Chapter Fifteen
God’s Covenant with Abram is Sealed
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.”
The Hebrew word ‘dā·ḇār’[1] can be translated in many diverse ways including word, words, speech, story, proposal, saying, and even things. The word is used to convey spoken words, decrees, advice, poetry, a manner of activity, etc. However, the most important use of the word relates to divine communication, as it is used for the first time in the Bible here in this verse. Since we were created differently, in the image of God,[2] we have the ability to communicate through language, but more importantly we have been given the ability to communicate with God. The concept of the Word of God is unmistakably intertwined with God Himself. Perhaps the clearest example comes from the apostle John when he introduces Jesus in his gospel account with these words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5) Here in Genesis is the first time we see the phrase, “the word of the LORD,” in the Bible. Could this be a reference to a Christophany? Perhaps, remember the apostle made the connection of Jesus being the Word (see John 1:1) and then in a few verses later said that no one has ever seen God except for the Son (see John 1:18, see also commentary under Genesis 3:8-10).
This verse also introduces us to several other new Hebrew words: ‘mǎ·ḥǎzě(h)’[3] (vision), ‘mā·gēn’[4] (shield), and ‘śã·ḵār’[5] (reward). God is offering Abram another affirmation of His promises beginning with the firm statement to “fear not.” God (or any one of his messengers), will often begin their appearance with the assurance of security before speaking. After all, hearing or seeing the supernatural would probably startle even the most stoic or brave person. God next tells Abram that He is his shield, his protection. Can you think of anything more assuring than to hear that God will always protect you? Then Abram is told that he will receive a great reward, the payoff will be significant. It is interesting that Abram didn’t stop to consider those words: 1) fear not; 2) I will protect you; and 3) your reward will be great, whatever God was leading up to sounded somewhat dangerous, if not a bit worrisome. While most people might hesitantly respond, “okay…” Abram didn’t question the potential danger, he wondered how those promises given to him earlier were going to work, especially if his wife remained barren.
15:2 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.
This is the first time we see the Hebrew word ‘ǎḏō·nā’y’,[6] literally meaning “my Lord.” Here it is used in conjunction with the Tetragrammaton, that is translated in verse two as GOD (retaining the use of all capital letters),[7] it appears more often alone. It can also be translated as master.
A vision (Hebrew ‘mǎ·ḥǎzě(h)’[8] from the root that means “to see”), is very different than a dream. Abram was not only awake, but he could also now see, hear, and interact with God. Abram immediately begins to question God about how He is going to bless him without a child, since at this point, if he and Sarai died, their belongings would go to his servant Eliezer. God patiently answered him, not with an explanation but with additional assurance. Previously Abram was promised that his offspring would be “as dust of the earth” (see Genesis 13:16), now God has him look to the night sky and says that they will be a numerous as the stars.
Abram believed God, the Hebrew word translated here as ‘believed’ is ‘hě·’ěmin’,[9] which carries the meaning of being certain. The root of this word is ‘āman’ and it can also be translated as trustworthy, faith, sure, confidence, etc. The word should sound familiar to those who pray to God, as the Hebrew, Greek, and English derivations of this word are used to close prayers and songs of praise. This verse reveals the incredible principle of salvation through faith. This is the first reference to the fact that man is not redeemed through their own actions but through their belief that God will do what He promised He would do. That brings us to two additional significant words, ‘yǎḥ·šeḇě’[10] (translated here as ‘counted’, it also carries the meaning “to reckon,” “to devise,” “to account for,” etc.) and ‘ṣeḏā·qā(h)’[11] (righteousness). Abram’s faith in God was counted as righteousness, not his actions, but his belief. This is a key principle to understand how our faith in Jesus (knowing that He will keep His promise for our salvation) is what makes us righteous in God’s eyes, not our deeds or actions. That is one reason why this verse is quoted three times in the New Testament (see Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; and James 2:23).
15:7 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.
God continued to tell Abram that He was the one that called him out of his old home to bring him to his new home. This statement is similar to the one God gave Moses and the Israelites, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.“ (Exodus 20:2) A phrase God will use often to remind the Israelites that He is in control and can be trusted. At this point God had safely brought Abram all this way, so what was Abram concerned about? Was he anxious, concerned or perhaps frightened regarding what was ahead? Did he start to realize his future may not be easy or perhaps dangerous, as mentioned earlier? None of the above, Abram was looking to God for a sign. God graciously gave him far more than a sign. God asks Abram to provide one each of what we will later learn to be the acceptable sacrificial animals (cattle, sheep, goat, pigeon, and dove) and prepare them for sacrifice. The author notes that Abram had to drive the birds from the carcasses as he waited for further instructions, adding authenticity to the event. Soon the sun started to go down. It is interesting to note that this covenant begins with the killing of animals, a reminder of the first innocent blood shed in the Garden of Eden (see commentary under Genesis 3:1).
15:12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him.
At dusk Abram fell into a deep sleep, the Hebrew word ’ṯǎr·dē·mā(h)’[12] is the same word used to describe the deep sleep Adam experienced when Eve was created. Yet it appears that Abram was actually conscious as a great darkness fell upon him, an experience that terrified him.
15:13 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.”
God provides Abram some insight regarding his future and the future of his offspring. He begins with Abram’s descendants, with the fact that they will one day be sojourners in a land that is not theirs. While in that land they will become servants and then will be oppressed for 400 years. This is a reference to when, due to a widespread famine, Jacob’s family of 70 are forced to relocate to Egypt for over 400 years. This verse is often debated due to the differences in the total number of years as compared to the 430 recorded in Exodus 12:40. This riddle may never be solved to the satisfaction of all theologians, however there are several reasonable explanations, including the possibility that the Israelites were in Egypt for 30 years before they became slaves and then afflicted by the Egyptians for additional 400 years resulting in, “The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.” (Exodus 12:40, see Considerations under Exodus 12:42, for additional information). Next, God said that He would bring judgment on the nation (Egypt) and as a result they will be released from bondage (after suffering through ten plagues, see Exodus 7:14-12:32) and given great possessions (including gold, silver, and other valuables as they left Egypt, see Exodus 12:35-36).
God then tells Abram that he will die in peace at a very old age (175 years old, see Genesis 25:7-8), followed by saying that the Israelites will return to Canaan to purge out the spiritual pollution with which the Amorites have corrupted the land. God gives the reason of the delay in that the “iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” This can be interpreted in the same way the world was given 120 years before being destroyed by world-wide flood, a period to allow repentance, but there seems to be more. By giving Abram a glance into the future here, God is also making the statement that He will not be “driving out” the nations for another 400 years, ultimately giving Satan plenty of time to come up with ways to make the Promised Land as unacceptable and spiritually ‘polluted’ as possible. The Amorites and the other Canaanites will have made the land completely uninhabitable by the Israelites (see Leviticus 18:24-30; 20:22-27 and Deuteronomy 18:9-14).
The phrase “they shall come back here in the fourth generation,” is another highly debated subject. Some believe it is a reference to the four generations listed in Exodus 6:16-21, beginning with Levi to Moses; others proclaim a specific period of time for a ‘generation’ (see Considerations below); and some believe it is another reference to the 400-year time period (4 multiplied by 100). Again, the debate may never be completed to everyone’s satisfaction, but it may just be a reference similar to how the word ‘generation’ is used in today’s English, a general reference to a period of time, not a specific reference (like when we refer to our father’s generation, nothing precise, just an arbitrary period).
15:17 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.”
It was now dark, and a smoking fire pot and flaming torch appear to represent God (some refer to this as the Shechinah Glory, see Considerations below). The fire pot and flaming torch pass through the two parts of the sacrifice. This ritual is often referred to as a “blood covenant” ceremony, as it enters two or more parties into a covenantal relationship that cannot be broken without penalty of death (see Considerations below). However, remember at this point Abram, while aware and possibly conscious, is still described as being in a deep sleep (sounds contradictory, but we are not dealing with a normal state of mind), so instead of both parties being bound by the covenant relationship with expectations from the other, it is only God, as Abram could only watch. Even though Abram and his offspring are the recipients of the covenant, he has no condition to meet, making this truly an unconditional covenant. Though the covenant was already made with Abram[13] and will be reiterated later to Isaac and Jacob; it is now sealed, made official. The land portion of the covenant is also further expounded, from the eastern branch of the Nile Delta to the Euphrates River. The land would be occupied by the the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. God will call the descendants of Abram to remove each tribe and usurp the land (as mentioned in verse 16, the Israelites will come back to Canaan).
Considerations
A Typical (and normal) Human Response
Most human beings desire to be in control, or at least want to know enough about, what is going on in life to be prepared for the future. It seems that the moment we apply human rationalization to what is going on in our lives, we start to get anxious. Followers of God are no different, they want to blindly obey but soon the human mind begins to question, doubt, and wonder (even without help from our enemies). This is natural and God understands, every believer will fight their fears and wonder if what they are doing is in compliance with God’s will. Even the patriarchs are recorded as having their belief counted as righteousness, like Abram. The Bible has many stories that relay a concern for doing the right thing. But since humans can’t fully understand God and relate to His perfect timing, doubts will arise. God is always patient and will provide the answers necessary for continued faith. For Abram, he wanted a sign from God that he was on the right track. It can be reassuring to see an Old Testament saint struggle, as it can serve as a reminder for us to see that even these great men wondered if they were the right person or doing the right thing. But remember, you will need to act at some point, you can’t just keep asking for more signs!
The basic process of an ancient blood covenant is outlined in Jeremiah 34:8-22. A blood covenant connects the lives of the ones making the covenant to the issues covered in the covenant. If one fails in keeping the covenant, his blood was to be poured out, just as the blood of the animal in the ceremony had been poured out. The death of the animal essentially substitutes for the death of those entering into making the covenant. Once the covenant was made, after both parties walked between the pieces of the animal, the terms could not be changed. Here in Genesis chapter fifteen, instead of both parties walking, God is the only participant, He made the commitment, He did all the work. Just as Jesus did all the work for our salvation, we cannot add anything (see Ephesians 2:8-9).
The Bible makes a lot of references to generations. Sometimes it refers to a literal generation from one descendant to the next. Other times it is a reference to a period of time such as 40 years (the period God used hold back the Israelites from entering the Promised Land, see Numbers 32:13; Psalm 95:10); 70-80 years (one estimate for man’s lifespan, see Psalms 90:10); 100 years (see Isaiah 65:20); and 120 years (an earlier reference to man’s lifespan, see Genesis 6:3). There are many other methods and time periods theologians and scholars have come up with to define a generation. Many have attempted to use these methods to estimate the number of years for the purpose of interpreting prophecy (such as with verse 16 above), if the spans used in Scripture were consistent, then that would be an acceptable practice. However, as we can see, they are not, therefore, any reference to a generation in a prophecy is undoubtedly used to describe something other than a specific period.
The Shechinah Glory (can be found spelled in various ways) refers to the visible manifestation of the divine presence of God. Based on a Hebrew word that implies residence or dwelling, Shechinah is not a word that appears in the Bible, nor can it be found in any pre-rabbinic literature. The term is first found in the Targums (translations, paraphrases, and interpretations of ancient Aramaic texts).[14] Christians have borrowed this phrase from the Jews to express the visible majesty of the divine presence.[15]
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 1697.
[2] See Considerations under Genesis 1:31.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 4236.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 4043.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 7939.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 136.
[7] See commentary before Genesis 2:4 for explanation of the Tetragrammaton.
[8] Strong’s Hebrew 4236.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 539.
[10] Strong’s Hebrew 2803.
[11] Strong’s Hebrew 6666.
[12] Strong’s Hebrew 8639.
[13] See commentary under Genesis 12:1-3.
[14] See Considerations under Genesis 10:19-20 for discussion on Ancient Jewish Writings.
[15] See also commentary after Exodus 3:2.