have to adopt a son.

What does God share in these verses?

Again, God has come through and been faithful time and time again for Abram - yet he is still a little bit confused.

God has promised him a mighty nation, but there’s a problem: He is childless.

How can God fulfill this promise due to this problem?

Abram seems skeptical at this point because he asks, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me?” MacArthur points out on page 29 that this is a rather bold question for a sinner to ask of the Almighty God - but people ask similar questions all the time to God.

Put yourself in Abram’s shoes here.

God promises that He is for you and that your reward will be great.

You know that you will have a legacy and offspring… What is the only way that this even makes sense in your brain as an 80 year old?

By adopting a servant to become your rightful heir.

This is something common in the ancient world for people who couldn’t have children or who didn’t have a son to carry on their family name.

They would often adopt a servant!

Roman Emperors did this from time to time as well.

We know that Julius Caesar adopted Augustus who would later become emperor after his death.

This is what Abram immediately thinks that he will have to do.

Abram was given the promise of God nearly 5 years before this… It’s been 5 years and he still hasn’t had a son.

He’s not getting any younger - but God continues to make promises, so maybe this is the solution!

What does God say about Abram’s proposed answer in verse 4?

God says no! Further, the heir will be from his own body.

Do you think this would have encouraged Abram?

It probably did.

God promises that he will have a biological child.

God has promised to protect Abram, He has led him and delivered him time and time again.

This would have likely been a confidence boost at 80 years old that God has spelt out what will happen and he doesn’t have to start looking at his servants and figuring out which one he should choose to adopt.

Not only will Abram have 1 child, but his child will have many offspring as verse 5 explains.

Have you ever been outside on a clear evening and looked up into the night sky and counted stars?

What is the most that you’ve ever counted?

50? 100? 200?

More?

It is estimated that there are 1 with 21 zeroes after it stars in the observable universe.

That’s a whole lot of stars and there are more that we can’t even see because they are beyond what is observable with our modern technology!

This is an unfathomable amount of stars and God tells Abram that his offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the nighty sky!

As one commentator puts it, Abram must leave the future to the God who created it.

Thoughts on this promise?

Please read Genesis 15:6.

What does it mean to believe the Lord?

One good way to look at believing in the Lord is doing so in the past and present tenses.

To believe in the Lord means to have faith in Him.

We place our faith in the Lord at one moment in time, for many of us, in the past.

With that in mind, we are called to follow Him and obey Him.

To believe in the Lord means to have faith in Him and to obey Him presently.

Here, Abram places his faith in the Lord even though what the Lord is sharing with him doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

The promise hadn’t come true over the last 5 years, why would you think that at 80 years old it would suddenly come true?

Abram has faith in the Lord and that’s Who he chooses to believe in.

We’ll read out of Romans 4 in a little bit, but what do you think it looks like to be credited with righteousness?

To be given something that is not your own.

In the New Testament the idea of justification shows up and justification is a legal term or transaction in which one party is deemed innocent.

In the New Testament, we read that Jesus bore our sin on the cross - Jesus received the punishment we deserved and we are declared innocent and given His righteousness.

How does this happen?

It happens to those who believe.

That is what we see with Abraham in the text - He believed and was credited with righteousness.

Please read Genesis 15:7-12.

Abram asks for more answers in verse 8, why do you think this is the case?

Because this is important information.

He wants assurance!

MacArthur brings out a good point on page 31 regarding sacrifices.

It is easy for us to read the Old Testament and get a little bogged down in the details and mud.

What we have to understand is that God requires sacrifices.