1778. GENESIS 15

1. After these words, the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram; I am a shield to thee, thy exceeding great reward.

2. And Abram said, Lord Jehovih, what wilt Thou give me, and I am walking childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer the Damascene?

3. And Abram said, Lo to me Thou hast not given seed, and behold a son of my house is mine heir.

4. And behold the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, This one shall not be thine heir; but he that shall go forth out of thy bowels shall be thine heir.

5. And He led him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them; and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

6. And he believed in Jehovah, and He imputed it to him for righteousness.

7. And He said unto him, I am Jehovah who led thee forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land, to inherit it.

8. And he said, Lord Jehovih, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9. And He said unto him, Take thee a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

10. And he took unto him all these and divided them in the midst, and laid each part over against the other; and the birds he did not divide.

11. And the fowls came down upon the bodies, and Abram drove them away.

12. And it came to pass when the sun was going down that a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold a terror of great darkness falling upon him.

13. And He said unto Abram, Knowing thou shalt know 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.

14. And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge; and after that shall they go out with great substance.

15. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16. And in the fourth generation they shall return hither, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet consummated.

17. And it came to pass that the sun went down, and there was thick darkness; and behold a furnace of smoke, and a torch of fire that passed between those pieces.

18. In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

19. The Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite;

20. And the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim;

21. And the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.

THE CONTENTS

Here in the internal sense are continued the things concerning the Lord after He had endured in childhood the most severe combats of temptations, which were directed against the love which He cherished toward the whole human race, and in particular toward the church; and therefore being anxious concerning their future state a promise was made Him; but it was shown at the same time what the state of the church would become toward its end when it would begin to expire; but that still a new church should revive, which would take the place of the former, and the heavenly kingdom would be immensely increased.