Genesis 15:2-17 Believing in God Who Keeps His Promises

In Genesis 15:1 God says, “Fear not, Abram, I am you shield and the one who will reward you in great abundance.

Abraham responds by saying, “What will you give me since I continue to be childless?” Why does Abraham answer in that way?

Abraham remembered God’s earlier promise to him, “And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted” (Gen 13:16).

Not having children, Abraham wondered about how the Lord will bring about the promise He had made. Abraham had concluded that one of his servants would have to be his heir.

The Lord tells Abraham that he will indeed have a descendant who will be his heir. Then He takes Abraham outside and shows him the stars of the sky, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then He said “So will your descendants be “ (Gen 14:5).

As Abraham looked into the sky and thought about God’s promise, he “believed the Lord, and the Lord considered his response of faith proof of genuine loyalty” (15:6).

In his letter to the Galatians the Apostle Paul discusses the issue of how people are put into a right standing before God. How can a person be saved? Is someone saved by keeping the 10 Commandments?

Paul says, “You foolish Galatians.” He asks them a question, “Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard” (Gal 3:1-2).

He answers the question by pointing out the foolishness of beginning by faith and then relying on human effort. God gives the Spirit and works miracles among us not because of our human works but because we have believed what we have heard.

To prove his point Paul cites Abraham, “Just as Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, so then understand that those who believe are the sons of Abraham” (Gal 3:7)

He continues, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you.’ So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.”

You and I are justified by faith in God. Abraham’s example in Genesis 15 provides a pattern for us. He believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.


Next God reminds Abraham of His promise to give him the land. Abraham asks God a second question, “O Sovereign Lord, by what can I know that I am to possess it?”

The Lord asks Abraham to kill several animals and lay them in rows. This procedure was commonly done in the ancient world when two people were making a covenant. They would then both walk between the animal pieces.

In this case, Abraham lays out the pieces and then goes to sleep. Terror comes upon him. He hears the Lord tell him that his people will go into captivity for 400 hundred years. This prophecy was later fulfilled when the nation went to Egypt and served as slaves for 400 years. They would later return to the land of Canaan.

When they returned to the land of Canaan, God would command them to kill the Amorites. Some people try to argue that this command demonstrates God’s lack of love. Why should the Jews kill all of the people in the land, including the Amorites?

Genesis 15:16 provides the answer, “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” In Abraham’s day, their sin had not grown to the point of bringing down God’s destruction. However, several hundred years later, they would be so sinful that God would destroy them.

When God told the nation of Israel to destroy other people, He did not do so because He is acting on a whim. He made his command because these people were exceedingly wicked.

In the same way, people of our day are exceedingly wicked. Why does he not do anything? Remember that God is not slack concerning His promise as some people count slackness, but is longsuffering not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9).

He waits because he wants people to hear the gospel. If he immediately kills people on account of their wickedness, they will never hear the gospel and be saved.

Finally, when the sun had gone down, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch went through the animal pieces. Abraham never walked between the pieces with the Lord, because the Lord Himself was making this covenant.

The Lord promises again to give Abraham the land. In addition, he specifies the boundaries of the land, “From the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River.”

This promise has never been fulfilled but will be fulfilled in the future when the Lord returns to the earth to rule in righteousness.

This passage sets forth three great truths that should greatly comfort us in our day. First, the Lord is the one who will not only protect us but also bless us (Gen 15:1). Second, He does not forget his promises but will fulfill them just as He said He would.

Finally, the Lord does not justify us based on what we do. Rather he justifies us on the basis of our faith in Him. Specifically, in our day the Lord justifies those who trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose again.

Paul puts it this way, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Rom 5:2).

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. – 2 Cor 9:15