OT Study: Genesis Pt. 4

V. Generations of the Sons of Noah:

Context and Overview 

After re-starting the world with the Flood, God covenants with Noah promising him and all creation that he will never again destroy the world with a flood and that he would begin to restrain the curse on the ground that was a result on Adam’s sin. The event of the flood was to bring the world and mankind a glimpse of the rest that Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden. God then blesses Noah and commanded him to fill the earth. We saw that in contrast to mankind before him, Noah was fruitful when he worked the ground. However, Noah sinned by over-indulging in the wine that he made from the vineyard he grew. Sin abounded in the shameful actions of his son Ham. God then spoke through Noah by way of prophecy about the future of Noah’s sons. Because of Ham’s sin, his sons would be the servants of the sons of his brothers,  Shem and Japheth. 

In this section, Moses steps back and lists the genealogies of Noah’s sons. He also identifies the individual Nations that they become. That is why this section in Genesis is often called the Table of Nations. It is always important to remember that Genealogies demonstrate that God is faithful to continue the Plan of and that with each passing generation the line of the Seed is coming into greater focus 

Furthermore, for the original readers that Moses is writing to, this section establishes the origin and the purpose of the Nation of Israel. It identifies Israel’s enemies and it establishes Israel’s ultimate function in the world. God’s ultimate plan is to reign victoriously over all the nations who will serve Him and worship Him as King. In order to do so He must establish nations and He must establish a Nation that will demonstrate His rule to all the other nations around them. 

Structure and Main Point

The main point of this section is to explain God’s plan for the nations and to establish the need for His chosen Nation. We will see this in the following structure:

Table of Nations ()

Tower of Babel ()

Exposition

1. Table of Nations ()

A. Beginning Bookend (10:1)

“1 These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.”

From the sons of Noah you have all the Nations. This statement in verse 1 is repeated at the end of this chapter forming an inclusio which demonstrates how important this Table of Nations is. The last inclusio we saw was in chapter one with the creation of the world. God’s plan for the world will operate based on the nations that are listed here and the prophecy that Ham’s descendants shall serve Japheth and Shem. See vs 32

B. Sons of Japheth (10:2-5)

“5 From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.”

These descendents eventually become the Eurasian people groups of the world. They are known for spreading away from the epicenter of the middle-east and out into their lands.

C. Sons of Ham (10:6-20)

“8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city 13 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed.”

Remember that Ham is the disobedient son. His descendents establish three of the most powerful nations of the ancient world: Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. All three of these nations play a unique role in Israel’s history. Egypt enslaved Israel and is the main enemy in the book of Exodus. Later in Israel’s history. Assyria becomes the great nation who conquered the Northern part of Israel and all the Israelites who lived there. Assyria was eventually conquered by Babylon who then went on to  conquer the Southern Kingdom of Israel. Babylon is responsible for sending God’s people into exile. What we see from this is that Ham’s line is the line that Satan uses to try and thwart God’s plan.

D. Sons of Shem (10:21-31)

““21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan.”

The term semitic denotes a descendent of Shem. There are multiple semitic nations that arise from Shem’s genealogy so there must be a focus on one of Shem’s sons. Notice that Arpachshad’s line gets more detail than the others. His grandson Eber (who’s name is the root of the term Hebrew) had two sons: Peleg and Joktan. This is another instance where the author is identifying that this line is special. As we will see in the next chapter the earth was divided at the Tower of Babel, during the lifetime of Peleg.  

E. Concluding Bookend (10:32)

“32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. 

2. Tower of Babel ()

A. The Setting (11:1-2)

“Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.”

All the people of the world have congregated into one place. They have perfect communication where they all spoke the same language and they all held the same definition for the same word. Instead of dispersing and filling the earth as God commanded, mankind gathers together in Shinar. This location connects back to the previous chapter where we see Nimrod, a descendent of Ham, begin a kingdom. So you have all people united together in one place, speaking the same language and living under the rule of a descendent of Ham. What’s going on here is that Satan is working with the sinful line of Ham to disrupt the plan of God. 

B. The Rebellion (11:3-4)

“4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 

They are unified in their desire to build a city and a tower in order to establish a name for themselves. In the previous chapters we learned that to establish a name is an act of authority. Not only do they rebel against God’s command to fill the earth, they want to build a tower to heaven. This has been that nature of Satan and mankind’s rebelion all along. They hate the authority of God and want to instead rule over Him. 

C. The Lord’s Descent (11:5)

“5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.”

Notice the irony here. They wanted to build a tower to  heaven and God had to come down to see it. Their tiny little tower was so small that He had to leave heaven to look at what the little children of man had built. 

D. The Lord’s Response (11:6-7)

“6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”

When all of men are unified together their rebellious hearts are unified against God. That is Satan’s plan. If everyone is unified together, there is no Chosen Nation and there are no nations to rule over. There is only sin and hatred for God’s authority. So what does God do? In an instant he changes their language. Satan thinks he is so clever and God is so pitiful.. But all God has to do is come in and change the one thing that is key to Satan’s plan. Notice the play on words. In verses 3-4 mankind says, “let us”...rebel against God. In verse 7 God says in an inter-trinitarian dialogue, “let us… confuse their language.”

E. The Result (11:8-9)

“8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.”

God’s purpose cannot be thwarted. By the creation of multiple languages God  divides mankind and causes them to disperse away and fill the earth. This division acts as a restraint on the evil of man. A united world would not have produce peace but only a rebellion similar to that which existed before the flood.. The city that they built becomes known as Babel. What’s interesting is that Babel is again established as the nation of Babylon. They rule over the entire middle-east and conquer God’s chosen people. But Babylon is turned to rubble and it’s glory is destroyed. However, what we see in the book Revelation is that Babylon will rise again. In the end God will allow all the kingdoms of the earth to be united together in the New Babylon who will war against God under the rule of the Anti-Christ. This is going to be Satan’s final grand plan. However, Satan, the Anti-Christ and Babylon will be completely destroyed and defeated by Jesus at the second coming (see ). 

One thing to note is that this passage is written in what is called a chiasm. A chiasm is a literary device where the first point mirrors the last point, the second point mirrors the second to last point and the center point is then highlighted as the most important part of the passage. See below: 

Point A1

Point B1

Point C

Point B2

Point A2

A good analogy for a chiasm is a sandwich. When you order a sandwich you don’t say you want a “wheat bread sandwich”. The sandwich is named for the meat that is in the middle, between the two slices of bread and the two spreads of mayo. The structure of this text can be seen below:

A1: Man united together by language in one place - vs 1-2

B1: “Let us” Rebel - vs 3-4

C: God comes down - vs 5

B2: “Let us” confuse their plans for rebellion -vs 6-7

A2: Man is divided by language and dispersed away from Babel vs 8-9

The significant part of this story is that God comes down. God exercises His power to gain victory over Satan and man. His purpose and plan for the nations continues by the creation of multiple languages. What is amazing is that we see this happen again in the world. God comes down and He causes people to speak in different tongues. 

“6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

At the Tower of Babel God came down to divide people with languages so that they’re rebellion would be restrained.  However in , God comes down and unites people with language for the purpose of returning man back to the original relationship they had with God in Eden. This is why Paul uses the term New Creation when describing the church. In the church, the barriers of nationality are broken down. Jew and Gentile are united in Christ. This shows the uniqueness of the Church and the power of God to accomplish and orchestrate His plan. You and I participate in this amazing plan of God as we serve and participate in our churches. 

VI. Generations of Shem:

Context and Main Point

The Genealogy of Shem brings into greater focus the line of Shem’s son Arpachshad. Remember that greater focus of Shem’s sons were placed on Arpachshad and his descendents in the Table of Nations. The main point of this text is that God moves from establishing nations to establishing His chosen Nation.

Exposition

1. Genealogy of Shem (11:10-26)

“10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood... 14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. 15 And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg... 24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. 25 And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters. 26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

The Descendents of Peleg are brought into greater focus here. As time progresses notice that the lifespan of each successive generation shortens. Some scientists have hypothesized that this is due to the rapid change in the genetic makeup of humans as each generation progresses as well as the change in the earth’s environment following the Flood. The genealogy ends Terah and his sons Abram, Nahor and Haran. 

VII. Generations of Terah:

Context and Overview

Now that the nations have been created and dispersed from Babel. God begins His Chosen Nation. In the last genealogy we saw the focus of the line of the Seed narrow onto Terah and his three sons. Similar to God’s actions towards Noah, God will chose to reveal HImself to one of Terah’s sons, Abram, and establish a covenant relationship with him. 

One major theme that is developed in this section is faith. The famous verse about Abraham in the New Testament is “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God” (). In this section Moses will highlight the growth of Abraham’s faith as he follows God throughout his life. This faith becomes a defining characteristic of God’s people. Just as Americans are defined by freedom, and liberty and personal rights, Israel will come to be defined by faith and that begins here with Abraham. 

Structure and Main Point

The main point of this section is that God begins His chosen Nation in order that this Nation would make an impact to all the other nations. This is seen in the following structure: 

Background ()

God calls Abram ()

God Tests Abram about Land Part 1 ()

God Tests Abram about Land Part 2 ()

Abram begins to act like a nation ()

God seals His promises with Abram ()

God Tests Abram about Seed Part 1 ()

God codifies a covenant with Abraham ()

God’s Covenant relationship with Abraham (

A replay of the Past: Abraham and Abimelech ()

Birth of Isaac  ()

Sign of a Great Nation: Covenant with Abimelech ()

God Tests Abraham about Seed Part 2 - Offering of Isaac ()

Death of Sarah: Securing the Land ()

Finding Rebekah: Securing the Seed ()

Abraham’s Death: Continuing God’s Plan ()

Exposition

1. Background ()

“27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there.

This narrative begins with multiple obstacles to be overcome. First, there is a tragic death in the family of Terah. Terah’s son Haran dies and leaves his son, Lot, behind. They are in a foreign land of Ur which is in the land of the Chaldeans located near Babel. Moreover, Abram’s wife is unable to have kids which means that Abram’s line will most likely end with him. At this point things aren’t going well for Abram and his family. 

2. God calls Abram ()

“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.”

In the midst of this difficult background God comes and speaks to Abram. He demands that Abram leave his father’s house and go to a foreign land. Think about that. He was called to make a massive sacrifice and separate from everyone and everything he had known in order to follow God. God promises to Abram that He will make Abram a great nation. What we saw in the previous chapters is that there are all these nations. We saw men try and make their own great nation and establish their own great name at Babel. But God has chosen Abram to make a great nation and make his name great. God also promises to bless Abram. Remember God is in the process of returning mankind to the rest and blessing they had in Eden. That is why he blessed Noah. This promise of the Noahic covenant is now tied to Abram and the nation that will come from him. Furthermore, it is through Abram’s nation that all the nations will be blessed. The key features of God’s promise are a Land, an offspring (or seed) and blessing to all the nations. 

Abram acts in faithful obedience to God. He goes to the land of Canaan. God promises Abram that this land will be the land of his descendents. What is significant about this land is that it is in the center of the known world. To travel down to Egypt you must go through Canaan. To travel up to the lands of Syria you must go through Canaan. God’s Nation will be situated in a region where it can have the greatest international impact. Even though Sarai is baren and he is old, Abram acts in faith by building an altar to God. This is both an act of worship and an act of claiming ownership of that land. The place that he builds this altar is Shechem. In the Bible places have memories and they have significance. In the rest of the Bible Shechem will become a place where covenants are made and covenants are broken. 

3. God Tests Abram about Land Part 1 ()

A. Abram Fails the Test (12:10-13)

“10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” 

God had promised Abram the land of Canaan so when famine comes Abram is put to the test. If he trusted God he would have stayed and relied on God to provide during the famine. Instead he goes down to Egypt, an action that will have ramifications for future generations. When he arrives in Egypt he adds folly to his lack of faith. To protect himself he decides to lie about his relationship with Sarai, claiming that she is his sister instead of his wife. On the surface this just seems stupid, but Satan is sinisterly working in Abram’s foolishness. If Sarai is taken to be a wife of Pharaoh’s the line of the seed ends. God’s plan must continue through the seed of Sarai and Abram and if Sarai is out of the picture the plan is over. 

B. Potential Disaster and Blessing (12:14-16)

“14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.” 

Abram’s wife is taken by the princes of Pharaoh because of her great beauty. Despite Abram’s failures he is still blessed with livestock and servants. It is important to note that Abram receives female servants from Pharoah here as well. 

C. Curses for those who Curse You (12:17-20)

“17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.”

Remember that God promised Abram that he would curse those who cursed him. Taking Abram’s wife was an act of cursing and God resolves the situation by sending plagues on Pharaoh’s house. Pharoah calls out Abram for his lie and sends them back to Canaan. By God’s grace, Abram’s failure is overcome and God’s promise remains intact. God is faithful to Abram even though Abram’s faith fails. 

4. God Tests Abram about Land Part 2 ()

“So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. 8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. 14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.

After descending into failure, faithlessness and stupidity, Abram goes up out of Egypt and back to Canaan. When he arrives at the place from where he left He worships God at the altar he made when he first entered the land. The text says that he called upon the name of the Lord. This phrase alludes to the faith in God’s promise that Seth’s descendants possesed (). The reason Abram worships God is because he realizes that he would have never been able to return to Canaan if it was not for God’s faithfulness; regardless of Abram’s faithlessness. What we see here is that the nature of Abram’s faith is that it exalts God’s grace.

As God promised, Abram is growing into a great nation so much so that he is running out of space. There is a conflict between Abram’s servants and Lot’s servants which prompts Abram to suggest separating from Lot. Lot chooses to settle near Sodom and Gomorrah,  a land that is extremely fertile, similar to the Garden of Lord. Instead of moving to this Eden-like land and staying relatively near his nephew Lot, Abram stays in the Land that God promised and settles in Canaan. He passes the test of the land promise that he failed beforehand. God then reiterates His promises to Abram, this time focussing on the promise of Abram’s offspring, Abram’s seed. 

5. Abram and the Battle of the Kings ()

A. The Battle of the Kings (14:1-12)

8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim 11 So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.

In this chapter we see that there is a great battle of kings. In the midst of this battle, as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah are defeated, Lot is captured.

B. Abram’s Intervention (14:13-16)

14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.”

When word comes to Abram that his nephew is a prisoner of war he gathers his servants and enters the battle of the kings. With a tiny force of 318 men, God grants Abram victory over the other armies and blesses Abram the spoils of war. Abram is the victorious “king” amongst the canaanite nations. What is established here is that Abram’s nation is destined for dominance over the other Canaanite nations and that Abram’s seed is destined for kingship. 

C. The Blessing of the King (14:17-24)

17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

After Abram’s victory over the kings, the king of Sodom went to meet him in the King’s valley. Not only is Moses emphasizing Abram’s kingly status, he is highlighting the king that Abram is about to meet, Melchizedek king of Salem. Melchizedek is king and a priest of God Most High. The king-priest blesses Abram and declares to Abram that God is the one who delivered him. As the King of Sodom is attempting to form an alliance with Abram, Abram responds with the exact same words of Melchizedek, ““I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’” This displays that Melchizedek instructed Abram on the nature of who God is. Furthermore, this interaction demonstrates Abram’s desire to avoid claiming glory from God. He knows that his victory was due to the grace and faithfulness of God alone. 

So who is Melchizedek? Many have tried to state that this is a pre-incarnate Christ because there is no mention of Melchizedek’s genealogy. However, this is unlikely for as we see in “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” If the Messiah was to be in the order of Melchizedek and Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate Christ, it makes no sense for Jesus to be in the order of Himself. As we see in he merely resembles Christ (). He is a type and an instruction about the nature of the future Messiah. 

So then, what can be learned about the nature of the Messiah from Melchizedek? His name means “king of righteousness”. He is both a king and a priest of God. He rules from Salem, which eventually becomes Jerusalem. He is a mediator of God’s blessing to God’s chosen people. Lastly, he is a teacher who reveals God’s character and nature to God’s chosen people. 

6. God seals His Covenant with Abram ()

“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 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.

After the battle of the kings God comes to Abram and re-affirms His promises to him. He declares to Abram that He is Abram’s shield, He is Abram’s protector against Abram’s enemies.  Abram has continued childless and this causes him to wonder at how God will make a nation from his descendents when he and his wife are old. God promises to Abram that he will indeed have a son and that his offspring (his seed) shall be as great in number as the stars. Even though this seems impossible, he believes that God will be faithful to fulfill His promises and this is counted to him as righteousness. This is a definitive marker in Abram’s story. Before his growing faith was merely hinted at. Here in 15:6 his faith is explicitly expressed. He trusted that God would not only give him a son but that his offspring would become the nation of God’s plan and promise of . He trusted that God would accomplish the plan of the Seed through his seed. Hear the words of Paul as he exposits this moment.

“16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

Now that Abram is declared righteous in the eyes of God, God enters into a covenant with Abram. This is the official establishment of the Abrahamic Covenant. God instructs Abram to collect animals for an ancient near eastern covenant ceremony. He cuts each animal in half and places them on either side of a pathway. Typically the two parties entering into this type of covenant would walk hand-in-hand in between the two halves of the animal parts. This was to signify that if either of the two parties broke the covenant they should be cut in half like the animals they walked through. This was done to demonstrate that this was a lifelong covenant. So Abram cuts these animals and then fights off birds who try to eat the carcasses. But Abram fell into a deep sleep. This language points back to when Adam fell into a deep sleep and God made Eve. What Moses is doing here is pointing out that the promise made to Adam and Eve in is now tied to the Abrahamic covenant. 

God then tells Abram that his offspring will be afflicted for 4 generations but that God will deliver them and they will return to Canaan and conquer it. Notice that Abram’s offspring will not return until the iniquity of inhabitants of Canaan is complete. Some have declared God to be a bloodthirsty warrior God for His actions during the conquest of Canaan but what is displayed here is that God allowed His chosen people to suffer while He was patient with the Canaanites for 4 successive generations allowing them time enough to repent and turn to him. 

After declaring this to Abram, God in the form of a fire, passed between the pieces of the animals as Abram slept. In doing so God is declaring to Abram that these covenant promises are unconditional. God unilaterally decreed that He will take the initiative to fulfill HIs promises independent of the actions of Abram or HIs offspring. What is encouraging here for the readers of Moses and for successive generations is that the ultimate promise of is tied to this covenant. God will accomplish His plan and His promises. He is bounded by this covenant action. God is bound by His nature to accomplish His plan and His promises and now He is bound by His actions with Abram.

Questions for Application

What do we learn about God’s character and nature from His actions in this section of scripture?  

What stands out to you about the connection of to the Tower of Babel? 

What do we learn about the nature of faith in the beginning of Abram’s story? 

What is established about the character and nature of a king in the character of Melchizedek?