Daily Devotions
Genesis
"The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace." Psalm 29:11
Text: Genesis 15:1-21
A PROPHETIC GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE
God noted how Abram regarded His word concerning worship. He was also pleased that he did not carelessly allow the vultures to feast on the animal sacrifices! Once again, God took the initiative to speak to Abram and to answer his question concerning his inheritance of the land (Genesis 15:8). What a full answer God gave!
“Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep
fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness
fell upon him. 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 four hundred years. And also the nation whom
they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with
great possessions. Now as for you, you shall go to your
fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.
But in the fourth generation they shall return here,
for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”GENESIS 15:12-16
1. A Deep Sleep
It was God who caused this deep sleep to come upon Abram. In that “sleep” the Lord spoke to him.
2. Four hundred years of affliction foretold
God did not explain the circumstances in which the descendants of Abram would become strangers in a foreign land. Nor did He elaborate on how they would be afflicted. Abram would have to trust that God would be with them and protect them somehow.
3. Judgment of the Enslaving Nation
God would see to the judgment and punishment of the nation that would enslave Abram’s descendants! Abram would have to trust in God’s sense of justice!
4. Inheritance of the Promised Land in the Fourth generation
Since the life span was about 120 years (Cf. Genesis 6:3), it was perfectly correct to say that descendants of Abram would return “in the fourth generation”. There was another reason why they could not come back earlier. God had given a grace period to the Amorites. When they had exhausted that grace period, and because they would pursue their sinful activities, they would be dispossessed when their time was up!
5. A good old age
There was a special personal word to Abram. He would have a long life. He would die at a good old age in peace!