Woody Allen once quipped, “If there is a God, he is the ultimate under-achiever.” This statement is a stinging indictment, especially for those who have high expectations of God. Some may even find it offensive. It is unthinkable that God would want to do less than the very best for the world. However, these deflating words are not too distant from the attitude of Abraham at the beginning of Genesis 15.

Abraham has waited expectantly for the child that God has promised him and anticipated the joy of a son who would continue the lineage of the Hebrews. But his patience and anticipation run thin. He has experienced the days turning into weeks and weeks turning into months and months turning into years and, still, no son. So when a word from God is revealed in a vision which speaks about the…