Genesis 15 - Crisis & Covenant

  1. When have you witnessed the value of a promise being kept, or the destructive power of a promise being broken? Have you ever struggled to trust a promise made by God in the Bible?

  2. Read Genesis 15:1-5. What question does Abram ask of God, and what does it tell us about his own sense of helplessness?

  3. Read Genesis 15:6. Why is this verse remarkable in the context of Abram’s immediate ‘crisis’ of having no heir? Why is righteousness predicated upon faith (for help, see Romans 4:13-25)?

  4. Read Gen 15:7-11. Much of what we read in these verses can be attributed to ancient Hebrew ritual. Why would God use human cultural containers (like an ancient near east covenant) to deliver eternal truth?

  5. Read Genesis 15:12-21. What new information does the Lord impart in this address (see previous addresses at Gen 12:1-3, 7; Gen 13:14-17, Gen 15:1, 4-5)?

  6. The deep darkness, fire and smoke are images meant to convey the holy presence of God. Why is it important that God walks between the covenant animals alone while Abram sleeps? In what ways does this story prefigure the work of Jesus on the cross?

  7. Why is it difficult for many of us to acknowledge our helplessness before God? What do we gain by being helpless? How can you pray for one another in this regard?

Robb EsperatComment