A COVENANT OF ETERNAL FRIENDSHIP

Passage: Genesis 15:7-21

Key verse: 7

NIV

7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out(A) of Ur of the Chaldeans(B) to give you this land to take possession of it.”(C)

8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,(D) how can I know(E) that I will gain possession of it?”(F)

9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer,(G) a goat and a ram, each three years old,(H) along with a dove and a young pigeon.(I)”

10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other;(J) the birds, however, he did not cut in half.(K) 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses,(L) but Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep,(M) and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years(N) your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved(O) and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out(P) with great possessions.(Q) 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors(R) in peace and be buried at a good old age.(S) 16 In the fourth generation(T) your descendants will come back here,(U) for the sin of the Amorites(V) has not yet reached its full measure.”

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch(W) appeared and passed between the pieces.(X) 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram(Y) and said, “To your descendants I give this land,(Z) from the Wadi[a] of Egypt(AA) to the great river, the Euphrates(AB)— 19 the land of the Kenites,(AC) Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites,(AD) Perizzites,(AE) Rephaites,(AF) 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”(AG)

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Genesis 15:18 Or river
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who (A)brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans (B)to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, (C)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, (D)cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But (E)he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was going down, a (F)deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain (G)that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and (H)they will be afflicted for (I)four hundred years. 14 But (J)I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward (K)they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; (L)you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for (M)the iniquity of the Amorites (N)is not yet complete.”

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, (O)“To your offspring I give[a] this land, from (P)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.”

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Genesis 15:18 Or have given
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. I will give you this land (7-16)

When Abram had no hope of having an heir, he had no interest in the land. Now, he believed that God will give him son. But how could his descendants become numerous enough to possess the land? Even Abram and Lot could not live together in the land. God answered by instructing him to prepare for a covenant ceremony. He did so, and as the sun was setting, he fell into a deep, trance-like sleep. God revealed a remarkable plan. He would use the dark womb of Egypt and the suffering of slavery to mold Abram's descendants into a great nation. Then, at the right time, he would send them back to Canaan as his instrument of judgment on the godless Amorites.

2. A covenant sealed with fire (17-21)

When the sun had set, the Lord consumed the offering with a blazing torch and sealed his friendship covenant with Abram. He promised to give him the land from Egypt to the Euphrates River--the world that Abram knew (Ro 4:13).

Prayer: Lord, thank you for stooping to be our friend, and for keeping your promises.

One Word: God's great plan