Count The Stars If You Can

Genesis 15:6 ESV And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15 begins with God promising Abram a “very great reward” (v. 1). At first, Abram was doubtful of the Lord’s promise, since he had no children (vv. 2–3). The Lord promised that Abram would have children, and took him outside and told him to count the stars. (vv. 4–5) How was this supposed to strengthen Abram’s faith?

The Lord’s words to Abram—“So shall your offspring be”—is commonly understood to mean that he would have many descendants, just like the stars in the night sky. Indeed, the Lord would later promise Abram that he would have many descendants, “as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.” (Genesis 22:17) However, I do not think that is the only point here.

It is commonly thought that when the Lord brought Abram out and told him to count the stars, it was night time, and there were too many stars in the sky to count. However, that may not at all be the case. Narrating events later on that day, verse 12 begins: “As the sun was going down...” Now, if the sun was going down only in verse 12, then where was the sun in verse 5, when the Lord brought Abram outside and told him to count the stars? Yes, the sun was still in the sky; it was still day time! No wonder the Lord told Abram: “Number the stars, if you are able to number them.” He was not able to count the stars because the sun had not yet set, and the stars were not yet visible.

Abram got the point: He could not see the numerous stars in the sky, but he knew that they were still there. His inability to perceive the stars did not negate the fact of their existence. Likewise, even though Abram could not see any way that he could beget children, let alone have many descendants, he believed that God could still fulfil his promise anyway. The faith of Abraham is to believe that God is faithful and will fulfil his promises despite what our limited perception as finite beings might indicate to us (Romans 4:21).