Justin Houtz

Genesis 15-17; Luke 6

DateVersionReading Plan
January 6, 2026ESV (2016)ESV Life Journal Plan – 2026

Genesis 15-17

Observation & Interpretation

Gen. 15:3 – Abram directly attributed his childlessness to God.

  • Neither God’s protection nor his reward seemed important to elderly Abram since all his goods would go to Eliezer of Damascus, a slave born in his house. Engaging in something of a “pity party,” Abram made seven references to himself (in the Hb) in the space of twenty-two Hebrew words and twice utters the complaint that he was childless. (CSB Notes)

Gen. 15:12 – After the LORD gave Abram instruction to cut the animals in half (except the birds), a deep sleep fell upon Abram along with a “dreadful and great darkness”. This was no ordinary sleep but entailed something grave and substantive.

  • terrifying The Hebrew word used here, emah, elsewhere describes the sense of dread felt in Yahweh’s presence (see Exod 15:16; Exod 23:27; Psa 88:15; Job 13:21). In this passage, the word describes the darkness, not Abram. (FSB)

Gen. 15:12 – Abram was eighty-six when Ishmael was born to Hagar. The name Ishmael means God hears. In this case He heard Hagar’s misery. We should remember throughout this narrative that Hagar represents law whereas Sarai represents grace (see Gal. 4). (BBC)

Application

Genesis 15:12 (ESV) As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him.

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31). As we read of the harrowing circumstances of Abram’s dream, we should be reminded of our inability to stand before a holy and righteous God due to our sin and deservedness of His just wrath. Only in Christ and through the gracious covering of His righteousness are we granted welcome into His presence.

Luke 6

Observation & Interpretation

Luke 6:1 – Luke records how some of the disciples ate heads of grain on the Sabbath and rubbed them in their hands.

  • …the Pharisees, interpreting the Law strictly, held that rubbing the heads together in order to eat the grain constituted threshing, which was not allowed on the Sabbath. (BKC) Luke 6:29 – In providing instruction on the kind of self-sacrificial love His followers are to have, Jesus tells them that if someone takes their cloak, they should not withhold their tunic either. The tunic (Gk. chiton) was “a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin.” (ESV footnote). Not only were they to relinquish their outer garment, but also the garment closest to them.

Application

Luke 6:46-49 (ESV) “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

It is not only hearing Jesus’ words but doing them. James takes this a step further and speaks of how it is even self-deceptive to be hearers of the word only rather than doers (James 1:22). True Spirit-produced, gospel-transformation leads to a radically different disposition, manifesting in faithful obedience in both word and deed.

Resources