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GENESIS 14–15; PSALM 11

Week 2, Day 1

In those ancient days, wars between city-states went on constantly. Abraham was himself a kind of traveling city, with his 318 trained men; and his little army turned the tide. I think the writer of Genesis sees the victory as an achievement of faith and of Abraham’s skilled leadership.

Abraham refuses any reward for himself, but he gives a tithe to Melchizedek, king of Salem (which means peace, shalom). Melchizedek is a mysterious figure, open to our speculation. The New Testament pays him particular attention (Hebrews 5–7), portraying him as a forerunner of Christ.

But again Abraham struggles. When the Lord says, “Do not be afraid, Abram . . . ; your reward shall be very great” (15:1), Abraham reminds God that he still doesn’t have an heir. Will his holdings simply pass to his steward, Eliezer of Damascus, “a slave born in my house” (15:3)? It is a plaintive cry.

What follows is at once inspiring, mysterious, and symbolic. After God has reassured Abraham of the divine plan, God asks him to make a sacrifice. Abraham has to drive scavenger birds away from the sacrifice; they seem like a malevolent force. Then Abraham has a terrifying dream, which reveals some of the peril that will one day threaten his descendants, even as the scavengers have invaded his place of worship.

PRAYER: When I am in a dark and uncertain place, O God, reassure me with your presence and promise; in Christ our Lord. Amen.

Recall a time when, in the face of what seemed impossible, you “believed the LORD.”