God's promise to Abraham: stars in the sky

God told Abram to leave his country, his relatives, and his father's house. God would show him a land. God promised to make Abram a great nation, bless him, make his name great, and make him a blessing. God also said that all families of the earth would be blessed through him.

Abram obeyed. He left Haran when he was seventy-five years old. Sarai, his wife, went with him. Lot, his brother's son, went too. They took their belongings and the people who were with them, and they came into Canaan.

Abram traveled through the land to Sichem and the plain of Moreh. The Canaanites were living in the land. There the LORD appeared to Abram and promised the land to his descendants. Abram built an altar to the LORD. Later he moved near Bethel, pitched his tent, built another altar, and called upon the name of the LORD.

After these things, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision. God told Abram not to fear and said He was Abram's shield and great reward. Abram still had no child. God told him that his own son would be his heir. Then God brought Abram outside and told him to look toward heaven and count the stars, if he could. God said Abram's descendants would be like that. Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted it to him for righteousness.

In Genesis 12, God called Abram to leave his country, his relatives, and his father's house and go to a land God would show him. God attached remarkable promises to that command. He would make Abram a great nation, bless him, make his name great, and make him a blessing. God also said that all families of the earth would be blessed through Abram.

Abram went as the LORD had spoken. He was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son went with him. Abram also took their possessions and the people they had gained in Haran. Their destination was Canaan, and Genesis says plainly that they arrived there.

Abram passed through the land to Sichem and the plain of Moreh. The Canaanites were then in the land, an important detail because God next appeared to Abram and promised that land to his descendants. Abram built an altar to the LORD there. He later moved to a mountain east of Bethel, pitched his tent with Bethel to the west and Hai to the east, built another altar, and called upon the name of the LORD. Then he continued toward the south.

Genesis 15 returns to God's promise. The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision and told him not to fear. The LORD said He was Abram's shield and exceeding great reward. Yet Abram pointed out a serious problem: he was still childless. Abram said that his steward was Eliezer of Damascus and that one born in his house was his heir. The LORD answered that this person would not be Abram's heir. Abram's heir would come from his own body.

Then God brought Abram outside. He told him to look toward heaven and count the stars, if he was able to number them. God said Abram's descendants would be like that. The picture was enormous, while Abram's present situation still looked small. The passage does not say that Abram suddenly received a child at that moment. Instead, it tells what Abram did with God's promise: he believed the LORD.

Genesis then gives the account its key statement. Abram believed, and the LORD counted it to him for righteousness. The promise of descendants was not based on what Abram could already see. At this point in the account, he had God's word and trusted it.