Tyndale Open Study NotesGenesis 15

God made a covenant (a special agreement) with Abram. In this covenant, God confirmed the promises he had made earlier when he summoned Abram to leave his country (12:1–3). Abram's descendants would experience a long period of slavery before God made these promises come true.

• Do not be afraid: Abram did not have a son to inherit his property. The Lord addressed Abram’s anxiety about the future with comforting words.

• I am your shield: The Hebrew word for shield (magen) comes from the same root word as Melchizedek's word delivered (14:20). The Lord, who had delivered Abram's enemies into his power, would continue to protect him.

• your very great reward: The promise of children was still unfulfilled (12:2–3; see also Psalm 127:3).

Abram used wordplay to show his concern that Eliezer of Damascus (Hebrew dammeseq), a man in Abram's household, would become his heir (Hebrew ben-mesheq, which means “son of possession”). This was the usual practice when a man had no son.

God confirmed that the promise to Abram was for his own children. Then God showed Abram the stars as a sign of the many descendants he would have (22:17; 26:4). The apostle Paul quotes this promise in Romans 4:18 to emphasize Abram’s strong faith.

• Abram believed: God made a covenant with someone who trusted in him. The text does not say when Abram first believed. The Hebrew text does not link Abram's belief to the promise about the stars. It simply says that Abram believed the LORD. Abram already had faith. Leaving Ur was his first major act that showed it (see Hebrews 11:8–10).

• it was credited to him as righteousness: The New Testament quotes this key statement about Abram's faith three times (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23). The New Testament writers use this verse to support the teaching that God makes a person right with himself through trust in him (see also Romans 4:22–23).

In a special ceremony, God made a covenant with Abram and promised to do what he had said.

Obeying God's instructions, Abram collected three herd animals for the ceremony and cut them in half. Cutting the animals symbolized the oath. It showed that the person making the covenant risked his own life if he did not keep his promise (Jeremiah 34:18).

birds of prey: These are ceremonially unclean birds that symbolize those who unjustly attack Abraham's heirs (15:13–14).

Not even 400 years of slavery could interfere with God’s plan to fulfill the covenant.

• mistreated: The same word appears in Exodus 1:11–12. Egypt, like "birds of prey" (Genesis 15:11), tried to destroy Israel and stop the fulfillment of the covenant.

• four hundred years: This is probably an approximate number (also Acts 7:6; compare Exodus 12:40; Galatians 3:17). According to the Hebrew text's timeline, the family moved to Egypt around 1876 BC. The exodus happened around 1446 BC, but many scholars believe the Israelites left Egypt later, around 1270 BC (see Exodus Book Introduction, “The Date of the Exodus”).

• The reasons for Israel’s bondage included God’s justice. God would tolerate the sins of the Amorites until they fully deserved judgment.

• is not yet complete: To give the promised land to Israel, God would justly remove those living in the land. Fulfilling promises to Israel also meant judgment for the people in the land. But if they trusted in him, God would save individual people (see Joshua 2:1–15; 6:23–25; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). Until then, God would send Jacob's family to Egypt so Israel could become a great nation. Seeing this future frightened Abram (Genesis 15:12). But it was comforting to know nothing could stop God's plan.

smoking firepot and a flaming torch: Fire represented the Lord's cleansing and consuming zeal. It also represented how no one could come near him because of his holiness (compare Isaiah 6:3–7). The holy God made (literally cut) a one-sided covenant with Abram. The promises were absolutely certain. This was because they did not rely on what Abram or his descendants' might do.

God clearly defined the borders of the promised land (the land he promised to give). He told Abram that even though there would be death and suffering, including slavery, he and his descendants would still receive these promises. God confirmed this with an oath (see Hebrews 6:13–14). Nothing can separate God’s people from his love or stop the fulfillment (the bringing about) of his plans (see Romans 8:18–39; 2 Peter 1:3–4).