Genesis 15 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Genesis 15

God’s Covenant with Abram

15:1 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 continue¹ 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.” 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son² shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

7 And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give³ this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Footnotes

[1] 15:2 Or I shall die
[2] 15:4 Hebrew what will come out of your own loins
[3] 15:18 Or have given

Commentary

v1: After this comes the Lord's word to Abram;

do not be afraid; perhaps he has been fighting with doubts and fears;
the shield is the Lord; He has protected Abram, and will continue to do so;
very great reward; as in Genesis 14.19, contrast 14:22-24; the Lord Himself, Proverbs 2:4; Romans 11:32; Abram has turned down material reward from the king of Sodom, and so the Lord Himself is his reward.

v2-3: Abram's problem;

no offspring to inherit his blessings;
not a question of unbelief, rather an indication of Abram's intimacy with God;
he asks the Lord to deal with the issue, Luke 1:37.

v4: God's specific promise; a son from your own body.

v5: A further and greater promise; a spiritual, heavenly people, numerous descendants.

v6 : Abram's response; he believes God. The Lord accounted his faith as righteousness; no need of works or sacrifice to gain the righteousness of God.

In Romans 4:18-22, Paul teaches us that;

Abram's faith was contrary to hope;

he was as good as dead, for he was so old;
Sarah's womb was barren.

These things were all impossible, but Abram still believes. He simply accepts what God says. God is utterly faithful to His word, and we response in faith to Him.

v7: A reminder of God's call, bringing Abram from Ur to possess the land of Canaan.

v8: Abram looks to the Lord to confirm this promise also.

v9-10: A demonstration of covenant/contract/agreement; normally both parties would pass between the pieces of the animals, ie: to pronounce a curse upon either who break the covenant. But here only the Lord, in the burning torch (v17, see John 5:35) passes through, indicating that the covenant is entirely His responsibility. See Jeremiah 34:17-19.

v11: Protecting the covenant; the vultures come down to eat the dead meat. Abram has to wait hours before the confirmation from the Lord.

v12-16: A set of promises in Abram's vision;

the family from Abram will be slaves in Egypt for 400 years;
they will come out with great possessions;
God will judge Egypt;
Abram himself will die at peace;
later his descendants will return to this land.

The details are staggering in their accuracy, and indicate God's power and faithfulness. We see too God's dealing with nations; with Israel, Egypt, and the Amorites.

v17: The smoking brazier (or torch), indicating God's presence, and His promise to honour His own words.

v18-21: The extent of the promised inheritance. This is God's word, His covenant. The true Christian can rely on just what He says.