When God gives a promise, He sometimes doesn’t reveal it all at once. The first recorded promise to Abram was that God would make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing; and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (Gen 12) After Abram separated from Lot, God told him that all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth. (Gen 13) And then some years go by; Abram was still childless, so he asked God about a son. And God was more specific. He that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And God showed Abram the stars and said So shall thy seed be. Only now does Abram believe God’s promises.
So why did God not tell Abram everything at once? Even Abram is as a child to God, and how do we teach our children? We teach them gradually, a little at a time. In kindergarten, we learn to share toys, stand in line for recess and clean up for snack. In elementary school, we learn the shape and sound of letters and how to swing very high. Only after years do we learn algebra, the history of Mongolia or how to drive a car. God was teaching Abram, giving him a little more each time. God wanted Abram to experience the faithfulness of God himself and to know that God would not withdraw His promise. Abram believed God in other matters, and moved his family where God directed.
Even Abram, the father of believing, did not immediately believe all that God told him. He needed time to learn and grow.
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