Yesterday we saw the point of righteousness throughout the Bible is that God is righteous, and we are not. So how can a righteous God have a relationship with people like us who are not righteous? Today we will find the answer which God solves using our word for today found in Genesis chapter 15. Because Abram was not righteous because he like us had sinned against God, but he responds to God’s promise to make a great nation from him. Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the Lord, and he חָשַׁב credited it to him as righteousness. Remember what makes Abram’s faith so amazing is that he doesn’t have any children and he and his wife are getting older with every passing year. But in spite of this present reality, he decides to trust what God says that he will have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Wow that is something. And it is this big faith that God credits to Abram as righteousness. This is our word for today חָשַׁב consider, think, regard, account, reckon, credit, impute. It is used 112 times in the Old Testament. A good example of how this word is used is in 2 Samuel 4:2 They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth is חָשַׁב considered part of Benjamin. Another good example is 1 Kings 10:21 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was חָשַׁב considered of little value in Solomon’s days. Both of these passages help us understand that the context of the situation framed what was not completely the reality was nonetheless what was considered or counted as the reality by the one making the consideration. That is Beeroth was not Benjamin but considered as such because of its proximity. And even though silver has a lot of value but because Solomon’s wealth was so great to Solomon it had little value. So even though Abram was not righteous God made the consideration based on his believing his promise. The Holy Spirit doesn’t want us to miss this, so he spells it out in the New Testament for us. Romans 4:2-5 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. James 2:22-23 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
