26 JUNE GENESIS 15

Covenant and Righteousness – Faith That Justifies

Genesis 15 opens with a divine encounter that reassures Abram and lays the foundation for redemptive theology. After rejecting the king of Sodom’s reward and tithing to Melchizedek, Abram’s heart was likely filled with questions, about legacy, promise, and the future.

Genesis 15:1 (NIV) "After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.’" God reassures Abram that He is not only Abram’s protector but also his portion. When the world’s rewards are rejected for the sake of righteousness, God becomes the reward Himself. But Abram brings before the Lord a deep concern:

Genesis 15:2–3 (NIV) "But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, what can You give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’" This is not unbelief but honest lament. Abram believes God yet struggles with the unfulfilled promise. God’s response is not rebuke, but revelation.

Genesis 15:4–5 (NIV) "Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.’ He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’" God expands Abram’s vision. The dust in Genesis 13 becomes stars in Genesis 15, signs of an immeasurable legacy. This leads to one of the most important verses in all of Scripture:

Genesis 15:6 (NIV) "Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness." This statement is foundational to Christian doctrine. Paul draws from it repeatedly to teach justification by faith, showing that righteousness was never based on the Law, but always by believing God. Romans 4:3 (NIV) "What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’" Galatians 3:6–7 (NIV) "So also Abraham ‘believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham." God then reaffirms the promise of land, linking the covenant of seed to a homeland of destiny.

Genesis 15:7 (NIV) "He also said to him, ‘I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.’" Abram, seeking clarity, asks for assurance: Genesis 15:8 (NIV) "But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?’" What follows is a sacred covenant-cutting ceremony. God instructs Abram to bring specific animals and prepare them as was customary in ancient covenant rituals.

Genesis 15:9–10 (NIV) "So the Lord said to him, ‘Bring Me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.’ Abram brought all these to Him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half." As Abram waits, a deep sleep falls upon him—a foreshadowing of divine initiative. The covenant will not depend on Abram’s performance, but on God’s promise.

Genesis 15:12 (NIV) "As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him." God then prophesies Israel’s journey through affliction and redemption: Genesis 15:13–14 (NIV) "Then the Lord said to him, ‘Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.’"

This preview of the Exodus affirms that God’s promises often include waiting, suffering, and divine deliverance. Then, God seals the covenant with His own presence. Genesis 15:17–18 (NIV) “When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—’” This act signifies that God alone binds Himself to the fulfilment of the covenant. Abram is not required to walk between the pieces, only God passes through, symbolised by the smoking fire and blazing torch.

This covenant foreshadows the New Covenant in Christ, where God again acts alone through the sacrifice of His Son, securing eternal righteousness by grace through faith.