AND HE BELIEVED IN THE LORD

Genesis 15

Victor M. Eskew

 

I.           The Title of Genesis 15

 

A.   And He Believed in the Lord

B.    Seed and Land Promised Renewed

C.   The Concerned Given a Covenant

 

II.         The Key Verse of Genesis 15:  Genesis 15:6

 

And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

 

Why this verse?  First, this verse shows us that Abram was submissive to God.  This is the key to a man’s salvation.  Second, this verse is going to be a very important verse in the New Testament.

 

III.       The Outline of Genesis 15

 

i.               AN HEIR PROMISED (Gen. 15:1-6)

ii.              A HOMELAND PROMISED (Gen. 15:7-21)

A.   The Affirmation (Gen. 15:7)

B.    The Confirmation (Gen. 15:8-12, 17)

C.   The Tribulation (Gen. 15:13-16)

D.   The Demarcation (Gen. 15:18-21)

 

IV.        The Lessons of Genesis 15

 

A.   In times past, God communicated with man in various ways.  Here, He communicates through a vision (Gen. 15:1a).

 

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision…

 

1.     The Hebrew writer mentions that God spoke in various ways to the prophets in times past (Heb. 1:1).

2.     God no longer speaks in various ways to man today.  He speaks to men through His Son in the last days (Heb. 1:2).

 

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…

 

B.    A man who is in a right relationship with God has nothing to fear (Gen. 15:1).

 

…saying, Fear not, Abraham…

 

 

 

C.   God is many things to the faithful.  Here, we learn of two of those things (Gen. 15:1).

1.     I am thy shield…

2.     …and thy exceeding great reward…

 

D.   Man who trusts in the promises of God often concerns himself with “how” God is going to fulfill His promises (Gen. 15:2-3).

 

And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house in this Eliezer of Damascus?  And Abram said, Behold to me thou hast given no seed:  and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

 

E.    When God promises, we can rest assured that He knows both how and when that promise will be fulfilled (Gen. 15:4).

 

And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

 

1.     The Thessalonians knew the Lord had promised to return.  They were con-cerned about the dead who had passed from this life.  Paul taught them of God’s provisions for them (I Thess. 4:13-18).

2.     We have been told that we will come forth from the grave (John 5:28-29).  Yet, we will have a spiritual body, not a fleshly one (I Cor. 15:42-44).  How can this be?  God will take care of this (I John 3:1-2).

 

F.     Abram’s descendants would be like the number of the stars of heaven (Gen. 15:5).  This would come to pass through both physical Israel and spiritual Israel (See Gal. 3:29).

 

And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 

G.   Abram believed in the Lord (Gen. 15:6).

1.     Some use this verse to teach the doctrine of faith only.  They turn here to show that Abram just believed.  No actions were attached to his belief.

2.     Answer:  Here, all that was required of Abram was to believe.  God had made a promise to him concerning the birth of a son.  There was no action required.  However, when God gives a command, one’s belief must be expressed in obedience to that command.  This is how one is justified at that time (See James 2:20-23).

 

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abrahm believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:  and he was called the Friend of God.

 

H.   It is not wrong for man to desire confirmation of the Word of God (Gen. 15:8).

 

And he said, Lord God, where by shall I know that I shall inherit it?

I.     God provides evidence for the truthfulness of His Word (Gen. 15:9-12, 17).

 

J.    God knows the end from the beginning of all things.  Thus, He is able to accur-ately predict the future.  Here, He informed Abram of the Egyptian bondage and their release therefrom (Gen. 15:13-16).

 

K.   “…for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (Gen. 15:16).

 

1.     God is most definitely a God of wrath and vengeance.

2.     However, He is also a just God.  He does not punish without cause.

3.     When the iniquity of the Amorites was full, God would bring destruction upon them.

 

L.    The full extent of the Promised Land is revealed to Abram in Genesis 15:18.  This would ultimately come to pass in the days of Solomon (I Kings 4:21).

 

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt:  and they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.