Verses 4 through 6 say, "And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness." This is the first time the Bible speaks of faith. Abraham is the father of faith. He believed God's word in a definite way, and God counted it to him for righteousness.
God told Abraham, "He that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir." This shows us that God's goal is not achieved through the many people He has gathered, but through those whom He has begotten. Those who are not begotten of God do not count; they cannot fulfill God's purpose. God's eternal purpose is fulfilled through those whom He has begotten.
God asked Abraham if he could count the stars in heaven and told him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Abraham believed in God, and God counted it to him for righteousness. As we have mentioned previously, God first had to work on one person and gain something in him before He could gain something through many others. In order for God to have many believers, He first had to gain one believer. Abraham believed in God, and God counted it to him for righteousness.
We have to pay attention to the following words: "And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?" (Gen. 15:7-8). In the beginning God said to him, "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." But Abraham said to the Lord, "I go childless." God then told him that only he who came forth out of his own bowels would be his heir, and that his seed would be as the stars in heaven. Then he asked God for more proof. He wanted to know how he could be assured that the land would be his inheritance. Abraham believed God's promise, and God acknowledged his faith. His question was not a indication of unbelief, but a request for a sign for his faith. In answering this question, God shows the believers His way of reaching His goal.
How did God answer him? Verses 9 and 10 say, "And he said unto him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not." Verse 12 says, "And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him." Verses 17 and 18 say, "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 that 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." This was God's answer.