Audio Messages:
Pastor Wade Burleson

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God Moves Even While I Sleep

Genesis47.mp3 (12.9 MB)

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Genesis 15:12-21 (KJV)

12. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14. And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
17. And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
18. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19. The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20. And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21. And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

R.C. Sproul once said, "If I could only have one verse were I in prison, it would be when the sun went down, and it was dark, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp passed between the pieces" (v.17). Is this odd? It is not, when you understand Abram's relationship with you. Abraham is "the father of all them that believe" (Romans 4:11). What God promised to Abram is exactly what he promises to all the children of Abram.

1. The Promise of God's Provision . . .
   It is amazing to me how God descends to our level to communicate truth. Abram was familiar with the practice of entering into covenants. It was a common custom.
   1. There was the exchange of weapons - "I am thy shield" (Genesis 15:1).
   2. There was an exchange of outer garments - "And thy great reward" (Genesis 15:1).
   3. There was the exchange of blood - (Genesis 17:13; Jeremiah 34:18; Genesis 15:9).
   4. There was the exchange of names - Abram became Abraham (Genesis 17:5).
   As a believer, God provides us with a shield of protection, a bountiful supply for our every need. He unites Himself with us through Christ our blood sacrifice.
2. The Promise of God's Presence . . .
   I remind you that this provision is not always clear to the human eye. The bountiful blessings of God are often measured on a scale other than human. When God made the covenant with Abram, He used a smoking furnace and a burning lamp. Why?
   1. A smoking furnace - is the emblem of deep, dark trouble. The bondage which the children of Israel endured in Egypt was called "the iron furnace" (Deuteronomy 4:20; see Exodus 9:8). It is translated a "smoking firepot" (NIV) and brings to mind Peter's fires of affliction (I Peter 4:12-16). Dark times are normal for us.
   2. The burning lamp - literally in Hebrew "the lamp of fire" (in the NIV it is called "a blazing torch"). Elsewhere the word used in Hebrew is Shekinah and this is the emblem of the presence of God. God Himself passed between the pieces of the animal as covenanted with Abram. Dark times are not a sign of God's absence.
3. The Promise of God's Providence . . .
   "And know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them for four hundred years" (Genesis 15:13). Isn't this verse interesting? Abram had no heir. God gave him a beautiful promise that he would be given descendants numerous like the stars, but then -- bondage. Why? "For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full" (Genesis 15:16). God is at work orchestrating all the vents of the world for our good and His glory. Be at rest. God has plans for His children, not problems. There is never panic in heaven - Ian Thomas.
4. The Promise of God's Power . . .
   There are some who say, "There is no earthly way God would bless me like that!" Too many Christians see God's promises as dependent upon their performance. But "All the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen" (II Corinthians 1:20). Abram was asleep. God was moving alone. God moves even when I sleep.

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