What I find interesting, as we move into Genesis chapter 15, is that God knew that Abram was starting to struggle with what God had promised him quite a while ago and his present reality. And so, God shows up to encourage him saying, Genesis 15:1 “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” At this Abram no doubt remembers what God told him before he left his family and his hometown. We find this back in Genesis 12:2 “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” This is interesting because like kids Abram didn’t forget what God had promised him. This is how he responds: Genesis 15:2-3 But Abram said, “O Lord אָדוֹן God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” Our word for today is אָדוֹן lord, master, sovereign, God. It is used 773 times in the Old Testament. The NIV translates it this way “Sovereign LORD “ instead of O Lord God like the ESV does. This can get confusing because it is literally lord LORD. Here is what the translators are dealing with אֲדֹנָ֤י יֱהוִה֙ We have already talked about YHWH and how for hundreds of years no one spoke God’s name out loud out of respect and fear that they would take God’s name in vain. It wasn’t until the Masoretes came along and put vowel points into the word. And our word for today אָדוֹן is the word they chose to borrow in a sense it’s vowels and put into the word YHWH. So, Abram literally calls him Lord YHWH or Sovereign YHWH or Master YHWH. He is combining both the powerful master name and the relational agreement making name together when he address God. Because this is Abram’s struggle God loves me and has a close relationship with me but he is also the sovereign master over all events in my life. And the two don’t seem to be matching up right now. How is God going to make me into a great nation when I have no children and my wife, and I are just getting older each passing year? So Abram had to believe and continue to believe God until what was promised actually and finally came into being. And God responded to Abram’s faith we will look at that tomorrow. But for today let’s close with this great reminder when we find ourselves struggling with the goodness of God in the heartbreak of life. Psalm 62:11-12 One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”
