Blessed by God | Genesis 15
During this Christmas season it is important to remind ourselves of the many blessings which God has given us in our lives. A clear truth in God’s word is that He blesses His people. In Genesis 12:1-3 God blesses Abram and promises him land and a called-out nation—a nation, a people chosen by God as Abraham was chosen by God.
- God continues to bless Abram; continues to remind Abram of how much He loves Him.
-God protects and gives Abram great wealth. God plagues Pharaoh and Egypt so Abram could leave with wealth, resources and servants given to him by Pharaoh—Genesis 12:15-20
-Abram and his family were rich with resources and material goods/ servants—Genesis 14:1-2
-Abram wages war to rescue Lot, his army of 318 men are victorious, Lot is rescued—Genesis 14:1-16
-Melchizedek blesses Abram and Abram blesses Melchizedek by tithing to him—Genesis 14:19-20
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
--Genesis 14:19-20
Hebrew for “Blessing.” בָּרַךְ bârak, baw-rak’; a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit);
Melchizedek blesses Abram because he recognizes that Abram is faithful to God and chosen by God. God loves Abram; Abram is a part of God’s amazing plan to redeem the world. God will continue to bless Abram by promising him a son, and many descendants—one of those descendants is going to be the saviour of the world.
This is also why tithing is set up in scripture. IT is a form of worship, submission and a form of blessing. The act of tithing also teaches us that everything we own is not ours rather it belongs to God—Abram’s reaction to Melchizedek’s blessing is to bless him back by tithing a tenth of all his wealth to him (his assets). Abram understood who is God was, who is king was.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.”
--Psalm 24:1
Old covenant tithing was mandated (there were three different types of tithes). This requirement of Law commanded the Israelites to give ten percent of the crops they grew and livestock they raised to the temple. (Lev. 27:30-33, Numbers 18:26, Deut. 14:24, 2 Chronicles 31:5). This was required for many purposes—to support the Levitical priesthood, to celebrate the feasts, and to care for the poor of the land. The old covenant law is no longer practiced because Jesus brought the new covenant in—but the church in the NT still practices tithing to a local church and preacher of the gospel.
“If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar?”
--1 Corinthians 9:11-13
Paul explains how this tithe to the local church blesses the church, the pastoral ministry, it gives time for the preaching of the gospel, the helping of those in the church and how generosity will move the gospel of Christ forward.
“So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.”
--1 Corinthians 9:14
The Christ follower is called to be generous; to bring blessing and provision to each other, to God’s church—the privilege to tithe is a blessing to both; for the giver and the receiver.
“Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.”
--2 Corinthians 9:10-11
How is God going to bless His people? How will He continue to bless Abram? —He will give him a righteous child whom both the Israelites and their saviour will come through.
“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.’ Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.’ Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.’”
--Genesis 15:1-3
Eliezer of Damascus was Abram’s chief assistant, his main servant and associate. He was a good man but not a son of Adam. Abam is challenged by God’s promise because having a son seems impossible. Abram is roughly in between 75-86 years old (Sarai is approx. 10 years younger).
- God’s promise brings out obedience in Abram. Abram becomes confident following God.
“Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.’ And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”
--Genesis 15:3-6
God has Abram’s attention now. Abram will prepare for the LORD’s covenant, the first agreement with His chosen people, a promise that is still in effect, that is now partially fulfilled and that will be fulfilled completely one day. Genesis 15:7-18 is a preparation to follow God and obey His special covenant.
Covenant: This is a blessed assurance of God’s provision and blessing for His people. A legal agreement that is binding; that will be fulfilled and followed.
-Blood covenants were common in ancient times. The agreement was made when parties to the agreement walked through the animal parts together, repeating the terms of the covenant. The Hebrew word for “made” means “to cut”: The Lord “Cut a Covenant.” This means there needed to be blood sacrifice to seal the agreement—to offer covering to God’s people.
-The symbolism is plain. First, this was a covenant so serious, it was sealed with blood. Second, if one were to break this covenant, let this same bloodshed be poured out on their animals and on them.
“I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts—the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf—I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.”
--Jeremiah 34:18-20
“When Abram had his doubts and wanted assurance from the LORD, God said to him clearly, ‘let’s sign a contract and settle this once and for all.”
--Enduring Word Commentary
- God’s blessing does not make life easier; it gives hope to pull us through difficult times.
-Abram waited for God after cutting the animals into pieces. Genesis 15:12-16 shows how God’s people will have to wait in slaver for their deliverance out of Egypt.
“God said to Abram, ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.’”
--Genesis 15:13-14
Everything that happens in the world is a part of God’s plan—this is why blood covenants are necessary, because all of humanity is guilty, sinful, and must live under these consequences. This covenant is given to God’s people so they may know God and have hope in terrible conditions. God also allows his people to go into times of trouble so that His power, His glory, His hope can shine through His people to all of the world.
There is always hope in the Christian’s life—God is coming for His people, He will bless his people, and He will save His people from eternal hell.
“It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.’”
--Genesis 15:17-18
“A divine covenant is not a mutual agreement on equal terms between two parties, but a divine promise assured.”
--Alexander Maclaren
Jesus is our perfect blessing! Jesus is our perfect gift. He is our new covenant, our new promise, the hope that pulls us through difficult times and the Joy that we have in this life. Remember, King Zedekiah and his officials of the land of Judah were judged, they breached God’s Abrahamic covenant and there were called to die, for their blood to be spilled because of this break in covenant—but now we have a perfect God, a perfect Man who came into this world through the blessing of Abraham’s righteous lineage that has spilled His perfect blood fulfilling the appeasement of spilled blood for the Old Testament covenants.
This man’s name is Jesus Christ—who came into this world to offer His love, His mercy, His truth, His grace, this love is so powerful, nothing can separate God from His family.
“Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
--Romans 8:34-39