GENESIS 15 - THE BATTLE IN THE VALLEY OF AFTERWARDS

GENESIS 15

THE BATTLE IN THE VALLEY OF AFTERWARDS

INTRODUCTION

As this chapter begins we find Abram in "the valley of afterwards." The adrenaline rush is over. The euphoria of victory is past. Melchizedek has gone home leaving Abram alone with his thoughts and with his memories. It's amazing what a man will do and say under the anointing of the Spirit, but tonight Abram is alone. The reality of his deed presses itself upon Abram and fear challenges his faith.

Abram had taken on and defeated at least four nations from Mesopotamia. He had refused to take any of the spoils offered to him by Bera king of Sodom. What if Chedorlaomer returned with reinforcements? What did he have to show for all of his efforts? He had risked everything to deliver His nephew Lot, only to watch Lot return to Sodom. Had he made a mistake? God had promised him progeny and property, but he had neither. He was 500 miles from home, childless, afraid, and uncertain of his future.

THE VALLEY

The Valley of Afterwards is that place that Elijah visited after his mighty victory on Mount Carmel. He had called fire down from heaven, killed 450 prophets of Baal, and outrun Ahab's chariot, but now he's under a juniper tree wishing for death.

Abram had promises but no fruit.

Promise Concerning Descendants and The Land
12:7 - "To your descendants I will give this land."
13:14-17 - (NKJV) And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are--northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 "for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 "And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, [then] your descendants also could be numbered. 17 "Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you."

God had promised Abram descendants and land, but he had neither. He had defeated the "Sheaf Binder," but he had no assurance that he wasn't in danger. He had refused the riches offered to him by Sodom's king, but why? He had risked everything to set Lot free, but Lot was still living in Sodom.

THE VISION

Protection and Provision

God interrupts Abram's battle in the Valley of Afterwards with a word-"Do not be afraid, Abram." Okay, but how? God's antidote for Abram's worry was "I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward" (15:1). You don't have to worry about Chedorlaomer, for I am your protector Abram. You didn't come out on the losing end of the stick, for I am your reward.

Progeny

Encouraged by the word of the Lord, Abram brings up an issue that has been on his heart. You've promised me descendants, but I don't even have one child. Did I misunderstand you or have you forgotten what you said?

God responds, not with a rebuke, but with a clarification-"This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." At this point he ushered Abram out into the night air. He then instructed Abram to look at the stars that dotted the midnight sky and challenged him to count them if he could. God's word to Abram was, "Like the stars your descendants shall be numberless" (15:5).

It is at this point that we are told, "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (15:6). This wasn't Abram's first moment of faith, but it was the one chosen by God to declare Abram's righteousness based on faith. Why here? His righteousness is here linked to the promised Seed and thus to Christ Jesus. Abram is pronounced righteous on the basis of faith before he had a child, before he was circumcised, and before the law was given to Moses. Selah!

THE VERIFICATION

God decided to bring up one other issue that Abram was wrestling with-"I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it" (15:7). Abram's question is "Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?" (15:8). God responded with instructions and told Abram to bring him five animals, three quadrupeds and two birds. He was to cut them in half and lady the bloody pieces opposite each other, one on the right and one on the left. Abram stands looking at the product of his obedience when the vultures come to consume the carcasses. He spends the afternoon and part of the evening protecting the fruit of his obedience. Here is where many fail. They are diligent in their obedience, but fail to protect the product of their obedience. Paul tells us, "be not weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap if you faint not." I've done what I can, but now I'm waiting on God. The vultures would like me to give up and leave this meal to them, but I haven't done all of this to abandon it now. I've prayed and I've obeyed, and I'm going to wait here until God comes. Devil, you can't have the product of my obedience!

When the sun began to go down, Abram was overcome by a "deep sleep" and a "horrible darkness fell on him" (15:12). God began to tell Abram about the future of his descendants. They would become servants in a foreign land and be afflicted there for 400 years. Sometime at the end of 400 years God would judge their tormentors and set Abram's seed free. They would return to Canaan and begin to take possession of it. As for Abram, he would live to be an old man and die in peace.

When Abram awoke it was dark. As he watched two lights began to pass through the pieces of meat as God made a covenant with Abram. This was a one sided covenant in which God swore by Himself that He would give Abram's descendants the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates river.

CONCLUSION

When the encounter with God was over all that Abram had was his renewed faith. He didn't have a son or a title to the land, but he did have the assurance that God was in charge of the promise. When the battle in the Valley of Afterwards concludes, Abram's faith is renewed and the promises are shining brighter than ever. Abram believed God. He went out of himself and put the fulfillment of the promise in the hands of the promiser.

Isn't it about time you rest your world in the hands of the One who made the stars? Isn't it about time that you resigned as god and put the fulfillment of the promise in the hands of the Promiser? Isn't it about time that you commit yourself to obeying God and quit trying to be god?

We need to distinguish between God's role and our own. We need to place the how and when of the promise in God's hands and keep the vultures away from the product of our obedience.

The battle in the Valley of Afterwards is fought over the when of the promise and the surety of the promise. The enemy will seek to get you to question the promise on the basis of fruit. Where is the fulfillment of what God has promised you? Maybe you misunderstood God. Maybe God has changed His mind. Maybe you've done something wrong. It is Abram's meeting with God that enables him to emerge victorious from the Valley of Afterwards.

Preview: In Chapter 16 the enemy will seek to confuse Abram concerning who is responsible for fulfilling the promise.

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