God & Abraham’s Covenant
Scripture: Genesis 15:1-6
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Interesting Facts:
The book of Genesis was likely assembled from various sources that date from the tenth, eighth, and sixth centuries B.C.E.
In chapter 12 Abram is told to leave his homeland and travel to the land God will show him (Canaan). He would have followed and slept under the stars.
In chapter 13 Abram tells Lot, his nephew, to separate himself from them and make his own way. Abram and Lot both have plenty of livestock and possessions.
In chapter 14 Abram is blessed by King Melchizedek of Salem after winning a battle. You only hear of Melchizedek again in Hebrews where Jesus is named as a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Thus, Jesus is linked to a king/priest and to Abram in genealogy.
Eliezer of Damascus mentioned in 15:3 is likely a steward of Abram’s house. He is concerned that with Lot separated from him, he will have no one to share his reward with as they are childless.
Pondering:
Can you think of other instances in the scripture in which there is a vision and message, “Do not be afraid?” The phrase is used 365 times in the Bible. Do you think it helps the hearer to not fear?
Do you think he remains faithful of God’s promise? Why or why not?
Flesh out the story, what happens next? How does God’s promise come to be fulfilled?
What does this mean for us in our present-day experience?