The Vision of the Stars: Earthly and Heavenly Seeds
In our daily meditations at groupbiblestudy.com, we continue to reflect on Abraham's vision of the stars in heaven, which represent the people affected by his faith in God. Earlier, the Lord had shown him the dust of the earth for comparison.
I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted (Genesis 13:16).
The dust of the earth could symbolize the natural seed of Abraham, the Jewish people, while the vision of the stars in the sky may represent the heavenly seed—those reborn of the Holy Spirit, the Church of the Living God. In this sense, we see both an earthly and a heavenly seed.
The Moment of Belief: Genesis 15
5And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:5-6; emphasis added).
Something happened in Abram's heart when he saw the grand vision of the stars in the sky. God told him that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars. Notice Abram's response to the vision: “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (v. 6). This faith in God was expressed before circumcision and more than four hundred years before the Law and the Ten Commandments. The Lord saw deep trust and inner rest in his heart. Because of his faith, the Lord imparted to Abram the gift of righteousness, credited to his spiritual bank account. W.H. Griffith Thomas, in his commentary on Genesis, writes:
The Meaning of 'Amen': A Heart of Rest
The original Hebrew for ‘believed’ comes from a root from which we derive our ‘Amen,’ and we might paraphrase it as ‘Abraham said Amen to the Lord.’ ‘Amen’ in Scripture never means a petition (‘May it be so’) but is always a strong assertion of faith (‘It shall be so’ or ‘It is so’).[1]
Your Spiritual Bank Account: Credited by Grace
God still operates in the same way. When we hear the good news of Christ's finished work on the cross, which paid our debt of sin, and believe in our hearts that God raised Christ from the dead, the gift of righteousness is credited to our spiritual bank account (Romans 10:9-10), just as it was to Abraham. No longer do we try to please God with our works; instead, we rest our souls on the finished work of Christ at the cross. The Gospel (the good news) is that Jesus has wholly restored the relationship between God and man through His substitutionary death on the cross, dying for us and as us. If you place your life into God's hands, just as Abram did, and believe in and trust the Lord Jesus, you, too, will have your spiritual bank account credited with the righteousness of God. God gives us faith to reach out to Him and receive the gift of eternal life in Christ. God gave the gift of righteousness to Abram upon his trust and belief in God's Word, just as He does to all who believe the Gospel.
How to Apply This Meditation Today
Understanding that righteousness is a gift rather than a wage changes how we live. Here are three ways to apply Abraham’s faith to your life:
Practice Your "Amen": When you feel overwhelmed by your shortcomings, stop and say "Amen" to God’s promises. Like Abraham, don't say "I hope it happens," but rather, "It is so." Affirm that you are already right with God because of Jesus.
Check Your "Bank Account": We often live like spiritual bankrupts, trying to "earn" God's favor through chores or perfection. Today, remind yourself: “My account is full.” Because of Christ, you have all the righteousness you will ever need.
Rest Instead of Striving: If you find yourself exhausted by trying to be "good enough," take five minutes to sit in silence. Visualize the "finished work" on the cross. Tell the Lord, "I am resting my soul on what You have already done." Keith Thomas.
Continue Your Journey…
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The more in-depth study notes on this topic are at the link following: 2. Abraham, Man with a Vision
[1] W.H. Griffith Thomas, Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1946) p. 138.