God's Covenant with Abram

15 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 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 son 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 give 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.”

Chapter Analysis

Genesis 15: God Confirms His Covenant With Abram

Genesis 15 records God’s assurance to Abram after his victory over the kings. God promised Abram an heir from his own body, counted Abram’s faith as righteousness, and formally confirmed His covenant promise concerning Abram’s descendants and the land.

I. God Promises Abram An Heir

Genesis 15:1–6

🔹 The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision.
🔹 God told Abram not to fear because He was Abram’s shield and exceedingly great reward.
🔹 Abram was concerned that he had no son and that Eliezer of Damascus would inherit his household.
🔹 God promised that Abram’s own son would be his heir.
🔹 God brought Abram outside and told him to count the stars, if he was able.
🔹 God promised that Abram’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars.
🔹 Abram believed the LORD, and God counted it to him for righteousness.

II. God Promises Abram The Land

Genesis 15:7–11

🔹 God reminded Abram that He had brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans.
🔹 God promised to give Abram the land as a possession.
🔹 Abram asked how he could know that he would inherit it.
🔹 God instructed Abram to bring a heifer, a female goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
🔹 Abram divided the larger animals and placed the pieces opposite one another.
🔹 Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

III. God Reveals Israel’s Future Affliction And Deliverance

Genesis 15:12–16

🔹 A deep sleep fell upon Abram, and great darkness came upon him.
🔹 God told Abram that his descendants would be strangers in a land that was not theirs.
🔹 They would serve others and be afflicted for four hundred years.
🔹 God would judge the nation that enslaved them.
🔹 Abram’s descendants would come out with great possessions.
🔹 Abram would die in peace and be buried at a good old age.
🔹 His descendants would return in the fourth generation because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet complete.

IV. God Confirms The Covenant By His Own Promise

Genesis 15:17–21

🔹 A smoking oven and a burning torch passed between the pieces of the sacrifice.
🔹 God alone passed between the pieces, showing that He bound Himself to fulfill His covenant promise.
🔹 God made a covenant with Abram and promised the land to his descendants.
🔹 The land was described from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.
🔹 God named the peoples then living in the land that He promised to Abram’s descendants.