After this, the word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield and your very great reward.” - Genesis 15:1
“But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless...?” - Genesis 15:2a
He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited to him as righteousness.” - Genesis 15:5-6
When I am really afraid of something and someone tells me, “Don’t worry about it…stop thinking about it,” my fear and anxiety only increase. Have you ever tried to make yourself stop thinking about something? It doesn’t work does it? You only end up thinking and worrying about that thing even more.
When I am anxious and scared, there are two things that help enormously: One is to talk about my fear with someone who will listen; the other is to be given some sort of sign, or symbol, that I can look to as an indicator that things will be all right.
In the book of Genesis, we meet a marvelous character, Abram (later, Abraham), who is not only the Father of our faith, and a very significant figure in world history, but he is also a vulnerable, fearful, questioning human being. God has called him and his wife Sarai to leave their homeland and to become together the founders of a new people. They obey, leave home, and journey to the landof Canaan, as instructed. But they have no child; Sarai is barren (Genesis 11:30).
The strength of Abraham’s relationship with God in Genesis is borne out by their frequent “conversations.” Clearly, Abraham feels free to question, doubt, and express fear directly to God. Abraham spoke to God as one speaks to a trusted friend. In fact, three times Abraham is called “friend of God”.
2 Chronicles 20:7 - O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
James 2:23 - And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
What turned Abraham into Abraham the friend of God? the answer is faith. It was the faith of Abraham, his consistent belief and trust in God despite his circumstances that made him a friend of God.
When God says, “Fear not,” Abraham counters with very real and concrete concerns: How can my reward (an heir and descendants) be great when I don’t have a child, an heir? This reminds me of Frederick Buechner’s statement: “The opposite of faith is not doubt; it’s fear.” The life of Abraham demonstrates that doubt can and often does coexist with faith.
God gives Abraham a sign, something Abraham trusts as a symbol of God’s promise: “Look toward heaven and count the stars; so shall your descendants be.” I don’t know about you, but I have gazed up at the night sky and felt both incredibly small and insignificant, and full of awe and wonder at the power of my God. God uses an outward and visible sign in the ordinary world to point Abraham toward hope and trust.
In his excellent Genesis commentary, Walter Brueggemann asks, “Is it okay for us to ask God for a sign? Apparently, yes!” Then Brueggemann astutely adds: “The same God who makes stars beyond number can also make a son for this barren family, and we understand no more about one than the other.”
Help us, O God, in the midst of fear, to speak to you from our hearts, and then to look expectantly for a sign that all will be well - Amen.
Jeff Frazier
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