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Day 17 – Inheritance Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD (Jehovah) came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” 2 Abram said, “Lord (Adonay, ad-o-noy) GOD (Y@hovih, yeh-ho-vee), what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed, one born in my house is my heir!” 4 And behold, the word of the LORD (Jehovah) came to him, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body will be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So will your descendants be.” 6 He believed in the LORD (Jehovah), and He accounted it to him for righteousness. 7 Then He said to him, “I am the LORD (Jehovah), who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” 8 And he said, “Lord GOD (Adonay Jehovih), how will I know I will inherit it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 When the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them in four hundred years. 14 Also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you will go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17 And it happened, when the sun went down and it was dark, behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the LORD (Jehovah) made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” God’s name: Lord – Adonay – proper name of God – my God GOD – Jehovih – Elohiym – Supreme God God’s character: Covenant Maker Promise Keeper Judge People enter covenants when they enter into an agreement for anything in their lives, jobs, marriage, and what they buy. The agreement is witnessed by two people, the person you enter into the agreement with, and one other person with their signatures. You also signed the agreement. God made a covenant with Abram. He told him a son would be born to him, and his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. He also told him what would become of them. To seal the covenant, He told him to bring the animals for sacrifice – a three-year-old heifer, female goat, and ram, plus a turtle dove and young pigeon. God caused a deep sleep to come over Abram. When He did, He told him what would transpire to his descendants, how they would be in bondage in four hundred years and serve another nation, but he would bring them out of bondage in the fourth generation. You need to be careful how you read this promise. God did not tell Abram his descendants would be in bondage for four-hundred years, but that in four hundred years they would be in bondage. We will soon read about Abram’s descendants, Isaac, Jacob, and his sons, the twelve tribes of Israel. Abram lived 175 years. Genesis 25:7 This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. (NKJV) Isaac lived 180 years. Genesis 35:28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. (NKJV) Jacob lived 147 years. Genesis 47:28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So, the length of Jacob's life was one-hundred-forty-seven years. When you add Isaac’s and Jacob’s lives together, you see 327 years between them. Israel came out of bondage 430 years after God made this promise to Abram. You also need to count the remaining years of Abram’s life from the time of the promise. Exodus 12:41 And it happened at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it happened that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. 17 And this I say that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. (NKJV) God did not tell Abram his descendants would be in bondage for four hundred years, but that they would come out of bondage in four hundred years from the time of His promise to him. The LORD (Jehovah) made a covenant with Abram and kept His covenant when He brought Israel out of bondage. When He did, He judged the nation who enslaved them. What promises has God made with you? Believe the promise because God has never failed to keep His promises. As He kept His covenant promise to Abram, He will keep it with you too. Let’s pray: Father, help me to rely on the promises You gave me, and know You will fulfill them as You did with the covenant promise You gave to Abram. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 4 February 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux The image belongs to me.