City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

¹⁶ I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. ¹⁷ Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” ¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Genesis 13:16-18 (ESV)

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Hebrews 11:13 (ESV)

Commentary

In these three verses God makes two promises to Abram; (1) that He will multiply Abram’s descendants such that counting them would be like counting the dust on the earth (v. 16); and (2) that He will give Abram the land on which he is standing and which he can see in all directions (vv. 14-15, 17). Abram’s response is to praise the Lord by building an altar (v. 18). 

Abram’s praise is a demonstration of his faith because it presupposes God will do what He has just promised to do. If Abram did not think God would do what He promised, there would have been no reason to praise Him or build an offer. Unkept promises are not a basis for praise but scorn.

When I was in law school, I first learned about the law of contracts. I was surprised to learn a contract is merely an exchange of promises between the contracting parties. It is not a guarantee you will receive anything; it is only a promise from the other party that you will. Yet we celebrate the signing of contracts as if we have already received what is promised. If you ever purchased a home, you signed a contract for your home before you actually received the keys to your new home. You only received a promise, yet you probably went out that night and celebrated because you had faith the other party would follow through on his or her promise. 

Application

How much more then should we celebrate the promises of God? 

Prayer

Lord, I praise you for the promises You have made to me because I know they are sure because I know You are true, amen.