Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir! And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” (Gen 15,3-4)

God came to tell Abram that he would bless him, that he would protect him, in other words that he will bestow so much good on him... whereupon Abram answers him with a big sad "ah". Last time we said that it is OK to pour out our hearts to God and that God did not blame Abram for it in the least, but reassured him of what he had told him before: that a son would be born to him. Nevertheless, it is interesting to notice their conversation.

Someone wrote that at the beginning of our journey, until we know God, everything seems clear to us and we assume that God sees and understands things as we do. Only later and gradually do we realize that in reality God is very different from us, but we are hardly able to admit how much. Just notice this conversation: they both mean it well, they have no hostile intentions against each other, and yet they completely pass by each other. God repeats to Abram what he has already said - that he will NEVER change his word. But Abram cannot accept it, this seems to be too much. After all, it is obvious that in reality it cannot happen. Abram was a businessman and was accustomed to negotiate, but his counterpart does not make any concessions, does not offer compromises, does not lower the standards of good that includes him - which Abram finds unbelievable. Then he lets a big "ah" come out - no, no, it can't be any more...

God sees things from the point of view of eternity, whereas a man from the horizon of the fallen humanity. Therefore, their insights cannot meet until one ascends to the heights. Only then will he begin to get in harmony with God and to understand him. To achieve this, he needs a ladder, or if you will - an elevator. And that is our faith and sanctification.

"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me?" (Gen 15,1-2)

If we see man's conversation with God in Scripture, then it is usually easier for us to understand a man. He speaks from our perspective, we understand his world, thoughts, motives, fears - we are simply of the same "family". It is more difficult for us to understand God. It seems that he is somehow unpredictable - sometimes he comes unexpectedly, and other times when it would be so nice to see him come (because one has a problem), he is hiding or lingering somewhere. Other times he comes, and instead of focusing on that very problem, he starts talking about something else that doesn't seem to have anything to do with it. He often speaks in pictures, hints ... It is obvious that spiritual communication is not an easy discipline and a man must learn it all his life.

Now we are witnesses of God's conversation with Abram and it is good to realize that this is not a common prayer. Before, Abram must have sighed several times about his fading hope of having a son. But now God has visited him in a vision, and they are speaking "face to face." God comes and assures him that he will reward him. Then Abram asks him sadly: What do you want to give me, God?

Is it okay so?

God, the source of everything, giving his gifts for free and now coming to him with a completely positive message, has already given Abram a lot, and he knows it. But he still didn't get what he wanted most. Despite the glorious victory in the battle, despite the supernatural protection, all the blessings he has received so far, there is still an empty room in his deep being. The sadness of his heart now gushed out.

One of the messages of the Bible, especially of the book of Psalms, is that in God we find place not only for praise or supplication, but also for the sorrows of our heart. We can pour it out here... but then raise our eyes, pull ourselves together and believe that everything has not been lost yet, the last battle is not over, our God is not dead and our world has not yet collapsed. God understood Abram in his weakness and he understands us. He didn't blame him, on the contrary, he reassured him even more.

And that's why it's okay so.

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your... exceedingly great reward.” (Gen 15,1)

Abram certainly did not suffer from poverty, even the Scriptures had previously called him "very wealthy" (Gen 13,2). Money was certainly not a problem for him, he had no material worries - and yet God is talking to him about money! Why? Because our attitudes are reflected very specifically in the way we think about money and how we handle it.

Watchman Nee once wrote that we could find out the spiritual level of a work more quickly if we look at how it is financed than by analyzing their theological basis. Someone can deceive with noble intentions and words, but he cannot do so when it comes to money, because the way one treats them always exposes him. For W. Nee and his associates, this lead to accepting the principle of living by faith, i.e. complete financial dependence on God. They wanted so to be sure their whole lives would be completely dependent on Him. They refused to live religion they could somewhat create on their own and ask others to sponsor them in that. From today's point of view, it was certainly shocking when one of their principles was also to reject financial campaigns - they were to talk about their needs primarily with God, not with people.

For Abram, however, it was not a matter of his material need now. It was another question he had to learn over time: was it worthwhile to be generous, noble with his God, to go a higher path, even if it obviously seemed to lose at the first moment?

By what God told him, he clearly answered him: yes, choose a higher path whenever my closeness is more to you than earthly goods. "I am your rich reward." God was now talking about practical things, not in riddles, so his message is simple: I am much greater richness to you than what you have given up. You made the right choice. But don't worry, even in those earthly things I'll never leave you with the feeling it was a mistake.

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Gen 15,1)

God assures Abram that he is not only his shield, the need of which he was most aware of at this time. But he will also be his "very great reward". We have already shown that Abram gained the biggest riches in Egypt thanks to his disobedience, but that something fundamental must have changed in him since then. After the battle with the four kings, he refused to take the spoils of war and thus be enriched in a way that could provoke resentment and controversy, although he would have the right to do so, according to the customs of the time. He chose a higher path, but higher usually means more difficult. Like us, Abram was only a man of flesh and blood. Although he remained morally superior - with respect to his God - there were still doubts in him as to whether he had resolved the situation properly. The question is the same forever, and everyone knows it: could he not take what belonged to him (and everyone in his place would have done so), and still continue to believe, pray, practise his religion? And wait a minute, he didn't even realize it at first: couldn't he in this way contribute even more to the charity and do some good deeds?

To practise your religion, yes, of course. But Abram wanted more, he wanted God's closeness. And God will not allow someone to remain in it who does not want to be transformed into the "heavenly likeness". Nobody can play a low game with God. It is one of the spiritual laws: you need to ascend to the heights with God, otherwise you will pass him by.

Abram lost what he could gain, wrote off the profit - but after that God comes and assures him that He Himself will be his "very great reward." He confirms what Jesus has repeated many times: there is nobody who has consciously lost for the eternal kingdom, who in the end will not gain much more.

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” (Gen 15,1)

God knew how Abram felt and what thoughts were running through his head. By entering the war, he aroused the hatred of the other side. He never wanted to get involved in local disputes but the situation eventually forced him to do so. Although they defeated the four conquering kings and chased them off, they were not dead - they could return and take revenge. In the world of that time, merciless revenge was an almost certain reaction to the caused harm. Abram realized that from now on he would have to live with the feeling that the invaders might appear at his tent. They would no longer perceive him as a wandering farmer chasing his flocks somewhere on heights, but as a war counterpart. And they will have good reason to take revenge on him.

And it was exactly then when God came to him again in revelation and said to him: "Fear nothing, Abram, I am your shield ..."

At that moment, in the presence of God, Abram was pervaded again by a deep peace. Inward peace, that was hard to explain, because it contradicted the situation around. The volatile thoughts, full of anxiety, returned to the riverbed of calm flow, and despite all that could ripple them, the impression stretched over them that his God was above all and would "not allow his foot to slip" (Ps 121:3). God addressed the greatest need Abram now had: the need for security. "I am your shield." I'm ready to defend you, you don't have to worry!

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision... (Gen 15,1)

Abram has just experienced one of the most powerful moments of his life. He entered the war and fought for the lives of his loved ones, he saw injuries and death. Everything happened so fast that only at a distance all the sensations came to him - he needed to process them, he needed to get back to normal. And just then - the Scriptures explicitly put it into context - "after these things" - God spoke to him personally again.

God himself chooses when to speak to a man. Sometimes we experience his diverse speech often, but another time we experience silent periods. Unless it is because we have moved away from God (and then we need to find the way back), it doesn't have to be wrong. Because just as a tree needs quiet periods in which it puts down roots, we are also given periods of quiet growth when we do not experience the pursuit of God as a drama of constant change. God's word is to take root in us then, to work in the depths, to lay the foundations on which the visible structure will be able to grow later.

However, Abram was in a very specific mood when God spoke to him now. How often we want our loved ones to understand how we feel inside and only then to speak to us! However, we find how difficult, if not impossible, it is for a person to always know exactly what is going on inside of another one. However, if we are fair, we will acknowledge that neither we can often understand others perfectly, and this will lead us to a more merciful (and realistic) expectations of how our loved ones should treat us.

But as far as God is concerned, it is wonderful that He does not have this problem! And we simply expect it to be so - we suppose He always understands us. Now that God spoke to Abram, he knew perfectly well how he felt. He knows it whenever he talks to anyone. He does not hurt a person intentionally or unknowingly by a rough word because he needs to take it out on him; if he has to rebuke, it is not out of dislike, but rather out of love that transcends our understanding, because his is the everlasting love for the eternity.

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” (Gen 14,22-24)

Abram gave up a share of the spoils of war, which would make him perhaps the richest man far and wide - let's repeat that even if Sodom had only hundreds of inhabitants, then, converted to today's conditions, its fortune must have been at least dozens of millions of dollars. Abram renounced them, even though he would be entitled to them. After all, the world armies behave like that to this day - in the conquered territory they simply appropriate what they want. Let alone in ancient times and uncivilized tribes!

However, because of the reputation, Abram decided to bear the loss and not enrich himself in a way that was not his own. With a conscience before God, he did not want to be associated with the fact that being a foreigner in the land he became rich appropriating the property of the local city. He knew it would arouse resentment and envy. Nevertheless, if he cared primarily for property, he could have it. After all, much of our heart will be revealed in situations when we can do something, but we will give it up. Emphasis on the word could - not had to. If it is a "must" and those who are forced submit to Christian morality, their personality suffers from it, gradually shrinking and casting gray shadows. The life of victory is different: we could return the blow, but we find bigger grace. I could get rich, but I don't take advantage of the situation. No, I don't have to, but I can make a step beyond ordinary morality - that's the essence of the Sermon on the Mount. Thus I am stronger than circumstances, not a slave of a higher will, like someone who has no choice but to submit.

Abram decided to be noble, but just as it often happens to us, he was in a situation in which he was not alone. He could not demand that those who supported him in the fight (the surrounding tribes related to him by treaty) would show the same generosity to the spoils of war as he did. Therefore, although he did not take the share himself, he let them take it. A true greatness of a person does not force its way on others. If someone wants to walk higher, he does not force others to do the same, he only shows them the way. And if his nobility means bearing a loss (and it does almost always), he does not demand it from others when they themselves are not willing.

In the so-called developed countries, we are brought up and educated in a fully rational view of the world created by Enlightenment science. We consider the image of the world it passes on to us to be a reality, because it is generally accepted and widespread around. However, this worldview has a major impact on our ability to perceive things beyond rationality. It is no coincidence that the current explosion of spirituality and esotericism appears at people who look critically, often anxiously, at the world and its future. (Whoever feels at home in this world does not venture into new spaces, does not look for other ways. But today´s people do, no matter how they think they are rational; let´s just have a look at the counters of today's bookstores and realize what percentage of the literature published today relates to alternative spiritual paths and fears of the future).

However, the concept of the existence of the only knowable, intellectual truth, as born of the Enlightenment, prepared a serious problem for believers in the interpretation of the Bible. Since its truth was questioned, it was necessary to respond. Some do this by denying science as wrong and believing that in the end it will turn out that the Bible was in fact right. Others began to understand the Bible primarily as a message of transcendent things that do not in fact conflict with science; according to them, the Bible and science "play on different fields." Others, though believers, have de facto set aside the Bible as a collection of myths, focusing on man, preaching the psychology of personal development, and striving for social progress.

But even for those who intend to continue to believe the Bible, the Enlightenment's way of thinking has created a problem with its interpretation: they believe that if something is "true", it must remain unchangebly valid, wenn applied, it must bring the same results. This is the case with a scientific view of reality (except for the theory of relativity and chaos, which later gave a serious blow to Enlightenment view of "scientific", but it still does not have such a far-reaching effect on the transformation of the whole culture of knowledge as the previous stages of development).

However, the Bible contains both universally valid truths, such as the salvation through faith, and very personal truths, the validity of which depends on the person. Why does one man achieve many promises in life while another one just scrapes along spiritually? If, in theory, both believe in the same thing, why does the same truth produce different results for them? If they summed up their personal beliefs on paper, they would be almost the same! And yet there is a big difference in what fruit this truth will bear in their lives - because they grasp the same truth in different ways.

So far we have left Abram after the liberation of Lot. Since he set out to follow his new God, he has not yet covered half of his way. However, he had already found out that he had received many things from God, but still not the one he cared about the most — the promised offspring. He may also have tried to swear, swear, and swear in various ways that now and immediately the offspring that God had promised would be born, because when God told him, it must be true. But nothing happened; for this truth to apply, it was not enough to understand it rationally and determine one's own "here and now." The word had to become flesh, hope reality, mere understanding the reality that God would materialize. For this, Abram had to grow up, and as we shall see, other valleys and promised heights will await him on this path.

In order to achieve them, Abram was to, or rather, had to grow.