Wednesday | 09 September 2026
A person who has received the blessing of Abraham has been born of the Spirit. That is, they have received the promise of the Spirit through the faith that Abraham received and demonstrated on Mount Moriah.
The second dimension of faith, that the apostle Paul nominated in his letter to the Hebrews, was the faith by which Abraham dwelt in the land of promise. This faith was extended to, and demonstrated by, those in his household – Isaac and Jacob – who became heirs of the same promise that God made to Abraham. Paul wrote, ‘By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God’. Hebrews 11:9-10.
Following his defeat of the five kings and his liberation of his nephew, Lot, Abram met Melchizedek, who brought out to him the bread and wine of fellowship. Melchizedek blessed Abram, identifying him as the ‘possessor of heaven and earth’. Gen 14:18-19. It was after these things that ‘the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield [of faith], your exceedingly great reward”’. Gen 15:1. It is notable that Christ, the Word of the Lord, addressed Abram’s fear by declaring that He was giving Himself to be Abram’s faith and exceedingly great reward.
Having been illuminated to see his children as a great multitude who had been brought to glory in the image and likeness of God, being likened to the stars of heaven, Abram believed the word of the Lord. This was accounted to Abram as righteousness. Gen 15:5-6. The Lord then revealed to Abram that he would obtain this inheritance through his fellowship in the cross of Christ. Gen 15:8-17. This encounter marked a new step in Abram’s pilgrimage of faith as he now journeyed to appropriate what had been promised to him.
Further Study:
Genesis 15
References:
Heb 11:9-10
By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Gen 14:18-19
Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth.’
Gen 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’
Gen 15:5-6
Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Gen 15:8-17
And he said, ‘Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?’ So, He said to him, ‘Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. Then He said to Abram, ‘Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And, also, the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. But in the fourth generation, they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.’ And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.