TLDR: A guide for having a family discipleship time on Genesis 15 based on the ACT Bible Study Method.
Act 3: God Promises Jesus
Scene 4: Abraham Is Given a Covenant from God
Genesis 15:1–21
Analyze the Passage
Step 1: Introduce the Passage
Genesis was written by Moses sometime between 1445–1405 BC to help the Israelites leaving Egypt understand their history with God. It’s one of the five books of the Law that Moses wrote, which we also call the Torah, or the Pentateuch, which means “five books.”
Today’s true story is one that shows us God doesn’t forget his promises. Ever. The promise he made to Abram in Genesis 12 still stands. And finally Abram will believe God in faith. This story is in Act 3: God Promises Jesus.
Step 2: Read the Passage
Step 3: Summarize the Passage
God appeared to Abram in a vision and told him he would protect and reward him. Abram responded by asking how this would be since he still did not have a son to be his heir.
God replied that he would give Abram a son. He told him to go outside and look at the stars and try to count them. He’d have more descendants than there are stars.
Abram believed God and God credited that faith as righteousness.
God then reminded Abram of the promise he had made to give him the land and Abram asked how he could know it was his. God told him to take a cow, a goat, a ram, a dove, and a pigeon. Abram cut each of the first three in half and placed the halves apart from each other.
At night, Abram fell asleep and had a frightening dream. God told him that his descendants would be enslaved for 400 years but God would judge the nation that enslaves them and return them to the land with many possessions. He told Abram that he would live a long life.
Then, a smoking firepot with a flame passed between the animal parts. God made a covenant with Abram promising to give him the land.
Step 4: Interrogate the Passage
Questions you and your family ask might include:
- Who was Eliezer of Damascus?
- What does it mean that God credited Abram’s belief as righteousness?
- Did Abram know what to do with the animals on his own, or did God tell him?
- Why were the animals three years old?
- Why weren’t the birds cut in half?
- Why was Abram afraid as he slept?
- What is God talking about concerning Abram’s descendants being slaves for 400 years?
- What does the sin of the Amorites have to do with God’s plans to bring Abram’s people back from this captivity?
- What does the smoking firepot and flaming torch passing through the animals mean?
- Was this a different covenant, or a reminder of the one God had made in Genesis 12?
Step 5: Wonder about the Passage
Wonder statements you and your family make might include:
- I wonder what Abram’s vision was like.
- I wonder if God was upset that Abram kept asking him questions.
- I wonder if Abram tried to count the stars.
- I wonder why Abram finally believed God here.
- I wonder if Abram was confused by his dream.
Connect the Passage to Christ
Step 6: Find the World in Front of Text
God had already promised Abram that he would have a large family, that the land he was in would be given to him, and that he would be blessed (Gen. 12:1–3). But when God reminded him of this promise, Abram doubted. God’s response was patient and kind. He addressed Abram’s concerns and made further promises to Abram. This shows us the generous nature of God. This is how God wants to be with his people. He wants to bless us. He wants us to experience goodness. He wants us to trust him and follow him.
God was going to give Abram that family and that land. He had already begun blessing him. But here, we see God’s great generosity in giving Abram the greatest blessing there is: salvation. Verse 6 is considered Abram’s conversion. It is when he trusted in God and was saved. That is how God crediting righteousness to Abram’s faith is all about. Abram will still struggle in his faith after this. He will still sin. But from this point forward, he is in right relationship with God and is forgiven. This is the most generous thing God can do for us.
Step 7: Find the World of Jesus of the Text
God gave Abram a family. He gave him a land. And he gave him salvation. He has done all this for us when we trust in Jesus. When we place faith in Jesus, we are made part of God’s family—the church. We are given a new home—the new heavens and earth that will be made one day. And we experience the priceless blessing of being forgiven of our sins and being made right with God.
Translate It to Your Context
Step 8: Connect the World of Jesus of the Text to Your World
How can you be amazingly generous with someone this week to show them Jesus? Who might you be generous toward, how might you do it, and when might you do it?
NEXT: Act 3: God Promises Jesus; Scene 5: Ishmael Is Born (Genesis 16:1–16)
Learn more about this family discipleship method here.
brian dembowczyk 