Genesis Chapter 15

Abrahamic Covenant

15:1

‘After these things’ probably indicates that some time had gone by. The Word of the Lord in Hebrew was the Word of Adonai, which would indicate it was God speaking to Abram. This is also the first mention of the Word of the Lord. Keep in mind that the first time something is mentioned is significant. God spoke and said: “Fear not; I am your shield; (and most important), your exceedingly great reward!” The term ‘exceedingly great reward’ should be a huge clue to Abram that this is the ultimate blessing, nothing could be more important!

15:2

‘But’, remember each time we see this word, we need to pay close attention to what follows. Although God had just affirmed to Abram that He, the Creator of the Universe, was Abrams’ protector, shield and his exceedingly great reward, Abram seems to miss the importance and significance of this statement from God. Abram is focused on the fact that he has no children, and that God had promised him blessings through offspring that would be so numerous that they could not be counted. Plus, Abram was concerned that without children the heir of his worldly possession would be his chief steward Eliezer of Damascus.

15:3

It seems almost amusing that Abram goes on to explain to God that since God had NOT given him any natural born children, that the most important man in his household would be his heir, Eliezer. Notice that Abram does not say: “You have not YET given me any children.” Sometimes we ask for God’s blessings, and when we don’t receive them; in our estimation, when we believe we should; then we tell God that He has not given us what He promised! Have you ever ‘explained’ to God that you feel He has not blessed you like you think He promised He would? Remember, everything is done by God in His perfect timing, not ours, He knows everything, and we do not. God’s promises are always true and for our best interest they must always be in His perfect timing.

15:4-5

‘And Behold,’ This phrase seems to indicate that God speaks strongly to Abram to get his attention. ‘Behold’, always precedes something of great significance in God’s word. The Word of Adonai assures Abram that Eliezer would not be his heir, but a child born of Abrams own seed would be his heir. This clearly indicates that Abram would have a natural born child as his heir, not an ‘adopted’ heir. (5.) It is interesting that He, God, actually physically brought Abram outside his home and told him to ‘look now toward heaven and count the stars, IF you are able to number them’. (God knew Abram could not count the stars nor number them, yet He wanted Abram to realize his finiteness.) God then promises Abram that ‘your descendants shall be as many as these innumerable stars.’ Wow! What a promise this was! The Truth is, no one can count the stars, nor number them, not even the most sophisticated technology can begin to know how many stars are in the heavens. Notice that God does not say ‘sky’, but uses the term, heaven to describe His Universe. Walk outside your home on a moonless night and look up at the night sky; then take a telescope and gaze again into God’s heaven. Even with the most powerful telescope, no one, no equipment, nothing can possibly number the stars God has created. The heavens truly declare the Glory of God!

15:6

Finally, Abram ‘gets it’ and through faith, believes in God and His Word. And immediately we are told that God credits, or accounts it, to Abram for righteousness. This is the first mention of the primary condition of salvation; righteousness is reckoned in return for faith. IF we truly believe God, we will believe Him in our hearts, mind and soul, AND we will act on that belief. Take a good, long, hard look at your life; does it accurately reflect that you really believe God? If not, what needs to change? Would anyone and everyone who knows you be able to say that they can see that you are a follower of Jesus? You see, if we really truly believe all that Jesus says in His Word; our lives, our focus of life, everything will drastically change; we will become His followers in every area of our lives. Pray about this, seek God with all your heart, mind and soul, all the time. See Psalm 119:10-11 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19; think about praying, and memorizing, these words of God into your life!

15:7-9

Then, this means after Abram finally comes to fully believe God, then, and only then, does God begin to give him more of the details of His blessings. God assures Abram the He is the True God who brought Abram out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give Abram this land as an inheritance. An inheritance from God is absolutely guaranteed! (8.) Abrams asking about how he could know he would inherit the land, is not a question about God’s authority, but rather the Contract, or affirmation method that God would use to guarantee this promise. All binding agreements are entered into with some kind of a Contract. (9.) Notice that God does not chastise Abram for asking, but rather begins to tell him what he is to do to prepare and enter into the Contract. Why does God have Abram bring a three year old heifer, female goat and ram; plus a turtledove and a young pigeon? These may have been the best of the livestock and the most prized of the flock. Only our very best is to be offered to God for His use.

15:10

All the valuable livestock and birds are offered as a sacrifice by Abram and he cuts them in half and carefully places them opposite one another. The birds are not cut in half, but are left whole. Contracts, or Covenants, in ancient times were entered into by both parties by sacrificing valuable livestock, then they would walk between the bloody carcasses in a figure 8 all the while repeating all the terms of the Covenant, as a commitment to keeping their Contractual obligations under the penalty of becoming like the dead carcasses. All who witnessed these proceedings could then testify of the entire Covenant agreement the parties had made. Variations of this Covenant or Contractual commitment, were done by burning the carcasses, etc.

15:11-12

Abram must be vigilant and drive away the vultures, which are unclean birds, as he waits for God’s instructions on what to do next. The birds of prey representing evil cannot be allowed to interfere with the sacrificial offerings to be used for the Covenant. As we are preparing to obey God we must always be vigilant to drive away and resist anything evil that would interfere with our obedience to God’s plan. (12.) It appears that Abram has been up all night and all day. Remember, he began to be spoken to by God at night. Abram must have spent the day carefully selecting the perfect animals and birds for the sacrificial Covenant God required and then sacrificing them, cutting them up and laying them in the precise pattern described. Now we are told the sun is going down, indicating the day is ending. This deep sleep that falls upon Abram is accompanied by a horror and great darkness that falls upon Abram. Obviously, Abram is aware of this horror and great darkness.

15:13

Now God speaks again to Abram, giving him a future Prophecy of what will happen to Abram’s descendants, by the phrase ‘Know certainly’. These future descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs; and they will serve these people in that land; and they will be afflicted 400 years. A brief peek into the future: We know that the Bible reveals that this prophecy to Abram is given to assure Abram, and his descendants, that God has given a prophecy and promise that will be fulfilled. These future descendants would be Jacob, also known later as Israel, and his twelve sons, and their descendants. While Joseph is overseeing the land of Egypt, the Israelites would be able to flourish and increase their population. After Joseph dies and a new Pharaoh comes, then the Israelites would be enslaved and afflicted. Note that the first years, which would be the first 30 years, the Israelites were allowed to prosper. After Joseph’s death, they are then “afflicted” by being made slaves. They continue in slavery for 400 years until God frees them through Moses. Exodus 12:40 indicates that the total number of years the Israelites were in Egypt was 430 years. Again, Acts 7:6 affirms that the Jews were treated with evil for 400 years. Galatians 3:17 states that the promise of God to Abram was for a period of 430 years. This would refer to their entire time in Egypt, not just their afflicted years. Be aware that those who question God’s word will use this difference of 400 and 430 years to claim the Bible is in error, or God doesn’t get His numbers correct. Now you know how to lovingly correct them!

15:14-15

God tells Abram that He will judge the nation his descendants are forced to serve; and that they will come out of that land with great possessions. This is predictive of God’s freeing the Israelites through using Moses, the Ten Plagues, etc. To find out how they came out with great possessions, even though they were only slaves, read Exodus 12:31-38. (15.) God assures Abram that he will die in peace at a good old age; and that he will go to ‘your fathers’ in peace. This phrase ‘your fathers’ lets Abram know that he will live eternally with those who have also been faithful to God in the past.

15:16

God again states that in the fourth generation they, Abram’s descendants, shall return here, referring to the land God promises Abram; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. Since a generation was determined to be 100 years, that would confirm those who would come out of Egypt would be considered to be the fourth generation. God allows great evil and the horrible consequences of that evil to be clearly seen by men. In this way no one will ever honestly be able to minimize sin or its consequences. There is no such thing as a ‘little sin’. All sin is evil and brings pain and sorrow.

15:17

‘It came to pass;’ This phrase indicates this is all part of God’s plan. It is now completely dark and the smoking furnace and burning torch or lamp of fire passes between all the carcasses. These things are symbolic of God completing the Covenant with no participation from Abram. This would indicate that the basis of the Covenant and its completion is unconditional; only God needs to fulfill it and only God can fulfill it. Abram does not need to do anything. This also means this is a gift to Abram, and his descendants, that was not earned and cannot be lost. This divinely ordered ritual is known as Barath; The phrase actually means “To cut a Covenant”. Today we hear the phrase “to cut a deal” meaning an agreed upon Contract. We know that this Abrahamic Covenant is an Unconditional Promise of God. Just as God’s Grace is a free gift to all true believers; we do nothing to earn it.

15:18-21

This day the Lord, Adonai, made a Covenant with Abram, promising the land to his descendants, from the river of Egypt (Nile River) unto the great river, the river Euphrates: This is a huge section of land, far in excess of anything the Israelites have ever conquered or held in their possession. Note that Israel today is far smaller than this promised land. So we know that God will eventually give all this promised territory to the believing Israelites. (19. – 21.) God also says He will give all these peoples to the Israelites. These 10 nations are summarized in Exodus 23:38, 3; Exodus 3:17, 6; and 7 in the conquest of Joshua 24:11. How does this Abrahamic Covenant affect us, as Gentiles? We are included as Believers in the One True God. Abraham’s descendants would be two-fold: Some are as numerous as the dust of the earth; these would be the physical descendants. Others would be as numerous as the stars of the heaven; these would be the spiritual descendants. So, although you may not be a physical descendant of Abraham, as Believers in the One True God and His Son, Jesus, we qualify as Abraham’s spiritual descendants! When Jesus returns to the earth, we can be certain that He will give this entire promised land to the believing Israelites who accept Jesus as their promised Messiah. We, as believers, are ‘grafted into’ the promises God has given His chosen people. This should give us great Hope and encouragement!