11After this the word of the Lord After this the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision;came to Abram in a vision; “ “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great your shield, your very great reward.”reward.”22But Abram said, “ O Sovereign But Abram said, “ O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” Eliezer of Damascus?” 33And And Abram said, “You have given me Abram said, “You have given me no children, so a servant in my no children, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”household will be my heir.”

44Then the word of the Lord came Then the word of the Lord came to him: to him: ““This man will not be your heir, This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and “Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you count the stars - if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to can count them.” Then he said to him “So shall your offspring be.”him “So shall your offspring be.”

66Abram believed the Lord, and he Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as credited it to him as righteousness.righteousness.

He also said to him, “I am the He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”land to take possession of it.”

But Abram said, “O Sovereign But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”gain possession of it?”

99So the Lord said to him, “Bring So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”dove and a young pigeon.”Abram brought all these to him, Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the halves opposite each other; the birds however he did not cut in birds however he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses but Abram down on the carcasses but Abram drove them away.drove them away.

1212As the sun was setting, Abram As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, him. Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that your “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and they a country not their own and they will be enslaved and mistreated will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.come out with great possessions.

1515You, however, will go to your You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”full measure.”When the sun had set and When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between appeared and passed between the pieces.the pieces.

1818On that day the Lord made a On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates – the great river, the Euphrates – the land of the Kenites, Kenizites, the land of the Kenites, Kenizites, Kadmondites, Hittites, Perizzites, Kadmondites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites. Girgashites and Jebusites.

New International Version (NIV) New International Version (NIV) Genesis 15:1-21Genesis 15:1-21Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by BiblicaCopyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica

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11The LORD had said to Abram, The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. go to the land I will show you. 22"I "I will make you into a great nation will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be your name great, and you will be a blessing. a blessing. 33I will bless those who I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through on earth will be blessed through you.“you.“

Genesis 12:1-3Genesis 12:1-3

After this, the word of the After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." very great reward."

Genesis 15:1Genesis 15:1

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He took him outside and said, "Look He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the up at the heavens and count the stars if indeed you can count them." stars if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." offspring be." Genesis 15:5Genesis 15:5

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1616So from now on we regard no one So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. we do so no longer. 1717Therefore, if Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! has come! 1818All this is from God, who All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: reconciliation: 1919that God was that God was reconciling the world to himself in reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins Christ, not counting men's sins against them. against them.

And he has committed to us the And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. message of reconciliation. 2020We are We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God. 2121God made him who had God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the in him we might become the righteousness of God. righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:16-212 Corinthians 5:16-21New International Version (NIV) New International Version (NIV) Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by BiblicaCopyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica

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