Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19990926.htm

GENESIS: THE SOURCES OF GOOD AND CALAMITY IN OUR ORIGINS
Part III - God's Ongoing Program Of Countering Man's Apostasy At Babel
E. Round Four: The Battle Of Faith Regarding The Fear Of Mid-life Overextension
(Genesis 15:1-21)
  1. Introduction
    1. When a young man starts out in life, he often feels confident that his life's goals can readily be reached.
    2. However, as the man marries, expands his business and rises in level of responsibility, he may suddenly see how vulnerable is his material lot and the welfare of his developing family, for his waning strength lacks the capacity to insure his growth in possessions and support the welfare of his developing dependents.
    3. God's interaction with Abram at this overextended juncture in his life instructs us in the life of faith as well:
  2. The Battle Of Faith Regarding The Fear Of Mid-life Overextension, Genesis 15:1-21:
    1. Following Abram's defeat of the five kings in Genesis 14, God encouraged Abram in a vision not to fear, for God was Abram's (1) protective Shield and (2) Exceeding Great Reward, Genesis 15:1.
    2. The need for this vision to encourage Abram regarding his fears is explained in view of the context:
      1. Abram's battle to free Lot ended in his defeating kings, Ry. St. Bib., KJV ftn. to Gen. 14:1; Gen. 14:14.
      2. In that battle, Abram extended himself rather thin in leaving his vulnerable camp in Hebron:
        1. His pursuit to engage the enemy amounted to 120 miles, starting from the plain of Mamre in Hebron and going up to Dan, Genesis 14:13-14 with 13:18; The Macmillan Bible Atlas, p. 27.
        2. Once in conflict, his men chased the enemy another 40 miles, Ibid.; Genesis 14:15-16.
      3. Thus, Abram was apparently concerned about military reprisals from kings in the East confederated with his foes that would again spread out his forces, Ibid., Ryrie S. B., KJV, ftn. to Genesis 15:1.
      4. Besides, Abram was getting on in age as a childless man, and his increase in possessions with a sense of inability to produce a child led to his worry that his many goods would go to a servant, Genesis 15:2.
      5. Accordingly, Abram expressed his concerns to God about how he felt things were getting almost too great for him to manage anymore, especially as it related to his family and possessions, cf. Gen. 15:2, 8.
    3. To encourage Abram, God revealed He would Himself manage what Abram could no longer handle:
      1. Regarding Abram's concern about childlessness, God signaled Abram would father seed that would be as innumerable as the stars, 15:2-3, 4-6. God used Abram's faith in this promise to justify him, Gn. 15:6!
      2. To address Abram's concern about his control of possessions, God signaled He Himself would provide for Abram's offspring's possessions and land inheritance long after Abram's death, G enesis 15:7, 8-21:
        1. God promised Abram the land of Canaan as an inheritance in Genesis 15:7.
        2. However, Abram sought assurance of that fact as he was still a sojourner in that land, Gen. 15:8.
        3. God then made an unconditional covenant, revealing His great, distant future control of the issue: (a) The Lord had Abram take animals, split their carcasses in the typical Ancient Near Eastern fashion to make a covenant by the party's involved together walking between the carcasses, Gen. 15:9-11, Leupold, Genesis, v. I, p. 480-481. (b) However, God put Abram into a deep trance so he was unable to move, and He ALONE walked between the carcasses to signify God alone would keep the covenant as a divine unconditional one, Gen. 15:12, 17. (c) In the process, God revealed that Abram would first die, and God would later take his descendants out of bond age in Egypt with great substance to possess the land that belonged to all the Canaanites Abram then saw, Gen. 15:13-16, 18-21. (d) Then God explained why Abram would not get his inheritance until his implied resurrection: the wickedness of the Canaanites was not yet full enough for God to judge them, so God would delay Israel's conquest of Canaan until they had rebelled fully against Him, Gen. 15 :16b.
Lesson: God revealed that HE HIMSELF would take over the reins of running Abram's "spread" and caring for his family and descendants that were beyond Abram's means and power to do so. Thus, Abram's duty was not to fear his being overextended, but to trust God's help for him with his concern.

Application: When the stakes in life RISE with an increase in possessions, responsibility and the vulnerability of family members with our corresponding decrease in capacity to manage them, God wants us to "fear not," but trust He will be around to take over where we cannot manage!