GENESIS CHAPTER 15 ------------------ Verse 1, After Abram had refused a reward from the king of Sodom and after he had some time to contemplate what he had done to these other kings in freeing Lot, he may have had some after thoughts. He had gained victory with a small band of men whereas five kings could not defeat this union of four kings. Surely he had left some enemies and perhaps the remaining forces would come after Abram. He must have feared these things, because the Lord tells him to "fear not." Here the Lord reassures him that he should not fear these kings because He (Jehovah) is his shield. Ps 18:2 The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower. {my strength: Heb. my rock} Ps 119:114 Thou [art] my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. Abram also may have had some second thoughts about refusing the reward offered by the king of Sodom. Abram had done a Nobel thing in refusing the king of Sodom's offer. Abram was a man of faith: "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God." (Heb 11:10) But when God's people refuse to be rewarded by the world, He always rewards His people himself. The Lord told Abram that He was his reward. When Abram let Lot pick the land that Lot wanted after Lot beheld that it was well watered and like the garden of God, the Lord spoke to Abram and told him: Gen 13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, [then] shall thy seed also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. "I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward:" Ps 16:5 The LORD [is] the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. Ps 142:5 I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou [art] my refuge [and] my portion in the land of the living. Mt 5:11 Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Not that He will just give them a reward but that He IS their reward. To be with Him for all eternity! Ps 16:5 The LORD [IS] the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Verses 2-3, Abram questions the Lord concerning the fact that he goes childless, yet the Lord had made great promises to him concerning his seed. (see Gen 12:1-3, 7; 13:15-16) Abram recognizes that heirship is based on sonship. We are heirs of God because we have been made sons of God. (see Ro 8:16-17; Eph 1:5,11) Verses 4-5, The Lord did not rebuke him, so Abram's question was a question not so much of doubt but a question of the means in which God was going to fulfill what He said He was going to do. Abram had faith that He was going to do it (see vs 6). The Lord assures him that his seed will come from his own bowels, that is, will be his natural seed. His seed will be numerous, which may speak of his spiritual seed. Verse 6, "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." The question comes to mind: How is a man righteous before a Sovereign and Holy God? believed = to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in. The LORD was Abram's support and foundation and IN Him did he rely. Just to simply believe that the Lord EXISTS is not this kind of faith, but to lean on, to trust in, is what is meant here. The Jews that crucified Christ, believed that God existed, but they were going about to establish their own righteousness. Ro 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Saving faith is RELYING, LEANING upon what God has done in Christ as our hope of eternal glory. "And TRUSTED IN, LEANED UPON, or RELIED UPON the LORD and it was counted to him for righteousness." The word counted means to IMPUTE. Not that Abram's faith was in lieu of righteousness or was equivalent for righteousness, else faith would be a meritorious thing, but that faith is the recipient of that righteousness by which we are justified. In other words by faith we receive this righteousness which is the "righteousness of God." It is the "righteousness of God" that we need and that is imputed to us, not that our faith is equal to it, but that we receive it through faith. Ro 3:22 Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: Ro 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 2Co 5:21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. READ: Ro 4:1-25 Gal 3:1-29 Verses 7-8, The Lord reminds Abram that He is the one that brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, into this land that he will inherit. Abram asks for a sign from the Lord by which he may know that by his posterity, he shall inherit the land. Verses 9-21, The vision that God gave Abram. 9-11, Sacrifice of tame animals. These all looked to Christ. The heifer seems to have pointed to His vigor. The goat represented the sin-offering. The ram in the Levitical offerings was connected with consecration. The turtledove and pigeon spoke on One from heaven. The three years perhaps spoke oh the length of the Lord's ministry. He was 33 when He was crucified. Death passed upon them all, for "without the shedding of blood there is no remission." The driving away of fowls. Perhaps represents the Lords ability to cast out demons during His ministry. 12-15, Abram learns that through suffering the inheritance is reached. His seed will suffer and serve the Egyptians but in the fourth generation will come back to the land. Ro 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Abram also learns that it is through death and resurrection that he will reach the promised land. In the awakening from a deep sleep, Abram receives the promise of the resurrection. Hence, Abram "looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God." (Heb 11:10) 16, Speaks of his seed returning to the land after they come out of Egypt. 17, There could be two meanings here: The smoking furnace would represent their stay in Egypt which was to come, where they would be slaves to the Egyptians and then the burning lamp to their being led out by God and led at night by a pillar of fire. Also it may speak of the Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was born of the Egyptian and Isaac was the promised one of whom the "light of the world" would come. The smokeing furnace is mentioned before the burning lamp, and Ishmael was born before Isaac. Also the were slaves in Eqypt before they were led out. The smoking furnace: De 4:20 But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, [even] out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as [ye are] this day. 1Ki 8:51 For they [be] thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron: Jer 11:3 And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed [be] the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, 4 Which I commanded your fathers in the day [that] I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron FURNACE, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God: It was a furnace that the king of Babylon placed the three Hebrew children. The burning lamp: 2Sa 22:29 For thou [art] my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness. Ps 119:105 Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Isa 62:1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp [that] burneth. Mt 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. READ John 1:1-10 Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Joh 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. The furnace represents tribulation and trying, and the burning lamp the end result of it. Pr 17:3 The fining pot [is] for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts. Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. {with...: or, for silver} 18-21, The scope of the land that was unconditionally promised and has not yet been realized, but during the Millennium it will be.