Genesis 52 – After these things

The Word of God is from Genesis chapter 15, verses 1 to 6. Please listen carefully to God's Word.

 

"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.' But Abram said, 'Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?' Then Abram said, 'Look, You have given me no offspring; so one born in my house is my heir.' And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.' 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." Amen.  

 

Righteousness and Salvation Obtained by Faith

Today's passage is from Genesis 15:1-6, and verse 6, in particular, is a very well-known and important verse for us: "And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." God, who regarded Abram as righteous, said that He looked not at anything else but only at his faith. Therefore, this word was delivered to us as the greatest and most important truth, not only when Jesus Christ first preached the gospel, but also when many churches were corrupted and shaken, and when the Reformation occurred. The phrase 'we are justified by faith alone' is often understood only in the sense that by being justified we attain 'salvation,' but in fact, that salvation is only a part of the grace we have received. Therefore, if we only say, 'we receive salvation by faith alone,' it does not fully capture this great grace. So, over the next 2-3 weeks, we will take a closer look at what justification and the faith that achieves it mean in the Bible.

 

The Key to Interpreting Chapter 15: 'After These Things'

The most important key to interpreting Chapter 15 today is the phrase 'after these things' in the first sentence of verse 1. If translated 정확하게 (accurately), it means "after these events." What do "these events" refer to here? They refer to the stories in Chapter 14 that we looked at last week. In Chapter 14, there was a war with the allied forces of Canaan, and Abram defeated the victorious allied forces again, rescuing Lot, who had been taken captive, and recovering all the plundered possessions. The phrase "after these things" refers to the period immediately following that event. Understanding this background is essential to properly grasp today's passage.

 

Fear After Victory: Abram's Paradoxical Situation

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Abram.' This is truly a gracious verse. The scene where God tells Abram, 'Do not be afraid, I will be your reward and your shield,' is a promise that would naturally make Abram say 'Amen.' However, when we consider the context of "after these things," this statement can be quite difficult to understand.

 

Just before this passage, Abram had won a war against an allied force that seemed impossible to defeat, and he had recovered Lot and all the spoils. In that situation, Abram must have felt like he was flying. But God did not say to Abram things like, 'Well done, faithful servant!' or 'Do not be proud, but be humble.' Instead, He said, 'Do not be afraid.' This means that Abram was very afraid 'after' that great victory. Does this make sense to you? If it were another time, we might think that Abram had something difficult and fearful to deal with. But the Bible specifically says "after these things," referring to the very moment when Abram should have been overjoyed by his great victory, and testifies that he was afraid. Therefore, today's passage is not easy to understand at first glance.

 

God's Comfort: 'Shield' and 'Reward'

 

The Meaning of 'Shield': Overcoming the Fear of Retaliation

What is more interesting is the reason God gives after telling him not to be afraid. God says, ‘I am your shield and your exceedingly great reward.’ Let's use a little imagination to understand this part well. Abram is afraid of something, and God tells him that he doesn't need to be afraid because He will be his shield. The word ‘shield’ is a term related to war. It is a promise that God will protect and guard him amidst the threat of war.

 

So, what was it related to war that Abram might have feared? The allied forces from the east, defeated in the war, had already fled back to their homeland. But the problem was that they had a history of invading Canaan twice before. Therefore, there was a sufficient possibility that they would regain their strength and come on an expedition again. From Abram's perspective, it was a situation where he could only fear retaliation. That is why God comforts Abram, telling him not to be afraid and to trust in God who is his shield.

 

The Meaning of 'Reward': Becoming God's Direct Possession

Next, God says, ‘I will be your reward.’ As we have already seen, Abram returned with much spoil from the war. He met Melchizedek and gave him a tithe, and later the king of Sodom acknowledged all the spoil as Abram's possession. However, Abram vowed not to touch any of the spoil. This was because he realized that this war was not his own achievement but God's war. He might have initially thought he won by his own strength, but God, through Melchizedek, made him realize that this entire war belonged to God and that God had delivered victory into his hands. This is also evident in his act of giving a tithe to Melchizedek. Consequently, it was as if Abram had nothing left. That is why God tells Abram, ‘Do not worry, I am your reward.’ Here, the word 'reward' is deeply related to the Hebrew word meaning 'spoil.' In other words, God Himself will become Abram's greatest possession and compensation.

 

Abram's Question: 'What Will You Give Me?'

 

The First Dialogue with God and a Difficult Question to Understand

So, how should Abram have responded to God? It seems natural to reply, ‘Amen, God. Now I will no longer fear my enemies and will be thankful for what You have permitted.’ However, the reason today's passage is important is that this scene marks the first dialogue between Abram and God. Until then, Abram had only listened silently when the word of God came to him. But today, for the first time, Abram asks God a question. And that question sounds a bit surprising to us. Verse 2: "Lord GOD, what will You give me?"

 

God had made an immense promise that He Himself would be Abram's shield and reward, meaning He would give Himself to Abram. Yet, Abram, as if unrelated to that promise, asks back, ‘Then what are You going to give me?’ Does this conversation make sense? If we read Chapter 15 without considering the background story of Chapter 14, we might understand it only as a gracious scene where God comforts Abram and promises to grant his wish for a child. However, if we carefully examine the flow of the story across Chapters 14 and 15 and the direction of the current conversation, we get a feeling that something is off. The dialogue between Abram and God seems disconnected, as if they are talking about different things.

 

Abraham's True Concern: Not an Heir, but a 'Seed'

Abram's question is this: ‘God, what on earth are You going to give me? I have no children.’ Interpreted differently, this is like saying, ‘God, what I need more desperately than what You are offering now is a child, which I currently do not have.’ To put it more simply, it's as if he is pleading, ‘God, what is it that You intend to give me? If it's material wealth, haven't You seen me renounce all riches already? I have already experienced victory in war. The reward You speak of, the promise to be my shield, doesn't deeply resonate with me right now. Instead, I have no descendant to carry on my line. What I want most is my own child.’

 

A Longing for a 'Seed' Beyond Material Inheritance

If so, the problem Abram is fearing and worrying about was not a lack of faith that God would take care of him and resolve his difficulties. His real fear was the absence of a child he could see and touch, the anxiety that his lineage might end with him. That seemed to be Abram's sole concern.

 

So, was the worry about not having children merely a fear of having no one to inherit his possessions? That was not it. The Bible meticulously addresses this part. In today's passage, Abram has already designated Eliezer of Damascus as the one to inherit his property. The name Eliezer means ‘My God is my help.’ In other words, Abram had already pondered the issue of an heir and had 마련해 둔 (prepared) his own solution.

 

Then, what was Abram's real worry and concern about not having children? Today's scripture passage shows that what Abram wanted was something more than just an heir. In verse 3, he says again, "You have given me no seed; behold, one born in my house is my heir." This statement carries a nuance that the concern about an heir itself is manageable since he already has a solution (Eliezer). And here, the most crucial keyword in Abram's response emerges: ‘But You, Lord, have not given me a seed.’ Abram is talking to God specifically about this 'seed.' The source of his fear was not in losing possessions, being invaded by neighboring countries, or having no one to inherit. His concern was solely the ‘seed.’

 

Abram's Realization: The World is Not Everything

We who live in the New Testament era can roughly guess what this word ‘seed’ implies when we hear it. But how could the word 'seed' come from Abram's mouth, who lived about 4,000 years ago? To understand this, let's look at his situation.

 

Abram the Immigrant's Worldly Life and Inner Transformation

Abram was an immigrant, like us today. He migrated to an unfamiliar land, and it's likely he wasn't welcomed by the people there. Without a single piece of land to his name, he might have been ostracized by many. Of course, there were those who formed alliances and accepted him, but due to the fear of an outsider entering their territory and growing in power, he likely found it difficult to experience genuine hospitality or kindness anywhere. Therefore, Abram would have lived constantly worrying about the most basic survival issues, such as ‘What shall I eat, or what shall I wear?’

 

We, too, as we live the life of immigrants, often prioritize realistic problems like food and drink, bank balances, and next month's paycheck. Abram would not have been much different. Such a man, as we saw in Chapter 14, had acquired enormous spoils, and he certainly had the desire to possess them. However, he let go of all of it. A truly tremendous change had occurred in Abram's heart.

 

God's Grace and Application to Life

How about you? Has a great change like Abram's occurred in your heart? Are you perhaps making excuses, saying, ‘I never even had the chance to possess great wealth like Abram did’? No. We can still lay down many things before God today. It's just that we have so much that there's no room for God's word to enter. Therefore, as we listen to Abram's story today, we must realize that this story can also be our story. Just as God guided Abram, intervened in his life, transformed, and reformed him, we must believe that the history of that grace can occur in our lives today.

 

The things Abram so desperately wanted to hold onto, God made him let go of them all by making him realize what kind of victory his victory truly was. We confess in hymns, ‘All the way my Savior leads me; what have I to ask beside?’ but in our actual lives, we often live forgetting that grace. Today, Abram vividly shows through his life how great that grace of God is. God made Abram realize that He had delivered his enemies into his hand. When he was weeping, when he couldn't sleep because life's problems seemed unsolvable, God wept with him, walked with him, and finally, made him realize that the One who made him laugh was God Himself.

 

Realizing the True Meaning of Blessing

Abram is realizing all these things one by one through the events of Genesis 14. He came to realize that he was a person who would enjoy blessings, and he began to understand what those blessings were. Previously, he might have thought that planting his flag in the land of Canaan, which God had permitted, and living a greatly successful life was the way to obey God, and that this was the blessing he would receive. Having rescued people and obtained much spoil, such a dream might have blossomed in his heart. These thoughts might have crossed his mind several times a day. The expectation that many problems that had troubled him until now could all be solved with a single opportunity would not have left his mind. And, if God were to keep His previous promise to make him a great nation, it would seem natural for Abram to ask God for that land, and all the wealth and people.

 

However, Abram did not do so. He didn't even insistently ask for a child to form a great nation. He had even considered his nephew Lot as his successor, tried to make Eliezer, who was not of his bloodline, his heir, and even had a child through another woman, not his wife Sarah. Thus, Abram was a person who had relatively liberal thoughts on the matter of continuing his lineage. Such a man is asking God for nothing other than the ‘seed.’ He does not ask to be made a great nation through his own child. This is because he had learned and realized through his life that what belongs to this world is not everything. Therefore, what he seeks is not a mere child, but specifically that ‘seed.’

 

The Theological Meaning of 'Seed': Genesis 3:15 and Christ

 

The Connection Point between the Proto-Gospel and the Abrahamic Covenant

Let's then examine why Abram brought up the story of the ‘seed’ to God. Do you remember where the word ‘seed’ first appeared in the Bible? It was Genesis 3:15, the verse often called the Proto-Gospel. The word translated there as ‘offspring of the woman’ is precisely ‘seed.’ And that ‘seed’ was the gospel not only for Adam and Eve but also for Abram. When the Lord told Abram, ‘Through you all nations will be blessed,’ he might have initially thought of himself merely as someone who received a special blessing from God.

 

However, he begins to understand more and more deeply. He experienced God miraculously protecting his wife Sarah. He contemplated God's providence, who led him to Canaan but did not allow him to possess even a single piece of land there. And, as in the background of today's passage in Chapter 14, on his way back with all the spoil, he met Melchizedek and also realized that everything he possessed was not his own. Eventually, Abram came to realize that the things this world offers him are not everything, and that even occupying Canaan and establishing a nation there was not the ultimate goal. And he finally understood what the ‘source of blessing’ promised by God was. It was precisely the promise concerning Abram and his ‘descendant (seed),’ as the Bible testifies.

 

The Promised One Seed, Christ

The Apostle Paul, in Galatians, explains how this promise becomes a blessing: "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ." This promise that God will give blessings through Abram and his ‘descendant (seed)’ is astounding. In other words, the true meaning of the 'seed' Abram is talking about now, as clearly explained through the New Testament, was ‘his descendant,’ the core of the blessing God promised to Abram, and that descendant was singular, referring to one person. Then, it becomes clear who that one descendant was. That descendant was not Isaac, nor Jacob, nor Moses, but the one and only Jesus Christ.

 

The Essence We Must Seek: Christ

Abram is now laying down everything he could ask for before God and requesting only one thing. This is because he knew that without that one thing, his life would be futile even if he possessed everything else. He could boast of his wealth and abilities and live engrossed in self-love, but he had realized that all of it was ultimately nothing.

 

The Choice Between Worldly Problems and Eternal Essence

We, too, come to the sanctuary carrying many worries. For some, those worries are so severe that they can only weep and cling to the Lord in prayer, as there seems no way to resolve them with their own strength. It could be financial problems, or issues with children or health. It could be anxiety about preparing for old age, which is an imminent concern. We all live carrying so many problems like these. And we can come before God, lay bare those problems, and earnestly seek God's help.

 

Abram also had problems similar to ours. However, his faith shows us a very simple yet core truth. He could have asked for wealth, or for land. But instead of these things, Abram asks for the ‘seed.’ He is confessing to God that if it were not for Christ, he himself would be nothing.

 

Think back 10 years. How many of the problems you worried about so seriously then are you still worrying about in the same way now? Probably very few. How many things did you think were the end of the world back then? But after only 10 years, most things pass by as if they were nothing. The problems you are facing now might be the same. In 10 years, your current worries are likely to have become trivial matters. This does not mean that the problems you are currently experiencing are light. However, if we lose sight of the source of all those problems, the source of all the blessings we should truly enjoy, and focus only on the immediate issues, we may end up losing everything.

 

Abram's Plea: A Promise He Cannot Fulfill Himself

Abram is now seeking not the Promised Land within all those things, nor the wealth to build a nation, nor anything else, but only God's one promise: that ‘descendant,’ that ‘seed,’ Jesus Christ, whom we know. That was most important to him. Because, unlike anything else, the promise concerning Jesus Christ was something he could not achieve on his own. This was something only God could give. This promise was something that could never be given unless God had mercy on him, and unless God permitted all these things. Therefore, Abram had no choice but to come before God and make his request to God.

 

What is True Faith?

Therefore, Abram's faith is not as simple as merely ‘he believed in God, and knew that God was with him.’ Because God is not someone I can understand to a certain extent and then gain reassurance from that understanding because He walks with me and guides me. That level of understanding is insufficient and falls far short of the truth about God that the Bible wants to convey to us. The Bible speaks very clearly. What we must seek, what we must hold onto, is not some absolute being who solves our immediate problems, gives us comfort, confirms our happiness, and thus can help us in our lives, but rather that ‘seed,’ ‘Jesus Christ,’ whom God promised. The reason is clear: only through Him can we obtain true life, and He Himself is more precious and eternal than anything else in the world.

 

The Core of Faith: Not My Strength, but the Greatness of Christ

In the passage, Abram believed God's promise, and God accounted his faith to him as righteousness. The faith mentioned here does not simply mean the act of believing itself. We often regard ‘justification by faith’ as an important truth. However, strictly speaking, understanding that we are saved simply by the fact that we ‘believe’ can lead to misunderstanding. Of course, that statement is not wrong, but if not understood correctly, it can be misperceived.

 

An easy misunderstanding we fall into concerns the ‘intensity’ or ‘strength’ of faith. We are very interested in how strong our faith is. However, how strongly we actually believe is not that important. What is more important is ‘what’ we are believing in. And that question also includes an understanding of what is happening through that faith. It is not ‘I’ who believes that is great, nor is my act of ‘believing’ itself great. We do not become great people because we have good faith, nor do we become possessors of great faith. It is simply because ‘He’ whom we believe in is great that our faith becomes important. It is not that our faith is so excellent that we become outstanding Christians, but because the Christ we believe in is great and beautiful, we entrust our lives to Him and look only to Him.

 

Awareness of Sin and the Cry for Christ

At that time, we realize how pitiful and weak we are, and how great a sin we are in. And we may fall into self-reproach, thinking, ‘What on earth can a sinner like me do?’ But at the same time, we also realize that this is by no means the end. If so, realizing our own sinfulness is by no means a bad thing.

 

Therefore, our gaze must not remain fixed on our own sinfulness. Our eyes must turn directly to Jesus Christ. So, we must hold onto the truth that ‘I am weak, but Christ is strong.’ Even though I am a sinner, I must hold onto the fact that Christ's righteousness is within me. Even if we feel like beings who can do nothing but sin, we must realize that we have Christ to hold onto. That is why, like Abram in today's passage, we have no choice but to offer this confession to God: “Father, I need Christ, that ‘seed,’ that ‘descendant.’ Because nothing else can replace Jesus Christ.”

 

Now we know what we should seek. We also know where the solution to my problems begins. Do not weep or ache over problems that will disappear in ten years; instead, become someone who weeps for your soul. If you do so, you will realize how light the problems you now think are impossible actually are. Weep for Christ who saves your soul. Look to Him. Reaffirm that He is the One who is highest above all our problems. Even if the things I have wanted all my life are not achieved, even if perhaps the things I have pursued all my life collapse, if I know that I have Jesus, I will gratefully confess that I have no reason to collapse or fall.

 

A Confession of Grace: John Newton's 'Amazing Grace'

There is a famous poem written by John Newton, a man who was a slave trader in the 18th century and later converted and became a pastor. This poem has deeply moved many people over a long period. It is the hymn ‘Amazing Grace,’ translated into Korean with the title ‘나 같은 죄인 살리신’ (Grace that Saved a Sinner Like Me). This song has been widely loved and sung not only by Christians but also by non-Christians. The lyrics of this song clearly show what God wants us to look at. At this time, I want to take a moment to appreciate these lyrics with you.

 

From Sinner to Found: The Meaning of the Lyrics (Verse 1)

The first verse begins like this: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” John Newton realized that he was a sinner. And he marvels at God and His grace that saved him, who was bound to die and had no hope. And it continues: “I once was lost, but now I am found.” This is a confession that God found him when he was lost. God has found you too. Do you remember how we used to hide from God, how we ran away, how we lived as we pleased? God, just as He did with Abram, constantly sought us and sought us again. He pursued us and chased us, eventually coming to this very place to meet us. God, who pursued us as we constantly fled, has come to this very place and is confessing His love to us. God is still telling you that He loves you. It is solely by God's grace that you and I have met in this place, and we have equally received the name of God's children. How amazing is this!

 

Seeing What Was Unseen: The Transformation (Latter part of Verse 1)

So he continues to sing: “Was blind, but now I see.” John Newton continues to confess: ‘Before, I only saw the world. I saw myself, and what I possessed seemed to be everything. But now, I have come to see what I could not see before.’ So he came to know that there is eternity, and he also realized that this life is not all there is. And he also realized that he had to prepare for the most important thing in his life.

 

The Fear and Peace Taught by Grace (Original Second Verse)

Let's look at the lyrics of the second verse in the original English translation: “‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,” This is slightly different from the second verse of the Korean hymn, but it is a testimony that grace made him know fear. He confesses that he came to know the fear of the consequences by realizing how terrifying his sin was, where his life was heading if it continued as it was, and that there was no hope in such a life. If I do not have Jesus, if I live a life ignorant of Christ, then anything I possess, any victory I enjoyed, any amazing moments in life, all the abilities I boasted of, are ultimately nothing – this is what God's grace makes us realize. “And grace my fears relieved.” Grace enabled the poet to know Christ, and because of that, all fear vanished from his heart.

 

Unchanging Promise and Hope (Concluding Lyrics)

“How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.” The original version of this hymn has seven verses. There are lyrics that are not often sung in the current hymns, which I would like to introduce to conclude today's message. “The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.”

 

Prayer

Lord, what praise can we offer You? Lord, be our song, and be our reward. Lord, we need Jesus. We must have Christ. Thus, we will live forever with You, our eternal reward. Lord, thank You. You sent Your Son to us. Lord, thank You. As promised, the Son suffered. Lord, thank You. According to the Scriptures, He was resurrected. Lord, thank You. According to the Scriptures, He was buried, rose again, and ascended, becoming our first fruits. Now, we and Christ, as children of God, will together enjoy the glory of heaven. Your name has become our name, so we too have become sons and daughters. Lord, thank You. Please help us not to forget this path. Please help us not to forget that this is the foundation of the most precious gospel we seek. Please help us not to forget that You have declared this righteous. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.