Genesis 15 portrays an incredible picture of God's unilateral, unconditional faithfulness and promise to Abram, reiterating what He declared earlier in Genesis 12:1-3. What was the sign of His covenant? How did the sign of the covenant show His holiness and certainty in the promise God made? How does this chapter apply to you?

1. An expositional study taught by
Harry Morgan

2. For those of you online post your comments or questions
in the “comment section” on your screen. As time
affords they may be read to the class.

3. 1. To what does “after these things” in Genesis
15:1 refer?
• The war of the kings (14:1-12)
• Abram’s defeat of Chedorlaomer &
deliverance of Lot (14:13-16)
• Abram met king of Sodom (14:17)
• Abram blessed by Melchizedek & paid tithes
to him (14:18-20)
• Abram rejected king of Sodom’s offer
(14:21-24)

4. 2. How did the “word of the Lord” come to
Abram in Genesis 15:1?
1 After these things the word of the LORD
came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not
be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your
exceedingly great reward.”
‫בּ‬ַֽ‫מּ‬ַֽ‫ח‬ֲ‫ז‬ֶ‫ה‬ (machazeh) = a vision seen while in
an ecstatic state; used only 3 times in the
OT (Num. 24:4, 24:16; Ezek. 13:7);

5. 3. Does the “vision” refer only to Genesis
15:1-6? Or, does the “vision” refer to the
entire chapter?
It seems quite natural to understand the
Hebrew text (and practically all English
translations) to mean that Abram did actually
go outside his tent in verse 5, and that he
actually did the actions described in verses
10–11.

6. 1 After these things the word of the LORD
came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not
be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your
exceedingly great reward.”
4. What does God command Abram to do?
• To Abram (15:1)
• To Isaac (26:24)
• To Jacob (46:3)

7. 5. Why would Abram possibly be afraid?
• If keeping an eye on the past – Fear of
retaliation for attacking superior armies of
the coalition kings.
• If keeping an eye on the present – Fear of his
neighbors being envious of his power.
• If keeping an eye on the future – Fear of no
descendants.
• If keeping an eye on the Lord – Fear of the
One whose word comes in a vision

8. 6. What two reasons does God give Abram for
not fearing?
1 After these things the word of the LORD
came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not
be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your
exceedingly great reward.”

9. 7. How is God Abram’s shield?
1 After these things the word of the LORD
came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not
be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your
exceedingly great reward.”
“shield” magen has the same root as “delivered” (14:20)

10. 8. How is God Abram’s “exceedingly great
reward”?
1 After these things the word of the LORD
came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not
be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your
exceedingly great reward.”

11. 9. How did Abram respond?
2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You
give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir
of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

12. 10. How did Abram address God in response?
2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You
give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir
of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
(Adonai YHWH)‫י‬‫ה‬‫ו‬‫ה‬ ‫א‬ֲ‫ד‬ֹ‫נ‬ָ‫י‬

13. ‫א‬ֱ#‫ה‬ִ‫י‬‫ם‬God
‫י‬‫ה‬‫ו‬‫ה‬‫א‬ֱ#‫ה‬ִ‫י‬‫ם‬LORD God (Gen. 2:4, 7)
(Gen. 1:1)
‫א‬ֵ‫ל‬‫ע‬ֶ‫ל‬ְ‫י‬‫וֹ‬‫ן‬Most High God (Gen. 14:19, 22)
Lord God ‫א‬ֲ‫ד‬ֹ‫נ‬ָ‫י‬‫י‬‫ה‬‫ו‬‫ה‬ (Gen. 15:2)
Almighty God ‫א‬ֵ‫ל‬‫שׁ‬ַ‫דּ‬ַ‫י‬ (Gen. 17:1)

14. 11. Why did Abram address God as “Lord
God”?
2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You
give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir
of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
Romans 8:17–18 and if children, then heirs—heirs
of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer
with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us.

15. 12. What did Abram request of God?
2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You
give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir
of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
“…we regard his words as the language of
faith. Observe there was no rebuke given
him by the Lord…”
Pink, A. W. (2005). Gleanings in Genesis (p. 166)

16. 13. Why does Abram mention Eliezer?
2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You
give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir
of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
Eliezer = “the help of God” or “God is my help”
Damascus – where Abraham defeated the four
kings

17. This statement is in accordance with the
Code of Hammurabi and the Nuzi Tablets:
A childless husband and wife were free
to adopt their slave in order to have an
heir to inherit their possessions.

18. 14. What is Abram’s problem?
3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given
me no offspring; indeed one born in my
house is my heir!”
“offspring” or “seed”
[physical heir]

19. 15. How did God clarify His promise to Abram?
4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to
him, saying, “This one shall not be your
heir, but one who will come from your own
body shall be your heir.”

20. 16. How did God expand on His promise to
Abram?
5 Then He brought him outside and said,
“Look now toward heaven, and count the
stars if you are able to number them.” And
He said to him, “So shall your descendants
be.”

21. 17. How does this promissory image compare
with an earlier image God gave to Abram in
Genesis 13:16? What is the significance of
these two images?
Genesis 13:16 And I will make your
descendants as the dust of the earth; so
that if a man could number the dust of the
earth, then your descendants also could be
numbered.

22. “as the dust of the earth” “count the stars”
The promise of an innumerable progeny.

23. AbrahamHagar Sarah
Ishmael Isaac
Arab nations
(Gen. 37:25-28)
Esau
Edomites
(Gen. 36:1-18; Deut. 23:7; Num. 34:3;
24:18;Jos. 15:1; 2 Sam. 8:14)
Jacob
(Israel)
Leah Bilhah
(Rachel’s maid)
Zilpah
(Leah’s maid)
Rachel
Joseph & Benjamin
Manasseh & Ephraim
Ruben, Simeon, Levi,
Judah,
Issachar, Zebulun &
Dinah
David
Dan & Naphtali Gad & Asher
Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between
his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

24. 18. In Genesis 15:6 is the first time three
soteriological terms are used. What are
they?
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He
accounted it to him for righteousness.
believed
accounted
righteousness

25. 19. What does “believe” mean in this verse?
Didn’t Abram “believe” God earlier?
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He
accounted it to him for righteousness.
‫אָ‬‫מ‬ַ‫ן‬ (ʾā·mǎn) = “to nourish (as a foster
father or nursing mother), to
support (as a pillar).”
The verb form in this verse means “to take
another as reliable, and to rely upon that one.”

26. Hebrews 11:12 Therefore from one man, and
him as good as dead, were born as many as the
stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the
sand which is by the seashore.
Romans 4:20–21 He did not waver at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in
faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully
convinced that what He had promised He was
also able to perform.

27. 20. What does the term “accounted” mean in
this verse?
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He
accounted it to him for righteousness.
‫ח‬ָ‫שׁ‬ַ‫ב‬ (ḥā·šǎḇ)= credit, account,
reckon, impute

28. 21. What does the term “righteousness” mean
in this verse?
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He
accounted it to him for righteousness.
‫צ‬ְ‫ָד‬‫ק‬ָ‫ה‬ (ṣeḏā·qāh) righteousness, justice,
rightness, i.e., the act. of doing what is
required according to a standard

29. 22. What does the term “righteousness” mean
in this verse?
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He
accounted it to him for righteousness.
See also Jer. 33:16
Jeremiah 23:6 In His days Judah will be saved, and
Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by
which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

30. Martin Luther
“When the article of justification has fallen,
everything has fallen. … This is the chief article
from which all other doctrines
have flowed. … It alone
begets, nourishes, builds,
preserves, and defends the
church of God; and without it
the church of God cannot
exist for one hour.” It is “the
master and prince, the lord,
the ruler, and the judge over
all kinds of doctrines.”

31. Justification is “the main hinge
on which religion turns.”
Institutes of Christian Religion
John Calvin

32. Thomas Watson
“Justification is the very hinge and pillar of
Christianity. An error about justification is
dangerous, like a defect in
a foundation. Justification
by Christ is a spring of the
water of life. To have the
poison of corrupt doctrine
cast into this spring is
damnable.”

33. 23. Explain how these same three terms are
used in Romans 3:21-26.
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He
accounted it to him for righteousness.
“How then can man be righteous before God?”
(Job 25:4)

35. “None of us would be
able to conceive the rich
and hidden doctrine
which this verse contains,
unless Paul had borne his
torch for us.”
(cf. also Romans 4:1–25)John Calvin

36. 24. What additional promise does God give to
Abram in Genesis 15:7?
7 Then He said to him, “I am the LORD, who
brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to
give you this land to inherit it.”

37. 25. How did Abram address God? Why is this
significant?
8 And he said, “Lord GOD, how shall I know
that I will inherit it?”
Abram’s used of “Lord God”
reflects an attitude of
reverence and submission.

38. 26. How did Abram respond to this additional
promise?
8 And he said, “Lord GOD, how shall I know
that I will inherit it?”

39. “But why should we not place implicit
confidence in God and rely upon His word of
Arthur W. Pink
promise? Is anything too
hard for the Lord? Has His
word of promise ever failed?
Then let us not entertain
any unbelieving suspicions
of His future care of us.
Heaven and earth shall pass
away, but not so His
promises.”

40. 27. How did God command Abram to do in
response to request?
9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-
old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a
three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a
young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these
to Him and cut them in two, down the
middle, and placed each piece opposite the
other; but he did not cut the birds in two.

41. 28. Did God command Abram to make a
sacrifice or prepare a covenant?

42. Marriage:
A Contract
or
A Covenant
?

43. 29. What does covenant mean?
“A contract is based on mutual
obligation, if person A defaults,
person B is no longer
obligated. Under a covenant, if
person A defaults, person B is
still obligated.”
Ed Hathaway, Esq.
= “to cut” or “covenant”‫בּ‬ְ‫ר‬ִ‫י‬‫ת‬ (berîṯ)
διαθήκη (diathēkē) = “contract,” “covenant,”
or “testament”

44. 30. What are the three types of covenants in
the Old Testament (Ruth 4:5; Num. 18:19;
Gen. 15:9-18)?
The shoe covenant (Ruth 4:5)
The salt covenant (Num. 18:19)
The blood covenant (Gen. 15:9–18)

45. 30. What are the three types of covenants in
the Old Testament (Ruth 4:5; Num. 18:19;
Gen. 15:9-18)?
The shoe covenant (Ruth 4:5)

46. 30. What are the three types of covenants in
the Old Testament (Ruth 4:5; Num. 18:19;
Gen. 15:9-18)?
The salt covenant (Num. 18:19)

47. 30. What are the three types of covenants in
the Old Testament (Ruth 4:5; Num. 18:19;
Gen. 15:9-18)?
The blood covenant (Gen. 15:9–18)

48. 1. Edenic Covenant – Gen. 2:15-17
2. Adamic Covenant – Gen. 3:14-21
3. Noahic Covenant – Gen. 9:1-9
4. Abrahamic Covenant – Gen. 12:1-3
5. Mosaic Covenant – Ex. 19:5-8
6. Palestinian Covenant – Deut. 29:9-30, 31-34
7. Davidic Covenant – 2 Sam. 7:4-17
8. New Covenant – Jer. 31:31-34

49. AbrahamicCovenant
MosaicCovenant
Palestinian
Covenant
Davidic
Covenant
New
Covenant
Land
Forever
A King
Forever
A New
Heart
Forever
Foundational
Promise to the
father of many
nations
LEADS TO
The Promise has been fulfilled: Eternity in Relationship with God!
Receive it by faith. Walk in it by obedience and grace!
Adapted from Dr. Bob Abrahamson
www.mentoringministry.com
National
Aspects
Personal
Aspects
Universal
Aspects

50. 31. Why does God require the various sacrifices
to be divided as He wanted?
• 3- year-old Heifer
• 3- year-old Female Goat
• 3- year-old Ram
• A Turtledove
• A Young Pigeon
10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut
them in two, down the middle, and placed
each piece opposite the other; but he did not
cut the birds in two.

51. 11 And when the vultures came down
on the carcasses, Abram drove them
away.
32. What is the significance of the vultures?

52. 11 And when the vultures came down
on the carcasses, Abram drove them
away.
33. How did Abram react to the vultures?

53. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a
deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold,
horror and great darkness fell upon him.
34. What happened after divided the parts of
the sacrifice and driving away the vultures?

54. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a
deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold,
horror and great darkness fell upon him.
35. What is the significance of the “horror and
great darkness” that fell upon Abram?

55. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly
that your descendants will be strangers in a
land that is not theirs, and will serve them,
and they will afflict them four hundred
years.
36. What did God communicate to Abram while
he was in a deep sleep?

56. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly
that your descendants will be strangers in a
land that is not theirs, and will serve them,
and they will afflict them four hundred
years.
37. When was this prophecy fulfilled?

57. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly
that your descendants will be strangers in a
land that is not theirs, and will serve them,
and they will afflict them four hundred
years.
38. How long would Abram’s descendants be
afflicted?

58. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that
your descendants will be strangers in a land
that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they
will afflict them four hundred years.
39. Does Paul contradict Moses in the length of
time Abram’s descendant are afflicted?

59. Acts 7:6 But God spoke in this way: that his
descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and
that they would bring them into bondage and
oppress them four hundred years.
39. Does Paul contradict Moses in the length of
time Abram’s descendant are afflicted?

60. Ver. 13. KNOWING KNOW,] That is, know assuredly:
see Gen. 2:17. NOT THEIRS,] Meaning Egypt,
Mesopotamia, and Canaan itself; wherein they
were but strangers, Gen. 17:8. Psa. 90:11, 12.
and therein afflicted. Gen. 21:9. 26:7, 14, 15, but
chiefly in Egypt. 400 YEARS,] Which began when
Ishmael, son of Hagar the Egyptian, mocked and
persecuted Isaac, Gen. 21:9. Gal. 4:29. which fell
out thirty years after the promise, Gen. 12:3.
which promise was 430 years before the Law,
Gal. 3:17. and 430 years after that promise, came
Israel out of bondage, Ex. 12:41. (emphasis added)
Henry Ainsworth (1571-1622), British theologian

61. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I
will judge; afterward they shall come out
with great possessions.
40. When was God’s promise of Genesis 15:14
fulfilled?

62. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your
fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a
good old age.
41. What was God’s promise to Abram
personally?
Hebron –
The Cave of Machpelah

63. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall
return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites
is not yet complete.”
42. What is the meaning of “the fourth
generation”?

64. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall
return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites
is not yet complete.”
43. What is the meant by “the iniquity of the
Amorites is not yet complete”?

65. 17 And it came to pass, when the sun went
down and it was dark, that behold, there
appeared a smoking oven and a burning
torch that passed between those pieces.
44. Explain the difference of time between
Genesis 15:5 and 15:17?

67. 17 And it came to pass, when the sun went
down and it was dark, that behold, there
appeared a smoking oven and a burning
torch that passed between those pieces.
45. What is the meaning of “a smoking oven
and a burning torch”?

68. 17 And it came to pass, when the sun went
down and it was dark, that behold, there
appeared a smoking oven and a burning
torch that passed between those pieces.
46. Explain what happened in Genesis 15:17
and its significance.

69. 18 On the same day the LORD made a
covenant with Abram, saying: “To your
descendants I have given this land, from the
river of Egypt to the great river, the River
Euphrates —
47. What are the borders of the land God
promised to Abram?

71. 18 On the same day the LORD made a
covenant with Abram, saying: “To your
descendants I have given this land, from the
river of Egypt to the great river, the River
Euphrates —
48. Where is “the River of Egypt”?

72. http://www.bible.ca/archeology/maps-
bible-archeology-exodus-route-border-of-
judah-kadesh-wadi-el-arish-river-of-egypt-
brook-of-egypt.jpg
http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-
archeology-exodus-kadesh-barnea-
southern-border-judah-territory-river-of-
egypt-wadi-el-arish-tharu-rhinocolu.htm

73. http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-exodus-kadesh-barnea-southern-border-judah-
territory-river-of-egypt-wadi-el-arish-tharu-rhinocolu.htm

74. 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the
Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites,
the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the
Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the
Jebusites.”
49. Who occupied the land promised to
Abram?

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