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Genesis Chapter
Fifteen
I.
Content of the Chapter
God Made a Covenant with Abram
A. God promised the offspring to Abram (v.1-5);
B. Abram was justified by faith (v.6);
C. God revealed the sign of the inheritance to
Abram (v.7-11);
D. God prophesied that the offspring of Abram would suffer in the
E. God made a covenant with Abram (v.17-21);
II.
Verse by Verse Commentary
Gen. 15:1 “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."”
YLT:
“After these things hath the word of Jehovah been unto Abram in a vision,
saying, `Fear not, Abram, I a shield to thee, thy reward exceeding great.'”
Literal
Meaning: “after these things”, though it was a common opening remark in the
narration of the Hebrew, it still referred to the returning of Abram after his
victory and being received (see Gen. 14:13-24).
“The LORD came to Abram in a
vision”, God revealed to
men by two ways: 1) By direct speaking; 2) By visions; sometimes, man could not
understand man even though God had spoken once to twice. God will seal His
instruction upon man in a vision of the night (Job 33:14-16).
“Do not be afraid”, Probably Abram was afraid that the four
kings came back for revenge.
“I
am your shield”, shield is used to resist the arrows and swords, so
here it means that “I will protect you”.
“Your
exceedingly great reward”, Abram was
unwilling to receive the possessions of the wicked, the king of
God is the shield, who resists against the assault
of the enemy. And God is the reward, who recompenses all that we have lost for
His sake.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) There are more than fifty verses in the Bible
that encourage us “not to be afraid”, for fear is a herald of failure. The
deceit of the devil is to make believers fall into fear.
2) If
our faith in God diminishes, we will be increasingly afraid of something.
However, the manifestation and word of God can most stimulate the faith of
believers to save them from fear.
3)
When we are in fear, the most important thing is to have close fellowship with
God though reading the Scriptures and prayers. We will have peace and joy when
we receive the ongoing word of God in His countenance.
4) God
is the protector of believers (Ps. 121:1-8). Since we have God Himself to be
our shield, what then shall we fear?
5) The
Lord Himself will be the protector and reward to those who exalt and magnify
the Lord.
6) My
goodness is nothing apart from God (Ps. 16:2).
7) If
we can forsake the world absolutely, God will grant himself to us to be our
enjoyment and portion. This reward is exceedingly great, for He excels in all
the goodness of the world.
Gen. 15:2 “But Abram said,
"Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of
my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"”
YLT:
“And
Abram saith, `Lord Jehovah, what dost Thou give to me, and I am going
childless? and an acquired son in my house is Demmesek Eliezer.'”
Meaning
of Words: “
The Background: it had been ten years (Gen. 16:3) since God
promised Abram innumerable offspring to Abram (Gen. 13:16). But he still had no
son at this time.
“And the heir of my house is
Eliezer of Damascus”, according to the
ancient records, one who has no son can appoint another male servant to be his
heir or overseer of inheritance.
Literal
Meaning: “Lord GOD”, it shows that God is
the Lord and the governor.
“What
will You give me, seeing I go childless”,
since I have no child, the possession You
have given to me will be given to others, and what’s the profit to me?
“Eliezer
of Damascus”, he was a bondman
brought by Abram from
Spiritual
Meaning: “Eliezer of Damascus” typifies “the possession of man”.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Man’s faith is easily influenced by environment.
And if it is still fruitless after a long time, the faith is easily moved.
2)
Man’s faith cannot endure long. When the faith is weak, man may think of
replacing the things God has promised with his own things.
Gen. 15:3 “Then Abram said,
"Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my
heir!"”
YLT: “And
Abram saith, `Lo, to me Thou hast not given seed, and lo, a domestic doth heir
me.'”
Literal
Meaning: “indeed one born in my house”, it refers to the male servant in his
house.
“Heir”, the son who is appointed to inherit the
possessions of the house when he has grown up; here Abram intended to appoint
Eliezer to be his heir since he had no son.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Men in the world often have no idea where to
pour out their complaint. Believers, however, can pour out all their troubles
and intents of heart to God.
2) We
often replace the divine life and disposition with our natural virtue and
ability.
Gen. 15:4
“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."”
YLT:
“And
lo, the word of Jehovah unto him, saying, `This doth not heir thee; but he who
cometh out from thy bowels, he doth heir thee;'”
Literal
Meaning: “this one shall not be your
heir”, God denied Abram’s
suggest that he would appoint Eliezer
of Damascus to be his heir (see
v.2-3).
“But
one who will come from your own body shall be your heir”, God wanted Abram to believe that He can do
things that are utterly impossible in human sight.
Spiritual
Meaning: this verse
symbolizes that only the work of God done by the life of God, not anything of
believers, no matter how good it is, can have part in the portion of God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The greatest love and the highest portion of God
to us is that He calls us His children (1John 3:1).
2)
Believers can enjoy all the spiritual possessions of God by living in the
divine life rather than the natural life.
Gen. 15:5 “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."”
YLT:
“and
He bringeth him out without, and saith, `Look attentively, I pray thee, towards
the heavens, and count the stars, if thou art able to count them;' and He saith
to him, `Thus is thy seed.'”
Meaning
of Words: “descendants”:
seed;
Literal
Meaning: “so shall your descendants be”, it means that your descendants shall be
as innumerable as the stars in the heaven.
Spiritual
Meaning: “stars” refer to his
descendants of his faith, namely, believers;
“Descendants”, in the original language, it is “seed”, who refers to one
person, namely, Christ (Gal. 3:16).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Believers have to be brought by God out of the
narrow situations and experiences and views to a wider sphere (“outside”) so as
to see the heavenly vision.
2) The
devil makes us bend down to see the earth, but God asks us to lift up our head
to look toward the heaven. Let us turn our eyes from the earth to the heaven
(Col. 3:2).
3) If
believers often look unto and number and set their mind upon the heavenly
things, it will be of a great help to their faith.
4) The
position and nature of believers are just like the stars ---- heavenly and
superior and shining upon the dark world.
5) The
fruits of man’s faith will be as innumerable as stars in the heaven.
6)
Seriously speaking, only Christ Himself can inherit the possession of God and
fulfill the purpose of God. We believers are merely vessels of God to manifest
Christ.
Gen. 15:6 “And he believed in the
LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”
YLT:
“And
he hath believed in Jehovah, and He reckoneth it to him -- righteousness.”
Literal
Meaning: “he believed in the LORD”, the etymon of the word “believe” is
“amen”. Abram “amen”ed the word of God, and said “yes” to God.
“He accounted it to him for
righteousness”, God justified on
account of his faith only, not his works. This is the first time in the
Scriptures of indicating the way of salvation to men. Man has no righteousness
at all (Ps. 51:5;
Spiritual
Meaning: Abram believed the
seed in the word of God, namely, Jesus Christ who would come. Therefore, it was
accounted to him for righteousness because of the faith of Christ. Abram was
justified because of believing the Christ who would come, and we are justified
because of believing the Christ who has come (
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) If we believe the testimony borne by God
concerning Jesus, it will also be reckoned to us as righteousness (
2) All
those who are on the principle of faith are Abraham’s sons. And they will also
be justified and blessed with Abraham (Gal. 3:7-9).
3) It
is the faith of believers, not their works, that most pleases God.
4) All
the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen (2Cor. 1:20).
Gen. 15:7 “Then He said to him,
"I am the LORD, who brought you out of
YLT:
“And
He saith unto him, `I Jehovah who brought thee out from
Literal
Meaning: God revealed His
being and works and will to Abram:
1) “I
am the LORD”, it is the being of God. “LORD” means “I AM THAT I AM”. Whatever
man needs, He is it. Only the LORD can deal with all the needs of man.
2) “Who brought you out of
3) “To give you this land to inherit it”, it reveals the will of God. God called
him out of the land of idols for the purpose of giving him the
Spiritual
Meaning: “this land” refers
to the
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God will not lead us in the beginning and then
give up halfway. Since He is the beginning, He will definitely fulfill His
works to the end.
2) It
is by full reliance on God that we can be separated from the world and be
delivered from the land of idols
3)
Since God has saved us, He will surely take the full responsibility of us, for
He is the LORD ---- He can deal with all our situations.
4)
Christ is believers’
Gen. 15:8 “And he said, "Lord
GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?"”
YLT: “and
he saith, `Lord Jehovah, whereby do I know that I possess it?'”
Literal
Meaning: Abram wanted to know
how he would inherit the
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God pleases that those who are of Him ask Him
(Ps. 27:4, 8).
2) Our
faith has its foundation, through which we can “know” the fruit of faith.
Gen. 15:9 “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."”
YLT: “And
He saith unto him, `Take for Me a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of
three years, and a ram of three years, and a turtle-dove, and a young bird;'”
Literal
Meaning: “three-year-old”
shows it is young and strong. Later, the Israelites offered the sacrifices to
God by these five animals ---- cattle, goat, sheep, turtledove and pigeon (see
Lev. Chap.1-5).
“Turtledove and pigeon” are offered by those who are weak (Lev. 5:7).
Spiritual
Meaning: all these sacrifices
typify Christ ---- He is full of the resurrected (“three”) life of God and is
set as a propitiation (
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Whatever we have done in the light of the word
of God, we do “for God” (“bring me”).
2)
Whatever we shall offer to God, it should be the best (“three-year-old”).
3) Let
us offer ourselves to God when we are young and strong rather than come to
serve God when we get old and weak.
4)
Even though we are weak, we can offer turtledove and pigeon. If there is first
a willing mind, it is accepted (2Cor. 8:12).
Gen. 15:10 “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.”
YLT:
“and
he taketh to him all these, and separateth them in the midst, and putteth each
piece over against its fellow, but the bird he hath not divided;”
The Background: in the ancient times, when both sides made a
covenant, they cut the animals into two and placed each piece opposite the
other, and then both sides passed between the animals to promise that they
would fulfill the covenant (Jer. 34:18-19). Such rule suggested that if either
side failed to keep the covenant, he would be cut into two pieces like the
animals.
Literal
Meaning: “cut them in two, down the
middle”, they were cut
down the middle, which represented the both sides that made the covenant.
“He
did not cut the birds in two”, probably, it was
because the birds were two small (Lev. 1:17).
Spiritual
Meaning: “cut them in two, down the
middle”, it typifies the death of Christ’s crucifixion.
“And
placed each piece opposite the other”,
it is the display of the death of the cross (1Cor. 11:26), testifying that we
shall also die with Christ (Gal. 2:20).
“But
he did not cut the birds in two”, it typifies the
risen life of Christ, which makes us fly unto the heavenly sphere and lead the
heavenly life with Him.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Whatever we have presented to God, all should be
dealt with by the cross (“cut them in two, down the middle”) and put to death
and then live for God (
2)
Cross is the dividing line of the flesh and the spiritual, and the earthly and
the heavenly. Only through crucifixion with the Lord, can we obtain the
assurance that we have obtained the spiritual inheritance in the heaven.
Gen. 15:11 “And when the vultures
came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.”
YLT:
“and
the ravenous birds come down upon the carcases, and Abram causeth them to turn
back.”
Literal
Meaning: “vulture”: the fierce and savage birds ----
the bird of prey, such as eagle, falcon, etc.
Spiritual
Meaning: “vultures” typify the wicked one (see Matt. 13:4,
19), namely, the spiritual of wickedness in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:12).
“Came down on the carcasses”, it typifies that
Satan schemes to destroy the works of the cross.
“Abram
drove them away”, it typifies that
the devil will flee us as long as we believers resist against him (James. 4:7).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Satan uses any trick to rob whatever we have
offered to God.
2) Let
us take heed of what we have offered to God (e.g. though we have devoted our
children to God, we shall still nourish them and look after them carefully),
lest they should be robbed by the devil.
3) The
worst trick of the devil is to induce believers not to walk by faith, but by
works so that believers cannot enjoy the effect of the cross of Christ.
4) Let
us imitate the example of the father of faith, Abraham, to resist the devil
with steadfast faith (1Pet. 5:9), and he will be driven away.
Gen. 15:12 “Now when the sun was
going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness
fell upon him.”
YLT: “And
the sun is about to go in, and deep sleep hath fallen upon Abram, and lo, a
terror of great darkness is falling upon him;”
Literal
Meaning: “a deep sleep fell upon
Abram”, it indicated that
he did not passed between the sacrifices (see v.17). Therefore, it was a
one-sided covenant by God, because man had only the willingness of
faithfulness, but no ability of faithfulness.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The night is far spent and the day is at hand.
It is high time to awake out of sleep (
2) In
the world we have tribulations, but in the Lord we have peace (John 16:33).
3)
Believers may go through the tribulations of the cross after receiving the
salvation of the cross, which makes us feel like being in the spiritual night
(“the sun was
going down”) and make us
deeply realize our weakness and powerlessness (“a deep sleep fell upon Abram”) so that we dare not to live by ourselves,
but God who raises the dead (2Cor. 1:9).
Gen. 15:13 “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.”
YLT:
“and
He saith to Abram, `knowing -- know that thy seed is a sojourner in a land not
theirs, and they have served them, and they have afflicted them four hundred
years,”
Literal
Meaning: “your descendants will be
strangers in a land that is not theirs”, the people of
“And
will serve them”, build the
store-cities by burning bricks for Pharaoh (Ex. 1:8-14).
“Four
hundred years”, it is an approximate number. The people of
Spiritual
Meaning: “four hundred
years”: four times ten and ten, which symbolizes the earthly fullness ---- the
fullness of the time in the sight of God (Gal. 4:4; Eph. 1:10).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The heir of God shall obtain the inheritance
through the way of sufferings.
2)
Before our faith is proved, we have to undergo the deprivation and trial of the
cross (sojourning, serving and being evil treated). However, no matter how long
it is, tribulations will pass one day.
3) If
we suffer with Christ together, we will be glorified with Christ together (
Gen. 15:14 “And also the nation whom
they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.”
YLT:
“and
the nation also whom they serve I judge, and after this they go out with great
substance;”
Literal
Meaning: just as it was
prophesied, God then gave ten plagues to punish
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The way of the cross leads to the mighty
deliverance of God.
2)
After the tribulations of the cross, believers will obtain a lot of precious
spiritual possessions, which are profitable to the building of the church and
to the fellow works with God.
Gen. 15:15 “Now as for you, you shall
go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.”
YLT:
“and
thou -- thou comest in unto thy fathers in peace; thou art buried in a good old
age;”
Literal Meaning:
“be at a good old age”, Abraham was one
hundred and seventy-five when he died (Gen. 25:7).
“Go to
your fathers”, it does not mean his body would be buried in the sepulcher of
his fathers, but that his spirit would be gathered to the hell (Gen. 25:8-9).
Gen. 15:16 “But in the fourth
generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet
complete."”
YLT: “and
the fourth generation doth turn back hither, for the iniquity of the Amorite is
not yet complete.'”
The Background: “the
Amorites”, they worshipped
many gods and idols and burned their children as offerings and used divination
and used auguries, which were abominations to God (Deut. 18:9-12).
Literal
Meaning: “the fourth generation”, according to the background at that time,
a man bore his first son when he was about one hundred years, so a generation
equaled to one hundred years. And the fourth generation related to four hundred
years (see v.13). Besides, from the generation of Levite who went down to
“For the iniquity of the
Amorites is not yet complete”, the Amorites
represented all the aboriginal people of the
Spiritual Meaning:
the Amorites represent the people in the
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God is so patient toward sinners that He gives
them chances to repent (2Pet. 3:9).
2)
Whenever our flesh is purified by the cross, our faith will be proved so that
we are enabled to fully enjoy the spiritual inheritances in the heavens.
Gen. 15:17 “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.”
YLT:
“And
it cometh to pass -- the sun hath gone in, and thick darkness hath been -- and
lo, a furnace of smoke, and a lamp of fire, which hath passed over between
those pieces.”
Literal
Meaning: “a smoking oven” and
“a burning torch” were just like the “pillar of cloud” and “the pillar of fire”
(Ex. 13:21), which presented the presence of God. Here it revealed that “God”
along passed between the sacrifices and He alone would fulfill the covenant and
take all the responsibilities.
Spiritual
Meaning: “the sun went down and it
was dark”, it typifies that
the present age is the night in darkness (
“A
smoking oven”, it typifies the trial of the tribulations of the
cross and the manifestation of God’s righteousness.
“A
burning torch”, it typifies the
light of the Spirit and the salvation by the merciful hand of God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The experience of the cross is the foundation of
believers’ whole spiritual life. Without cross, without true life.
2) The
experience of the cross is tribulations first and then glory (Rom. 8:17). It is
the trial of the death first and then light of resurrection (2Cor. 4:10).
3) The
Father of spirits chastens us through tribulations for our profit that we may
be partakers of His holiness (Heb. 12:10).
4)
Believers shall first bear the trial of oven and then enjoy the torch of
salvation. The darker the smoke of the oven is, the lighter the fire of God’s
salvation will be.
5)
When the cross works in us, the blemishes and spots of us will be removed. Then
the Spirit will shine in us so that we will know the earnest of the inheritance
(Eph. 1:14, 17-18).
Gen. 15:18 “On the same day the LORD
made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this
land, from the
YLT: “In
that day hath Jehovah made with Abram a covenant, saying, `To thy seed I have
given this land, from the
Meaning
of Words: “made a covenant”: cut the covenant;
Literal
Meaning: “I have given”, it showed that the covenant had been
made. God had promised previously (see v.7), and here He passed through the
sacrifices. And He would keep His promise, which was finally fulfilled till the
age of Solomon (1King 4:21, 24; 2Chr. 9:26).
This
verse reveals us that Abram knew He would possess the
Gen. 15:19 “the Kenites, the
Kenezzites, the Kadmonites,”
YLT:
“with
the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,”
Meaning
of Words: “Kenites”: ironsmith, of
Cain; “Kenezzites”: descendant of Kenaz; “Kadmonites”: the eastern people, ancient;
Gen. 15:20 “the Hittites, the
Perizzites, the Rephaim,”
YLT:
“and
the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,”
Meaning
of Words: “Hittites”: horror; “Perizzites”: inhabitant of the open country, uncivil;
“Rephaim”: giant, strong, dead one;
Gen. 15:21 “the Amorites, the
Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."”
YLT: “and
the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.'”
Meaning
of Words: “Amorites”: publicity, mountaineer,
eloquence; “Canaanites”: the lower land; “Girgashites”: close to the nations; “Jebusites”: threshing-place, trodden;
Literal
Meaning: from verse nineteen
to twenty-one, ten nations were listed here. In fact, there were more than ten
nations that lived in the land. The number of “ten” in the Bible represents
“entireness”.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
Promises of God to Abram
A. God promised to be his shield (v.1) ---- for
he had fear;
B. God promised to be his reward (v.1) ---- for
he refused the possessions of the king of
C. God promised to give him an heir (v.4) ----
for he desired to have his heir;
D. God promised to give him the
E. Abram was justified by faith (v.6) ---- for
he received the promise of God by faith alone;
Proofs that Abram Obtained the Promised Land
A. He prepared the sacrifices (v.9) ----
believe Jesus Christ;
B. He cut the sacrifices in two, down the
middle (v.10) ---- receive the death of Jesus;
C. He drove away the vultures (v.11) ----
resist against the devil;
D. God alone passed through the sacrifices
(v.17) ---- rely on the almighty God, not oneself;
Prophecies of God to Abram
A. Your descendants
will be strangers in a land that is
not theirs (v.13);
B. They will serve them (v.13);
C. The people of that land
will afflict them four hundred years (v.13);
D. God will punish the nation whom they serve
(v.14);
E. They shall
come out with great possessions
(v.14);
F. Abram
shall go to his fathers in peace and be
buried at a good old age (v.15);
G. in
the fourth generation they shall return here (v.16);
The Beginning and Process and Perfection of
Faith
A. Faith begins from the word of God (v.1);
B. Faith is on account of the revelation of the
heavenly vision (v.5);
C. Faith is to receive Christ whom God has
revealed (v.5-6);
D. Faith is to receive the death of the cross
of Christ (v.9-10);
E. Faith can resist the assault of the devil
(v.11);
F. Faith should undergo the trial of the cross
(v.12-16);
G. Faith shall be perfected by God (v.17);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou