Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/10/genesis.html
"Abram and Sarai believe that they can have no children. The only heir that Abram has is a slave born in his household. However, God tells Abram that he and Sarai will have a son, and their offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abram had faith and believed the Lord. God also promised Abram that his descendants will be given the land of Canaan and surrounding areas. However, Abram's descendants will first be enslaved for 400 years before claiming this land as their own."
Reading from the Amplified Bible (AMP) version..
- "After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great.” v.1
- "And the Lord brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So [numerous] shall your descendants be.” Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man)." v.5-6
- "When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram; and a horror (terror, shuddering fear, nightmare) of great darkness overcame him. God said to Abram, “Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers [living temporarily] in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions. As for you, you shall [die and] go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. Then in the [e]fourth generation your descendants shall return here [to Canaan, the land of promise], for the wickedness and guilt of the Amorites is not yet complete (finished).” v.12-16
- "When the sun had gone down and a [deep] darkness had come, there appeared a smoking brazier and a flaming torch which passed between the [divided] pieces [of the animals]. On the same day the Lord made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram.." v.17-18
My personal observations and reflections...
- DO NOT BE AFRAID. God is really personal, He knows we are humans who are limited and prone to weakness and sins; so He comforts us to not be afraid (some says it is written 365 times in the Bible). How does the word of the Lord comes through a vision? I'm so curious. I wonder if it already happened with me.. anyway, as if to prepare Abram for the greatest test that he will ever have with God (concerning his promised son), God said "do not be afraid".. what a great assurance this is, for Abram and every Christians who faithfully follows God.. God is our shield, and there is a great reward for obedience. I like the fact that these rewards are not earthly, but heavenly. Means it's eternal and cannot be stolen and taken away from us.
- STILL CHILDLESS. Wait, is this the first time it's recorded that Abram actually responded back to God? God repeatedly promised that a great nation will come from him, so finally, Abram asked God how could it ever be, knowing the reality of his current situation. He is still childless, as mentioned earlier that Sarai was barren. So the next best thing Abram thought was that the servant born out of his house, Eliezer from Damascus, will be heir. But God confirms that "he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir." v.4
- COUNTING STARS. The Lord bringing out Abraham to look at the skies and to try to count them (if he can) is such a sweet gesture from God.. If we were Abraham, maybe we would find it hard to believe God's promises as well. And I think God understands that, that's why He also reaches out to us and make a way to sustain our faith, trust and hope in Him.. after that happened, Abram's faith got even more strengthened.
"And one of those descendants will be the Bright and Morning Star, Jesus Christ." (An awesome reference from https://dwellingintheword.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/1406-genesis-15/)
- FAITH. Faith counted as righteousness. As a human being who can never be "righteous" before God because of the curse of sin, it gives me tremendous hope that faith (in God) is righteousness before Him. I am the "righteousness of God through Christ" because I believed in what He did on the cross for me! He took the penalty of all my sin, and made me in right standing before God the Father.
- DEEP SLEEP. For some reason this reminds me of when God let Adam have a deep sleep as well when He created a suitable partner, woman. Anyway, how astounding that God allowed Abraham to have a look at the future in the form of dreaming (or nightmare)! Wow, only Go can do that.. so this early in the Bible, we already know what will happen to Abram's descendants-- they will be enslaved and oppressed by the Egyptians, BUT, God will surely bring judgement and He will deliver them.
- PROOF / CONTRACT. A smoking brazier and a flaming torch passing through the divided pieces of (sacrificed) animals.. wow, it reminds me of the parting of the sea that God displayed through Moses when He finally rescued and freed Abram's descendants (God's people). Is it possible that those 2 are related? I just find it eerily and wonderfully similar!
*Found this interesting study again! From https://dwellingintheword.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/1406-genesis-15/
"Abram understood God was telling him to get a contract ready for signing. In those days, contracts were made by the sacrificial cutting of animals, with the split carcasses of the animals lying on the ground. Then both parties to the covenant would walk through the animal parts together, repeating the terms of the covenant. The Lord made a covenant in Genesis 15:18 is literally, “the Lord cut a covenant.”
Jeremiah 34:18-20 makes reference to this same practice of a covenant made by cutting animals and repeating the oath of the covenant as one walks through the animal parts.
The symbolism was plain: first, this is a covenant so serious it is sealed with blood; second, if I break this covenant, let this same bloodshed be poured out on my animals and me!
There is no mistake about it: when Abram has his doubts, and wants assurance from the Lord, God says to him plainly, “Let’s sign a contract and settle this once for all; this land IS yours.”
–David Guzik"
Genesis 15:16 This prophecy was fulfilled when Moses led the Israelites back to Canaan after their four hundred years in Egypt. He was “in the fourth generation” from Jacob—Levi, Kohath, Amram, Moses.
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