Genesis 15

Genesis 15 centers on God's covenant with Abram (later renamed Abraham). In this pivotal chapter:

1. God appears to Abram in a vision, telling him not to fear and promising to be his shield and very great reward.

2. Abram expresses concern about remaining childless, noting that his servant Eliezer stands to inherit his household.

3. God reassures Abram that his heir will come from his own body. God takes Abram outside and tells him to count the stars, promising his descendants will be just as numerous.

4. Abram believes God's promise, and this faith is credited to him as righteousness.

5. God then identifies Himself as the Lord who brought Abram from Ur of the Chaldees to give him the land of Canaan.

6. When Abram asks for assurance regarding the promised land, God instructs him to bring specific animals for a covenant ceremony.

7. Abram prepares the animals by cutting them (except the birds) in half, and he drives away birds of prey that attempt to eat the carcasses.

8. As the sun sets, Abram falls into a deep sleep. God reveals that Abram's descendants will be strangers and slaves in a foreign land before returning to Canaan.

9. After darkness falls, a smoking fire pot and flaming torch (representing God's presence) pass between the animal pieces, formally establishing the covenant.

10. God defines the boundaries of the land promised to Abram's descendants, from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates.

This chapter establishes two key promises from God to Abram: countless descendants and the gift of the land of Canaan, both formalized through a solemn covenant ceremony.