Genesis 15 asks a timeless question: Can Abraham trust what God has promised? And more importantly, can God be trusted? The entire chapter centers on trusting God’s Word, even when it seems delayed or difficult to understand. Abraham hears God’s promise, responds with honest doubt, and is met not with judgment, but with assurance.
This passage is not just a moment in Abraham’s story—it’s a mirror for every believer. When we read the Bible, do we believe it? Does our response to Scripture show that we are trusting God’s Word? Genesis 15 invites us to explore these questions and find confidence not just in God’s words, but in His character.
So as we walk through Genesis 15, consider this: What does your interaction with God’s Word reveal about your view of God? Do you trust Him enough to believe, obey, and rest—even when you don’t understand? The answer to that question will shape your life more than any circumstance ever could.
1. Trusting God and His Word (Genesis 15:1-6)
Every believer eventually faces the same core question: Can God be trusted? Genesis 15 places Abraham at that exact crossroads. Though God had already promised land, blessing, and descendants, Abraham still wrestled with the gap between the promise and reality. In verse 2, he voices a heartfelt concern: he has no heir. But even in doubt, Abraham directs his question to God with humility and reverence—he brings his fears into the presence of the Lord.
God responds not with rebuke but with reassurance. He takes Abraham outside and invites him to count the stars, underscoring the vastness of His promise. Abraham’s response becomes one of the most pivotal verses in Scripture: “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (v.6). Abraham took God at His word. That belief—trust in God’s promise—became the basis for his right standing with God.
This belief was not merely an intellectual agreement; it was a trust deep enough to lead to obedience. Paul later points out in Romans 4 and Galatians 3 that Abraham was declared righteous not by ritual or law, but by faith alone, long before the advent of circumcision or the giving of the law at Sinai.
God’s promises demand a response. Do we merely admire His word, or do we believe it? Faith that saves also transforms. A heart that trusts God learns to walk with Him even when promises are slow to materialize.
2. Trusting God When His Word Confuses Us (Genesis 15:7-16)
God’s promises are specific, but not always immediate. In verses 7–16, God outlines how the land promise will unfold. Surprisingly, it includes suffering, delay, and death. Abraham would not inherit the land himself; his descendants would inherit it after 400 years of affliction in Egypt. Why? Because God’s justice required waiting until the Amorites’ sin reached its fullness.
This kind of delay challenges our understanding of God’s timing. Suffering, unmet expectations, and uncertainty often make us question His Word. But Scripture reminds us that trust doesn’t require complete comprehension. Peace comes not from understanding everything but from knowing and trusting the One who does.
God doesn’t live up to human timelines or expectations, but He never fails to fulfill His promises. When circumstances blur our view, His Word remains a steady anchor. Paul Tripp notes that peace is not found in control, but in confidence that God controls all things for His glory and our good.
God graciously reassures Abraham amid confusing truth. He gives clarity even when the plan includes pain. Faith must mature to the point where it clings to God’s character more than to a desired outcome.
When God’s promises seem slow or unclear, the question isn’t “Do I understand?” but “Do I trust the One who made the promise?”
3. Trusting God Because He Never Fails (Genesis 15:17-21)
In one of the most stunning scenes in Scripture, God seals His promise with a covenant ceremony. Abraham prepares the animals, expecting to walk the path himself, but instead, only God, symbolized by a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, passes between the pieces. This ancient ritual dramatized a self-imposed curse: “May I become like these animals if I break my word.”
God was binding Himself alone to fulfill His promise. Abraham contributed nothing but belief. This moment makes clear: the covenant depends entirely on God’s character, not Abraham’s performance. It points forward to the cross, where Jesus, the faithful One, took on the punishment meant for covenant-breakers.
The strength of any promise lies in the authority of the One who makes it. Since God is sovereign, holy, and unstoppable, His promises never fail. At Calvary, Jesus bore the cost of our unfaithfulness. He kept the covenant by giving Himself.
This act reveals the depth of God’s trustworthiness. He doesn’t just speak promises—He embodies them. Even when we fail, God remains faithful.
Trust in God grows not by avoiding doubt but by seeing God’s unwavering commitment to keep His Word. He does not change. He does not fail. And because of Christ, the promise is ours by faith.
Conclusion
How a person treats God’s Word reveals what they believe about God Himself. Abraham believed, and that belief became righteousness. Trust always demands a response.
So, do you trust God’s Word enough to let it shape your life? Have you trusted the living Word—Jesus Christ—for salvation? And when suffering or unmet expectations arise, does your hope rest in explanations or in the character of the One who speaks?
God has spoken through His Word and His Son. He is trustworthy. Let that truth steady your soul and strengthen your faith. Because when you trust the One who never fails, your life will display the power of unshakable hope.
