Abram Asks

Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?” (Genesis 15.1-8 NLT)

Abram was sitting in his tent one evening. Sarah his wife was with him mending clothes. Abram was pretending to carve new tent pegs, but he was really lost in thought. He had recently come back from a military expedition. He had gone to war to rescue his nephew Lot, who had been kidnapped by some tribal chieftains. Lot was safe now, as was Abram. But the venture reminded Abram of his mortality. What if he had died? People often die in wars. What then? His life – the life of a nomad – was precarious and fragile.

It was especially hard because Abram and Sarah had no children. No heirs to leave a legacy to. He had no land to call his own. Long again he had obeyed a voice that told him to come here. It was years later now, and he and Sarah had little to show for it. They were still strangers in the land of Canaan. Abram wondered if he had been a fool to leave Ur, his homeland, his roots. He was afraid, and he wondered if he had committed his life to an illusion.

Then in the silence, he heard the voice again. It spoke in his heart. It made the same astonishing promises: “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I will protect you and reward you.” Abram got up immediately. He and God needed to have a talk. Abram left the tent and took the conversation outside. He was always nervous to talk with God when other people were around. He went for a walk. He made his way to the top of a hill, where the wind and sand blew freely. Then the questions poured out of him. “What good are all your promises, God?” I don’t have a son. I don’t have any land. When will these things happen? How can I be sure? Abram’s questions hung in the air – he waited for answers.

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We have questions too. We carry them in the deep places of the heart. Our questions are like coins in a pouch. Some have a few. Some have a lot. Why did this happen, God? And why did that not happen? Our questions wait for answers, often for a lifetime.

It was 1950. Two teenage boys were driving to a basketball game. They were laughing, joking, looking forward to the game. The driver missed a stop sign. There was an accident. The driver walked away with bruises and scrapes. But the passenger, his best friend, was killed instantly. It’s sixty years later. The driver is now an old man. And every day he carries the guilt. And the question: “Why did I live and he die? WHY?! Why?” So we carry our questions, big ones and small ones, about life and suffering and faith.

Timothy Keller is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. After worship each Sunday he has a question and answer time. It lasts up to an hour. People can stay and ask the pastor any question they want. Over the years Keller has heard all the major questions. Why is there so much suffering? How do I know the Bible is true? Don’t all religions teach the same thing? Hasn’t science disproved Christianity? Why would a loving God send anyone to hell? Keller listens patiently, and then he offers his answers. I imagine his answers have changed and deepened over the years as he has learned more. I think one of the factors that has led to the growth of this church is Keller’s willingness to take questions seriously. Redeemer Presbyterian now as 6000 members, and they have a pastor who is not afraid of questions and who is willing to hunt for answers.

Some religious people are afraid of questions. There is an unwritten rule that says, “Don’t ask!” Don’t upset the basket of fruit. We like how the fruit is arranged.” Then there are other people who are afraid of answers – they are comfortable in their skepticism. If they admit an answer is true, they might have to commit their life to it, and that’s scary. Both groups – those afraid of questions and those afraid of answers – are similar. They both want security and safety. They want to avoid risk.

It’s better to affirm the value of questions and answers. Don’t be afraid of questions, and be willing to seek answers. And when you find an answer that satisfies your mind and heart, be willing to commit your life to it. Those who seek will find, but it often takes a long time and a lot of patience.

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Abram asked his questions. God listened patiently to him. Then there was silence. It was night now. The sky was choked with stars. Then the voice said to Abram, “Count the stars. That’s how many descendants you will have. This land will be theirs. Trust my promises, Abram. Trust me.”

Abram’s deeper question – under the questions about children and land – his deeper question was this: “Can I trust you, God?” “Can I trust this God who speaks to me, who calls me, who leads me?” Trust was the issue. You see, Abram has a problem. He only has one piece of a puzzle. He can only see the colors and shapes on his own little piece. He has no idea what the larger picture looks like. But God can see the big picture. And God’s promises to Abram are predicated on a vastly larger picture than Abram can see. Centuries and centuries of unfolding time. Abram must trust God’s vision. And trust can be a hard thing.

It will take years for Abram to begin to see the promises fulfilled. When he dies he will have two heirs – Isaac and Ishmael. Just two stars in the sky. And the only land he will own will be a cave he bought for 400 pieces of silver – a burial place for Sarah after she dies. So when he dies he has two kids and a cave. Not much to show for a lifetime of trust. But apparently it was enough for God. God was pleased with Abram’s faith and with his willingness to wait.

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Earlier I said we as believers carry our questions and wait for answers, even if it takes a long time for them to come. Sometimes the answer comes unexpectedly.

Watching the Olympics on TV, between events there are inspirational stories about the athletes. One story was narrated by Tom Brokaw. It was about Kevin Pearce, a snowboarder who had been a favorite for this Olympics. But a couple of months ago he had an accident. He hit his head on the lip of the half-pipe. It was a miracle he even survived. Now his family is coping with what will be a long rehabilitation. Kevin has an older brother, David, who has Down Syndrome. So the family has been caring for David his whole life. In the interview with Tom Brokaw, the mother said something striking: “Now I know why we had David. We had David so we would learn the patience to take care of Kevin.” It was an answer to a question she had carried for many years. Someone might dismiss her answer, but you could tell for her it was the answer she was looking for. You could see it in her face.

For me, I’m now finding answers to questions I’ve struggled with for over 20 years. And I have more questions waiting for answers. But in my waiting I have learned two things: First, I believe Samuel Johnson is right. He said “We must wait until we are in another state of being to have many things explained to us.” This is true. And second, I have learned that the ability to live in the space – the open space – between our questions and answers that haven’t come yet, this ability is faith. Faith trusts that even though we only see our little piece of the puzzle, God sees the whole picture. Abram and Sarah model this faith for us. I believe this faith can be ours, if we ask for it. Faith is a gift of God.

We can remember, too, that faith is pleasing to God. God says, “Trust me. I see not only who you are but also who you will be. I see how your life will touch as many lives as there are stars in the sky.” Ask for faith, and trust God with it. Amen.

(Sermon preached on 2/28/10)