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Sermon Notes

The Abrahamic Covenant

Sunday 24 May 2026 Pastor Craig Ledbetter Genesis 15
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  • We are in Genesis chapter 15
  • Let’s learn about a sworn covenant agreement God made with Abraham and a special line of his descendants
  • So that WE can trust it when GOD makes promises to US
  • God Spoke to Abram (Genesis 15:1)

  • “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” - Genesis 15:1

  • Abram is just finished worshipping God with Melchizedek
  • God spoke directly to Abram
  1. He has spoken a few times directly to Abram already…

  2. “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” - Genesis 12:1-3

  3. “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee” - Genesis 13:14-17

  4. Did you notice? God used words. God did not give Abram a feeling - but clear, distinct words, instructions, and commands! He communicates with us using words
  • What a gift the words of God are! [THE BIBLE]
  1. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
  2. God could have just decided to wait for us to develop technology to be able to get into outer space, or create a big enough radio telescope for us to commune with Him
  3. But God speaks to US, and can hear us when we speak back

  4. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers [TO ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, MOSES, etc] by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” - Hebrews 1:1,2

  5. And now speaks by His written words in a Book, called the Bible!

  6. “r this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. THIS IS GOD SPEAKING TO US” - 1Thessalonians 2:13

  7. God’s words in this Book are better than visions, dreams, feelings, miracles, signs and wonders that most people want instead!
  8. These are the words that God spoke to us, for us to learn from, and to know God by!
  9. Jesus said in John 17:17 “God’s word is truth!”
  • God gave Abram a vision - something to see and understand visually - a visual lesson
  1. All of this chapter is visual for Abram - not just heard, but seen - we too are very visual learners today
  2. So, Use your imagination and watch what happens as it is described to us by Moses…,
  • “Fear not!” (Wonderful words)
  1. God’s mighty voice declares, …Fear not, Abram... (Genesis 15:1)
  2. There is no need to ever fear anything again, Abram
    • Have no fear of Famines (like he had when he first came into Canaan)
    • Of the Canaanites - as terrifying and pagan as they were
    • Or of the Egyptians - as powerful as they were
    • Basically, do not fear things out of your control - which is most of life
  3. So much of life is scarry
    • Life is scarry - especially all the attacks and problems and the surprises - health scares, financial scares…
    • Just Making decisions is scarry - Always wondering if we made the right decision
    • Living by faith is scarry What if my faith doesn’t work? What if we do something wrong? What if something goes wrong? So what! Living by faith means doing what God says do, even when it does not make sense, and doesn’t work out like we expect! It simply means trusting God instead of my own understanding Remember, Faith was scarry for Abram, and for Sarai It was never easy for them - it won’t be for us either Trusting someone else is always hard - surgeon, your husband…
  • Then God says, “I Am…” (two precious, powerful words)
  1. Notice what God says is able to conquer all our fears… (overpower them)…

  2. ”…I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” - Genesis 15:1

  3. I am Your shield - I am who is defending, protecting you without you even knowing

    • “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” - Psalm 18:2

    • Not stopping trouble from attacking
    • But stopping trouble from devouring you - from destroying you
  4. And I am your reward!
    • God is our greatest reward
    • HE is the end goal of all of life - to know Him, love Him and ernjoy Him forever
    • God here reminded Abram that the land was not valuable compared to a personal walk with God
    • Even if you lose everything, or if you never GOT anything out of this life… if you have been born again into God’s own family, you have God now, and God is our greatest reward for our faith! Yes, God Himself WILL make up for all the losses, all the costs, all the suffering, the trauma, the discouragements, the defeats… if you just seek HIM! But INTIMATELY KNOWING GOD HIMSELF is our greatest reward Jeremiah 9:23,24 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory [REJOICE, BE EXCITED] in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. [NOT HIS GIFTS]
    • Jesus is our life now! Colossians 3:2-4 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, **who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
  • Walk with God! Walk with “the I am”!
  1. Everyone in this Bible did!
  2. And, You can have a better walk than Abram had!
  3. Because We have a completed revelation - ALL the promises of God in one Book
  4. We have ALL of God’s words to mankind - not just to one person!
  5. We can hear His Holy Spirit whispering through every word on every page.
  6. And THAT should drive away every fear

    • “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” - Romans 8:31,32

    • All the disciples in the Book of Acts gladly gave up EVERYTHING for Jesus!
    • David gladly waited on God while living in caves
    • But it is hard to just wait, and keep believing
  • Abram asks, What Reward Do I Have? (Genesis 15:2,3) What Good are all the promises?

  • “And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir” - Genesis 15:2,3

  • Abram asks, How do I know you will keep your promises? That this REALLY is my land, and that you will actually give me so many children? That what you promise is not just hyperbole, or an exaggeration?
  • I have wealth, but no heir - very important to Abram
  • My head servant/steward is heir to everything I have when I die - Eliezer of Damascus and his sons will have all my possessions
  • Have I just wasted all my efforts and just handed great wealth to a stranger?
  • You and I have the same feelings about our possessions:
  1. We buy a house - we want it to go to one of our children instead of to some stranger
  2. We want our children to grow up and MARRY and carry on our legacy and name to their children

A. God’s Promises Clarified (Genesis 15:4,5)

  • “And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be” - Genesis 15:4,5

  • God responds:
  1. You WILL have a son - an heir - Speaking of Isaac, not Ishmael
  2. He will be the first of millions of millions of children and grandchildren and great grandchildren
  3. Try and Count the stars - if you can
    • The ancient world recorded that there are about 6,000 stars in the sky
    • Boy were they wrong! They are innumerable according to GOD and astronomers
  4. Remember what God has already done in your life

    • “And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it” - Genesis 15:7

    • “I brought you out of your old life in Ur - paganism - GOD did that! You didn’t just up and leave, God brought you OUT!”
    • “And I have brought you into this land - this promised land”
    • “I brought you all the way!”
    • Can I stop and ask YOU to remember all that God has done for YOU too?
  • You can believe all the promises, because you can Trust the Promiser!

B. Abram Believes Again (Genesis 15:6)

  • “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” - Genesis 15:6

  • His belief in the promises and abilities of God counts for righteousness/perfection
  1. What a great TRUTH!
  2. Abraham’s faith saved him - made his soul perfect!
  3. Romans 4:1-5 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
  4. It works better than being perfect - because none of us can be perfect - but we can believe in Someone who IS perfect - Jesus!
  5. Abraham did not know HOW God would justify him, forgive his sins, he just believed God would!
  • What does ‘belief’ mean?
  1. Belief is NOT just “Intellectual Assent” or agreement with facts
  2. It is not a feeling, an emotional experience
  3. Or even when you have no doubts
  4. It means, Rest - no more worrying about something
  5. Trusting someone else can do what you cannot
  6. That they will do what they promise to do - that is belief
  7. Abram believed God, and it was enough!
  • Abram was humbled when he believed, and delighted
  1. Abram is learning just how impotent he was, and how ABLE God was
  2. THAT was when his faith became greater than his abilities and own understanding
  3. Joy filled his heart - THAT IS WHEN YOU GET SAVED ladies and gentlemen!
  4. If there is no joy, you need to worry
  5. It would be like asking someone to marry you and when they say YES, you say “ho hum”!
  6. When a sinner cries out to God to save them, and they realize that Jesus HAS saved them, they should shout for joy and get all excited and become a lunatic for Jesus!

C. But Abram Still Has Doubts (Genesis 15:8)

  • “And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” - Genesis 15:8

  • A good question
  • He wants a little more proof
  • Needs more than a promise - needs a way to know God will KEEP His promises
  • Is our faith ever perfect? No
  • So how much faith do I need to have?
  1. Child-like faith
  2. Faith that moves you in the direction of God’s will
  3. He needed enough faith to wait on God’s timing
  4. Allow God work everything out in His time!
  5. It really is not MUCH faith we need - just enough to trust like a child, when you don’t understand WHAT God is doing! But you trust Him anyways

D. The Cutting of the Covenant (Genesis 15:9-17)

  • God does more than just make promises - He makes COVENANTS with people
  1. Covenants are Agreements with expectations
  2. That means He puts Himself under a curse if He doesn’t keep His promise!
  • Five animals die - number of death in the Bible

  1. “And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon” - Genesis 15:9

  2. 3 year old heifer/cow
  3. 3 year old She Goat
  4. 3 year old Ram - male goat
  5. A Turtle Dove
  6. A young Pigeon
  • A special sacrifice - Abram was commanded to sacrifice / kill them a certain way

  1. “And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not” - Genesis 15:10

  2. Killed all the animals
  3. Cut all of the animals into two pieces except the two birds
  4. Laid into two rows
  5. Blood was everywhere
  6. What could be the purpose of all this?
  7. Remember the shadows and typologies from last week’s message?
  • Then Abram waits

  1. “And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away” - Genesis 15:11

  2. Hours and hours with nothing happening until dusk
  3. Driving away the birds - vultures
  4. He does not realize that it was GOD who was waiting on Abram to fall asleep - to no longer be able to do anything
  • God Appears!

  1. “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him” - Genesis 15:12

  2. Deep darkness covered that place - and a deep sleep
  3. The darkness was like solar glasses - very thick dark glasses that allow someone to look straight at the Sun
  4. Allowing God to appear without blinding Abram!
  5. God is a terrifying being! He is not some happy unicorn, He is Almighty God!
  6. When you are in His presence, you know it!
  • God Swears a Vow!

  1. “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” - Genesis 15:13-16

  2. Know for certain - revelation
  3. Your children and descendants will be foreigners/strangers in a foreign land, and shall be slaves there
  4. Afflicted for 400 years - traumatized, abused, worked to death, killed
  5. God will judge and punish that nation - speaking of Egypt being punished by God
  6. Your children will leave their captivity with great wealth
  7. You will live very long
  8. And when you die, you will go to be with your fathers - paradise since the Fall
  9. The 4th generation WILL return to THIS very land you are walking on
  10. It takes that long because… the iniquity of the Amorites is not just full
  • The people of the land of Canaan were known as Amorites, and God was being MERCIFUL - giving them 400 years to repent before Moses and Joshua come!
  • God’s patience and mercy is like a sand dial - it has a limit
  • People need to know their sin-record is filling up - God keeps detailed records
  • I wonder how long He will remain merciful towards Ireland? Towards YOU?
  • A Smoking Furnace Appears - this is amazing!

  1. “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces” - Genesis 15:17

  2. A hovering burning lamp moved through the sacrifices
  3. Like a hovering burning oil lamp covered by thick darkness - the burning bush!
  4. What is this?
    • Signifying the presence of God - no one could stand in the presence of that light if God did not create a thick darkness between us
    • Incredibly horrifying
  5. A promise made by God in the midst of all those animals killed and cut to pieces, lying dead on the ground
  6. That if HE broke this promise, HE should be killed, and cut to pieces!
  7. Notice, ONLY God moved through the separated sacrifice!

E. These Promises Are a Done Deal (Genesis 15:18-21) - guaranteed!

  • “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites” - Genesis 15:18-21

  • This land (Canaan/modern Palestine) belongs to the promised seed - to Israel
  • From RIVER to RIVER [MAP]
  • All the nations, cities and people occupying this land will be kicked out - Ten nations - all of them are Gentiles - their land is YOURS

F. What Does This Show Us?

  • A covenant is a most serious agreement - a swearing, a vow
  • God made this promise alone - it will never matter what Abram does or does not do - God is committed to keeping this promise!
  • No matter what his descendants do or don’t do, God was going to keep His promises
  1. Promise of a literal, physical seed - children of Abraham - through Isaac, through Jacob/Israel all the way to the Messiah and beyond!
  2. It was unconditional - not “if you obey…” but resting on the ability of God to keep His promises
  3. Nothing can disannul / make void this covenant
  4. The cutting in half, and killing of the animals show the consequences of breaking the agreement

  5. “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance: When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it” - Psalm 105:8-12

  6. “ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD” - Jeremiah 31:35-37

G. Modern Covenants Are Similar

  • A Wedding is the cutting of a covenant between two people - it is not a piece of paper signed at the registry office
  1. They walk down a middle aisle between two witnesses
  2. Making a serious/solemn promise, in the middle of a crowd cut in two in symbol!
  3. Society is supposed to hold married people accountable, and hold families TOGETHER, not make it easy for them to walk away and tear each other apart!
  4. That is why divorce is so, so wrong - you have placed yourself under a curse if you break your covenant vow to each other
    • You had better go back and reread what you promised your husband, ladies
    • What you promised your wife, gentlemen!
  • When you stand in court, you make a vow, placing yourself under a curse if you lie!
  • Written agreements - of a sale, or promise to pay a mortgage (dead pledge) - that if you do not pay, you agree to the consequences!
  • Verbal agreements by handshake are valid commitments - men of our word!
  • God speaks to US - we must respond with faith
  • Abraham was justified by faith before circumcision, and before the Law. Christians today are saved the same way Abraham was saved - by believing what God says.
  • God alone passes between the consequences of failure - Abraham is asleep. This is extraordinary: God takes both sides of the oath upon Himself. So, our standing does not depend on our ability to hold up OUR end of the agreement; it depends on His ability alone!
  • God is a promise-making, promise-keeping God who saves by grace through faith, who blesses us in order to bless others, and who will not rest until every word He has spoken is fulfilled - in Christ, and in those who are Christ’s.
  • God invites you to walk with Him, like Abram did
  • Become very aware that God is Your shield - I am who is defending, protecting you
  • And your reward! HE is what makes you blessed and special
  • So, Have a better walk than Abram had! You have a perfect, completed Bible
  • You have ALL the promises of God
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