Genesis 15 - The Abraham Covenant: God’s Grace Confirmed

Last week we looked at God’s covenant dealings with Noah. God showed grace to Noah, preserving him and his family and the earth in order to continue the plan of redemption first glimpsed in Genesis 3:15. There, God told Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

This lineage of offspring – from Adam all the way to Jesus Christ – is recorded in Scripture: a lineage of people who knew and worshipped the one true God. And from this lineage, a Savior would come.

Noah was part of that lineage. He understood that his survival in the ark carried on that legacy. Of his three sons on the ark, Shem was next in line to continue the lineage. Shem later had a descendant named Terah, who had a son named Abram. Abram would carry on the legacy that would lead to Christ, and with Abram we see God’s next major covenant dealings.

In Genesis 12, God promises Abram that a great nation will descend from him and through him all the families of the earth would be blessed. These promises continue the Genesis 3 plan of redemption. God’s promises to Abram were enough on their own, but confirmed His promises by making a covenant with Abram, later known as Abraham.

Our focal passage today describes that covenant ritual.

Now, as I said before, God did not make the covenant of grace with these OT figures: Adam, Noah, Abraham, and so on. The covenant of grace was made with Jesus Christ. But like God’s gracious dealings with Adam and Noah, God dealt graciously with Abraham, and this is the next stage in God’s plan to bring the Savior into the world.

Again, God promised that from Abraham would come a great nation of people, but Abraham struggled with this promise, because he and his wife could not conceive a child. Remember, God told Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.” An “offspring” was necessary for God’s plan to continue. It had continued all the way up to Abram. But to Abraham, the plan appeared to be failing.

Eventually God did fulfill the promise – through the birth of Isaac. Yet even Isaac was only a temporary fulfillment of the promise. The apostle Paul explains in Galatians 3 in the NT. Paul states who the “offspring” is, writing, “The promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.”

Isaac was not the descendant of Abram who would defeat Satan. That descendant is Jesus. Scripture tells us that the promise of an offspring made by God in the covenant with Abraham was ultimately fulfilled in the later and greater and newer covenant with Jesus Christ. In Galatians 3, Paul says, “...Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” Abraham didn’t know the name of Jesus Christ, but he understood that Isaac’s birth would lead to the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15.

And yet as he waited on God to fulfill the promise, he struggled. Do you find yourself struggling as you wait on God? Is it difficult to wait on God to help you or to change you?

What is your hang-up from which you can’t seem to break free? What is the problem that makes trusting God so difficult right now in your life? We all have these kinds of struggles, like “thorns” in our side.

If you look at Abraham’s life, he was a man of faith, like his ancestor Noah, but he continually struggled to wait patiently on God. He took matters into his own hands, he followed bad advice, and he made trouble for himself. He was still a sinner, but God had placed Abraham in a state of grace.

And so God not only gave Abraham His promise of covenant faithfulness, but He also guaranteed it to Abraham in a way He could understand. And God does this for all of his people, in both OT and NT eras, and to this day. God’s covenant dealings with Abraham in Genesis 15 strengthened not only his faith, but it can strengthen ours as well. And it teaches us about grace. So let’s take a look closer.

Now at the end of Genesis 14, Abram makes a decision of faith over sight. And “After these things, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:” God gave Abram a prophetic experience. In Scripture, “the word of the LORD” means a message for God’s people.

God says, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield.” God was Abram’s protector – perhaps from those he defeated. Abram won battles and made enemies. Or the vision itself may have been frightening to see. God then says, “your reward shall be very great.” This seems to refer to God’s original promises in Genesis 12.

Abram knows these promises, but he’s struggling. Verse [2], “But Abram said, “O Lord GOD.” He acknowledges the sovereignty of God, but then notice his reply: “what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” [3] And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” Eliezer was likely a servant in Abram’s house; not a blood relative, but one whom he loved and trusted.

In Mark 9, a man who brought his suffering son to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Do you know the feeling of having both belief and unbelief? We’re often filled with contradictions. Abraham had faith. God had placed him in a state of grace. God had given him the gift of faith. But the sinful nature resists faith. If you know what it’s like to struggle in this way, you’re not alone.

Verse 4, God replies; again, a prophetic declaration, “And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” A biological son – Abram’s own “seed.” This is a further clarification of the promise, along with a symbol given by God. Verse [5], “And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Words are powerful. They can do good or harm. Throughout the Scriptures, a person’s word is held in very high regard. Your word is your bond. People can break their word though; but with God, His Word is truly enough.

It’s hard for us to walk by faith, but God’s promises are sure. What He has promised, He will do. So it’s important to understand what God's promises actually are. God has not promised that we will never suffer or never have questions. He has not promised that we won’t make mistakes or suffer consequences for our actions.

But to His people God gives the promise of His covenant faithfulness. He will be our God, and we will be His people. The relationship of love and concern will remain. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He forgives our sins and makes us whole. He will make all things new on the last day at the Judgment of Jesus Christ.

Some of His promises have been fulfilled, some in part, and some remain unfulfilled completely. Therefore, the righteous must live by faith. God promises to strengthen and sustain us. Through His Word, through the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and through prayer, by the power of His Spirit, God strengthens us to walk by faith.

There is a sense in which our worship service is a covenant renewal event. We gather before God, and He reminds us and reassures us of what is true. We receive His Word, and we renew our efforts to walk by faith and to obey Him.

Notice verse 6, “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”God basically clarified and reiterated the promises, and Abram’s faith was strengthened. Human faith would not inherently make Abram righteous. God credited righteousness to Abram by grace; it was not earned

But God goes even farther for Abram. God gives him a guarantee. In verse 7, God declares who He is and what He has done for Abram. God had already led him, blessed Him, provided for Him, given Him help and victory. And God reaffirms the promise of the land.

But in verse [8], Abram asks for a sign. “He said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” The wicked Canaanites were currently on the land. And what happens next is fundamental to salvation and to Christianity. It is essential to the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15, for Abram and his descendants, all the way up to this day. This ancient ceremony, which may appear archaic and grotesque, was a ritual for ratifying a covenant agreement in that part of the world at that time.

Archeologists have uncovered loads of evidence for what is called the suzerain-vassal treaty. It was an agreement made between two nations. You could call it a “big nation/small nation treaty.” The suzerain or sovereign nation (the big nation) would approach the vassal (or small) nation with terms of peace that required the submission of the smaller nation. With the covenant, there were blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The small nation would have to agree or face the consequences.

Verses 9-11 describes animals killed, cut in half (except for the birds), and laid in two rows. Then God causes a deep sleep to come over Abram. This is the same wording used to describe the sleep God caused to come over Adam when Eve was created. Abram experiences the terrifying presence of the living God.

Notice verse [13] Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. [14] But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. [15] As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. [16] And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” This is the prophecy of the bondage and delivery of the Israelites from Egypt.

God tells Abram that he will grow old and pass away, so he won’t see this fulfilled completely. But his descendants will take the land. “Amorites” is another name for the Canaanites. God would judge them eventually, but it would be a while before that time would come.

Now again, this is God’s Word, which is enough. But the LORD goes further. He guarantees the promise of His covenant faithfulness. Look at verse [17] “When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.” There were symbols of God’s holy presence. God alone passes between the dead animals. In doing so, He indicates that He accepts responsibility for both sides of the agreement.

Have you ever seen a company giving a 100% money back guarantee or a satisfaction guarantee? Historians credit 18th century entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood with this idea. He came up with many marketing strategies. The guarantee was an additional effort to put the customer’s mind at ease.

Humans give guarantees because we know that anyone can default on their word. God doesn’t need to provide a guarantee. He inherently keeps His word. To not believe Him – to question or doubt Him – is, essentially, sin. But we can see God’s grace on display here as He accommodates Abram’s weakness. God confirms His covenant with Abram – for a child and descendants and land, “On that day” verse 18 says, “the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land.” And the groups currently in the Promised Land at that time are listed there.

Now, one question that comes up here is, “What responsibility did Abram have?” If God didn’t require Abram to pass through, what obligations were there for Abram? Well, the fact that it was a covenant agreement indicates that Abram did have responsibilities. He was required to follow and obey God’s will. He had to submit to God for he and Sarah to have a biological child and for these other things to eventually take place.

But what God’s covenant shows is that God guaranteed not only His own faithfulness but Abram’s as well. God guaranteed the faithfulness of an unfaithful sinner. And God takes an oath that He will shed His own blood to ensure that sinner’s faithfulness.

Does that sound familiar to you: God shedding His own blood to ensure a sinner’s faithfulness? That sounds like the gospel, doesn’t it? That is the gospel.

The gospel is not something you do; it is something that God has done. You don’t “live” the gospel. You don’t perform the gospel. God did that. The truth of the gospel should shape your life and decisions, but the work of the gospel –- the accomplishment of it – is all God. And when that grasps your heart and mind, it will give you great peace and hope.

Probably everyone here or most everyone has learned how to ride a bike or you plan to learn. I helped each of my daughters learn how, and of course they began with the training wheels. But eventually, the time came to remove those so they could learn how to balance. I would run alongside them and hold the back of the seat to steady them, letting go at times so they could get a feel for balancing on their own. And always, there was fear – and some crying.

But I noticed something with each one. Even when I would let go, they would still want me there. They needed reassurance that I would catch them if they fell, and they wanted confirmation. They wanted to see me there, and to hear me there. And I wanted them to have that confirmation as well, because I understood. God understands, so He gives and guarantees the promise of His covenant faithfulness.

TableTalk magazine explains the Genesis 15 ritual this way: “By this act, God showed that the covenant would achieve its purposes no matter what. Our obedience is not unimportant, but we are sinners and fail regularly, so the Lord alone can keep the covenant perfectly. He does the work—through Christ—to reckon us obedient to the covenant of works that we broke, and He does it entirely by grace.”

We have the Word of Christ, and we have the cross of Christ. God came into the world to keep His covenant of grace for our salvation. Will you trust in Jesus – who kept the covenant – and follow Him today?

Let’s bow together in prayer.