Reading

• Gen. 15:1-17:27

Devotional

In these chapters GOD makes several promises:

1. To be Abram’s shield and exceedingly great reward (15:1).
2. An heir to Abram (15:4).
3. Abram’s descendents would become as numerous as the stars (15:5).
4. A land to Abram’s descendents (15:7).
5. Abram’s descendents would dwell in a foreign land four generations (15:13-16).
6. To multiply Hagar’s descendents so that they cannot be counted (15:10).
7. Hagar would have a son who would be a wild man (15:11-12).
8. Abram would be a father of many nations (17:6).
9. To establish His covenant with Abraham and his descendents forever (17:7).
10. To bless Sarah, give her a son, and that kings would come from her (17:16).
11. To make twelve princes from Ishmael and to make him a great nation (17:20).

How could GOD know that all these things would happen? Because He knows everything and because He can look forward into the future like you and I can look in the past and see what happened before.

Of all these promises, one is especially interesting.

On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates…”
(Gen. 15:18)

In this case GOD speaks of future events as though they have already happened. How can this be? The answer is that when GOD speaks—when He promises—the thing will happen. No one is more powerful than Him, so no one can prevent what He says from happening. And since He loves us and has our best interest at heart, what could be more comforting?