Abrahamic Covenant focus of ch. 15

The Abrahamic Covenant
Review
Land- Genesis 12:1, 12:7, This weeks verses: 13:14-18, Ch. 15
Nation- Genesis 12:2, This weeks verses: 13:15-16
Blessing- Genesis 12:2-3, 12:16-13:11, This weeks verses:
Seed- Genesis 12:2
Overview
Genesis 13:10-12: Abram and Lot Separate due to their great blessings from the Lord.
Genesis 13:13: This verse foreshadows the future divine judgment of Sodom, through its characterization of Sodom as “wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord”.
Genesis 13:14-18: God affirms that He will make Abram a great nation and that He will make his descendants great in number.
Genesis 14:1-11: The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah are involved in a war with some other hard to pronounce named kings. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah lose and the political background of why this battle took place is also given.
Genesis 14:12-24: Lot and his family got taken in the battle and a messenger reports this to Abram. Abram takes his army and conquers the kings that took Lot and brings Lot and all the possessions back. He then gives a tithe to Melchizedek king of Salem (i.e. Jerusalem)(Heb. 5:6;10, 6:20, 7:1;10-11;15;17). Then Abram gives all the possessions that he had received from his battle back to Sodom and Gomorrah and went on his way. This showed that he knows that the Lord is his blessing and not military might.
Signing the Covenant
- God say, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” 15:1
- Woe is me I have no heir. 15:2-3
- God says OK I heard you. Tells Abram that he will have a vast number of descendants. 15:4-5
- Abram believes the Lord and BY FAITH IS DECLARED RIGHTEOUS. DID I MENTION IT WAS BY FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 15:6
- God says I brought you out of Ur to posses this Land. 15:7
- Abram says that is nice BUT, can I get it in writing? 15:8
- God says fine bring me some paper which just so happened to be a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon which were cut in two except for the birds. 15:9-11
- Abram goes into a deep sleep. 15:12
- God then signs the agreement that Abram’s descendants will enter the land. God also prophecies the future of Israel for the next 430 years. God taking on the form of a smoking oven/pot and a flaming torch passes between these pieces and God then signs the contract. 15:13-21

This is the link to the New York Times article that makes reference to the Abrahamic Covenant in relation to Israel and our views of foreign policy. http://www.ouramericanvalues.org/press_release_article.php?id=040303