Genesis 15

Leader’s note: Gen 15 tells how Abraham asked for (v8) certainty (v13) that his hope in God will not be disappointed, and how he found such certainty by giving himself to God (vv10-11). By hearing and believing God, he learned to identify himself and his offspring as a sacrifice that shall be raised to new life by the living word of God:

“….Abraham’s sacrifice admonished his descendants that they will be like a dead carcass, torn and dissected. For the servitude with which they were oppressed for a time was more intolerable than simple death; yet where the sacrifice is to God, death itself is turned into new life.” (Jean Calvin)

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Warm-up: Have you ever found a valuable item that you thought lost for a long time? What was it, and how did that feel?

• Did God, who sees the heart, rebuke Abraham for making a fallback plan? Why or why not?
• What led Abraham to confess that he was (again) preparing to settle for less than what God had promised? v1 [The promise itself? cf 2Pet 1:4]

• What was the purpose of having him look up and count the stars? cf Jn 3:12; Heb 11:13 [Note: Saving faith is not blind faith: God made him see, though from afar]
• Does this story give a clue where such faith originates? cf Eph 2:8-9
  • How does God do this? By promising it? cf Jam 1:18; 1Pet 1:23

• Abraham did not only now begin to believe. But only now, God declared him righteous: Why now?
• How does this timing prove that justification is by faith alone, and not by works or circumcision? Gen 17:10; Ro 4:11
• v6 states that Abraham not only believed in God, but that he believed God: Is there a difference?
  • Hint: What is needed for someone who believes in God to also believe him? cf Ro 10:17
• Why does hearing and trusting God’s promises reconcile us to him? cf Col 2:13-14
• Why is reconciliation not possible by the merits of our ‘good’ works? [e.g. Jn 8:34-35, enslaved to sin; Ro 9:30-32, offended by the cross; Gal 3:10, cursed and condemned by the law)

• How? v9ff
  • Who made this treaty? vv17-18; cf Heb 6:17
  • How? [Treaties were made by cutting animals in half and swearing that the party that breaks this treaty shall meet the same fate, Jer 34:18]
• Should all believers desire such certainty in their faith? Why? cf Heb 10:22; 11:1; Col 2:2

• Clue: What did these animals represent according to v13 (=context)? [It seems this sign taught Abraham that his offspring will be like sheep for slaughter, cf Ps 44:11]
• Read Lk 9:22-23, Ro 12:1 and Phil 2:1 => How will Christians resemble animal sacrifices that were offered in the Old Testament?
  • Why did Abraham “…lay each half over against the other”?
    • Hint: What expectation might that express? cf Ro 6:8,13
• v12 describes a dreadful darkness. According to the sign given to Abraham,  what will be the light shining in such darkness? v17
  • First a smoking fire pot and then a torch of fire: What could that be? cf 2Pet 1:20-21; Ro 3:1-2 [The oracles of God entrusted to Abraham’s offspring: God’s prophetic word, first in the law (where the light remained veiled by smoke, cf 2Cor 3:13-15) and later in the gospel.
  • How will the light of the gospel shine openly for all to see? cf Mt 5:16; 2Cor 4:6; Phil 2:14-16
• Why was Abraham put in deep sleep during this nightmare? cf Gen 2:21.
  • Hint: What did Abraham contribute to this new creation?

• Based on Abraham’s example, why should you expect that also your faith will be tested?
  • In those trials, where does this story of Abraham’s stargazing direct you to search for help?
• What does your own faith have in common with that of Abraham, or in what aspects does it differ?
• Is ‘certainty’ something you expect to be consistent with or rather contradictory to faith? Why?
• What (if anything) is a cause of uncertainty for your faith?
  • Can you learn from Abraham what to do with uncertainty?
  • Should all Christians seek assurance of God’s blessing so that they know for certain that God loves, sanctifies and saves them forever?
• Looking back, what has helped you in the past to move from doubt to assurance that God has sworn to you eternal salvation and is (and will remain) ‘on your side’ (and you on his), through thick and thin?