FBCHS Bible Study- "A Promise of Land"

"A Promise of Land"

Genesis 15:7-21

Tonight's lesson consists entirely of an extended encounter between the Lord and Abram, the man who will later be renamed Abraham. This concludes with the formal establishment of God's covenant promise to Abram: to give him and his descendants the land of Canaan.
The chapter begins with the "word of the Lord" coming to Abram in a vision. This arrives with reassurance to Abram about God's continued commitment to him: Don't be afraid. I am your shield. Your reward will be great. Abram, though, takes the opportunity of this visitation from the Lord to ask some hard questions. He is curious about God's repeated promises to him.

Abram believes God. This statement, from Genesis 15:6, is one of the key verses in all of the Bible. Abram's belief in God is credited to him as righteousness. In the New Testament, both Paul and James quote this verse (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23), making it a cornerstone of the Christian teaching that God's acceptance of us comes by His grace and through our faith.