going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an
horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto
Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger
in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and
they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also
that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and
afterward shall they come out with great substance. And
thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be
buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation
they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the
Amorites is not yet full. And it came to pass, that,
when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking
furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those
pieces. In the same day the Lord made a covenant with
Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land,
from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river
Euphrates.'--GENESIS xv. 5-18.

1. Abram had exposed himself to dangerous reprisals by his victory
over the confederate Eastern raiders. In the reaction following the
excitement of battle, dread and despondency seem to have shadowed
his soul. Therefore the assurance with which this chapter opens came
to him. It was new, and came in a new form. He is cast into a state
of spiritual ecstasy, and a mighty 'word' sounds, audible to his
inward ear. The form which it takes--'I am thy shield'--suggests
the thought that God shapes His revelation according to the moment's
need. The unwarlike Abram might well dread the return of the
marauders in force, to avenge their defeat. Therefore God speaks to
his fears and present want. Just as to Jacob the angels appeared as
a heavenly camp guarding his undefended tents and helpless women;