The Bible Study Podcast, episode 658.

Today, the Bible Study podcast continues the study of the book of Genesis with chapter 15.

Welcome to the Bible study podcast from your host, Chris Christensen.

This is a key chapter within the book of Genesis, chapter 15, and it's the Lord's

covenant with Abram.

And so remember at this point, Abram was called out from Err of the Chaldeans and he was called to follow God and it wasn't very clear what he was called to do but he was called to go down to Canaan and he was told he was going to be given this land and since then he's been told that his descendants will be as many as the sands of the seashore,

but he has no descendants. And so this chapter goes like this. After this, the word of the

Lord came to Abram in a vision. Do not be afraid to Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.

But Abram said, sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless?

And the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus. And Abrams said, you have given me no

children, so a servant in my household will be my heir. Then the word of the Lord came to him,

this man will not be your heir,

but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.

He took him outside and said,

Look up at the sky and count the stars if indeed you can count them.

Then he said to him, so shall your offspring be.

Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited to him as righteousness.

He also said to him, I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.

But Abram said, sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?

So the Lord said to him, bring me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.

Abram brought all these to him,

cut them in two, and arranged the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut in

...