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Genesis 15:1-18
(Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18)
(Genesis 15:1-6)
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• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Hebrew Interlinear Bible, WLCv, WLC5, CHES, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Hebrew text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition and sermons.
  • Bereshit 15: Massoretic, Hebrew, Aramaic, JPS.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • Navigating the Bible: Text/Rabbinic commentary and Divrei Torah.
  • Chapter X of The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Clement of Rome (ca. 96).
  • Chapter XIII of the Epistle of Barnabas. (ca. 130)
  • III.IX.1, IV.VII.2, V.XXXII.2, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
  • Chapter II, Adversus Judaeos, Tertullian (c. 198)
  • V.1, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • Chapter VI, On Patience, Tertullian (c. 202)
  • V.X, Against Celsus, Origen. (c.246)
  • XI.17, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Origen. (c.247)
  • I.4, Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius of Caesarea, (c. 320).
  • Rashi's Commentary, c. 1075. chabad.org.
  • From Calvin's Commentary on Genesis.
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "This was the old custom in making covenants, Jer 39:18, to which God added these conditions, that Abram's posterity would be as torn in pieces, but after they would be rejoined: also that it would be assaulted, but yet delivered."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
    • "The smoking furnace and the burning lamp, probably represented the Israelites' severe trials and joyful deliverance, with their gracious supports in the mean time."
  • From Wesley's Notes.
    • "I am thy shield - Or, emphatically, I am a shield to thee, present with thee, actually defending thee. The consideration of this, that God himself is, a shield to his people, to secure them from all destructive evils, a shield ready to them, and a shield round about them, should silence all perplexing fears."
  • "Justification by Faith Illustrated by Abram's Righteousness: Genesis 15:6," Charles H. Spurgeon, 1868.
    • "Why did Abram fear? Partly because of the reaction which is always caused by excitement when it is over. He had fought boldly and conquered gloriously, and now he fears. Cowards tremble before the fight, and brave men after the victory."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "When the excitement of the enterprise was over, he had become a prey to despondency and terror at the probable revenge that might be meditated against him. To dispel his fear, he was favored with this gracious announcement. Having such a promise, how well did it become him (and all God's people who have the same promise) to dismiss fears, and cast all burdens on the Lord."
• Contemporary References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • Commentary, Terence E. Fretheim, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2016.
    • "This text is best interpreted with the entirety of Genesis 15 in view.."
  • Commentary, Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (Lent 2C), Williaam Yarchin, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2016.
    • "Our lesson bears the markings of a prophetic mindset that wants to take the ancient covenant traditions seriously, and aims to grasp what those traditions might mean for a later generation."
  • The Truett Pulpit, Dr. Stephen B. Reid, 2016.
    • "The theme of divine providence drips from most every word of this passage."
  • The Center for Excellence in Preaching, resources from Calvin Theological Seminary: Comments & Observations, Textual Points, Illustration Ideas, 2016.
  • A Plain Account, Wesleyan Lectionary Commentary, Shawna Songer Gaines, 2016.
  • Pulpit Fiction, podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2016.
  • Commentary, Genesis 15:1-6, Sara Koenig, Pentecost 12C Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013.
    • "The brevity of this text belies its theological weight: in just six verses, we have messages about the reliability and timing of God's promises, lessons about prayer, and a verse so packed with import that it is quoted in two New Testament passages as a lynchpin for understanding the relationship between faith and works."
  • Children of Abraham, excellent links and interviews (including an interview with Bruce Feiler, Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths) at On Being with Krista Tippet.
    • "We explore the story of Abraham in several traditions and why he might be important for people in our time. The hour also includes readings from the Bible and the Qur'an as well as music from the likes of Bob Dylan and Benjamin Britten on the figure of Abraham."
  • "Learning Faith," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer, 2016.
    • "When we face our questions, or perhaps even better, when we voice our questions to God, we give ourselves at least the chance of growing in our faith. "
  • "Imitating Abraham: Strangers in a Strange Land," Pentecost 12, Daniel B. Clendenin, The Journey with Jesus: Notes to Myself, Journey with Jesus Foundation, 2013.
  • "Count the Stars," Michael Coffey, 2013.
  • "Abraham the Gypsy," Beth Scibienski, A Thousand Words of Inspiration, 2013.
  • "Where There's Smoke," Linda Fabian Pepe, Theological Stew, 2013.
    • "...So-Abe takes the news- but he takes it with the realization that everything he does now, is for the generations to come..."
  • Commentary, Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (Lent 2C), Ralph W. Klein, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013.
    • "Genesis 15 recognizes that it is sometimes hard to believe when we are in bad situations. But God addresses our bad situations with promises that ring true to our needs, just as God doubled down on the promises to Abraham and Sarah."
  • "The Land's Dangerous Gift," John C. Holbert, Opening the Old Testament, 2013.
    • "In the heart of Judaism, there lies the seed of a lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors."
  • "Promise and Response: the Spiritual Practice of Relationship," Melissa Bane Sevier, Contemplative Viewfinder, 2010.
    • "The season of Lent reminds us that God has reached out to us.  And we turn to one another in response, looking for those in need, caring for those at hand, loving those closest to us."
  • Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (Lent 2), Genesis 15:1-6, Studies on Old Testament texts from Series C, Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
  • "Blessed Light," Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Paul Jaster, Sabbatheology, Crossings Community, 2010.
    • "When promise-trusters do their job and give witness to Jesus who is God's light (God's leading star, the Son), then they become lights as well through words and sacramental acts and care and service."
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Faith in the Old Testament: Pentateuch and Prophets for Pentecost, Mark Hillmer, Word & World Texts in Context, 1998.
    • "When God demurs and denies our prayers, it is only and always because he has something much better in mind."
  • Commentary, Genesis 15:1-6, Jacqueline E. Lapsley, Pentecost 11C Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
    • "To understand the divine promises to Abraham here in Genesis 15, it is helpful to step back and look at what has been happening in Genesis up to this point."
  • Commentary, Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (Lent 2C), W. Dennis Tucker, Jr., Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
    • "Perhaps the Lenten season affords us the chance to reflect upon our own lives and in so doing, it allows us to hear the beckoning of God to live a faithful life?one that is leaning forward into the vision of God for the world, knowing full well that such a vision may extend to a horizon far beyond our own lives."
  • Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, The Old Testament Readings: Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia.
    • "We see in Abraham one who lives in the tension between trust and anxiety. Faith, which is reckoned to be righteousness, is precisely that."
  • "Faith or Insanity?" Nadia Bolz-Weber, The Hardest Question, 2010.
    • "What separates the great heroes of the faith from those who got it wrong?"
  • "Promise and Response: the Spiritual Practice of Relationship," Melissa Bane Sevier, Contemplative Viewfinder, 2010.
    • "The season of Lent reminds us that God has reached out to us.  And we turn to one another in response, looking for those in need, caring for those at hand, loving those closest to us."
  • Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (Lent 2), Genesis 15:1-6, Studies on Old Testament texts from Series C, Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
  • Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Commentary, Background, Insights from Literary Structure, Theological Message, Ways to Present the Text. Anna Grant-Henderson, Uniting Church in Australia.
  • "Blessed Light," Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Paul Jaster, Sabbatheology, Crossings Community, 2010.
    • "When promise-trusters do their job and give witness to Jesus who is God's light (God's leading star, the Son), then they become lights as well through words and sacramental acts and care and service."
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • "The Vision of Abraham," Larry Broding's Word-Sunday.Com: A Lectionary Resource for Catholics.
  • Parshah Lech-Lecha, text, commentary & articles from Chassidic Masters, sermons, etc from Chabad Lubavitch.
  • Parshas Lech Lecha, Divrei Torah from The Project Genesis Torah Study. Index to numerous Orthodox articles and studies on Genesis 12:1 - 17:27.
  • Parshat Lech Lecha, articles and commentary by the Jewish Community of Atlanta, at The Torah From Dixie.
  • "The Focal Point of Abram's Faith," from the Biblical Studies Foundation.
    • "Why would Abram possibly be afraid? He had just won a great victory over Chedorlaomer and the three other eastern kings (Genesis 14:14-15). Because of this, he had, no doubt, received considerable recognition, even from the pagan king of Sodom (14:17, 21-24). What fear could haunt Abram?s faith at such a time of victory?"
  • Kairos CoMotion Lectionary Discussion, Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Wesley White. "A place of conversation regarding Progressive Christianity."
    • "Trust is more basic than belief, faith, or righteousness."
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
  • Akinade, Akintunde E., "On Sacred Trust: Covenant from an African Perspective," The Living Pulpit, 2005.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Anbar, Moshe, "Genesis 15: A Conflation of Two Deuteronomic Narratives," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1982.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Azriel, Yakov, "Belief," poetry in Cross Currents, 2004.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Barrick, William D., "The Integration of Theology with Bible Translation," Master's Seminary Journal, 2001.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Begg, Christopher T., "Rereadings of the 'Animal Rite' of Genesis 15 in Early Jewish Narratives," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1988.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Buttrick, David G., "Expository Article: Genesis 15:1-18," Interpretation, 1988.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Essex, Keith H., "The Abrahamic Covenant," Master's Seminary Journal, 1999.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Fidler, Ruth, "Genesis 15: Sequence and Unity," Vetus Testamentum, 2007.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Hasel, Gerhard F., "The Meaning of the Animal Rite in Genesis 15," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1981.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
    • Wenham, G.J., "The Symbolism of the Animal Rite in Genesis: A Response to G.F. Hasel," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1982.
        EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
        EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Havrelock, Rachel, "The Myth of Birthing the Hero: Heroic Barrenness in the Hebrew Bible," Biblical Interpretation, 2008.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Hillmer, Mark, "Faith in the Old Testament: Pentateuch and Prophets for Pentecost," Word & World, 1998.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • "Homiletical Helps," Concordia Journal, 2010. (Section on this text begins on page 276)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • "Homiletical Helps on LW Series C - Old Testament," Concordia Journal, 2004. (Section on this text begins on page 246.)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Hunter, Alastair G., "Father Abraham: A Structural and Theological Study of the Yahwist's Presentation of the Abraham Material," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1986.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Kessler, Martin, "The 'Shield' of Abraham?" Vetus Testamentum, 1964.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Klein, Ralph W., "Call, Covenant, and Community: The Story of Abraham and Sarah," Currents in Theology and Mission, 1988.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Matthews, Victor H., and Frances Mims, "Jacob the Trickster and Heir of the Covenant, a Literary Interpretation," Perspectives in Religious Studies, 1985.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Muilenburg, James, "Abraham and the Nations: Blessing and World History," Interpretation, 1965.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Rendsburg, Gary A., "Notes on Genesis 15," Vetus Testamentum, 1992.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Rogers, Cleon L., Jr., "The Covenant with Abraham and Its Historical Setting," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1970.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Schmidt, Ludwig, "Genesis 15," Vetus Testamentum, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Townsend, Jeffrey L., "Fulfillment of the Land Promise in the Old Testament," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1985.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Wiseman, Donald J., "Abraham in History and Tradition," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1977.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Wollenburg, David W., "Homiletical Helps on the LW Series C - Old Testament," Concordia Journal, 2007. (Section on this text begins on p. 303)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Sermons:
• With Children:
  • Worshiping with Children, Lent 2C, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2016.
  • "Storypath Lectionary Links: Connecting Children's Literature with our Faith Story," 2016, Union Presbyterian Seminary.
  • "Abraham - Father of Many Nations," Illustrating the Story (lessons, children's sermons), coloring pages, activity sheets, crafts, children's songs. MSSS Crafts.
  • "God's Promise to Abram," The Children's Chapel.
  • The Story of Abraham and Sarah, activities & crafts for children, DLTK's Printable Crafts for Kids.
  • "God Makes a Covenant with Abraham," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
  • "God Makes a Promise to Abram," children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian Center.
  • "Journey to Faith," Jim Kerlin, childrensermons.com.
  • "Word Search on Genesis 15," Don Crownover's Bible Puzzles.
• Drama:
  • "Lot" monologue, Ross Olson.
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Clip Art, Genesis 15:17, Fr. Richard Lonsdale, Resources for Catholic Educators.
  • Clip Art Images: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú.
• Hymns and Music:
  • Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
  • Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Genesis 15:1. The Cyber Hymnal.
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
  • Abraham
• Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
  • Abraham
  • Aging
  • Promises
  • Covenant
• Study links and resources for the Book of Genesis

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