Genesis 151 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” 2 Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir;

but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” 8 He said, “O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a

three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. 11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and

oppressed four hundred years. 14 “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” 17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram,

saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite 20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim 21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.”

Repetition …Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

Genesis 13:14

“Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”

Genesis 13:17

Repetition “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates

Every place Abraham’s foot…

Promise and Honest Question…the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” …Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.”

Genesis 15:1–3

Promise 1. Reward

Land Descendants

2. Shield God

Faith in Godin addition to all, taking up the shield of faith [in God] with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Ephesians 6:16

Honest QuestionHow can this be?

not unbeliefclarification states facts

Mary -Luke 1:24

God Answers“This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.”…“Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

Genesis 15:4–5

Dust, Stars & SandDoesn’t convinceDoesn’t prove Doesn’t show

God is who He says He is and He will do what He said He will do.

CornerstoneNow faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

…for we walk by faith, not by sight— 2 Corinthians 5:7

Right Standing With GodThen he believed in the LORD; and He [God] reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:6

Romans 4:3, 20–22Galatians 3:6James 2:23

Right Standing With God scriptures

Romans 4:3 (NASB95) 3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Romans 4:20–22 (NASB95) 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Galatians 3:6 (NASB95) 6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Galatians 3:6 (NASB95) 6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Key to Righteousness And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

Conversation Continues And He said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” He said, “O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?”

Genesis 15:7–8

Word Wealth Ur- “fire” Chaldeans- “clod breakers”

Honest question How will I possess it? I’m only one man

Offer Sacrifice

Acting Out Meets Obstacles The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

Genesis 15:11

Time passes

Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him.

Genesis 15:12

2 Peter 3:3–4 (NASB95) 3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”

Genesis 15:13–16 (NASB95) 13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

God Answers It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces.

Genesis 15:17

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram…

Genesis 15:18a

Genesis 15:13–16 (NASB95) 13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

Summary of God's promises to Abraham All nations will be blessed in Abraham and his seed. Abraham and his seed are to possess the land for ever. Abraham is to be the father of an innumerable seed. Abraham is to be the father of a singular seed who will conquer all enemies. Abraham's name is to be great. NOTE. These promises were not fulfilled by Jewish occupation of the Holy Land in Old Testament times.