Genesis 15

Ge 15:1-21.

DIVINE

ENCOURAGEMENT.

1. After these things--the conquest of the invading kings.

the word of the Lord--a phrase used, when connected with a

vision, to denote a prophetic message.

Fear not, Abram--When the excitement of the enterprise was over,

he had become a prey to despondency and terror at the probable revenge

that might be meditated against him. To dispel his fear, he was favored

with this gracious announcement. Having such a promise, how well did it

become him (and all God's people who have the same promise) to dismiss

fears, and cast all burdens on the Lord

(Ps 27:3).

2. Lord God, what wilt thou give?--To his mind the declaration,

"I am thy exceeding great reward"

[Ge 15:1],

had but one meaning, or was viewed but in one particular light, as

bearing on the fulfilment of the promise, and he was still experiencing

the sickness of hope deferred.

3. Eliezer of Damascus . . . one born in my house is mine

heir--According to the usage of nomadic tribes, his chief

confidential servant, would be heir to his possessions and honors. But

this man could have become his son only by adoption; and how sadly

would that have come short of the parental hopes he had been encouraged

to entertain! His language betrayed a latent spirit of fretfulness or

perhaps a temporary failure in the very virtue for which he is so

renowned--and absolute submission to God's time, as well as way, of

accomplishing His promise.

4. This shall not be thine heir--To the first part of his

address no reply was given; but having renewed it in a spirit of more

becoming submission, "whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it"

[Ge 15:8],

he was delighted by a most explicit promise of Canaan, which was

immediately confirmed by a remarkable ceremony.

9-21. Take me an heifer, &c.--On occasions of great importance,

when two or more parties join in a compact, they either observe

precisely the same rites as Abram did, or, where they do not, they

invoke the lamp as their witness. According to these ideas, which have

been from time immemorial engraven on the minds of Eastern people, the

Lord Himself condescended to enter into covenant with Abram. The

patriarch did not pass between the sacrifice and the reason was that in

this transaction he was bound to nothing. He asked a sign, and God was

pleased to give him a sign, by which, according to Eastern ideas, He

bound Himself. In like manner God has entered into covenant with us;

and in the glory of the only-begotten Son, who passed through between

God and us, all who believe have, like Abram, a sign or pledge in the

gift of the Spirit, whereby they may know that they shall inherit the

heavenly Canaan.