4, 5. (5) What promise did the Lord make to him at Shechem? Vs. 6, 7. (6) How did he show his faith in the Lord both here and at Bethel? Vs. 7, 8. Note 1. (7) How was the Lord's promise repeated in Gen. 13:14-16? (8) What did the Lord tell him to do? V. 17. (9) How did Abram here at Hebron again show his faith? V. 18. (10) When Abram's faith began to waver, what did the Lord say to him in a vision? Gen. 15:1. See also verses 2-4. (11) How did the Lord renew the promise at this time? V. 5. (12) How did Abram regard the Lord's promise? How did the Lord regard his faith? V. 6. (13) What statement did the Lord now make to him? V. 7. (14) What question did Abram ask? V. 8. (15) What did the Lord tell him to do? V. 9. (16) How did Abram now show his faith? Vs. 10, 11. (17) What took place at the time of the evening sacrifice? What did Abram see? V. 12. Of what was this a prophecy?—The bondage in Egypt. (18) How did the Lord interpret the vision? Vs. 13-16. Note 2. (19) How did the Lord further answer the faith of Abram? V. 17. (20) What covenant was confirmed by this act? V. 18. See also Neh. 9:7, 8. (21) After this act of faith on Abram's part, in which the Lord 'counted it to him for righteousness,' and his faith in the promise had faltered, the Lord appeared to him with what statement? What all-sufficient reason did the Lord give Abram for being perfect?—'I am the Almighty God.' Gen. 17:1. (22) On what condition only could the covenant be made with Abram? Vs. 1, 2. On what condition can it be made with us?—Perfection. (23) How was Abram affected by the presence of God? V. 3. (24) What reassurance did the Lord again give him? What change was made in Abram's name? Why? Vs. 4-6. (25) How broad was the covenant now made in time and extent? V. 7, 8. (26) Who are the seed of Abraham? Gal. 3:7; Rom. 8:17; 9:6-8. (27) What was this everlasting covenant? Note 3. (28) What was the token of it? Gen. 17:11.
Suggestive Readings.—'Patriarchs and Prophets,' pp. 125-138, 370, and 371; Gen. 16 and 17:9-27; 'Spirit of Prophecy,' Vol. 1, pp. 93-97.
NOTES.
1. Called on the name of the Lord.—Young translates, 'preacheth in the name of Jehovah.' So also in chapter 13:4. It shows that wherever Abram went he proclaimed the Gospel. Some of his company were converts, 'souls that they had gotten in Haran.' Chapter 12:5.
2. Four hundred years, including the sojourning in Canaan.—From Ex. 12:40 we learn that the children of Israel sojourned 430 years. From the time that Jacob went into Egypt until the day that the children of Israel left there was 215 years, so that the sojourn in the land of Canaan after Abram came out of Ur of the Chaldees was 215 years.
3. The covenant of promise, the Adamic, the Abrahamic.—The new covenant, is the covenant of grace which was made with Adam, with Noah, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with David, with all the holy men of old, and finally with all the children of faith, who become heirs and joint heirs with Christ of the promised possession through the blood of that same everlasting covenant. God, His character, His law, His government, is perfect; and this necessitates perfect obedience on the part of all His subjects. This, however, fallen man in and of himself alone could not render; therefore, before God demanded it of Adam, of Abraham, or of any of their seed, He made known to them the source of their power. He prefaced His requirements with, 'I am the Almighty God.' Abraham understood what this meant, 'because,' as He, the Lord, said, 'Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.' This power is brought to us as a gift by grace in and through Christ Jesus, the perfect Sacrifice. To Him was given all power in heaven and on earth; and when He came He is represented as being 'full of grace and truth;' 'and of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.' 'The wages of sin is death,' but 'where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.' 'By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.' When Christ came to seek and save that which was lost, He left His glory with His Father; He came in the likeness of sinful flesh, bearing the sins of many, that while in the flesh we might go from grace to grace; when made perfect, like Him, through sufferings, we might be glorified together; after which it will be no longer from grace to grace but from glory to glory. The everlasting covenant, then, is the covenant of grace, of peace, of and unto perfection, unto salvation, unto glory.