Topical Bible: Vision of Abraham: Concerning his Descendants

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The Vision of Abraham concerning his descendants is a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative, encapsulating God's covenantal promises to Abraham and setting the stage for the unfolding of salvation history. This vision is primarily recorded in Genesis 15, where God reassures Abraham of His promises and establishes a covenant with him.

Context and Background

Abraham, originally named Abram, is a central figure in the Book of Genesis. Called by God to leave his homeland and journey to a land that God would show him, Abraham is promised that he would become a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3). Despite this promise, Abraham and his wife Sarah remain childless, which becomes a source of concern and doubt for Abraham.

The Vision in Genesis 15

In Genesis 15, God appears to Abraham in a vision to reaffirm His promises. The chapter begins with God speaking to Abraham: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward" (Genesis 15:1). Despite this assurance, Abraham expresses his concern about having no offspring, questioning what God will give him since he remains childless and his heir is Eliezer of Damascus (Genesis 15:2-3).

God responds by taking Abraham outside and instructing him to look at the stars, saying, "Look now at the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them. Then He declared, 'So shall your offspring be'" (Genesis 15:5). This promise of innumerable descendants is a profound assurance of God's faithfulness and the future establishment of a great nation through Abraham.

Covenant Ceremony

Following the vision, God formalizes His promise through a covenant ceremony. Abraham is instructed to bring specific animals, which he cuts in half and arranges opposite each other. As the sun sets, a deep sleep falls upon Abraham, and God reveals to him the future of his descendants, including their enslavement and eventual liberation (Genesis 15:12-14).

In a dramatic display, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the pieces of the animals, symbolizing God's presence and His unilateral commitment to the covenant. "On that 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 Euphrates'" (Genesis 15:18).

Significance

The vision and covenant with Abraham are foundational to the biblical narrative, underscoring themes of faith, promise, and divine sovereignty. Abraham's belief in God's promise is credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), highlighting the importance of faith in the relationship between God and His people.

This vision not only reassures Abraham of his future progeny but also foreshadows the broader redemptive plan of God, ultimately fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham, through whom all nations would be blessed. The promise of land, descendants, and blessing becomes a central theme throughout Scripture, shaping the identity and mission of the people of Israel and the Church.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 15:1-17
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am your shield, and your exceeding great reward.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

From Abraham to Egypt.
... with a renewal of the promises which Abraham had received ... His vision at Bethel taught
him that Jehovah his God was ... Jacob we have also the lessons concerning Esau ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter iv from abraham to.htm

Chapter xlvi
... All the promises since Abraham concerning the ultimate possession of ... Abraham's going
to that land had led to ... answer comes "in a night vision." Hebrew: plural ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlvi.htm

A Calm Evening, Promising a Bright Morning
... the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac ... Possibly Joseph's 'commandment concerning
his bones may have been ... sound the exhortation, 'If the vision tarry, wait ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/a calm evening promising a.htm

Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
... they, along with the living creatures concerning which he ... was a renovation of that
established with Abraham. ... graciously presented before him the vision of the ...
/.../the ordinance of covenanting/chapter xii covenanting performed in.htm

The Millennium in Relation to Israel.
... The vision of the smoking furnace and the burning ... Here, then, we learn God's purpose
concerning the chosen ... has been given unconditionally to Abraham and his ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/4 the millennium in relation.htm

Chapter xxii
... Most likely it was in a vision by night. ... of them Rebekah is to be found, concerning
whose identity ... used with Milcah signifies that just as Abraham's wife had ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxii.htm

Summary view of the Pre-Existence and Divinity of Our Saviour and ...
... called the name of that place "Vision of God ... of thy fathers, the God of Abraham,
and the ... clearly through Solomon the following mysteries concerning herself: "I ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter ii summary view of the.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... of Tabernacles was first celebrated by Abraham at Beersheba ... further solemnised by
Jacob after his vision at Bethel ... Thus concerning the speech of the serpent, it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

Scenes in the Lives of the Patriarchs.
... was soon lost from her straining vision among the ... years fled, the good old Abraham
died, and ... He repeated the interrogation concerning his name, then embracing ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/scenes in the lives of.htm

Introduction
... 17. Abraham's Second Marriage and His Death (25:1-11 ... Dismissal from Home and His
First Vision (27:46 ... a knowledge of the essentials concerning his creation, his ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/introduction.htm