🌟 Genesis 15: God's Covenant with Abram
The Promise of an Heir
1. After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield;
your reward will be very great.”
2. But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3. Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.”
4. Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
5. He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”
6. Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
The Covenant Ceremony and Prophecy
7. He also said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
8. But he said, “Lord God, how can I know that I will possess it?”
9. He said to him, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
10. So he brought all these to him, cut them in half, and laid the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut the birds in half.
11. Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12. As the sun was setting, a deep sleep came over Abram, and suddenly great terror and darkness descended on him.
13. Then the Lord said to Abram:
“Know this for certain: Your offspring will be resident aliens for four hundred years in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed.
14. However, I will judge the nation they serve, and afterward they will go out with many possessions.
15. But you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.
16. In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”
The Covenant is Ratified
17. When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals.
18. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your offspring, from the Brook of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River:
19. the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
20. Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim,
21. Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
That is a fascinating and foundational passage! Genesis 15 is a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative, focusing on the establishment and nature of God's covenant with Abram (later Abraham).
Here is a lecture based on this text, Genesis 15:1–21.
📜 Genesis 15: The Covenant Confirmed
Good morning. We are turning our attention today to Genesis chapter 15, a passage that moves the story of God's people from a general promise to a formal, binding covenant. This chapter answers two crucial questions that Abram had in his heart: "How will I have an heir?" and "How can I know I will possess the promised land?"
1. The Promise of a Seed and the Nature of Faith (Verses 1–6) 🌟
The chapter opens with God addressing Abram directly in a vision (v. 1). God comforts and reaffirms the relationship: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be very great."
Abram's Struggle and God's Assurance
Abram’s response is not a complaint, but a cry from the heart—a statement of his greatest anxiety: childlessness (v. 2–3). He points out the reality: without an heir, his servant, Eliezer of Damascus, is set to inherit everything.
God immediately corrects his assumption (v. 4): “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
Then comes the dramatic visual aid (v. 5).
God takes Abram outside and tells him to count the stars. The promise is now defined by immeasurable multitude.
The Climax: Righteousness by Faith
Verse 6 is one of the most important in all of Scripture: "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness."
Believed: This is the core of the response. Abram didn't do anything; he simply trusted God's word against the physical evidence of his own aged body and Sarai’s barrenness.
Credited... as righteousness: This introduces the concept of imputed righteousness. Righteousness is not earned by perfect obedience, but is reckoned or accounted to the person who trusts God's promise. This verse is cited three times in the New Testament (Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6, James 2:23) to establish that salvation has always been by faith.
2. The Ceremony of the Covenant (Verses 7–11) 🔪
The scene now shifts to the second part of Abram's doubt, regarding the possession of the land (v. 7–8).
God asserts His identity: "I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess." Abram, in turn, asks for a sign: "Lord God, how can I know that I will possess it?" (v. 8).
The Cutting of the Covenant
God then initiates a very ancient, formal treaty ceremony (v. 9–10). Abram is instructed to bring:
A three-year-old cow, female goat, and ram.
A turtledove and a young pigeon.
He cuts the animals (but not the birds) in half and arranges the pieces opposite each other. The proper ceremony involved the two parties walking between the divided pieces, essentially saying, "May I be cut in two like these animals if I break this covenant."
While Abram waits, he performs the duty of a host, driving away the birds of prey (v. 11), protecting the sacrifice.
3. The Prophecy and the Covenant's Confirmation (Verses 12–21) 🔥
As the sun sets, a deep sleep comes over Abram (v. 12)—a sleep characterized by "great terror and darkness." This is no ordinary rest; it is God preparing him for revelation.
The Prophecy of Affliction and Deliverance
In this state, God reveals the future history of Abram's descendants (v. 13–16):
Affliction: They will be resident aliens, enslaved, and oppressed for 400 years in a foreign land (Egypt).
Judgment: God promises to judge the oppressing nation.
Deliverance: They will leave with many possessions.
Return: The return to Canaan will happen in the fourth generation, a delay explained by the principle: "for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure" (v. 16). God's judgment is patient and just.
The Unilateral Oath
The decisive moment of the covenant occurs in verse 17:
"When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals."
The Symbols: The smoking fire pot (perhaps symbolizing the presence of God's judgment or the furnace of affliction in Egypt) and the flaming torch (representing the pure, guiding presence of God).
The Action: Only God, symbolized by the fire and torch, passes between the pieces.
The Meaning: This signifies a unilateral or unconditional covenant. God alone takes the oath. Abram is not a co-signer; he is the passive, trusting recipient. The fulfillment of the covenant rests entirely on God's faithfulness, not Abram’s perfect obedience.
The Land Grant
The chapter concludes with the final, formal articulation of the covenant: a Land Grant (v. 18–21). God officially grants the land "from the Brook of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River," including the territories of ten specific nations.
This is the divine promise that will shape the history of Israel for millennia.
💡 Conclusion: The Power of God's Guarantee
Genesis 15 moves the relationship with Abram from a call to a covenant.
Faith is Imputed Righteousness: The foundation of the covenant relationship is Abram's belief, not his work.
The Guarantee is God: By walking between the pieces alone, God irrevocably guaranteed the promise of the seed and the land.
The Path Includes Affliction: God's plan often involves trials (like the 400 years of oppression) before the ultimate fulfillment.
This chapter teaches us that God’s greatest assurances are based on His character and His oath, not on our performance.
Do you have any questions about the nature of the covenant ceremony or the concept of imputed righteousness?
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