Genesis Chapter 15 Union Church Bible Study

Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

“After these things” After these things is a transition phrase—what follows is a new incident in Abram’s life Phrase used as marker Used to begin a new subject Can be an interesting - the use of this phrase Can help with context, intent and insight of passage Revelation Chapter 4 is a great example

Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. Rev. 4:1 After these things… After what things? After the Church Age, Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, the letters to the 7 churches.

Genesis 15:1 Abrahams fears Was worried because he had not children of his own Genesis 15 likely shortly after Lot was rescued Abraham feared retribution from the Mesopotamian kings he had defeated

He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. Psalms 111:9 This is the same word translated “reverend” in Psalm 111:9 and is where we get the title used by some pastors. Fear

Yahweh Promises to Reward Abraham Reward was for refusing to accept the King of Sodom’s gifts Yet, Abraham continues to worry, doesn’t easily accept God’s promises Our typical Response is “Yes, Lord…but how?”

Genesis 15:2-3 2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

The title “Lord God” (‘adonai YHWH, ) Appears here for the first time. The Hebrew term ‘adonai, meaning “lord,” “master,” or “ruler,” can be applied to both God and men. (cf. 23:6, in which Abram himself is called “lord”). Abram shows that he did not regard the word “Lord” as tantamount to “the Name” by combining Lord and YAHWEH.

Genesis 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

YAHWEH Promises Abraham an Heir An heir was all important to men of that era Believed that they lived- on through their son The fundamental nature of the father was thought to continue through his heir A woman who could not produce a son was shamed, as that was her primary duty

Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Galatians 3: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

“…he believed God, and God credited it to him as righteousness” Yahweh tells Abraham his descendants will be as numerous as the stars Eliezer (his servant) will not have to be his heir Being credited with righteousness is the essence of Grace Grace was the hope for Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and now for us!

Genesis 15:7-8 7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

“…how am I to know I will possess the land?” Abraham may be faithful, but he’s a skeptic God tells Abraham that the whole reason He brought him here, was to give him the land! In every era, promises had structure In Abraham’s era there was a standard way in which promises were sealed, and it had not been done.

Genesis 15: And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. 11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

Birds of Prey = Death and Evil Satan will always try to steal the promises of God from us! We must not be passive! We are Yahweh’s warriors on Earth We must take risks James: “resist the devil and he will flee from you”

Mathew 13:3-8 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Mathew 13: Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Genesis 15: And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Horror - Dread Dark dread = chashekah Root word is Choshek speaks of darkness, blindness, evil, death, fear Abraham’s descendants to be oppressed in a foreign land Foreigners will be punished, and the oppressed will be released Place will be Egypt People will be Israel

How Long Was Israel in Egypt? Genesis 15 says 4 generations Other places say 400 years Ex 12:40 says 430 years Rabbinical tradition: 400 years begins with birth of Isaac …430 year period begins with covenant with Abraham Using Rabbinical tradition numbers = 210 years in Egypt Samaritan Pentateuch says 430 years Obvious disagreements in the Bible as to exact time

Genesis 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

Genesis 15: And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

What’s a “Generation”? Generation = dor It can mean: 1. span of life between birth of children and parent 2. a complete life-span 3. all people living during the time of an event 4. how long a “life-span” is varies a great deal Generation can mean different things at different times in the Bible

Generation Matthew Chapter 1 42 Generations 2160 Years Generation = 51.5 Years Luke Chapter 3 77 Generations 3998 Years Generation = 51.5 Years

Iniquity of The Amorites Means some time at which Amorites’ wickedness has crossed over some line in God’s eyes A time He pre-knows Then Israel will be given the land of Canaan At some point “Canaanite” and “Amorite” were general terms referring to the people of the Land of Canaan

9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. 10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. Amos 2:9-10

Genesis 15: And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

Covenant makers pass through the animal pieces Only God passes through! This was a uni- lateral promise Unconditional! God recites the terms of the covenant The boundaries of the land given to Abraham

Israel reached its peak size during the reigns of David and Solomon (1000 BC to 925 BC)

Covenant Land Grant Genesis 15:18

Genesis 15: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Genesis 15 End Chapter 15