Abram's Heavenly Offspring And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15: 5 6) This was the third time that the Lord made a similar blessing to Abram. This was after Abram had heard that his nephew Lot and all of Lot's possessions were captured by the four kings who attacked Sodom and Gomorrah. Abram called out the 318 men born in his household, fought the four kings, recovered Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people. It seemed to be impossible because even the five kings in the Salt Sea region couldn't defend the four kings. Yet, Abram did it. When Abram returned from defeating the four kings, Melchizedek, king of Salem, welcomed him. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything (Genesis 14: 19 20). He also returned the rest to the king of Sodom and the men who went with him but kept nothing for himself. Evidently, what Abram did pleased God. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” (Genesis 15: 1) This time Abram became wiser. Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” (Genesis 15: 2) God's response was even more interesting. He asked Abram to look up at the heavens and count the stars. This was an eye opener for Abram. Abram could accomplish the impossible thing on earth, but it's up to God to accomplish miracles and wonders this world could ever imagine. Abram could only imagine the offspring from his own flesh, but God promised him the offspring from heaven. In the Book of Galatians, apostle Paul wrote, just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3: 6 to 9) That's why Abram is called the father of the faith. If we have the same faith then we are also Abraham's children, the offspring from heaven. Emmanuel. (To return, select <- on the toolbar)