Genesis 15

Genesis 15 (Gods covenant with Abram)

*The Dark Night of the Soul

(15:1-2) After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
    I am your shield,^[a]
    your very great reward.^[b]”

² But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit^[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

I like the ESV translation as well ...

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

² But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue^[a] childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”³ And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 

*First time 'the word of the Lord came' is mentioned in the bible! Also, Abram continues to ask questions even though God has promised MULTIPLE times that his reward will be great... 

Notice how God responds to him in verse 4...

 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring^[d] be.”

*God took him outside and turned his gaze from earthly things (what was in front/around him) and turned his gaze up towards the heavens and makes a promise to him.

Reading further, look at verse 6..

⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

*What a beautiful truth! 'credited it to him as righteousness' meaning Abram was able to receive the righteousness (free from guilt/shame) as he believed in Gods power to do and fulfill what was promised!

⁷ He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession.

BUT...Much like we do, Abram STILL need affirmation...

⁸ But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

⁹ So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”

*God is patient with us and LONGS to be gracious to us... (Is. 30:18)

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!

Back to Genesis 15:10...

¹⁰ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. ¹¹ Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

*Abram obeys and prepares to bring a sacrifice as the Lord commanded...

¹² As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 

¹³ Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred yearsyour descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslavedand mistreated there. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 

¹⁵ You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

*The Lord not only reveals his plan for Abram and his descendants but tells him specific things that are to come...

¹⁷ When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. ¹⁸ On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi^[e] of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— ¹⁹ the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, ²⁰ Hittites,Perizzites, Rephaites, ²¹ Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”

*When making a sacrifice the people would cut the animal into two halves and then walk through the middle symbolizing, "if i break this covenant so do to me what was done to this animal." HOWEVER, notice that AS Abram is in a deep sleep, 

A smoking fire pot with a blazing torch (God) appeared and passed BETWEEN the pieces. 

*God passed through the sacrifice, symbolizing His love and devotion to Abram as well as US! Through walking through the sacrifice He sealed His own covenant proving it is nothing we can do, but ONLY by the power of God alone!

WOW, WOW, WOW!
In awe of our beautiful Lord,

Hannah