This chapter flows from the events of the previous chapter, evident from the phrase "after these things". It refers to events in chapter 14, which was a high point in Abram’s life and also in a chapter before that, Egypt was a low point in his life. At the start of chapter 15, the word of the Lord came to him in a vision.

 

(A) God’s word: God initiates relationships through His Word (Gen 15:1)

The phrase “the word of the Lord” is repeated throughout the OT (even in Gen 15:4), and refers to the message and expression and revelation of God. It points to the desire of God to want to speak and reveal Himself.  God continues to reveal himself again and again and again. The continual pattern is to speak.
We read that God said three things, and this shows us something of the God of the Bible:

  • “Fear not”. This is a reassuring God. He loves to tell us again and again to “fear not”. God’s very nature is fearsome, and therefore, he always begins his interactions with man with this reassurance. This kind of God also knows our frame, who we truly are.

  • “I am your shield”. This gives a picture of a complete shield, and Abram could completely hide behind this and be safe.

  • “Your reward shall be very great”. Because this God is his shield, his reward will be great.

 

(B) Abram’s doubt: faith is actively trusting God (his character and therefore His promises) despite real doubt (Gen 15:2-8)

In Gen 15:2-3, Abram complained twice. He complains about his childless state twice. Verse 3 begins with “behold”, emphasising the situation. His concern is that his inheritance will now go to a member of his household, instead of his heir. If that was the case, all the promises, especially those given in Gen 12 will not come true. God kept promising great things, but his circumstances appeared dire. How do you think Abram felt? Disappointed, frustrated, as he continues to wait for God to fulfil His end of the promise. Have you felt like Abram?

In Gen 15:4-5, we read of God's reply. God took Abram out to survey the night sky, but He did not want Abram to see how many stars there were, but to see his own inability to count the stars. In the same way, he will not be able to count the number of offspring given. God does not do or say what we want him to. In fact, the God of the Bible is ever so patient with us, and often continues to surprise us by showing us what He wants to show us, not what we think we should see. 

How did Abram respond? We are told that "Abram believed the Lord". He trusted in the person of the Lord, and therefore, His promises. We see from here that it is not the promise per se that we trust, but it is the God of the promise, the shield, that we trust. Abram's response was credited to him as righteousness (Gen 15:6). What is righteousness? Righteousness is faith in God. We are told in Gal 3:6 the way we are righteous is not by doing righteousness, but by believing and trusting God. Faith is the means by which we are counted as righteous before God, and it is not what we do, but fundamentally what we believe (c.f. Rom 4:9).

 

(C) God’s covenant: made for two, borne by one (Gen 15:9-21)

God continued to assure Abram of his promises and eliminated his doubts by making a covenant. God did not need to make a covenant with a mere mortal, but he wanted to show without any doubt that His promise is good. In these verses, we see that Abram's role was merely to prepare the animals (Gen 15:10), prevent birds of prey from coming (Gen 15:11), and he slept (Gen 15:12). God himself passed between the pieces of animals (Gen 15:18), implying that He would be cut up like these animals if He did not fulfill His promise. Note how Abram did not pass through. This is even more stunning, as this meant that God would also bear the penalty if Abram did not keep his part of the agreement. To not keep His promise means that He might as well not be God!

Today, God is still this patient and loving God who accepts us when we doubt and initiates relationships through his Word. We see his covenantal faithfulness displayed on the cross, where Jesus paid the penalty for Abram's and his offsprings' failure to keep the covenant. We are covenant breakers, and we often wonder whether we will make it to the end, but from this passage, we are reminded that God Himself will ensure that we will make it. This is a God that is so concern about our faith, that we will be sure of who He is and his fulfillment of His promise. There is no God like this God. Can you trust Him today?