Genesis 15

Summary of Genesis 15 Genesis 15 is a theological peak in the Old Testament, bridging the initial call of Abram in Genesis 12 with the physical ratification of the covenant. Following his military victory in chapter 14, Abram faces the vulnerability of the aftermath and the fear that he still lacks an heir. In a visionary encounter, God reassures Abram of His protection and reward. The chapter contains two pivotal moments in biblical history: the declaration of justification by faith—where Abram believes God’s promise of numerous descendants—and the formal ratification of the land covenant through a dramatic ancient Near Eastern ritual involving severed animals and a smoking firepot. Here, God binds Himself unilaterally to His promise, guaranteeing Israel’s future possession of the land after a period of slavery and redemption.

1. The Divine Assurance and Human Doubt (Genesis 15:1–3 NLT)

1 Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” 2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”

Commentary:

• Timing and Context (v. 1): The phrase “Some time later” links this directly to the events of Genesis 14, where Abram defeated the coalition of eastern kings. Post-victory, Abram likely feared retaliation.
• The Divine Shield (v. 1): God addresses Abram’s internal fear with “Do not be afraid.” He identifies Himself as a “shield” (magen), a military metaphor appropriate for a warrior returning from battle. God promises to be his protection against enemies.
• The Great Reward (v. 1): God promises that Abram’s “reward will be great.” In chapter 14, Abram refused the spoils of war offered by the King of Sodom to avoid reliance on human wealth. God affirms that He is the true reward (or Provider of the reward).
• Abram’s Lament (v. 2): Abram addresses God as “Sovereign Lord” (Adonai Yahweh), acknowledging God’s power while questioning His method. His complaint highlights the tension between God’s promise of a “great nation” (Gen 12:2) and the biological reality of childlessness.
• The Problem of Eliezer (v. 2-3): Abram cites “Eliezer of Damascus.” In ancient Nuzi law (Hurrian custom), a childless couple could adopt a servant as an heir to care for them in old age and inherit their estate. Abram assumes God expects him to use this legal loophole to fulfill the promise.
• The Sharp Retort (v. 3): Abram is blunt: “You have given me no descendants.” He places the responsibility for his barrenness squarely on God’s sovereignty.

2. Righteousness by Faith (Genesis 15:4–6 NLT)

4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” 6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Commentary:

• Specific Promise (v. 4): God rejects the adoption solution. He clarifies that the heir will come from Abram’s “own body” (literally “loins”). This narrows the fulfillment mechanism from “someone in your house” to “someone from your body.”
• Visual Aid (v. 5): God takes Abram from the limitations of his tent to the expanse of the night sky. The command to “count the stars” serves as a sensory reinforcement of the promise. In the arid Near East, thousands of stars are visible to the naked eye.
• Hebrew Wordplay (v. 5): The promise of descendants “like the dust” (Gen 13:16) emphasized earthly quantity; “like the stars” adds a dimension of glory and heavenly association.
• The Theological Pivot (v. 6): This is one of the most significant verses in Scripture (cited in Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6, James 2:23).
• Belief (Aman): The Hebrew verb for “believed” is aman (the root of “Amen”). It means to lean on, to trust, or to consider reliable. Abram did not just intellectually agree; he rested his weight on God’s character.
• Imputation (Chashab): The text says God “counted” or “reckoned” it to him. This is an accounting term (chashab). God credited righteousness to Abram’s account, not because Abram was morally perfect, but because of his trust.
• Righteousness (Tsedaqah): Here, righteousness is defined relationally rather than legalistically. It is the right standing with God granted to those who trust His promise despite contrary evidence (old age, barrenness).

3. The Covenant Ritual Prepared (Genesis 15:7–11 NLT)

7 Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” 8 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?” 9 The Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. 11 Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.

Commentary:

• Identification (v. 7): God reminds Abram of his history: “I am Yahweh who brought you out.” Past deliverance is the basis for future trust.
• Request for Evidence (v. 8): Abram asks, “How can I be sure?” This is not a lack of saving faith (established in v. 6) but a desire for confirmation regarding the land, which was currently occupied by Canaanites.
• The Ritual (v. 9-10): God commands a formal treaty ceremony.
  • The Animals: These were standard sacrificial animals, all three years old (signifying maturity and value).
  • Cutting the Covenant: The phrase “make a covenant” in Hebrew is literally “cut a covenant” (karat berith).
  • The Walk of Death: In ancient treaties (like those found in Mari or Alalakh), the two parties would walk between the severed animal halves. The symbolism was a self-maledictory oath: “May what happened to these animals happen to me if I break this promise.”
• The Birds (v. 10): The birds were not cut, likely due to their small size, consistent with later Levitical laws (Leviticus 1:17).
• The Vultures (v. 11): Birds of prey attacking the carcasses symbolize foreign nations (like Egypt or Babylon) attempting to thwart the covenant or devour the promise. Abram chasing them away represents his vigilance and the human struggle to protect the sanctity of God’s promise.

4. Prophecy and Ratification (Genesis 15:12–21 NLT)

12 As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 14 But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. 15 (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) 16 After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.” 17 After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. 18 So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River— 19 the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

Commentary:

• Deep Sleep and Terror (v. 12): A “deep sleep” (tardemah) falls on Abram, similar to the sleep of Adam during Eve’s creation (Gen 2:21). The “terrifying darkness” emphasizes the holiness and weight of the divine encounter.
• The Prophecy of Exile (v. 13): God predicts the Egyptian sojourn.
  • 400 Years: A round number representing the duration of the affliction (exact time is 430 years, per Exodus 12:40).
  • Slavery: God reveals the difficult path to the promise; the land will come only after suffering.
• Judgment and Plunder (v. 14): “I will punish the nation” refers to the Ten Plagues. “Great wealth” refers to the plundering of the Egyptians during the Exodus (Exodus 12:35-36).
• Divine Restraint (v. 16): “The sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.” This provides a profound insight into God’s justice. He delays Israel’s conquest of Canaan because the current inhabitants (Amorites) have not yet reached a point of total moral depravity that necessitates divine judgment. God is patient even with pagan nations.
• The Smoking Pot and Torch (v. 17): This is the climax of the vision.
  • The Symbols: The firepot and torch represent the presence of God (Theophany), similar to the pillar of cloud and fire in the wilderness.
  • Unilateral Covenant: Crucially, only the firepot passes between the pieces. Abram is asleep. In a standard treaty, both parties walked through. By going through alone, God takes the full weight of the curse upon Himself. He is saying, “If I break this promise, may I be destroyed,” and implicitly, “If you break this promise, I will still pay the price.” This points forward to the cross.
• Geographical Boundaries (v. 18): This “Great Israel” map extends from the “border of Egypt” (Wadi of Egypt) to the Euphrates. This extent was largely realized administratively under King Solomon (1 Kings 4:21).
• The Ten Nations (v. 19-21): The list of occupants highlights that the land is currently full, emphasizing the magnitude of the displacement required for the promise to be fulfilled.

Theological Significance of Genesis 15

• Justification by Faith: This chapter provides the Old Testament foundation for the New Testament doctrine of salvation. It establishes that a right relationship with God is based on trusting His gracious promises, not on human performance or rituals (which come later in Gen 17).
• The Unilateral Covenant: The Royal Grant treaty format used here demonstrates that the covenant depends entirely on God’s faithfulness. Abram was a passive observer (asleep) while God bound Himself to the promise.
• God as Lord of History: The prophecy of the 400 years shows God’s sovereignty spans centuries. He orchestrates the rise and fall of nations (Egypt, Amorites) to fulfill His redemptive purposes.
• Divine Patience: The delay in giving the land reveals God’s justice; He will not displace the Amorites until their iniquity is full, showing He is the Judge of all the earth, not just a tribal deity.

Practical Applications

• Faith in the Waiting: Like Abram, we often experience a gap between God’s promise and its fulfillment. Faith is trusting God’s character during the delay.
• Honest Questioning: Abram shows us it is permissible to bring our doubts and “How?” questions to God, provided we remain in a posture of reverence.
• God’s Guarantee: When we doubt our salvation or future, we look back to the “covenant cut” by Christ. Just as God passed through the pieces alone, Jesus took the curse of the broken covenant upon Himself so we could inherit the promise.
• Protection and Reward: In times of fear, we must remember God’s first words to Abram: He is our Shield (protection) and our Reward (provision).

Final Insight

Genesis 15 transforms the abstract promise of “blessing” into a binding, legal contract signed in blood and fire. It teaches us that while human faith may waver—evidenced by Abram’s questions and later failures—God’s commitment is absolute. He walks the path of death alone so that we might walk in life.

Possible Sermon Titles

• Counting Stars in the Dark.
• The God Who Walks Alone.
• When Faith is Counted as Righteousness.
• The Smoking Pot and the Flaming Torch.
• Believing the Impossible.
• The 400-Year Detour.