After running roughshod over a bunch of nations, and snubbing the powerful but evil king of Sodom, Abram is probably coming down from his battle high into reality. There is probably a certain level of fear setting in at the beginning of chapter 15. Who knows who is plotting revenge against him? Against Lot? Against his people? It is for this reason that God offers some of the most relieving words of encouragement and strength I have read to this date:
"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."
Wow, now that is an amazing verse. I claim this verse as well. Abram was a man who walked with God and called on His name everywhere he went. God was right there on time with words Abram needed to hear, right when he needed to hear them.
Sometimes, those words aren't enough for us though. In spite of God saying that directly to Abram, still he managed to bring up the fact that he was still childless. How like me! Even though I sometimes read what I need to hear, it's not enough for me. I still find something else to trouble me.
Maybe it was the fact that these nations were probably plotting against him that made him face his own mortality. And if he were to die, he would have no heir. I'm finding out that heirs are pretty important to these people of old. He didn't really want his riches and property to go Eliezer, his servant. Nothing personal, Eliezer.
God doesn't lose His mind over this, as I'm sure I would be exasperated. Instead God gently reiterates His promise from back in chapter 12: That he would become a great nation. Someone from Abram's own seed would carry on his bloodline. God brought him outside, and gave Abram a visual object lesson. "Count the stars, if you can," God asks him. "This will be like your offspring." Abram believed, and that's what God called righteousness. God was the one who brought him out of Ur, and kept His promises so far. God then promised Abram the land from the Nile to the Euphrates. Basically all of the Middle East that wasn't sand as far as the eye could see.
"See this land? It's going to be yours."
"Yeah, but...how do I know?" I don't think Abram was being belligerent or faithless here, he was just honest with his questions before God. The promise of wealth is an exciting one, and its natural to be cynical.
God seems to take it in stride, and what follows is a rather bizarre sequence of events to cement this land covenant. God commanded Abram to bring Him a 3-year-old calf, goat, and ram, and a turtledove and pigeon. Abram cut the calf, goat and ram in half and separated them, but didn't cut up the birds. I'm guessing it had to do with the sacrificial "cleanliness" of the animals. Sure enough, vultures came, and Abram drove them away. The birds would have undoubtedly fouled the "clean" sacrifices. Abram prevented the clean from becoming unclean.
Later that evening, Abram fell asleep, and the KJV says a "horror of great darkness fell upon him." God was going to reveal the bad news - good news segment of His promise.
The good news: Abram would have offspring.
The bad news: Said offspring would be a stranger in a strange land.
The very bad news: Offspring would be enslaved.
The awfully very bad news: Offspring would be subject to these other people for 400 years.
The good news: God will judge the enslaving nation.
The very good news: Abram's people will come out of it with great wealth and substance.
The awfully very good news: Abram will go peacefully to his forefathers, after a long life.
But not yet...the Amorites apparently weren't done being baked to a good evil yet.
When the sun went down, a smoking firepot and torch passed between the halves of the animals Abram had slain. I suppose that with the fire, the covenant will be made true, will be made firm between the two sides (God and Abram? Or Man?) So far, God has made covenants with Adam, Noah, and Abram. And to some extent, Cain.
God tells Abram He will give him the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, and the Rephaims, the Amorites, the Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites. Woo!
Questions for God:
1. What was with that sacrifice?
2. What did you think when Abram asked how he could be sure that you would give him this land?
3. Where were all the -ites going to go?
Monday, November 05, 2007
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1 comment:
One of the great things about this covenant is that it was unconditional—while Abram prepares all the fixins for the sacrifices, he doesn't actually walk through them (which he normally would've done, had he been awake).
I guess what I assume about the ritual dividing of the animals is that it's a warning to the covenant breaker: if you break the covenant, you'll be split in two just like these animals. As covenants go, it's pretty powerful.
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