God’s Promise of a Seed to Abram

Abram is promised a Seed (Genesis 15:1–6)

Following this incident, which shows Abram’s faith in God’s over–shadowing care and protection, God appeared to him again saying: “Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1).

Abram had declared to the King of Sodom his complete dependence upon God, and now God appeared and confirmed that He would protect him (be his “shield”), and provide for him (be his “exceeding great reward”).

However Abram had a question that puzzled him greatly—God had promised the land of Canaan to him and to his seed, but as yet he had no seed. He therefore said: “Behold, to me thou hast given no seed” (Genesis 15:3).

In response, God re-affirmed His promise of a son: “he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir” (Genesis 15:4). He brought Abram outsideto stand under the starry sky and told him to look toward the heavens and count the stars. “So shall thy seed be”, God said (Genesis 15:5). He not only promised him a seed but told him that his seed would be innumerable, like the stars for number.

Abram’s Faith

This next statement is among the most wonderful in the Bible. It sets forth the basis upon which God will forgive sin. Let us look carefully at what is stated.

Genesis 15:6 “he believed in the Lord” Although Abram did not know how it would happen, he did not doubt that God would fulfil His word. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for Abram and Sarai to have children (Genesis 11:30; cp Romans 4:16–22), yet Abram believed the words of God.

“believed” We need to understand that the words “faith” and “belief” in our Bible are interchangeable. An example of this is seen in Romans 3:22—“the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe”. Here the words “faith” and “believe” are derived from the same Greek word in the original text and are used interchangeably by the translators. It will help our understanding if we bear this in mind as we consider this subject further.

Justified Through Faith by God’s Grace

“And he [God] counted it to him [Abram] for righteousness” God counted Abram’s faith for righteousness. Abram’s faith honoured God and so God considered him as righteous. The apostle Paul, realising the importance of this, devotes a whole chapter in his letter to the Romans to explain the significance of this statement (Romans 4).

It is worth noting here, too, that the English words “just” and “righteous” are translations of the same word in the Greek. So “to justify” means the same as “to declare or make righteous”.

The blessing of righteousness (Romans 4:1–8)

What is the importance of being declared “righteous” by God? It means that God has forgiven our sins. In Romans 3:10 Paul shows that “there is none righteous, no, not one”, for “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (v23). However, in His mercy, God is willing to count a man of faith “righteous” and forgive his sins. If we read through Romans 4:1–8 we see this clearly set out.

The Jews lived under the Law of Moses and endeavoured to keep that Law perfectly. However, they became so engrossed in every little detail, that they often missed the point that God was teaching them. They were, in fact, not concentrating on obeying God, but on giving the appearance of being “righteous”. Paul says that they were really trying to “establish their own righteousness”.

But their efforts were futile, for they could not keep the Law, as it only kept highlighting their failings and sins. It showed up the fact that they were unable to keep it. So Paul wrote: “by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified [that is, declared righteous] in his [God’s] sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). Therefore because of sin, there was no hope for man to be righteous before his God by obeying laws.

Paul goes on to show that God in His grace actually judges man onadifferent basis. He judges him on his faith. God will impute (that is, attribute) “righteousness” to man on the basis of his “faith”, because man’s faith honours Him. He takes the expression from Genesis 15:6, and quotes it in Romans 4:3. “Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness”. Abram had righteousness imputed to him through the grace of God because of his faith.

Paul then explains the wonderful benefit that comes from being counted righteous—the blessing of forgiveness of sins. He quotes the example of David, who wrote of this in Psalm 32:1–2: “David describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Romans 4:6–8). In God’s great mercy He was willing to forgive David, because David was a man of outstanding faith who confessed and repented of his sins.

Here therefore we have the basis for forgiveness of sins clearly set out. It is through faith that a man is “justified”, that is, counted righteous (Romans 5:1). If we are justified or declared righteous in God’s sight, that means by His grace He has forgiven our sins. And this in turn means that we have found favour with God. We who are sinners are in this way reconciled to God.

Paul concludes this section with the comforting words: “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it [righteousness] was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe [have faith] on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:23–25).

God’s Promise of the Land to Abram

Abram receives a covenant regarding the land (Genesis 15:7–21)

Having received the answer to the question about his seed (Genesis 15:3), Abram now asked about the promise of the land. He said, “Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit the land?” (Genesis 15:8). In response God made a covenant with Abram. In Biblical days a covenant was made by cutting an animal into parts, and the two parties involved in making the covenant walked between the pieces (cp Jeremiah 34:18–19). Abram, in obedience to God, took the animals God required and cut them in pieces and laid them out in order. All day he protected them from the birds and in the evening he fell into a deep sleep, symbolically representing death.

God then spoke to Abram, telling him the details of the covenant. After his death his seed would go into Egypt and be oppressed there and become slaves. But after 400 years they would return to the land God had promised them (Genesis 15:13–14). God was showing him, among other things, that the covenant would not be fulfilled in his lifetime.

God confirmed His promise of the land with this covenant. His presence, symbolised by a lamp of fire, passed between the pieces, demonstrating that He Himself was bound to fulfil the covenant and the promise. “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land” (Genesis 15:18). God described to him now the boundaries of the land that was promised, being “from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates”.

In this chapter we have seen two important principles

• Abraham was justified, that is counted as righteous, because of his faith.

• God, through a covenant, confirmed His promise of the land to Abraham and his seed.

Adapted from “The Exploring the Bible Course” by David Evans