Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?””
(Genesis 15:8)

This is further investigation by Abram in order to find out the hows. He isn’t asking why. He is asking for what he should be looking for in order to fully know that this is what will happen. This isn’t unbelief because God just told us (verse 6) that Abram believed Him. This is asking for something to hold onto when doubts try to rise. This is not seeking a sign, but looking for the evidence of the promise that Abram can hold onto no matter what is happening around him. It is like asking a question for information, instead of asking because you don’t believe what you’ve heard.

It’s possible Abram wasn’t just asking on his behalf, but also because of the unknowns involving his descendants. The sage Sforno writes: ‘במה אדע, for possibly my descendants will sin and forfeit their claim to this land.’

The sage Kli Yakar writes: ‘Regarding this matter that Abram asked about, many have wondered why he requested a sign regarding the inheritance of the land but did not ask for a sign regarding the promise of offspring. I raise an additional question: Why didn’t he ask for a sign about the land immediately when the Holy One, blessed be He, first told him To your offspring I will give this land (Genesis 12:7)? There are many opinions regarding these questions. I say that the sign he requested was not because Abram doubted God’s promise, but rather because he wanted the Holy One, blessed be He, to make a covenant with him to remove any potential claimants or challengers. For earlier, when God said to him I will give to your offspring, it implied just a gift, and for this Abram did not seek a covenant, because who would challenge a gift given by God, as the world and everything in it belongs to Him, and He can give the land to whomever He wishes. However, after God said to him to give you this land to inherit it (Genesis 15:7), this giving that He mentioned implies inheritance. This is because when Noah divided the land among his sons, he gave the land of Canaan to the sons of Shem, and now it was coming to him as an inheritance. Then Abram thought that perhaps Shem’s other heirs would contest their portion, for the sons of Shem were Elam, Arpachshad, Ashur, Lud, and Aram. Since Abram descended from Arpachshad, perhaps the other sons of Shem would contest the inheritance. Therefore he said, How shall I know that I will inherit it? (Genesis 15:8) — What is the sign that I alone am the heir without contest? The answer came to him: Take for me a three-year-old heifer (Genesis 15:9). Just as God made an eternal salt covenant with Aaron to remove Korach’s challenge, so too God made a covenant with Abram to remove all claimants and challengers, for it was customary in those times that all who made covenants would pass between the pieces, as is known.’

The sage Steinsaltz writes: ‘He said: My Lord God, how shall I know that I shall inherit it? This statement does not indicate a lack of faith in the fulfillment of God’s promise. However, the promise would come to pass only for Abram’s descendants, none of whom had yet been born, while in the present there was no practical expression of his possession of the land. Hence, Abram requested some sort of assurance or deed that would serve as a confirmation and reinforcement of the covenant.’