Genesis

God cuts the covenant with Abram

Genesis is a fascinating book.  It is the first book of the Bible and covers the largest span of history of any of the books- almost 2,300 years.  Moses is often thought to be the author. 

It opens with God’s account of creation, which He calls “good.” This perfect utopia does not last long, however. Sin is introduced into the world by the people He made and all of creation is subsequentially cursed. The thick, black grime of sin spreads like oil lit ablaze, smothering everything from dust to the blood of mankind. Nothing is spared. The curse is so severe, so all-encompassing, only the original Creator Himself can redeem it.

The story continues to unfold in dozens of tales of how man’s heart leads him further and further from the reality of walking in perfect friendship with the Holy God. Many theologians spend their lifetimes unpacking the intricacies of Genesis, tracing the details of each story and connecting them to the entirety of Scripture. Some parts of the book leave us with questions that may not be answered until we once again walk with God in the cool of the day and ask Him face to face. Because dissecting Genesis is a lifetime of work, it is impossible to cover every important story in one blog. So today, we’ll focus on one of the most important and intriguing passages in its pages. This story sets the stage for every future book to unfold.

Let’s start in Genesis 15- an especially interesting chapter as it details the peculiar intricacies of God’s covenant with Abram (later known as Abraham).

“After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O LORD GOD, what will You give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezar of Damascus?’  And Abram said, ‘Behold, You have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.’ And behold, the word of the LORD came to him; ‘This man shall not be your heir.’ And He brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ And he believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness.”

Genesis 15: 1-6

Abram has lived an eventful life until this point.  God called him to leave Ur, a large, highly advanced city believed to even have running water, to live in tents until he arrives in an undisclosed land. He rescued Lot from captivity, and was blessed by Melchizedek, priest of God Most High. After these adventures, God comes to him in a vision and promises miraculous things.

The first thing we notice is that God tells Abram not to fear, a common reassurance when God’s people are faced with the divine.  He then promises to be his shield, for Abram faced many opponents in his life, and that his reward would be great. This comes on the heels of a story of Abram’s refusal of Sodom’s spoils, but God promises a reward of His own.

“And He said to him, ‘I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.’ But he said, ‘O LORD God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ He said to him, ‘Bring Me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ And he brought Him all these, cut them in half and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.”

Genesis 15:7-11

God finishes the beginning of His conversation by telling Abram to look at the stars in the heavens. It is likely that Abram is standing outside at night when God starts to speak, and he spends the following day gathering and butchering the specified animals.  God’s instructions for worship and sacrifice are always detailed, as we will see in coming books. Commentators think the age requirements for the mammals to be three years of age was to signify their prime age of maturity and health- a considerable and costly sacrifice for their owner to slaughter them at this stage.

A common custom in this time for two parties making a covenant with one another was to slaughter an animal, split the carcass in half, and both men walk between the two halves.  This was as to say, “Let it be done to me as these animals if I break this oath.” Abram no doubt knew his obligation was to pass through the dead bodies to uphold his end of the promise but note that no conditions have been demanded of him.  God Himself has been the One listing the vows in this narrative.

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

Genesis 15:12-16

Abram has waited all day, chasing away predatory birds hungry for animal carcasses, until the Lord arrives at sunset.  The account says that a deep sleep falls on Abram.  Interestingly, this is the same language used when God puts Adam to sleep to fashion Eve from his rib (Genesis 2:21) and later when King Saul sleeps as David steals his belongings. (1 Samuel 26:12). A key difference in these stories though is that “dreadful and great darkness” falls upon Abram. 

Theologians differ in their speculations about this detail, but we can be assured it was unpleasant at best.  Some think Abram is foreseeing the suffering of his descendants as slaves in Egypt, others believe he is dreaming, or experiencing extreme fear as Satan begins to piece together God’s redemption plan and thus torments Abram. 

While others far more intelligent than I have contributed their thoughts, I personally imagine a paralysis nightmare that occasionally plagues people. People report terrifying dreams or sense being surrounded by the demonic but are unable to move or cry out. I imagine Abram experiencing some sort of emotional or psychological terror while being unable to physically intervene as God descends to make His presence known.

Remember, God has just instructed Abram to not fear, so it is at least plausible that there is some mixture of dark fear present as God’s goodness and glory appear in front of Abram.  This story should stir up hope in the hearts of Christians as we consider that we are at times surrounded in darkness, while simultaneously resting in faith of God’s sovereign reign.

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

Genesis 15:17-21

A smoking fire pot and flaming torch pass between rows of death. 

God misses no opportunity to show continuity through all of history. 

Visualize the description.  What do smoking fire pots and flaming torches produce other than puffs of cloudy smoke and blazing fire?

Some 500 years later, God marches Abram’s descendants out of slavery and leads them through the wilderness as a visible pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night back into the very land where Abram slumbers.

It is significant that Abram does not pass through the covenantal walk. God’s promise to save His people is not dependent in any way on Abram. Even if Abram’s faith fails, God’s faithfulness will not. Just as God set His bow in the clouds in the days of Noah as a promise not to flood the earth again, God swears against Himself that He will not go back on His word.

The stories chronicled in Genesis exist to record events of the patriarchs, but also to point us to the coming Savior. Each decade of history is leading readers to the ultimate story: God’s final salvation of His people through Jesus.

Friends, God cutting the covenant is no small story. As He clothed Eve’s nakedness, He promised that her seed would crush the head of the snake that deceived her. He shut the ark’s door behind Noah, showing that He alone rescues from destruction. And here in Genesis 15, He verbalizes His plan to create an entire new family of people from an old, barren couple. That family tree would suffer greatly under slavery and would be oppressed by many empires in generations to come.

But one day, a Son would be born. Instead of promises signed in the blood of animals, He would seal the oath eternally by pouring out all of His own.

This is why we can “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He Who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

We can go all the way to the beginning of the sacred Book and see that God makes all things right, and then He begins promising. All throughout Genesis, He fulfills those promises. And book after book, He continues. He tenderly holds our hands through each page, promising and fulfilling, expecting us to learn the pattern.

He Who promised is faithful.