Being a good man, none of these things were pleasant for Abraham.  He didn't like the king of Sodom, or all the killing, so none of these things had set well with him and his thoughts were bothering him.  In addition, he had another persistent personal problem which was incidentally related to the rescue of his nephew Lot.  He was getting on up in age and he had no children of his own.  His only blood kin that he had a relationship with was Lot, and Lot's family, whom he had just rescued from the Babylonian kings to save their very lives, and after saving them he had to return them to that awful place called Sodom.  So, he had to be disgusted with it all, but more than that, during this particular time in his life he felt sad, and possibly somewhat neglected by God because he had no children.

He had friends, and servants, and he had Sarai, his beloved, but they had no son or daughter.  Having children in those days was of paramount importance to build large and strong families for the sake of prosperity and security for themselves.  There is strength in numbers, and especially for the elders  because the children and grandchildren cared for their aged parents and grandparents when they got too old to care for themselves.  There were no poor houses or nursing homes then.

When you consider it rightly, that is the whole basis for the so-called 5th commandment that tells us to honor our father and mother.  It means to look after them, to care for them and to provide for them in addition to respecting and honoring them otherwise.  That commandment is still in force and effect today.  Consider it well you children and grandchildren.

In those days it was a pressing matter of life and death, especially for his beloved wife Sarai.  He was thinking about these things and was very much disturbed by them as you will see.

God respected and loved Abraham and sought to comfort him, but before we get into that something else needs to be mentioned first.  You will find throughout this short chapter that the author used the name of God extensively     and that name is Yahweh which is translated LORD in the text by the King James translators.

I covered this in chapter 12 but will do so again here.  Consider the following verse from the book of Exodus where God is talking to Moses.

Gen. 15:3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

Seed is used but really means children, specifically a son, or sons to become heirs.  Abraham was at least 80 years old now and as yet had no children of his own.  Lot and his family was all that he had of near kin with the exception of his wife Sarai.

Gen. 15:4 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.

Here God gives his beloved servant, and friend, a definite promise to ease his pain.

Abraham, at around 80 years of age, was old by our standards today in years, but he actually was not like an old man physically.  In our time now most males are deceased before they attain 80 years of age, but things were different then, people were more active and they ate less.  And, the food was not processed like it is today, it was mostly prepared fresh daily which is  definitely better for human health and longevity.  In other words, Abraham was probably still reasonably young and strong for his age, and quite capable of producing children.  As it turned out, Abraham later had many children and became the father of many nations.

He ultimately lived to the ripe old age of 175 years, so if you if you look at his physical condition at about 80, compared with modern males who live on average about 75 years or so, he would be the equivalent of someone in their thirties, or perhaps early forties.  Of course that is only guesswork, but suffice to say that he would still be reasonably young and strong comparatively speaking.  Regardless, he felt time was running out for him and he was anxious about it all.

Gen. 15:5 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.

The DNA of Abraham is in hundreds of millions of people today, and possibly more, up to a quarter of the Earth's human population.  Most of western civilization carries his genes to one degree or the other.

Many sermons have been preached on this verse and the faith of Abraham.  Remember, thus far his life has been one of uncertainty and moving about with a high degree of danger always present.  He believed that his Friend in the vision     El Shadday as he knew Him     was going to keep his word and protect him and his house regardless of where he wandered, or the danger involved.
 

The next 10 verses to me are suspect, so I will not comment on them individually.  The next logical verse following verse 7 is verse 18. 

Gen. 15:9 And he said unto him, Take me an 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.

Gen. 15:10 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.

Gen. 15:11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

Gen. 15:13 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;

Gen. 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

Gen. 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

The area commonly known as the land of Canaan, had been previously allocated to a descendant of Shem by the great land division agreement that took place in the days of Peleg.  Abraham was a descendant of Shem, and God gave it specifically to Abraham's progeny here in this verse.

Gen. 15:19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

Gen. 15:20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,