God’s Covenant Promise to Abraham — Genesis 15 Daily Word

Explore God’s covenant promise to Abraham in Genesis 15. Discover how God called Abram to fix his gaze on the Lord alone through a divine covenant ritual and revelation about his future offspring.

Genesis 15:12-21 Daily Word

1. [Scripture]

[12] As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. [13] Then the LORD said to Abram, “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. [14] But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. [15] As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. [16] And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” [17] When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. [18] On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, [19] the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, [20] the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, [21] the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.” (Gen 15:12-21, ESV)

2. [Daily Word]

God instructs Abram to prepare sacrificial animals and carry out the ancient covenant-making ritual exactly as it was practiced in those days. Just as God showed Noah the rainbow as a sign of His eternal peace, this covenant was meant to help Abram remember God’s faithfulness and the way He works. As the sun began to set, Abram fell into a deep sleep. This was not merely a dream-filled slumber — his mind remained alert, yet he could see nothing before him, leaving him filled with dread. This was a state in which God was calling Abram to fix his gaze on the Lord alone.

# God sometimes desires that we look to Him alone.

We see this pattern throughout Scripture: God allowed Joseph to endure the pit and the prison, Jonah to be swallowed in the belly of a great fish, and the Apostle Paul to encounter Him in the midst of blinding darkness. We must remember that God desires us to fix our eyes on Him — and Him alone.

In that same spirit, God darkened Abram’s sight and spoke to him in verse 13, saying: “Know for certain” — you must know this clearly — “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.” “But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.” “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.” Here God prophesies that the nation of Israel will spend four hundred years in captivity in Egypt. And He declares that He will judge Egypt — a land filled with every form of idolatry.

Just as God had allowed Abram to leave Egypt with great wealth on account of his wife Sarai, God now prophesies that Abram’s descendants will likewise come out of Egypt with great possessions at the time of the Exodus. Abram himself, however, would not live to see this — he would instead live to a ripe old age and be buried in peace. God goes on to say that “in the fourth generation your descendants shall return to this land.” The reason God would allow Israel to wander for approximately four hundred years is recorded as follows: “for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Here, the Amorites do not refer to a single localized tribe, but rather to all the peoples dwelling in the land of Canaan.

Therefore, God shows that when the land of Canaan is filled to the brim with wickedness, He will use Israel, His people, to bring judgment upon that land. He is prophesying that during those 400 years, Israel will be refined and shaped, while Canaan will increasingly become a breeding ground for sin. We also come to understand that God granted even the Amorites — who had taken part in the battle alongside Abram — an opportunity and time to repent. Then in verse 17, it is recorded that when the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between the pieces. Here, the flaming torch symbolizes the presence of God. Thus, the torch passing between the pieces signifies that the covenant has been formally established.

Yet here, only the torch passed through. This means that God, who came as light, was declaring that He alone would take full responsibility for this covenant. The covenant God made with Abram was therefore a promise to sustain Abram through the blessing He would give, and a declaration that He would keep every word He had spoken to him. And so we see in verse 18 that on that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.”

# God also revealed this covenant through Noah.

[9] “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. [10] For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isa 54:9-10, ESV) God is one who carefully regards the earnest longing of faithful servants who are fully confident that the Lord will fulfill His promises — and He most certainly answers them. Please hold fast to this faith.

[14] The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. (Ps 25:14, ESV)

Throughout our lives of faith, each of us has received at least one answer to prayer from God. Please believe that those answers were not given to us merely for a fleeting moment, but that they will continue forever. For God is a God who blesses. Remember that as long as we trust in the Lord, His blessing is eternal — and may we be a people who remain awake and watchful, so that the Lord may look upon our unwavering faith and rejoice.

Abram’s Covenant, God’s Promise, Genesis 15, Covenant Establishment, Legacy of Faith

Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com