Charles Spurgeon Commentary Genesis 15

Perhaps he did not doubt the promise, but he wanted to have it explained to him. He may have wondered if it meant that one born in his house, though not his son, was to be his heir; and that, through him, the blessing would come. He takes the opportunity of making an inquiry, that he may know how to act.

At the same time, there does seem to be a clashing between Abraham's question, What wilt thou give me? and the declaration of God, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. There is a great descent from the language of the Lord to that of the most stable believer, and when you and I are even at our best, I have no doubt that, if all that we think and say could be recorded, some of our fellow-believers would feel that the best of men are but men at the best, and that God's language is after a nobler fashion than ours will ever be, until we have seen his face in glory.

Now was his faith tried indeed. He had no child, he was himself old, and his wife also was old, yet the Lord's promise was, So shall thy seed be as the stars of heaven. Could he believe it? He did.

Oh, what a blessing to learn the way of ample faith in God! This is the saving quality in many a life.

Look through Paul's list of the heroes of faith; some of them are exceedingly imperfect characters; some we should hardly have thought of mentioning, but they had faith. And although men, in their faulty judgment, think faith to be an inferior virtue, and often scarcely look upon it as a virtue at all, yet, in the judgment of God, faith is the supreme virtue.

This, said Christ, is the work of God, the greatest of all works, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. To trust, to believe, this shall be counted to us for righteousness, even as it was to Abraham.

What! Abraham, is not God's promise sufficient for you? O father of the faithful, though you do believe, and are counted as righteous through believing, do you still ask, "Whereby shall I know?" Ah, beloved! faith is often marred by a measure of unbelief; or, if not quite unbelief, yet there is a desire to have some token, some sign, beyond the bare promise of God.

Here is a lesson for us. Perhaps you have some of these unclean birds coming down upon your sacrifice right now. That raven that you did not lock up well at home has followed you here. Eagles and vultures, and all kinds of kites in the form of anxious cares, and sad memories, and fears, and doubts come hovering over the sacred feast. Drive them away; may God give you grace to drive them away by the power of his gracious Spirit!