Genesis 15 Devotional Bible Study
Genesis 15 Chapter Summary
Abram questioned God as to how his descendants would take possession of the land when, as of yet, he had no descendants.
God assured him that He would give him many descendants.
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
- Genesis 15:6
To give Abram even more assurance, God had him cut various animals in half in preparation to make a covenant. When Abram fell asleep, God appeared to him again and said that his descendants would be slaves in another country for 400 years. After that, they would come back to Canaan. The reason for the delay, God said, is that the sins of the Amorites had not yet reached their full measure.
Then, God, appearing as a smoking firepot with a blazing torch, passed between the pieces of animals.
Genesis 15:1
“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
What causes us fear? The threat of danger, certainly. And failure. We fear for our safety, and we fear that our efforts, what we've been working toward, will ultimately end up being wasted.
God tells Abram not to be afraid. Why should Abram not to be afraid? Because God is his "shield" and his "very great reward." God is his protection and all he needs for his effort.
In the same way, God is our shield, protecting us in every way He sees fit, and He is all we ever need. With God protecting us and blessing us with the reward of Himself both now and forever, what danger can threaten us? What failure will mean anything in the light of our spending eternity with God?
Do not be afraid, for God is your shield and your very great reward.
Genesis 15:2-4
But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
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.”
Poor Eliezer. He missed out on a great inheritance opportunity. But notice how Abram questions God. He’s laying out a logical argument, saying in effect:
1. “God, You said you were going to give this to land my descendants.”
2. “I don’t have any descendants.”
3. “What are You going to do about it?”
We might think at first that Abram is being impertinent or disrespectful to speak to God to this way, but God doesn’t seem to mind. He simply reassures Abram that he will have a son.
Have you ever found yourself questioning whether God is going to fulfill His promises to you? Don’t hesitate to remind Him of what He said He would do. Speaking to God in this way isn’t doubt but faith. You’re falling back on His promises, asking Him to act on your behalf.
We’re allowed to remind God of who He is and what He’s said He would do. It’s a declaration of how much we’re depending on Him.
Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
How do you know if you believe something or not? If you believe something, you act on it. It shapes how you live. If I believe that 3 + 2 = 5, when I add those numbers together, I'm going to give the same answer every time. It's been ingrained in me, and it shapes how I live.
If I say I believe 3 + 2 = 5 but then sometimes give the answer as 4 or 6, I don't believe it to the point of it shaping my life.
3 + 2 = ?
In Abram's case, he believed God, and God credited Abram's belief as righteousness. What does this mean? How did Abram's belief translate to righteousness?
Abram believed God to the point that he acted on what God said. It affected his life. He didn't name his servant as his heir but trusted that God would give him a son.
If we believe God, if we take what He said and apply it to our lives in such a way that what we say we believe affects the way we live, then God will credit our belief as righteousness as well, because we will be living righteously based on our beliefs.
Genesis 15:17
a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.
How do you know you can believe God when He says something? Isn't it possible for God to go back on His word just like people do?
In this story, God has Abram lay out animal carcasses on either side of a pathway, and then, God passes through the middle of those carcasses. In ancient times, this would have been a way of sealing a very solemn contract. The one who passed through the carcasses would have been saying, "If I fail to hold up my end of the bargain, may I become like these carcasses, mutilated and torn in two."
But what do we know about God? Can God die? Can God become like those carcasses? No. Even when God the Son died on the cross, death couldn't hold Him. God is Life.
So, God is giving Abram a double assurance. "If I fail to keep My word, I'll die. But since I can't die, I can't fail to keep My word."
In the same way, we can trust that God will keep His word to us because God can't deny who He is. He can't break His own character. If God is Truth, God must be true. If God is Love, God must act out of love. If God is righteous, He must act righteously.
We can trust God because we know who He is and what His character is like.
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