Genesis 22 ~ God promised to give Abraham all that he longed for ... and more
Genesis 22:18
~ "Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
Human
beings haven't changed much in 4,000 years. The longing for children
and the desire for land still surge up with surprising emotional power.
Consider
the estimated six million American couples-one in seven would-be
parents-who are unable to have children. For most of them, this brings
deep anguish. Or think about the people who work double shifts,
sacrificing their free time in order to own a home rather than rent.
Abraham would have understood.
When God wanted his attention, he promised him land and more sons than
he could count. To a Babylonian emigrant, 75 years old and childless,
owning nothing but his tents and animals, the promises sounded
wonderful. In fact, they sounded impossible. Yet, because God himself
was making the promise, Abraham "believed the LORD, and he credited it
to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).
