How did God give Abraham the land promised in Genesis 15?
God appeared to Abraham, passed through the covenant rites Himself, and transferred the title deed of the land to Abraham. On that same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, granting the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates as an inheritance for his offspring.
Les explains that in Genesis 15 God came down and appeared to Abraham, as He often did in the Old Testament. God literally went through the rites of transferring the title deed to Abraham. After doing that, verse 18 states that in the same day He transferred the title deed of the land to Abraham, the Lord made a covenant with him, saying, "Unto thy seed I have given this land from the river of Egypt... to the great river Euphrates." Les notes that this river of Egypt is not necessarily the Nile, since another river existed a little east of the Nile. The promised boundaries extend through present-day Iraq down to the Persian Gulf. Les says this entire area will be Israel's homeland when the Kingdom is set up, because she has never had it yet. David and Solomon got part of it, but not nearly all. The day is coming when the land of Israel will cover the whole Middle East, south to the tip of the Red Sea, and over to the river of Egypt, by virtue of the tribes listed.
More Questions
When was the Law given in relation to God's promises to Abram?
The giving of the Law came after Abram came out and was given all the promises in Genesis chapters 12, 15, and 17.
How is Peter's question like Abraham in Genesis 15?
Peter's request for assurance is like Abraham's in Genesis 15, where God promised Abraham the land and other things, yet Abraham still asked, 'How do I know?'
When did God make his covenant with Abraham about the land?
On the same day that God transferred the title deed of the land to Abraham, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham saying 'unto thy seed...'.