Gênesis 15
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 15
Spurgeon - Perhaps he did not doubt the promise, but he wanted to have it explained to him. He may have wondered if it meant that one born in his house, though not his son, was to be his heir; and that, through him, the blessing would come. He takes the opportunity of making an enquiry, that he may know how to act. At the same time, there does seem to be a clashing between Abraham’s question, “What wilt thou give me?” and the declaration of God, “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” There is a great descent from the language of the Lord to that of the most stable believer, and when you and I are even at our best, I have no doubt that, if all could be recorded that we think and say, some of our fellow-believers would feel that the best of men are but men at the best, and that God’s language is after a nobler fashion than ours will ever be, till we have seen his face in glory. Offspring/descendants (02233)(zera from zara = to sow, scatter seed) means a sowing, seed, offspring. The first use in the Bible refers to literal seed (Ge 1:11, 29). In Ge 3:15-note "seed" refers to the offspring of the devil and the offspring of the woman. Seed meaning descendants is common in Genesis (Ge 4:25, 9:9, 12:7, etc) and especially in the context of covenant (see notes below). Zera is translated in NAS as - carnally*(1), child(1), children(3), descendant(3), descendants(105), descent(1), family(6), fertile(1), grain(3), intercourse*(2), line(1), nation(1), offspring(38), offspring's offspring(1), origin(1), posterity(1), race(1), seed(48), seedtime(1), seminal(4), seminal*(1), son*(1), time(1), what you sow(1). Baker on Zera - (Complete Word Study Dictionary: OT) A masculine noun meaning sowing, seed, descendants, offspring, children, and posterity. The literal use of the word indicates seed of the field (i.e., seed planted in the field). When Israel entered Egypt, Joseph instructed the Israelites to keep four-fifths of the crop as seed to plant in their fields and to serve as food for them (Gen. 47:24); the season for planting seed was guaranteed by God to continue without fail (Gen. 8:22); and successful, abundant harvests were promised right up until the sowing season if Israel followed the Lord’s laws and commands (Lev. 26:5). God had created the seed of the field by decreeing that plants and trees would be self-perpetuating, producing their own seed (Gen. 1:11) and that the seed-producing plants would be edible (Gen. 1:29). Manna, the heavenly food, resembled coriander seed (Ex. 16:31). Any seed could be rendered unclean and not usable if a dead body fell on it after the seed had been moistened (Lev. 11:38). The noun is used to describe the seed (i.e., the offspring) of both people and animals. The seed of Judah and Israel would be united and planted peacefully in the land together with animals in a pleasant setting (Jer. 31:27). Seed can be translated as son (i.e., seed as when God gives Hannah a promise of a son [1 Sam. 1:11]). The seed of a woman mentioned in Genesis 3:15 is her offspring. The offspring of humans is described many times by this word. Hannah was given additional children to replace Samuel, whom she gave to the Lord’s service (1 Sam. 2:20). The most important seed that the author of Genesis describes is the seed of Abraham, the promised seed, referring to Isaac, Jacob, and his twelve sons (Gen. 12:7; 15:3). The author of Genesis uses the word twenty-one times in this setting (Ex. 32:13; Dt. 1:8). The seed of the royal line of David was crucial to Israel’s existence, and the term is used nine times to refer to David’s offspring or descendants (2 Sam. 7:12). In a figurative sense, seed refers to King Zedekiah and perhaps to Israelites of royal lineage, whom Nebuchadnezzar established in Jerusalem (Ezek. 17:5). Royal lines or seed were found outside Israel, such as in Edom, where Hadad belonged to the royal line (1 Kgs. 11:14), and in Judah, where the wicked Athaliah attempted to destroy the royal seed (2 Kgs. 11:1; 25:25; Jer. 41:1). The seed or offspring of a particular nation can be characterized in moral and religious terms as well. Three verses stand out: The seed of Israel was called a holy seed (Ezra 9:2; Isa. 6:13); and, in the case of Ezra 9:2, the seed corrupted itself by mixing with the peoples around them. The seed of Israel is a seed of God or a divine seed (Mal. 2:15) through its union with God (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4). An offspring could be described as deceitful and wicked (Ps. 37:28; Isa. 57:4). It was important in Israel to prove that one’s origin or seed stemmed from an Israelite ancestor, for some Israelites and Israelite priests who returned from exile could not show their origin (Ezra 2:59). The word also refers to the seed or posterity of the Messiah (Isa. 53:10). Zera has four basic semantic categories: 1. The time of sowing, seedtime; 2. the seed as that which is scattered or as the product of what is sown; 3. the seed as semen and 4. the Seed as the offspring in the promised line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or in other groups separate from this people of promise. The primary meaning comes from the realm of agriculture. Seedtime or sowing, as over against the time of harvest, will recur according to a promised pattern which God guaranteed to Noah after the flood (Gen 8:22; cf. Lev 26:5). This sowing or planting takes place in the fields (Ezk 17:5) and thereby accords well with the Akkadian zēru “cultivated land.” The seed itself which is planted in these fields has the same name (Gen 47:19, 23; Lev 11:37–38; Num 24:7; Deut 28:38; Isa 55:10; Amos 9:13). The product produced has the same designation (e.g. the seed of the herbs and trees in Gen 1:11–12, 29 or the seed that is gathered into the barn in Job 39:12; cf. Deut 14:22; Isa 23:3). Thus, the whole agricultural cycle is practically summed up in the word zeraʿ; from the act of sowing to the seed planted, to the harvest taken. zeraʿ is used figuratively in referring to Judah’s idolatry (Isa 17:11). They are planting “pleasant plants” along with “strange slips.” This refers either to the Ugaritic nʿmn of the Tammuz-Adonis cult or to the folly of planting thorns and thistles and expecting a crop of flowers or vegetables. zeraʿ refers to semen in Num 5:28, “she shall be made pregnant with seed.” Frequently it occurs in the expression “flow of semen” (Lev 15:16, 15:32, 22:4). It is also used as the accusative of mode and translated euphemistically as “lying carnally with a woman” (Lev 15:18; 18:20; Num 5:13). Note the same use in the promise of Jer 31:27. The Lord will sow the houses of Israel and Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast in the latter days. The most important theological usage is found in the fourth category. Commencing with Gen 3:15, the word “seed” is regularly used as a collective noun in the singular (never plural). This technical term is an important aspect of the promise doctrine, for Hebrew never uses the plural of this root to refer to “posterity” or “offspring.” The Aramaic targums pluralize the term occasionally, e.g. the Targum of Gen 4:10, but the Aramaic also limits itself to the singular in the passages dealing with the promised line. Thus the word designates the whole line of descendants as a unit, yet it is deliberately flexible enough to denote either one person who epitomizes the whole group (i.e. the man of promise and ultimately Christ - Ed: see Gal 3:16-note), or the many persons in that whole line of natural and/or spiritual descendants. Precisely so in Gen 3:15. One such seed is the line of the woman as contrasted with the opposing seed which is the line of Satan’s followers. And then surprisingly the text announces a male descendant who will ultimately win a crushing victory over Satan himself. This promise to Eve was enlarged and made more specific in the Abrahamic Covenant. God would grant a land and a numerous offspring through Abraham’s son Isaac and his offspring: Gen 12:7; 13:15–16; 15:13,18; 16:10; 17:7–10,12,19; 22:17–18; 24:7; 26:3–4,24; 28:4,13–14; 32:13; 35:12; 48:4. This whole line builds and the promise continues in Ex 32:13; 33:1; Deut 1:8; 11:9; 34:4; Josh 24:3. The same can be said for David and his offspring. The promise is continued in 2 Sam 7:12; made parallel to the term “Messiah” in Ps 18:50 [H 5] (see 2 Sam 22:51); and repeated in Ethan’s commentary on the Davidic covenant of 2 Sam 7 in Ps 89:4, 29, 36 [H 5, 30, 37]. This corporate solidarity found in the seed of Eve, Abraham, and David receives theological comment in Isa 41:8; 43:5; 44:3; 45:19,25; 48:19; 53:10; 54:3; 59:21; 61:9; 65:9; 66:22; Jer 31:36–37; 33:26; II Chr 20:7. (TWOT) Zera - 204 uses - Gen. 1:11f, 29; 3:15; 4:25; 7:3; 8:22; 9:9; 12:7; 13:15f; 15:3, 5, 13, 18; 16:10; 17:7ff, 12, 19; 19:32, 34; 21:12f; 22:17f; 24:7, 60; 26:3f, 24; 28:4, 13f; 32:12; 35:12; 38:8f; 46:6f; 47:19, 23f; 48:4, 11, 19; Ex. 16:31; 28:43; 30:21; 32:13; 33:1; Lev. 11:37f; 15:16ff, 32; 18:20f; 19:20; 20:2ff; 21:15, 17, 21; 22:3f, 13; 26:5, 16; 27:16, 30; Nu 5:13, 28; 11:7; 14:24; 16:40; 18:19; 20:5; 24:7; 25:13; Dt. 1:8; 4:37; 10:15; 11:9f; 14:22; 22:9; 28:38, 46, 59; 30:6, 19; 31:21; 34:4; Jos. 24:3; Ruth 4:12; 1 Sa 1:11; 2:20; 8:15; 20:42; 24:21; 2 Sam. 4:8; 7:12; 22:51; 1 Ki. 2:33; 11:14, 39; 18:32; 2 Ki. 5:27; 11:1; 17:20; 25:25; 1 Chr. 16:13; 17:11; 2 Chr. 20:7; 22:10; Ezr. 2:59; 9:2; Neh. 7:61; 9:2, 8; Est. 6:13; 9:27f, 31; 10:3; Job 5:25; 21:8; 39:12; Ps. 18:50; 21:10; 22:23, 30; 25:13; 37:25f, 28; 69:36; 89:4, 29, 36; 102:28; 105:6; 106:27; 112:2; 126:6; Prov. 11:21; Eccl. 11:6; Isa. 1:4; 5:10; 6:13; 14:20; 17:11; 23:3; 30:23; 41:8; 43:5; 45:19, 25; 48:19; 53:10; 54:3; 55:10; 57:3f; 59:21; 61:9; 65:9, 23; 66:22; Jer. 2:21; 7:15; 22:28, 30; 23:8; 29:32; 30:10; 31:27, 36f; 33:22, 26; 35:7, 9; 36:31; 41:1; 46:27; 49:10; Ezek. 17:5, 13; 20:5; 43:19; 44:22; Dan. 1:3; 9:1; Amos 9:13; Hag. 2:19; Zech. 8:12; Mal. 2:3, 15 Sow seed (verb) (02232)(zara) means literally to scatter seed, to sow, to bear seed. Zara is used figuratively of sowing the wind in Hosea 8:7. TWOT on zara - Literally, zāraʿ refers to the action of sowing seed in the fields (Gen 26:12: Isa 37:30). It is used with the accusative of the type of seed sown, e.g. sowing wheat (Jer 12:13), or with the accusative of the field sown (Ex 23:10; Lev 25:3). Occasionally, it is also followed by the double accusative of both seed and field (e.g. Lev 19:19; Deut 22:9, “You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed”). In this prohibition, a reference is made, no doubt, to the Canaanite ritual inducing fertility. Finally, this verb is also used of sowing salt in a captured city (Jud 9:45). Metaphorically, the action denotes the Lord’s sowing (planting or establishing) Israel in the land of Palestine in a future day (Hos 2:25) or of his confession that though he has scattered (i.e. sown) Israel among the countries of the earth, he will also gather them one day in the future (Zech 10:9). Zāraʿ is also used figuratively in connection with moral actions: to sow justice (Prov 11:18), righteousness (Hos 10:12), light, i.e. happiness (Ps 97:11), wickedness (Prov 22:8), trouble (Job 4:8), and wind (Hos 8:7). In Isa 17:10 the verb depicts Israel as practicing idolatry by sowing plants or slips to an alien god, while in Ps 126:5 it is a figure of the grief of hard work followed by joyous results. It can also refer to reigns of kings and princes under the figure of trees (Isa 40:24). Finally, in the Niphal it refers to a woman being made pregnant (Num 5:28) or bearing a child (Hiphil Lev 12:2). (TWOT) Vine - zara˓ (זָרַע, 2232), “to sow, scatter seed, make pregnant.” It occurs first in Gen. 1:29 in the summary of the blessings of creation which God has given to mankind. In an agricultural society such as ancient Israel, zara˓ would be most important and very commonly used, especially to describe the annual sowing of crops (Jdg. 6:3; Gen. 26:12). Used in the figurative sense, it is said that Yahweh “will sow” Israel in the land (Hos. 2:23); in the latter days, Yahweh promises: “I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast” (Jer. 31:27). Of great continuing comfort are the words, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Ps. 126:5). The universal law of the harvest, sowing and reaping, applies to all areas of life and experience. A good example of the need for free translation of the inherent meaning rather than a strictly literal rendering involves zara˓, in both its verb and noun forms. This is found in Num. 5, which describes the law of trial by ordeal in the case of a wife accused of infidelity. If she was found innocent, it was declared: “… She shall be free, and shall conceive [zara] seed [zera˓]” (Num. 5:28). This phrase is literally: “She shall be acquitted and shall be seeded seed,” or “She shall be made pregnant with seed.” An Old Testament name, Jezreel, has been connected with this root. Jezreel (“God sows”) refers both to a city and valley near Mt. Gilboa (Josh. 17:16; 2 Sam. 2:9) and to the symbolically named son of Hosea (Hos. 1:4). Zara is translated in the NAS - conceive(1), gives birth(1), perpetuated(1), plant seed(1), scatter(1), set(1), sow(28), sowed(2), sower(2), sowing(2), sown(10), sows(2), unsown*(1), yielding(4). Zara - 55v - Gen. 1:11f, 29; 26:12; 47:23; Exod. 23:10, 16; Lev. 11:37; 12:2; 19:19; 25:3f, 11, 20, 22; 26:5, 16; Num. 5:28; Deut. 11:10; 21:4; 22:9; 29:23; Jdg. 6:3; 9:45; 2 Ki. 19:29; Job 4:8; 31:8; Ps. 97:11; 107:37; 126:5; Prov. 11:18; 22:8; Eccl. 11:4, 6; Isa. 17:10; 28:24; 30:23; 32:20; 37:30; 40:24; 55:10; Jer. 2:2; 4:3; 12:13; 31:27; 35:7; 50:16; Ezek. 36:9; Hos. 2:23; 8:7; 10:12; Mic. 6:15; Nah. 1:14; Hag. 1:6; Zech. 10:9 Rod Mattoon - WORD'S OF GREAT PROMISE—Genesis 15:4, 5 Abram asked his question and God gives His reply. Abram will have a son from his own bowels. God was making His promise and He does keep His word. Look to the sky and see the stars Abram. Your seed will be as countless as the stars. What an awesome revelation to a man who had no children at all! Our God is amazing, isn't He! The Bible gives us several insights about the promises of God. They are Certain—1 Kings 8:56 They are Completed by God's ability—2 Cor 1:20 They are Confident in Christ—2 Cor. 1:20 They are Cherished—2 Peter 1:4 They Climax in everlasting life—1 John 2:25 They are Confirmed by Christ—Romans 15:8 They are Centered in Christ—2 Tim. 1:1 They are Countless and great—2 Peter 1:4 They are not Crawling or slow—2 Peter 3:4-13 - Mattoon's Treasures from Genesis. Genesis 15:4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir." shall come (KJV): Ge 17:16 21:12 2Sa 7:12 16:11 2Ch 32:21 Phm 1:12 See Multiple Resources on Genesis 15 - Commentaries, Sermons, Devotionals Genesis 15:1-6 - Making God's Promises Yours - Steven Cole Genesis 15:1-7 - S Lewis Johnson Spurgeon -Now was his faith tried indeed, he had no child, he was himself old, and his wife also was old, yet the Lord’s promise was, “So shall thy seed be” as the stars of heaven. Could he believe it? He did. The word of the LORD came - The second time in Genesis 15 and revealed to His servant, His divine plan. As David Livingstone used to say, "It is the word of a Gentleman (God) of the strictest and most sacred honor, and that's an end of it!"
Gênesis 15
Spurgeon comments on David's figurative use of shield in Ps 3:3 - Here David avows his confidence in God. The word (magen) in the original signifies more than a shield; it means a buckler (see buckler) round about, a protection which shall surround a man entirely, a shield above, beneath, around, without and within. (Ed: See this picture in Ps 5:12 below) Oh! what a shield is God for His people! He wards off the fiery darts of Satan from beneath (Eph 6:16--note), and the storms of trials from above, while, at the same instant, he speaks peace to the tempest within the breast." Spurgeon quotes Thomas Tymme on "shield" in Ps 3:3 - Persuade yourselves, with David, that the Lord is your defender, who hath compassed you round about, and is, as it were, a “shield” that doth cover you on every side. It is he only that may and will compass you about with glory and honour. It is he that will thrust down those proud hypocrites from their seat, and exalt the lowly and meek. It is he which will “smite” your “enemies on the cheek bone,” and burst all their teeth in sunder. He will hang up Absalom by his own long hairs; and Ahithophel through desperation shall hang himself. The bands shall be broken and you delivered; for this belongs unto the Lord, to save His from their enemies, and to bless His people, that they may safely proceed in their pilgrimage to heaven without fear." Gilbrant on magen - Some have sought to associate māgen with a verb, nāghan (HED #5235), "to touch," which has a nuance in Middle Hebrew and the Dead Sea Scrolls of "to strike." This association is not well founded, however. Two verbal roots may explain occurrences of this noun. The verb māghan (HED #4181), "to hand over," "to give as a gift," has a derived noun which occurs in Hos. 4:18. Some think that a derived noun from this verb (attested in Punic and Ugaritic) points to another usage, that of "sovereign" (e.g., Gen. 15:1; Ps. 7:10). This word for "shield" designates a small, generally round, wooden shield that was usually covered with leather. The other common word for shield is tsinnāh (HED #7065), which refers to the larger, oblong shield that covered most of the body. When the words appear apart from each other, they are both generally translated as "shield," but when they occur in the same verse, the KJV, RSV and NASB translate the pair as "shield and buckler." A buckler is a small round shield, but there does not seem to be any strict consistency in associating buckler with māgen in such cases. The shield was usually a weapon of defense. When Israel turned to other gods, the song of Deborah indicates that no one could find a single shield or spear among 40,000 in Israel (Judg. 5:8). By this she meant that they had no source of protection before their enemies. The shield is also mentioned along with other weapons of war: the quiver and chariots (Isa. 22:6), arrows and siege mounds (Isa. 37:33), the buckler and bow (Jer. 46:3, 9), chariots, wagons, buckler and helmets (Ezek. 23:24) and arrows, swords and weapons of war (Ps. 76:3). Ezekiel prophesied that after the battle against Gog and Magog, Israel would collect the shields and other weapons of war and burn them for fuel for seven years (Ezek. 39:9). This indicates the massive size of the army which will attack Israel, yet over which the Lord will give them victory. In the battlefield, soldiers carried their shields, but in the city, they would line them up along the top of the wall to provide an added line of defense. This is the imagery found in S.S. 4:4 where the author likens the neck of the woman to the tower of David on which are hung 1000 shields. Soldiers treated their shields with oil (Isa. 21:5; 2 Sam. 1:21). This was a way of preserving the leather coverings. In 2 Sam. 1:21, David says Saul's shield has been defiled. Some have suggested that this means that Saul's shield was either soiled with his own blood or that it was uncared for and rotting in the open field. The parallel statement that it is no longer rubbed with oil suggests that the latter meaning is more accurate. In keeping with the basic meaning of the verb, however, the KJV translation of "vilely cast away" captures the idea of David's statement. The shield had failed to do its job, so it was loathed and rejected. It is a symbolic statement of being mortally wounded and defeated in battle. Solomon made 200 large, full-body shields, each containing about seven and one-half pounds of gold. He also made 300 of the small round shields, each containing about three and three-quarter pounds of gold. It is difficult to determine if the shields were of solid gold or if they were wooden shields covered with gold. Solomon placed these shields in his palace, and they were a symbol of his great wealth. During the reign of his son, Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem and took the shields as part of his booty. Rehoboam replaced the golden shields with bronze ones, indicating the nation had experienced a decline in prosperity. First Kings 14:26f indicates that these shields were used as part of the royal procession whenever the king went to the temple of the Lord, and they were also used by the palace guards. These shields were for decorative and prestige purposes and were never intended for use in battle. In several passages, the term "shield" is used in a metaphorical sense for a ruler. Depicting the king as a shield presents him in his role as protector of the state. In Ps. 47:9, "shields" is paralleled with "princes of the people"; in 84:9, it is paralleled with "[God's] anointed," and in 89:18, it is paralleled with "our king." The shield is associated with God from several different angles. From the negative angle, wicked men charge against God with a thick-bossed shield in defiance of God (Job 15:26). In some way, the wicked attempt to protect themselves from God's judgments against them. From the positive angle, God is pictured as providing protection for his people. In some passages, He is pictured as a shield (Deut. 33:29; Pss. 7:10; 18:2). In Ps. 35:2, the psalmist calls to the Lord to take up his shield and buckler and come as a Warrior against his enemies. In this case, the Lord is not only a Defense for the righteous but also on the attack, as an avenger of the righteous, in his actions. In 2 Sam. 22:36, the Lord gives his shield of victory to the warrior. The Lord appeared to Abraham in a vision and declared that he was Abraham's shield and very great reward (Gen. 15:1). Abraham proceeded to ask Him what He would give him since he was childless. This is one of the contexts assigned to the noun derived from the verb māghan. It is thus translated by some as "I am your sovereign who will reward you greatly." This then provides a more natural introduction to Abraham's question of what the Lord would give him. In Job 41:15, the term is applied to the leviathan. It is employed here to hyperbolically underscore God's power over all of creation in face of Job's charge that he was lax in his duties, namely in protecting Job. God describes the leviathan's back as having rows of shields tightly fit together. This depicts the animal as having some kind of scaly skin structure which provided it with a source of protection. (Complete Biblical Library) Here are some of the uses of magen especially describing our Great and Mighty God, our Rock and our Fortress, Jehovah Jesus... Dt 33:29+ "Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help ('ezer; Lxx - boethos = Helper - only in Heb 13:6+ in NT) And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places." 2 Sa 22:3+ My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence. 2 Sa 22:31+ "As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. 2 Sa 22:36+ "You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your help makes me great. Ps 3:3+ But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. Ps 5:12+ For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield. Spurgeon - This is a promise of infinite length, of unbounded breadth, and of unutterable preciousness. As for the defense which the believer needs in this land of battles, it is here promised to him in the fullest measure. There were vast shields used by the ancients as extensive as a man’s whole person, which would surround him entirely. So says David, “With favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” According to Ainsworth there is here also the idea of being crowned, so that we wear a royal helmet, which is at once our glory and defense. O Lord, ever give to us this gracious coronation! Ps 7:10 My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart. Andrew Bonar - “My defense is of God.” Literally, “My shield is upon God,” like Psalm 62:8, “My salvation is upon God.” The idea may be taken from the armor-bearer, ever ready at hand to give the needed weapon to the warrior. Ps 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Spurgeon - Dwelling among the crags and mountain fastnesses of Judea, David had escaped the malice of Saul, and here he compares his God to such a place of concealment and security. Believers are often hidden in their God from the strife of tongues and the fury of the storm of trouble. The clefts of the Rock of Ages are safe abodes. “My deliverer,” interposing in my hour of peril. When almost captured the Lord’s people are rescued from the hand of the mighty by him who is mightier still. This title of “deliverer” has many sermons in it, and is well worthy of the study of all experienced saints. “My God;” this is all good things in one. There is a boundless wealth in this expression; it means, my perpetual, unchanging, infinite, eternal good. He who can say truly “my God,” may well add, “my heaven, my all.” “My strength;” this word is really “my rock,” in the sense of strength and immobility. My sure, unchanging, eternal confidence and support. Thus the word rock occurs twice, but it is no tautology, for the first time it is a rock for concealment, but here a rock for firmness and immutability. “In whom I will trust.” Faith must be exercised, or the preciousness of God is not truly known; and God must be the object of faith, or faith is mere presumption. “My buckler (shield), warding off the blows of my enemy, shielding me from arrow or sword. The Lord furnishes His warriors with weapons both offensive and defensive. Our armory is completely stored so that none need go to battle unarmed. “The horn of my salvation,” enabling me to push down my foes, and to triumph over them with holy exultation. “My high tower,” a citadel high planted on a rocky eminence beyond the reach of my enemies, from the heights of which I look down upon their fury without alarm, and survey a wide landscape of mercy reaching even unto the goodly land beyond Jordan. Here are many words, but none too many; we might profitably examine each one of them had we leisure, but summing up the whole, we may conclude with Calvin, that David here equips the faithful from head to foot. Ps 18:30 As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. (“He is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” - KJV) Spurgeon - No armor of proof or shield of brass so well secures the warrior as the covenant God of Israel protects his warring people. He himself is the buckler of trustful ones; what a thought is this! What peace may every trusting soul enjoy! Ps 18:35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great. Spurgeon - Above all we must take the shield of faith, for nothing else can quench Satan’s fiery darts; this shield is of celestial workmanship, and is in all cases a direct gift from God himself; it is the channel, the sign, the guarantee, and the earnest of perfect salvation. W. Wilson, D.D. - “The Lord is my strength” inwardly, “and my shield” outwardly. Faith finds both these in Jehovah, and the one not without the other, for what is a shield without strength, or strength without a shield? “My heart trusted in him, and I am helped:” the idea of the former sentence is here carried out, that outward help was granted to inward confidence. Ps 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him. Spurgeon - Thus David found both sword and shield in his God. The Lord preserves his people from unnumbered ills; and the Christian warrior, sheltered behind his God, is far more safe than the hero when covered with his shield of brass or triple steel Ps 33:20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. Spurgeon - Our help in labor, our shield in danger. The Lord answers all things to His people. He is their all in all. Note the three “ours” in the text. These hold fast words are precious. Personal possession makes the Christian man; all else is mere talk. Ps 59:11 Do not slay them, or my people will forget; Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. Spurgeon - We are in good company when we hide beneath the buckler of the Eternal; meanwhile he who is the shield of his people is the scatterer of their enemies. Ps 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Spurgeon on sun and shield - Pilgrims need both as the weather may be, for the cold would smite them were it not for the sun, and foes are apt to waylay the sacred caravan, and would haply destroy it if it were without a shield. Heavenly pilgrims are not left uncomforted or unprotected. The pilgrim nation found both sun and shield in that fiery cloudy pillar which was the symbol of Jehovah’s presence, and the Christian still finds both light and shelter in the Lord his God. A sun for happy days and a shield for dangerous ones. A sun above, a shield around. A light to show the way and a shield to ward off its perils. Blessed are they who journey with such a convoy; the sunny and the shady side of life are alike happy to them. Warren
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Spurgeon - Oh, what a blessing to learn the way of ample faith in God! This is the saving quality in many a life. Look through Paul’s list of the heroes of faith; some of them are exceedingly imperfect characters’ some we should hardly have thought of mentioning, but they had faith; and although men, in their faulty judgment, think faith to be an inferior virtue, and often scarcely look upon it as a virtue at all, yet, in the judgment of God, faith is the supremest virtue. “This,” said Christ, “is the work of God,” the greatest of all works, “that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” To trust, to believe, this shall be counted to us for righteousness even as it was to Abraham. SALVATION ON "CREDIT" Kenneth Wuest goes on to explain how Abraham could possess Christ's righteousness before Christ was made sin in His place - "God put to Abraham’s account, placed on deposit for him, credited to him, righteousness. The actual payment had not been made, the actual bestowal of righteousness had not been consummated, and for the reason that our Lord had not yet paid the penalty of man’s sin and had not yet been raised from the dead. Abraham possessed righteousness in the same manner as a person would possess a sum of money placed in his account in a bank. Since the resurrection, Old Testament saints share with New Testament believers the possession of Christ as the righteousness in which they stand, guiltless and righteous for time and for eternity." (Eerdmans Publishing - used by permission) Not all faith is saving faith. Intellectual assent (which some equate with faith) is not saving faith. To paraphrase the respected linguist, W E Vine, faith involves (1) A firm conviction which produces full acknowledgment of God's revelation of Truth, (2) a personal surrender to the Truth and (3) a conduct inspired by & consistent with that surrender. Robert Haldane comments on the quotation from Genesis 15:6 writing that there … the promise to Abraham is recorded that his seed should be innumerable as the stars of heaven, being the renewal of the promise, (Ge 12:2 cp Genesis 22:17, 18), when he was called out of his own country. It thus comprehended the truth announced to him at different times, that all the nations of the world should be blessed in his seed, that is, in the Messiah, Galatians 3:16-note. That promise referred to the one made to our first parents after the fall (Genesis 3:15-note), in which was included the hope of redemption to be accomplished by the Deliverer of mankind, Who was to spring from him, as God declared to Abraham." (Haldane, R: An Exposition of Romans) Here are my related comments on how Zecharias and Elizabeth (John the Baptist's parents) could be characterized by Dr Luke as righteous (Luke 1:6-note) even though Christ had not yet been crucified: From Adam to Christ, God saved those who put their faith in Him on the basis of whatever revelation He gave them. Abraham, for example, believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6). But how could God do this righteously? A sinless Substitute had not been slain. The blood of a perfect Sacrifice had not been shed. In a word, Christ had not died. The debt had not been paid. God’s righteous claims had not been met. How then could God save believing sinners in the OT period (Zechariah and Elizabeth would still be considered in the "OT period")? The answer is that although Christ had not yet died, the omniscient God knew that He would die, and therefore He saved men on the basis of the still-future work of Christ. Even if OT saints didn’t know about Calvary, God knew about it, and He put all the value of Christ’s work to their account (logizomai = "reckoned" as in Gal 3:6-note) when they believed God. In a very real sense, OT believers were saved on credit. They were saved on the basis of a price of redemption which was yet to be paid in full at Calvary (cp Jn 19:30-note "It is finished" = "Paid it Full" = tetelestai). The OT saints looked forward to Calvary whereas we look back to it. So the OT period was a time of the forbearance of God. For at least 4000 years He held back His judgment on sin. Then in the fullness of time He sent His Son to be the Sin-bearer. When the Lord Jesus took our sins upon Himself, God unleashed the full fury of His righteous, holy wrath on the Son of His love. The whole OT is a testimony to the truth that God is "slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin" (Ex 34:6-7). Herbert Lockyer - To Old Testament saints the promised blessing of redemption was future—they obtained it, but not within the limits of this present life. They had it "on credit." (All the Promises of the Bible)
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Spurgeon - It is a grand faith to trust in Jesus in the teeth of all your sins, and notwithstanding the accusations of conscience. To believe in him that justifies not merely the godly, but the ungodly (Romans 4:5), to believe not in the Saviour of saints, but in the Saviour of sinners, and to believe that ‘if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’, this is precious and is counted unto us for righteousness. This justifying faith was faith which dealt with a wonderful promise, vast and sublime. I imagine the patriarch standing beneath the starry sky, looking up to those innumerable orbs. He cannot count them. To his outward eye, long accustomed in the land of the Chaldees to midnight observation, the stars appeared more numerous than they would to an ordinary observer. He looked and looked again with elevated gaze, and the voice said, ‘So shall thy seed be.’ Now he did not say, ‘Lord, if I may be the father of a clan, the progenitor of a tribe, I shall be well content; but it is not credible that countless hosts can ever come of my barren body.’ No, he believed the promise; he believed it just as it stood. I do not hear him saying, ‘It is too good to be true.’ No; God has said it—and nothing is too good for God to do. The greater the grace of the promise, the more likely it is to have come from him, for good and perfect gifts come from the Father of lights. Beloved, does your faith take the promise as it stands in its vastness, in its height, depth, length and breadth? Can you believe that you, a sinner, are nevertheless a child, a son, an heir, an heir of God, a joint-heir with Christ Jesus? (Justification by faith—illustrated by Abram’s righteousness) Read: Romans 4:18–25 [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God. Romans 4:20 “You gotta have faith,” people say. But what does that mean? Is anyfaith good faith? “Believe in yourself and all that you are,” wrote one positive thinker a century ago. “Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” As nice as that may sound, it falls to pieces when it crashes into reality. We need a faith in something bigger than ourselves. Abraham’s faith was in something far bigger than himself—the one and only God. God promised Abram he would have a multitude of descendants (Gen. 15:4–5), so he faced a huge obstacle—he was old and childless. When he and Sarah got tired of waiting for God to make good on His promise, they tried to overcome that obstacle on their own. As a result, they fractured their family and created a lot of unnecessary dissension (see Gen. 16 and Ge 21:8–21). Nothing Abraham did in his own strength worked. But ultimately he became known as a man of tremendous faith. Paul wrote of him, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be’” (Rom. 4:18). This faith, said Paul, “was credited to him as righteousness” (Ro 4:22 [Ed comment: quoting in part from Genesis 15:6]). Abraham’s faith was in something far bigger than himself—the one and only God. It’s the object of our faith that makes all the difference. Lord, I want a strong faith in You, not just faith in myself or my abilities or in others. I am nothing without You. Our faith is good if it’s in the right Person. The Waiting Read: Genesis 15:1-6 | Bible in a Year: Genesis 13-15; Matthew 5:1-26 [Abraham] believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. —Genesis 15:6 Any mother can tell you that waiting to give birth is an experience that builds patience. But pity the poor mother elephant. It takes about 22 months for an unborn elephant to mature to birth! The shark known as the spiny dogfish has a pregnancy duration of 22-24 months. And at elevations above 4,600 feet, the Alpine salamander endures a gestational period of up to 38 months! Abraham could have identified with these examples from nature. In his old age, the Lord made a promise to him: “I will make you a great nation” (Gen. 12:2). But as the years passed, Abraham questioned how the fulfillment of the promise was possible without even the basic building block of a son (Ge 15:2). So God assured him, “One who will come from your own body shall be your heir” (Ge 15:4). Despite his advanced age, Abraham believed God and was called righteous (Genesis 15:6). Yet he waited 25 years from the time of the initial promise for Isaac to be born (Ge 17:1,17). Not so in haste, my heart! Have faith in God, and wait; Although He seems to linger long, He never comes too late. —Torrey God always performs what He promises. Lightning And Thunder Read: James 2:14-26 | I will show you my faith by my works. —James 2:18 When we see lightning flash across the sky, we expect the roar of thunder to follow. If there were no lightning, there would be no thunder because one causes the other. It’s like that with faith. Just as thunder always follows lightning, good works always follow true faith. The relationship between faith and works is explained in the New Testament writings of Paul to the Ephesians, and in a brief letter from James. At first glance, these authors seem to contradict each other. Paul insisted, “By grace you have been saved through faith, . . . not of works” (Eph. 2:8-9). But James declared, “A man is justified [declared righteous] by works, and not by faith only” (Jas. 2:24). In context though, James wasn’t denying that we are saved by faith. He referred to Abraham, saying that he “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Jas. 2:23). This belief occurred years before Abraham gave evidence of his faith by preparing to offer his son as a sacrifice (Jas. 2:21). Nor was the apostle Paul denying the value of works, for right after stating that we are saved by faith alone he said that we are saved “for good works” (Eph. 2:10). DIGGING DEEPER Read Genesis 15:1-6 and Genesis 22:1-14. Why did God give righteousness to Abraham? How did Abraham prove his faith? We are saved by faith alone, but faith that saves is never alone. TODAY IN THE WORD DEVOTIONAL Genesis 15 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. - Genesis 15:6 Comedian Steven Wright once said, “A clear conscience is usually the sign of bad memory.” As we study the life and faith of Abram and the Patriarchs, we'll be reminded regularly that they were far from sinless. But thanks to justification by faith, their sins, and ours, could be forgotten and forgiven. Actually, God promises so much to Abram in this passage—offspring as innumerable as the stars (Genesis 15:5), extensive land (Genesis 15:18), and victory over the inhabitants (Genesis 15:19-21)—that it's easy to forget the remainder of the prophecy—four centuries of enslavement and oppression were guaranteed to Abram's descendants (Genesis 15:13). But the most notable thing given to Abram was the one thing that could not be taken away or enslaved: the credit of righteousness from God (Genesis 15:6). This is the first time that the word righteousness appears in the Bible, and it's interesting that it precedes any laws or commandments given to Abram. Abram believed, and in God's economy, that was a worthy exchange for righteousness. Notice that righteousness wasn't something Abram did—it was given to him. God also reaffirms to Abram that his promised descendants would be from his body, not just his house. The affirmation comes after Abram expressed some doubt as to how the promise would be fulfilled. God's word alone was enough to convince him. But when it came to possessing the land, Abram wanted some additional sign that he would be able to acquire it (v. . So God confirmed it with a covenant that detailed the boundaries of the Promised Land and the people God promised to give over to Abram. Some interpret “river of Egypt” to mean the Nile, but it more likely refers to a wadi or riverbed called the River of Egypt, nearly a hundred miles east of the Nile River delta. Eventually, Israel's southern border did reach the River of Egypt, but it has yet to approach the Euphrates River. TODAY ALONG THE WAY The land that God promised to give Abram has yet to be fully claimed by his descendants and is still at the heart of much contention both between the peoples of that land and among the scholars who study it. But the righteousness that God credited for Abram's faith is indisputable and freely available to all. Christ's suffering on the cross paid our debt of sin in full, and His righteousness is ours to claim. You can believe in Him and accept His gift of righteousness. W H Griffith-Thomas - IV. The Human Acceptance (Ge 15:6).—Now comes a wonderful change and a definite progress upwards in Abraham's spiritual experience. There was a prompt response to the Divine revelation. 'Abraham believed.' He had faith before, but now it was prominent and emphatic, a clearer, stronger, fuller trust in God. The original Hebrew for 'believed' comes from a root whence we derive our 'Amen,' and we might paraphrase it by saying that 'Abraham said Amen to the Lord.' 'Amen' in Scripture never means a petition ('May it be so'), but is always a strong assertion of faith ('It shall be so,' or 'It is so'). Faith is thus the only, as it is the adequate, response to God's revelation. The word of the Lord comes, and we believe. Faith takes God at His word. Then came an equally prompt rejoinder from God in answer to His servant's trust. 'And He counted it to him.' That is, God accounted Abraham's faith as the channel for the reception of the gift of righteousness. Notice the Old Testament allusions to the doctrine of imputation, or reckoning (Lev. 7:18; 17:4; Num. 18:27; 2 Sam. 19:19; Psalm 32:2; 106:31. (See also Rom. 4. passim.) The spiritual result is described in one significant word, 'righteousness.' This means the state or condition of being 'right' with God, and we have here the first reference to this great word 'righteousness' which is subsequently so characteristic of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament revelation. Abraham was originally destitute of righteousness, and is now reckoned as righteous through faith in God. God Himself is the Object of his faith, the Word of God is the ground of his faith, and righteousness is the result of his faith. It is to be noticed that the phrase 'counted it to him for righteousness' is not to be confused with 'counted it to him instead of righteousness.' It means counted or reckoned with a view to his receiving righteousness. In Rom. 4 the preposition εἰς (for, unto) with 'righteousness' cannot be equivalent to ὡς (as if) or ἀντί (instead of). (See Haldane in loc.) This passage is noteworthy for its first occurrences of remarkable and subsequently well-known words and phrases: (1) 'The word of the Lord came'; (2) 'Fear not'; (3) 'Believed'; (4) 'Counted'; (5) 'Righteousness.' It is hardly too much to say that all subsequent occurrences of these words and phrases find the key to their meaning here. 1. The Possibility of spiritual despondency.—This is a well-known fact in the life of the believer. It is often due to a threefold strain which is partly physical, partly emotional, and partly spiritual. Great experiences make their mark upon us, and 'by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright.' At any rate we do not. 2. The Peril of spiritual disheartenment.—We may explain, but we can hardly excuse, spiritual depression, and it is often used of Satan to lead us away from God into the paths of spiritual despair. And even though we never reach despair, our depression may easily bring discredit upon the name of God. Herein lies one of the most serious elements of the peril. 3. The Protection against spiritual discouragement.—This is found first in God's continuous revelation of Himself to our hearts, and then our continued response in whole-hearted trust and confidence maintained through prayer and fellowship with the Word of God. God's truth and our trust. His grace and our faith. These are correlative facts and will ever protect the soul. 4. The Preciousness of spiritual discipline.—God's delays to Abraham were not denials. They184 were intended to bring him nearer to God and to lead him to depend more upon the Giver than on His gifts. Not what God gives so much as what He is, is the foundation and source of spiritual life, power and progress. (Genesis 15:1-6 The Great Encouragement) Genesis 15:7 And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it." brought (KJV): Ge 11:28-31 Ge 12:1 Ne 9:7 Ac 7:2-4 to give (KJV): Ge 12:7 13:15-17 Ne 9:8 Ps 105:11,42,44 Ro 4:13 See Multiple Resources on Genesis 15 - Commentaries, Sermons, Devotionals Genesis 15:7-21 - Assurance - Steven Cole Genesis 15:1-7 - S Lewis Johnson Genesis 15:7-21 - S Lewis Johnson JEHOVAH AFFIRMS THE PROMISE OF THE LAND And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans - In Ge 15:1-5 Jehovah's promise focused on eternal life and now he switches to the promise of eternal land (Ge 13:15 "forever"). Moses recorded God's call to Abram... Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; (Genesis 12:1) I am the Lord, who brought you out: This is the self-authenticating declaration of the Lord. His grace enables a person to believe. (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary) Stephen in a sermon that led to his martyrdom spoke of Jehovah's bringing Abram out of Ur.. And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.’ “Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. (Acts 7:2-4) To give you this land to possess it. Genesis 12:7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. Genesis 13:15-17 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. 16 “I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. 17 “Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.” Nehemiah 9:8 “You found his (Abraham's) heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him To give him the land of the Canaanite, Of the Hittite and the Amorite, Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite– To give it to his descendants. And You have fulfilled Your promise, For You are righteous. Warren
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Spurgeon - What! Abraham, is not God’s promise sufficient for thee? O father of the faithful, though thou dost believe, and art counted as righteous through believing, dost thou still ask, “Whereby shall I know?” Ah, beloved! faith is often marred by a measure of unbelief; or, if not quite unbelief, yet there is a desire to have some token, some sign, beyond the bare promise of God. W H Griffith-Thomas - II. The Desire for the Covenant (Ge 15:8).—Abraham met this new assurance of God with an earnest desire for a proof. He makes his appeal for knowledge. This was what he needed; knowledge, certitude. He also sought from God some assurance. 'Whereby shall I know.' He desired some outward and visible guarantee and pledge. And yet it must be observed that he did not require a sign in order to believe, but after and on account of believing. It was not faithlessness, but a desire for confirmation. He fully believed God's Word, and yet wondered how and when it would be fulfilled. Contrast Mary's attitude (Luke 1:34) with that of Zacharias (Luke 1:18), though her words were practically the same. Abraham's attitude might well be summed up and illustrated by the words, 'Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief (Mark 9:24). (Genesis 15:7-21 The Confirmation of Faith) Genesis 15:9 So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon." Ge 22:13 Lev 1:3,10,14 3:1,6 9:2,4 12:8 14:22,30 Ps 50:5 Isa 15:5 Lu 2:24 See Multiple Resources on Genesis 15 - Commentaries, Sermons, Devotionals Genesis 15:7-21 - Assurance - Steven Cole Genesis 15:7-21 - S Lewis Johnson SO HE SAID TO HIM (Heb 6:17,18) Abram had only to prepare the sacrifice and bring it to God; the Lord would enact the sign (v17). This emphasizes the unilateral, unconditional nature of the covenant. Hebrews 6:17-18 is a commentary on this passage - In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. Recall the preceding context in Hebrews - And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU.” And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. (Hebrews 6:11-16) John
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Spurgeon - Here is a lesson for us. Perhaps you have some of these unclean birds coming down upon your sacrifice just now. That raven that you did not lock up well at home, has come here after you. Eagles and vultures, and all kinds of kites in the form of carking cares, and sad memories, and fears, and doubts, come hovering over the sacred feast. Drive them away; God give you grace to drive them away by the power of his gracious Spirit! John Butler has some interesting thoughts on this event - After preparing for the covenant ceremony, Abraham had a problem with birds wanting to devour the carcasses. Carcarsses are an open invitation to many birds. As soon as they saw the carcasses prepared for the covenant ceremony, they would swoop down and attempt to devour these carcasses. It would require much attentiveness by Abraham to drive off the birds in order to preserve the carcasses for the covenant ceremony. These birds represent those things in our lives which would devour what we have dedicated to God. We must ever be vigilant and protect our resources and energies from the devourers lest they be given to other interests than to God's business. As an example, you cannot expend your emotions and interests on sporting events on TV Sunday afternoon and have much emotion and interest left for the Sunday night church service. Neither can you spend your money lavishly on "things" for yourself and have much left to give to the work of the Lord. (Analytical Bible Expositor – Genesis) W H Griffith-Thomas - IV. The Readiness for the Covenant (Ge 15:11, 12).—Faithfulness was the first and leading proof of Abraham's readiness. He had obeyed exactly according to the command of God, observing to the letter what God required. This is ever the true attitude for fuller teaching and deeper blessing. Watchfulness was another feature of his attitude at this time. While waiting God's time he kept guard over the carcases, and kept away the birds of prey. We see how spiritual attitude underlies this act. Nor are we wrong in thinking that receptiveness characterised him. The supernatural slumber (cf. Gen. 2:21) prepared Abraham for the reception of God's revelation by detaching him from all things earthly which might divert his attention, and prevent the full teaching having its effect upon his life. The dread that fell upon him was doubtless due to the consciousness of a Divine presence overshadowing him. (Genesis 15:7-21 The Confirmation of Faith) William Gurnall - Wandering thoughts removed from the sacrifice by warm affections If we would prevent wandering thoughts, we should seek warm affections. Flies will not so readily light on a boiling pot on the fire, as when it stands cold in the window, Nor will vain thoughts so easily light on thy sacrifice, when burning on the altar of a fervent heart, as when offered up with a cold, dull spirit. (.) William Gurnall - The sacrifice hindered by vain thoughts I have heard of some men who were called walking libraries, because they carried all that they read in their memories wherever they went. And have we not too many walking shops, barns, warehouses, etc., that is, persons who carry this lumber to bed and board, church and closet? How can such pray with a united heart, who have so many sharers in their thoughts? (W. Gurnall.) C H Spurgeon applies Ge 15:11 to our lives today - Abram and the ravenous birds I. MENTION SOME OF THOSE WELL-KNOWN INTRUDERS WHICH ARE PERPETUALLY MOLESTING OUR PEACE AND DISTURBING OUR SERVICE. 1. Wicked thoughts—the sons of Satan. 2. Worldly thoughts, which spring from the force of habit. 3. Anxious thoughts, the fruits of our unbelief. 4. Annoying thoughts, the offspring of our vanity. 5. Ecclesiastical anxieties. Church business, or Church differences. II. DISTRACTING CARES MUST BE CHASED AWAY. 1. For your own sake. No human brain can bear the perpetual toil of business, except it knows how to pause and oil the machinery by turning the mind in some other direction. 2. You will find, if you are able to take a perfect rest, by driving away these evil thoughts when you are worshipping God, that you will do your work during the other days of the week far better. It was an old Popish folly to try and tell what kind of weather there would be by the weather on Sunday—"If it rain before mess; rain all the week more or less." Now, we do not believe that literally; but we do believe it in a spiritual sense. If you have a bad Sabbath day, you will have a bad week; but if you have a good day of rest, you will find it good with your souls the whole week long; not that you will be without trouble all the week, that would not be good for you, but you shall never be without grace during the week; nor if you have peace on the Sunday shall you be without peace on the Monday. 3. And then let me remind you, in the next place, that the character of this day demands that you should get rid of these thoughts. Now, it is inconsistent with such a day—the day of light—for us to be in darkness. It is inconsistent with the day of resurrection for us to be raking in this grave of the world. It is inconsistent with this day of descent of the Spirit for us to be thinking of carnal things, and forgetting the things which are above. 4. The indulging of vain or anxious thoughts, when we are engaged in the worship of God, must be striven against, because it must be grievous to the Holy Spirit. How can we expect that we shall have His presence and His assistance if we give Him not our hearts? 5. These thoughts and cares must be driven away, for if you do not strive against them they will increase and multiply. This is a growing habit. The force of habit is like the velocity of a falling stone, it increases in ever multiplying proportions. If I have indulged one unbelieving thought, there has always been another to follow it; if I have allowed some little disturbance in the congregation to cast me down, and distract my thoughts, there has been another, and another, and another, till I have been in the pitiable condition of a minister who has been half afraid of his congregation. III. I am now to show you HOW TO DO IT. 1. And we begin by saying, first of all, set your heart upon it; for when the soul is set upon a thing, then it is likely to accomplish it. Go up to God's house, saying, "I must give up my soul to eternal matters today, and I will." 2. But when you have this done, remember next—let the preparation of your heart before coming to the sacrifice assist you when you shall be there. We are told men ought not to preach without preparation. Granted. But, we add, men ought not to hear without preparation. 3. But, this done, above all, cry to the Spirit of God for help to make your spirit rest. 4. Then, when you have thus done, and you come up to the house of God, still seek to continue in the same frame of mind, remembering in whose immediate presence you are. A Spartan youth was holding the censer at a sacrifice, when Alexander was offering a victim. It chanced that while he held the censer a hot coal fell upon his hand. The youth stood still, and never flinched, lest by any utterance or cry the sacrifice should be disturbed; for he said he was in the presence of Alexander, and he would not have the sacrifice interrupted for him; and he bore the pain of the burning coal. Let us remember that Spartan youth, adding to what he said, "We are in the presence of the Almighty God." Then, if there be something which annoys us, let us bear it unflinchingly, for we stand before Him for whom it is blessed to suffer, and who will surely reward them that seek Him in spirit and in truth. 5. Another means I will give you. Take care that your faith be in active exercise, or else you cannot chase away those thoughts. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Be still, and know that He is God. 6. Take care also that thou attend a ministry which draws thee from earth, for there are some dead ministries which make the Sabbath day more intolerable than any of the other days of the week. (C. H. Spurgeon.) See full sermon Genesis 15:11 Abram and the Ravenous Birds C H Spurgeon - Driving away the vultures from the sacrifice I. First, with regard to THE GREAT SACRIFICE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. This has been, and always will be, the great object of attack by the enemies of God. 1. Note well that the sacrifice which Abram guarded was of Divine ordination. So with the sacrifice of Christ. 2. Next, we see a further reason for guarding the sacrifice in the fact that it is of most solemn import. A covenant. We cannot let the vultures tear this sacrifice, for it is to us the token of the covenant; and if there be no covenant of grace, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain, and we are still under the curse of the broken law. If ye are still out of covenant with God, what hope, what safety, what peace, what joy is there for you? 3. And, next, we must guard this sacrifice, because there God most fully displays His grace. 4. We will do this all the more because this is the chief point of attack. Every doctrine of revelation has been assailed, but the order of battle passed by the black prince at this hour runs as follows: "Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the crucified King of Israel." If they carry the bastion of substitution, if they can throw down the great truth of atonement, then all the rest will go as a matter of course. The cross taken away, indeed, there is nothing left worth defending. Therefore let us gather up our strength, that we may vigorously chase the vultures from the altar of the living God. 5. "How are we to do it?" says one. Well, we can all of us help in this struggle. (1) First, by a constant, immovable faith in Jesus Christ our crucified Saviour for ourselves. (2) Let your own confidence be strong, and then very frequently make an open declaration of your faith in the atoning Sacrifice. II. But now let us apply this example of Abram to ourselves in the matter of THE GRATEFUL SACRIFICE OF OUR LIVES. It is our reasonable service, that we present ourselves a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God by our Lord Jesus Christ, and we must guard our consecration against the temptations which will assail it. I am addressing many of you who feel that you have entered into covenant with God by Jesus Christ. "What sort of vultures will there be?" says one. Well, there will come doubts as to eternal things. There will be questions about your own wisdom in giving yourself up to God. I hope you have been strangers to such birds of prey, but some of us have not been: doubts as to whether there be a God to serve; doubts as to whether there be a heaven, an eternal future, a blessed reward; doubts as to whether it is well to give up this world for the next, or not, Drive them away! They may come in other forms, such as dreams of ambition, the cares of life, temptations to sin, idleness, etc. In whatever guise they come, drive them away. III. GUARD ALL THE SACRIFICES OF YOUR DEVOTION. When the fowls come down upon your sacrifices of prayer, and praise, and meditation, drive them away. A little boy, who was accustomed to spend a time every day in prayer, went up into a hayloft, and when he climbed into the hayloft, he always pulled the ladder up after him. Someone asked him why he did so. He answered, "As there is no door, I pull up the ladder." Oh, that we could always in some way cut the connection between our soul and the intruding things which lurk below! There is a story told of me and of some person, I never knew who it was, who desired to see me on a Saturday night, when I had shut myself up to make ready for the Sabbath. He was very great and important, and so the maid came to say that someone desired to see me. I bade her say that it was my rule to see no one at that time. Then he was more important and impressive still, and said, "Tell Mr. Spurgeon that a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ desires to see him immediately." The frightened servant brought the message; but the sender gained little by it, for my answer was, "Tell him I am busy with his Master, and cannot see servants now." Sometimes you must use strong measures. Did not our Lord tell His messengers, on one occasion, to salute no man by the way? Courtesy must give place to devotion. It is incumbent on you that you should be alone with your Lord, and if intruders force an entrance, they must be sent about their business. See full sermon Genesis 15:11 Driving Away the Vultures from the Sacrifice Genesis 15:12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. deep (KJV): Ge 2:21 1Sa 26:12 Job 4:13,14 33:15 Da 10:8,9 Ac 20:9 horror (KJV): Ps 4:3-5 Ac 9:8,9 See Multiple Resources on Genesis 15 - Commentaries, Sermons, Devotionals Genesis 15:7-21 - Assurance - Steven Cole Genesis 15:7-21 - S Lewis Johnson ABRAM'S DEEP SLEEP Now when the sun was going down - Butler comments "God did not immediately come and pass between the pieces of the carcasses. Abraham had to wait a while for God to come and pass through the carcasses. Waiting tests our dedication as much as anything. King Saul failed the waiting test miserably (1 Samuel 13:8-13). Abraham, however, waited till God came. He kept the birds away and stayed put till God verified the covenant. If you want blessing from God, you must wait on God's time. The Psalmist said, "On thee do I wait all the day" (Psalm 25:5); "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I way, on the Lord" (Psalm 27:14); and "Those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth" (Psalm 37:9). If you want an inheritance of any kind, you must do some waiting. Abraham was practicing that waiting for his land inheritance in this waiting for God to come and pass between the pieces of the animals in this covenant ceremony which God had ordered." (Analytical Bible Expositor – Genesis) A a deep sleep fell upon Abram: "deep sleep" (tardemah) is the same word Moses used to describe Adam when God took his rib to make his wife Eve (Ge 2:21). This verb also describes Jonah's sleep aboard ship as he was fleeing from God (Jonah 1:5). Deep sleep (08639)(tardemah from radam = to be in or fall into heavy sleep) means a deep sleep, sleepiness; lethargy. This feminine noun developed from the verbal root, radam, appears seven times in the OT. The initial occurrence is in Gen 2:21, "a deep sleep." It is used to describe the state in which Abram had his vision of God (Ge 15:12). In 1Sa 26:12, "a deep sleep" is sent upon Saul and his army when pursuing David. The same connotation of "insensitivity" to danger is presented in Isa 29:10 and Job 4:13; Job 33:15. All of these texts present "sleep" as the profundity of divine intervention. It is God who casts such sleep or sleeplessness upon his chosen servant. Tardemah occurs also in Pr 19:15 describing figuratively the effect of laziness or slothfulness (they don't even realize their state of "somnolence"!) Genesis 2:21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. Genesis 15:12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. 1 Samuel 26:12 So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul’s head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a sound sleep from the LORD had fallen on them. Job 4:13 “Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men, Job 33:15 “In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, Proverbs 19:15 Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And an idle man will suffer hunger. Isaiah 29:10 For the LORD has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers. The Lxx word for deep sleep is ekstasis (English > "ectasy") 1. universally, in Greek writing, any casting down of a thing from its proper place or state; displacement (Aristotle, Plutarch). 2. a throwing of the mind out of its normal state, alienation of mind, whether such as makes a lunatic (Deut. 28:28), or that of the man who by some sudden emotion is transported as it were out of himself, so that in this rapt condition, although he is awake, his mind is so drawn off from all surrounding objects and wholly fixed on things divine that he sees nothing but the forms and images lying within, and thinks that he perceives with his bodily eyes and ears realities shown him by God (Acts 10:10; Acts 11:5; Acts 22:17, cf. 2 Cor. 12:2f. 3. the state of one who, either owing to the importance or the novelty of an event, is thrown into a state of blended fear and wonder: Mark 16:8; 5:42 (Ezek. 26:16); Luke 5:26; Acts 3:10; trembling, Gen. 27:33; 1 Sam. 14:15 2 Chr. 14:14 Why this description of Abram asleep? he clearly did not participate in the cutting of the covenant ceremony & thus was totally dependent upon the promises of God. And behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him: Nelson Study Bible on terror and great darkness : "These two words give great emphasis to the meaning: “an overwhelmingly dark horror.” This kind of reaction to the indescribable holiness of the Lord is natural—Abram was about to experience the presence of the Almighty. This was a moment of profound dread and holy awe. (Ed: See especially the reaction of Isaiah below) Isaiah 6:3-5-note And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. . Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (John 12:41 These things Isaiah said, because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. = Isaiah saw Jesus, here called Jehovah! See Jehovah = Jesus) Psalms 113:4-6 The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God, Who is enthroned on high, 6 Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in heaven and in the earth? Isaiah 40:25 “To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One. Spurgeon - He had asked for a manifestation, a sign, a token, and, lo, it comes in the “horror of great darkness.” Do not be afraid, beloved, if your soul sometimes knows what horror is. Remember how the favored three, on the Mount of Transfiguration, “feared as they entered into the cloud;” yet it was there that they were to see their Master in his glory. Remember what the Lord said to Jeremiah concerning Jerusalem and his people, They shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.” That is the right spirit in which to receive prosperity, but as for adversity, rejoice in it, for God often sends the richest treasures to his children in wagons drawn by black horses. You may except that some great blessing is coming nigh to you when a “horror of great darkness” falls upon you. Oswald Chambers - Vision and darkness An horror of great darkness fell upon him. Genesis 15:12. Whenever God gives a vision to a saint, He puts him, as it were, in the shadow of His hand, and the saint’s duty is to be still and listen. There is a darkness which comes from excess of light, and then is the time to listen. Genesis 16 is an illustration of listening to good advice when it is dark instead of waiting for God to send the light. When God gives a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will make you in accordance with the vision He has given if you will wait His time. Never try and help God fulfil His word. Abraham went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all self-sufficiency was destroyed; there was no possibility left of relying on commonsense ways. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not of displeasure. Never pump up joy and confidence, but stay upon God (cf. Isaiah 50:10, 11). Have I any confidence in the flesh? Or have I got beyond all confidence in myself and in men and women of God, in books and prayers and ecstasies; and is my confidence placed now in God Himself, not in His blessings? “I am the Almighty God”—El-Shaddai, the Father-Mother God. The one thing for which we are all being disciplined is to know that God is real. As soon as God becomes real, other people become shadows. Nothing that other saints do or say can ever perturb the one who is built on God. Genesis 15:13 God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. thy (KJV): Ge 17:8 Ex 1:1-2:25 5:1-23 22:21 23:9 Lev 19:34 De 10:19 Ps 105:11 Ps 105:12,23-25 Ac 7:6,7 Heb 11:8-13 four (KJV): Ex 12:40,41 Ga 3:17 See Multiple Resources on Genesis 15 - Commentaries, Sermons, Devotionals Genesis 15:7-21 - Assurance - Steven Cole Genesis 15:7-21 - S Lewis Johnson THE VOICE OF GOD BREAKS THROUGH THE DARKNESS God said to Abram (Heb 6:13): note Abram's state in Ge 15:12 so it seems he has now attained a wakeful state. Know for certain - This answers to Abram's question in Ge 15:8-note. It is fascinating that this same emphatic phrase (see note below) in one use promises sure judgment ("you will surely die" = Ge 2:17) and here in Ge 15:13 promises sure grace and mercy! In the midst of wrath God remembers mercy! (Hab 3:2-note) Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus for being our Atonement! Know for certain: ("You can be sure" NCV, NLT) The Hebrew verb for know (yada) is repeated (yada, yada...). And so technically the Hebrew phrase "know for certain" is emphatic and also conveys the sense of an imperative or command. The Septuagint translates the yada yada with a similar repetition in the Greek - ginosko, ginosko! Abram is to be absolutely certain of the truthfulness of the prophetic passage to follow. God knows and is in full control of the future. On this basis we, like Abram, need have no doubts when the Lord reveals His intentions to us. Abram knew on the basis of God’s word alone. We know, not only because God is the One Who speaks to us, but because we can look back, as Abram could not, on fulfilled prophecy. The tragedy in many evangelical churches is that they tend to avoid the topic of eschatology, viewing it as too controversial or potentially divisive. This is a tragic error, because God has a plan for the ages and has revealed it step by step not to cause arguments but to undergird our faith in His Word, especially His Word concerning the future. The 400 years in Egypt, the slavery imposed on Abram’s descendants, the punishment of Egypt, and the Exodus deliverance are history today. Everything happened just as God said it would. One of my favorite passages are the words uttered by a dying man who had experienced firsthand the faithfulness of God. Joshua knowing he would soon fall asleep in the Lord gave this stirring testimony to God's faithful Word of Truth... “Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed. (Joshua 23:14) Comment: And beloved, not one word of all the good words God has given us as His children will fail. All will be fulfilled. You can stake your life on it!!! That your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs: One other feature of the covenant is notable as well. God gave a sign of its veracity by making a prophecy, which, if fulfilled, would verify the covenant (Dt 18:21-22). Ge 15:13-16 were fulfilled literally, both in Abraham’s death, and in the Egyptian sojourn and Exodus. Note that while the sojourn in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years (Ex 12:40), the oppression God prophesied was to endure for four hundred years, so we can be sure the Egyptian oppression started thirty years after Israel moved to Egypt. Note, too, that Lu 3:32,33 lists Nahshon as the fourth generation after Hezron (who went into Egypt [Ge 46:12]), and as Nahshon was the leader of Judah in the Exodus (Nu 2:3), the prophecy of v.16 was also fulfilled literally. Is not the Bible amazing in its detailed perfection? Where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years (quoted by Stephen in Acts 7:6): Numerous commentaries try to explain why "400", "430" & "450" -- but it is reasonable to consider "400" as an approximate figure (don't let that stop you from studying the specific Scriptures for you may arrive at a more specific answer)-- In Ex 12:40, 41 we read that the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, were sojourners for 430 years, to the very day. In Ga 3:17 Paul says that the period from the confirming of the Abrahamic Covenant until the giving of the Law was 430 years. Some have proposed Israel was in Egypt 430 years but the last 400 they were slaves. The words of God in the covenant ceremony assured Abram that his descendants would definitely be in the land, although a detour into Egypt would delay fulfillment until long after his demise. Apologetics Study Bible: Some scholars hold that Moses, or a later editor of Genesis, is here simply projecting a knowledge of later history into the narrative in the guise of advance prophecy. The logic is that it could not possibly have been known in Abram's time (2000 B.C.) that Israel would be in Egypt for "400 years" and that they would be "enslaved and oppressed" for most of that period. Such a perspective, however, is rooted in an antisupernatural bias and flies in the face of the bulk of predictive biblical prophecy that has been fulfilled in amazing detail.
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Spurgeon - It was to be a long while before the nation should enter upon its inheritance. Here is a promise that was to take four hundred years to ripen! Some of you cannot believe the promise if its fulfillment is delayed for four days; you can hardly keep on praying, if it takes four years; what would you think of a four hundred years promise? Yet it was to be so long in coming to maturity because it was so vast. If Abraham’s seed was to be like the stars of heaven for multitude, there must be time for the increase to come. Rod Mattoon - A Glimpse at the Future Abram falls into a deep sleep and God reveals to him a prophecy of future events for his descendants. Notice the seven points of the prophecy. Strangers in a foreign land. Ge 15:13; 46:2-4 Servants in this land. Ge 15:13; Ex. 1:7-14 Span of affliction is 400 years.Ge 15:13, 16 The Sentence upon this nation... God would judge it. Ge 15:14; Ex. 7-12 The Sparing of Abram from judgment. Ge 15:15; 25:7, 8 The Safari from Egypt to Israel. Ge 15:14 The Spoils from Egypt brought out. Ge 15:14; Ex. 12:35, 36 (Ibid) W H Griffith-Thomas - V. The Message of the Covenant (Ge 15:13-16).——A fourfold revelation now comes from God, and Abraham is told of remarkable experiences which should accrue to his seed. His seed is to endure great privation (Ge 15:13). Exile, bondage, and affliction are the three elements of this privation. He was to learn the meaning of heirship through suffering. (Cf. Rom. 8:17.) N.B.—The term of 400 years seems to be a round number for 430 (Exod. 12:40; Acts 7:6; Gal. 3:17). The 430 years may date from the birth of Isaac or from the death of Jacob, according to the computation chosen. His seed is to witness the display of great power (Ge 15:14). The nation that would cause trouble to his seed would be punished, and his seed should come forth with abundant provision by God's help. He himself is to experience great peace (Ge 15:15). This is the first hint that Abraham himself was not to realise personally the fulness of God's purpose. God leads us step by step without revealing everything at once; and as revelation after revelation came to Abraham the horizon of God's purpose extended wider and wider. Abraham is to die in peace and be buried in a good old age. He is to be gathered 'to his fathers'—which means, as they were not buried in Canaan, that he would be with them in Sheol. And he is called to exercise great patience (Ge 15:16). Another hint of the wide sweep of the Divine purposes. Other factors were at work, and many conditions had to be fulfilled before God's purpose could be completely realised. (Genesis 15:7-21 The Confirmation of Faith) Question: "Why did God send the Israelites to Egypt for 400 years (Genesis 15:13)?" Answer: In Genesis 15:13, the Lord tells Abraham, “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.” God knows everything that will happen, and He revealed part of the future to Abraham. God’s plan included sending the Jews to Egypt for four hundred years. As for why, some information is provided in the context of this verse. Verses 14-16 read, “But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. . . . And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Two major predictions help explain this 400-year waiting period. First, one result of the Israelites’ leaving Egypt would be “great possessions.” Of course, in order to leave Egypt, they had to be there. God promised that their exit would mean great abundance for Israel. This was fulfilled inExodus 12. When the Israelites left Egypt following the tenth plague, they were told to ask the Egyptians for items of value for their journey. “The people of Israel . . . asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians” (verses 35-36). Second, the Lord wanted to wait before giving the Promised Land to Israel because “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” The Amorites worshiped other gods and participated in numerous other sins. God promised to remove them from the land where Israel would one day live. However, God had a certain time period in mind that included 400 years for Israel in Egypt. He is surely “slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8). Once the Israelites did return to the land promised to them, the Amorites were destroyed as the Lord predicted (Numbers 21:31-32; Joshua 10:10; 11:8). God certainly could have chosen a different way or a different time frame for placing the Israelites in their Promised Land, but He chose a particular way to bring glory to Himself. The 400-year sojourn in Egypt included many examples of God’s wisdom and might. Joseph’s preservation of the Israelites during a famine, Moses’ rise to leadership, and God’s great miracles such as the crossing of the Red Sea were all part of Israel’s time in Egypt. (Gotquestions - recommended resource) Woodrow Kroll - Genesis 15:13-14 We Win - Life can be tough; it can also be scary. Maybe you wonder where you'll ever find the courage to face a fearful future. That's the question someone asked Billy Graham; he responded, "I've read the last chapter of Revelation, and we win." As God revealed to Abraham the fate of his descendants, it sounded less than exciting. For 400 years they would be the slaves of another nation. Have you ever wondered what kept them going when they were oppressed and mistreated by the Egyptians' Maybe it was God's promise, "I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions." In other words, in the end, "you win." Yes, along the way there would be hardships and affliction, but when Israel got to the bottom line, those who afflicted them would be judged and they would be rewarded. This was not a "maybe," but something God promised that Abraham could "know certainly." Your life, too, is bound to have its share of heartache and sadness. No one can pass through their years on earth without some mistreatment and unfairness. You may even echo the cry of the prophet Habakkuk: "O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear' Even cry out to You, 'Violence!' And You will not save" (Hab 1:2-note). In the midst of the pain, however, you must always cling to the unchangeable truth that in the end we win. When you experience bone-crunching difficulties, meditate on verses such as 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18 (note) and Revelation 7:14, 15, 16, 17 (see notes Revelation 7:14; 15; 16; 17) and Rev 21:4 (note). Take comfort in the truth that, despite what you may be going through right now, in the end, you win. The present is bearable when we're confident that the future is glorious. (Back to the Bible) Genesis 15:14 "But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. that (KJV): Ge 46:1-34 Ex 6:5,6 7:1-14:31 De 4:20 6:22 7:18,19 11:2-4 Jos 24:4-7,17 1Sa 12:8 Ne 9:9-11 Ps 51:4 78:43-51 105:27-37 Ps 135:9,14 with (KJV): Ex 3:21,22 12:35,36 Ps 105:37 See Multiple Resources on Genesis 15 - Commentaries, Sermons, Devotionals Genesis 15:7-21 - Assurance - Steven Cole Genesis 15:7-21 - S Lewis Johnson But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve: God fulfilled this prophecy in the ten plagues (Exodus 7:1-11:10). And afterward they will come out with many possessions Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the LORD, as you have said. 32 “Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.” 33 The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We will all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; 36 and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. (Ex 12:31-36):
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Spurgeon reminds us that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of the older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I would add, behold is like a divine highlighter, a divine underlining of an especially striking or important text. It says in effect "Listen up, all ye who would be wise in the ways of Jehovah!" There appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces: Notice these items appeared. Abram had no part in their procurement as with the animals. Surely this underscores that this covenant is based solely on God's grace (His provision, unmerited by Abram) and not based on anything Abram could do to ratify the covenant (because he was sound asleep!) SMOKE see Ex 19:18 - Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. The Believer's Study Bible. FIRE see Ex 13:21 - The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. Criswell writes "The figure of the "smoking oven" was comparable to Yahweh's self-revelation later to Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire." Oven...torch - One incinerates, the other gives light. Exactly what they symbolize is debatable. We all need to be wary of falling into the potentially dangerous hermeneutical trap of spiritualizing or allegorizing texts such as this and totally miss God's intended meaning. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary - Now in heavy darkness, he saw supernatural light. a smoking oven and a burning torch: These symbols represented the glory of the Lord to Abram. Smoke and fire, with clouds and darkness, often precede God's acts of judgment (Ex. 19:16-20; Ps. 97:2-6; Isa. 6:1-5; Joel 2:2, 3; Zep. 1:14-16). This oven and torch imagery may indicate the impending judgment on Canaan, the promise that God's word to Abram will be kept. Steven
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Spurgeon - He mentions the adversaries to show how great would be the victories of the race that should come and dispossess them. Let us always look upon the list of our difficulties as only a catalogue of our triumphs. The greater our troubles, the louder our song at the last. The "testimony" of archaeology - "Over a century ago there was no historical or archaeological evidence for the existence of several of the peoples listed among these 10 nations ("Kenites... Jebusites"). As a result, certain scholars doubted the veracity of this verse. A century ago, however, important archaeological findings have greatly strengthened the likelihood that all 10 did, in fact, exist when Abram and Moses lived." (Apologetics Study Bible: Understanding Why You Believe) In truth, God's Word authenticates archaeology not vice versa! Genesis 15:20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim Rephaims (KJV): Ge 14:5 Isa 17:5 See Multiple Resources on Genesis 15 - Commentaries, Sermons, Devotionals Genesis 15:7-21 - Assurance - Steven Cole Genesis 15:7-21 - S Lewis Johnson The Hittites - See interesting discussion on how the skeptic who once felt this was not a true people group were proven wrong. Archaeology does not prove God's Word is true. God's Word is true and it sometimes takes a while for human excavations to catch up with the truth! Rod Mattoon - The People of the Promised Land The following is a list and description of the people of the Promised Land. Kenites They were a Midianite tribe. Numbers 10:29 Moses was son-in-law of Reuel. Ex. 2:18 They accompanied Judah into their inheritance. Judges 1:16 They were spared by Saul in the Amalekite war. 1 Sam. 15:6 The Rechabites had Kenite background. 1 Chronicles 2:55 They lived in rugged, rocky country. They were subjects of Balaam's prophecy. Numbers 24:20-22 Kenizzites They were an Edomite family, descending from Eliphaz, Esau's oldest son. Gen. 36:11, 15, 42; 1 Chronicles 1:36, 53 Caleb was of Kenizzite descent. Numbers 32:12 They settled near Mount Seir. Othniel was a Kennizite. He was the first judge of Israel after the conquest. Hittites They were called the children of Heth. Gen. 23:3 They dwelled in the Hebron area. Abram purchased a field from them for burial purposes. Esau married two Hittite women. Gen. 27:46 One of David's mighty men was Uriah the Hittite. He was the husband of Bathsheba. 2 Sam. 23:39 Ahimelech was one and a companion of David. 1 Sam. 26:6 They were the original inhabitants of Palestine. Ezekiel 16:3, 45 Their destruction was commanded. Deut. 7:1, 2, 24 Hittite women were in Solomon's harem. 1 Kings 11:1 They were a sturdy race of men, usually beardless and wearing pointed hats and loose tunics. Their shoes were tilted up at the tips. Perrizites They were hill dwellers and lived with the Jebusites and the Canaanites near Bethel and Shechem. Josh. 11:3; Gen. 13:7; 34:30 They were allowed to intermarry with Israel, seducing them into idolatry. Jacob was afraid of them. Gen. 34:30 They were to be utterly destroyed. Deut. 20:17 Rephaims The Moabites called them Emmim and in Ammon they were called Zamzummim. Deut. 2:11, 20, 21 They were compared to the giant Anakims (Deut. 2:21). The Greek Septuagint name given to them is gigas which means "giant". Amorites A tribe that dwelt around the west shore of the Dead Sea and back on the mountains. Gen. 14:7 They were the most powerful tribe of the hill country. Abram made an alliance with the Amorites of Hebron. Together they routed the kings who attacked the Dead Sea plain. The men of Ai were called Amorites. Joshua 7:7 Jerusalem and Hebron were Amorite principalities. Joshua 10 They were known in Babylon as the Amurru and were known to eat raw meat and have no house in their lifetime. If they died they were left unburied. They established their first dynasty in Babylon in which Hammurabi was the most famous king (1792-1750 B.C.) Jebusites They lived around the hills of Jerusalem. Joshua 15:8 They descended from the third son of Canaan. 1 Chron. 1:14 Jebus was a name given to Jerusalem. Joshua killed a Jebusite king. Joshua 10:23-25 They were assigned to the tribe of Benjamin. Joshua 18:28 They became slaves. 1 Kings 9:20, 21 Canaanites They descended from Ham. Gen. 10:5, 6 They are under a curse. Gen. 9:25, 26 They were idolatrous. Deut. 29:17 They were to be destroyed. Ex. 23:23 No intermarriage with them was commanded. Deut. 7:3 Mattoon's Treasures from Genesis. Genesis 15:21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.” Amorites (KJV): Ge 10:15-19 Ex 23:23-28 33:2 34:11 De 7:1 Girgashites (KJV): Mt 8:28 See Multiple Resources on Genesis 15 - Commentaries, Sermons, Devotionals Genesis 15:7-21 - Assurance - Steven Cole Genesis 15:7-21 - S Lewis Johnson Gilbrant - This promise (of land) was nearly fulfilled in Solomon’s time (1 Ki. 8:65), but will have its complete fulfillment in the Millennium. The promise for the Messiah, however, is that He will rule from sea to sea and from the River (the Euphrates) to the ends of the earth (Zech. 9:10; Ps. 72:8). There will be no limits to His rule. (Ibid) Zechariah 9:10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth. Psalms 72:8 May he also rule from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth. The IVP Bible Background Commentary - This is the longest (including ten groups) of seventeen such lists of Canaan's pre-Israelite peoples (see Deut. 7:1; Joshua 3:10; 1 Kings 9:20). Each of these lists, which usually comprise six or seven names, ends with the Jebusites (perhaps tied to David's conquest of Jerusalem), but the list in Genesis 15 is the only one to exclude the Hivites. For the Hittites, Perizzites, Amorites, Canaanites and Jebusites, see the comments on •Exodus 3:7-10 and •Numbers 13. The Kenites are often associated with the Midianites and appear as a seminomadic people from the Sinai and Negev region. The name suggests that they were metalworkers, tinkerers or smiths. The Kenizzites, Kadmonites and Girgashites are little known, though the latter is also attested in the Ugaritic texts. The Rephaim are considered to be Anakites in Deut. 2:11, who in turn appear as giants in Numbers 13:33. Aside from these associations, nothing is known of this ethnic group.