The Covenant with Abraham (Genesis part 27)
Text: Genesis 15:1 – 21
By: Ken McKinley
Well, for the last few Sunday’s we’ve been talking about Abraham, and we’ve been looking at how he has grown in his faith and in his walk with the Lord. We’ve seen him act in faith and do some pretty… I guess you would say, radical things, like leaving his home without any real idea of where he was going, and we’ve seen him do some pretty bone-headed things like saying his wife was his sister because he was afraid of the Pharaoh of Egypt.
So let’s turn to Genesis chapter 15 this morning and follow along as I read from verse one to the end of the chapter (Read Text).
Now I don’t know about ya’ll but if I had too, I would say that this is one of the most important texts in the Old Testament. The reason I say that is because we see that justification; in-other-words, being made right with God, is and always has been, by faith. We see that in verse 6. And secondly; this chapter records for us the covenant of grace. This covenant is the foundational covenant of the Old Testament, not the covenant with Moses at Mt. Sinai.
So when we break this chapter down and unpack it, what we’re seeing is faith seeking assurance. In verses 1 – 6 Abram is seeking assurance of the promise that God has made to him concerning an heir. God’s promised Abram that he would be the father of many nations. In the second half of the chapter; verses 7 – 21 Abram is seeking assurance of the promise that God would give him a land. Keep in mind; that at this point in time, Abram has been walking with the Lord for quite a few years. He still doesn’t have a son, and he still doesn’t own any land, not even an acre.
Verse 1 begins by saying, “After these things…” and so we know that chapter 15 has to also be understood in the context of chapter 14. Remember; Abram had just defeated the armies of the 4 kings, and he had turned down the rewards of the king of Sodom. Those are the “things” it’s talking about. So it’s after those things took place that the Lord spoke to him and said, “Abram, don’t be afraid, I am your shield…” and look what else, “Your exceedingly great reward!” Basically; what we’re seeing here is God comforting Abram. Abram may have been second guessing himself. He may have been thinking, “Man, what if God’s way of blessing me was by giving me the riches of Sodom? I mean, He gave me the riches of Pharaoh. What if I missed God on this one?” And so God reassures Abram, and comforts him, and the way He does this is by repeating the promise to him. God repeats His promise to Abram; He speaks the word of His promise to him, and it strengthens Abram’s faith. You know… Abram had yet to see the promises come to pass so God gives him a vision.
Now some folks get caught up on the whole vision aspect of this passage, but the vision isn’t what’s important here. The vision is just a tool; the most important thing is the actual message. The vision is just the means to convey the message. People can get so caught up in all the hype and fanfare, and mysticism of Christianity, but every time we see something like this, it’s not the experience that’s the main point. It’s the Word of God that’s the main point and most important thing in these types of experiences. That’s why so many people get side-traced. They get focused on the miraculous and lose sight of the Word – which is God’s clearest revelation of His will to us today!
So Abram responds with a question. He says, “What will you give me, seeing as I have no heir?” Now I don’t believe that’s a question of unbelief. In the Old Testament, when God’s people would manifest unbelief towards Him, especially in the context of His promises, most often His responses were not gentile. So Abram’s not saying, “God what have you done for me lately?” It’s more of a question of “When?” Or, “How long?” Or, “God can you clarify what you’ve promised, because I might not be understanding it correctly, because the way I thought it was going to work out hasn’t worked out yet, so maybe I misunderstood you.” In-fact that’s probably pretty close to what Abram was asking because we see him mention Eliezer of Damascus.
So God clarifies it for him in verse 4. He says, “Your heir is going to be from your own body.” And Abram must’ve been a visual learner, because in verse 5 God takes him outside and shows him the stars in the sky and says, “So shall your descendants be.”
Verse Six: “And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness”
Now that’s the passage that Paul goes to, to prove the doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone, by grace alone.
Abram believed God. He believed that God was going to keep His promises, even though he was an old man, even though Sarah was barren, even though he didn’t have a son at the time. So despite all the physical evidence he was seeing, Abraham believed God. And that should cause us to ask ourselves if we have put the same kind of faith in God? Have we trusted Him like that for our salvation? Or even for our daily needs? Or the trials we face throughout the weeks and months and years?
Ok… let’s go on and look at the second part of these… verses 7 – 21. In the first 6 verses God reiterates the covenant with Abram, now we see God confirming it. And this is where it gets really cool.
You see; in the Old Testament, when tribes or nations would conquer one another, their king or chief would make those he had conquered walk between two pieces of a slaughtered animal. And the reason for that was… it was basically saying, “As long as you’re obedient and loyal to me, I will protect you and provide for you a system of justice, and I’ll take care of you. But; if you rebel against me, then the same thing that has happened to these animals will happen to you.” And so entering into this kind of covenant could be both blessings and curses, depending on the faithfulness of the person entering into it. Later on in the Bible, in Jeremiah chapter 34 we see the Israelites enter this covenant with God. Jeremiah tells the king that the Babylonians are going to capture Jerusalem, so the king… Zedekiah brings all the leaders of Judah together and they cut this covenant with God. But after a short time, they end up breaking it and going back on it, so God delivers them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and their bodies are cut in half and end up being food for the birds.
But in Jeremiah 34, it’s the people who walk through the two halves of the sacrificed animal. Here in Genesis 15, Abram isn’t the one who walks between them – it’s God! Now think about that for a minute. God Almighty, the Sovereign Lord of all creation walks between the pieces. Not the created man Abram, not the servant, but God. So what this is – is God swearing by Himself. That’s what Hebrews 6:13 says.
It says, “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.” There is nothing greater that God could swear by. There is nothing greater that God could do for Abram to show that He would keep His promise.
There’s no greater assurance that God could give to Abram.
But here’s the thing… that assurance isn’t just Abram’s assurance, it’s our assurance.
Turn with me to Hebrews 6 if you’re not there already. Look at verses 10 – 19 (Read). Now it would probably take me two or three Sunday’s just to explain all of that, and Lord willing I will do that sometime, but for the sake of time today let me just put it this way. The author of the Book of Hebrews is using this very event that we’ve read about in our text from Genesis and he’s applying it to our saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
You see; God’s not unjust. He knows the love you have for His Name, and the ministry you have done in His service. But then the writer of Hebrews goes on to say, don’t grow weary in continuing on with these things, but instead – imitate those who through faith and patience have inherited the promises. He’s just been talking about Abraham. He’s saying imitate Abraham. Trust God, have faith in God, wait for your reward patiently. Regardless of what you see, or hear around you. Regardless of what the world says. Regardless of what the devil might whisper in your ear. Trust in the Lord.
Why? Because He’s the One who has to keep the promise. God has entered into covenant with Himself to ensure your salvation. It’s a blood covenant, and the blood that was shed was the blood of His own Son, Jesus Christ our Lord! Look at Hebrews 6:18. You see! It’s saying that because God has sworn by Himself and because God has entered into covenant with Himself, we who have fled to the refuge of His Son can have “strong consolation”… steadfast assurance. We can know without a shadow of a doubt, that we will lay hold of the hope that is set before us.
It’s an anchor for your soul.
That’s why Jesus says in John 10:27-29, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”
That’s why Paul says in Romans 8:37-39, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
You see; today when someone asks that question like Abram… today, when someone says to God, “How will I know?” His answer isn’t to give them a vision. Instead He tells them to look at the cross. He tells them to look Who hung on it. He tells them to look to the slaughtered sacrifice – the Lamb of God, and He tells them that because He could swear by no greater, He has sworn by Himself.
“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”
Hebrews 9:15 says, “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
Thank God that it doesn’t depend on us.
