‘And Abram said, “Oh Lord Yahweh, what will you give seeing that I go childless and he who will be possessor of my house is Dammesek Eliezer?” And he said, “see, you have given no seed to me, and see, one born in my house is my heir”.'
How the yearning of Abram's heart comes out in these verses. Yes, Yahweh will reward him in many ways, will even make him a prophet, but what is that to this lack which cannot be satisfied? He has no heir born of his flesh. Let Yahweh look. He has promised him abundant seed, but that seed will not be that of him and his beloved wife. We cannot avoid the suggestion that he feels that God has disappointed him. God has only to look and He will see the cause of his unhappiness. But there is also a hint of hope. Surely Yahweh can do something about it?
“He who will be possessor of my house”. The appointment of a steward as heir, to be replaced if a son is born, is well attested elsewhere. In return he would ensure a suitable burial for his master. Similar situations are found, for example, in documents at 15th century BC Nuzi and in Ur around 1800 BC. An Old Babylonian letter from Larsa states that a childless man can adopt his own slave.
“Dammesek Eliezer”. Names are nowhere else given to Abram's followers in these narratives, and the mention here stresses that this man is the heir. As such he could not be anonymous and so must be named. We do not know the significance of Dammesek but ‘the Damascene' was understood later. This is not certain (Eliezer was ‘born in my house') and further discoveries may throw light on the matter.
“See ----- see ----”. The force of Abram's feelings come over in the repetition. Ancient literature is constantly repetitive, sometimes almost monotonously so. It was written to be repeated aloud and the hearers loved to move along with familiar ideas. So the repetitions in Genesis 15:2 and Genesis 15:3 are typical. Indeed the repeated ‘see' (‘behold') refers back to the previous statement, putting emphasis on the thought.
This interruption in the vision is quite remarkable. Yahweh has come to confirm His promises in an increasingly emphatic way, but Abram, in the midst of his awe and fear, breaks in and reveals the deepest yearnings of his heart. Although he loves Yahweh and believes Him and His promises, he is also human, and years of hurt, both on Sarai's part and on his own, now come through at this crowning point in his life. A prophet, yes, the founder of a nation, yes, but if he is a prophet let him know, - why, oh why, must it be through the seed of another?
But Yahweh is aware of the longings of his heart. He is aware of what lies in the depths of his soul, and He takes time off from His greater revelation to comfort His servant. What comfort these verses should give to us. The faithful and redoubtable Abram has his weaknesses after all, and his God bends to him in that weakness.