Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
God’s Covenant with Abram
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, 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 Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you 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 turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, 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 descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,
Reflection
The word comes to Abram in a vision. How many people hear the word of God in visions? It seems God comes to so many in the deepest thoughts of their lives. The kingdom is promised first to Abram. The kingdom comes in front of the promise of an heir. But how can this be? God brings to Abram a promise first and his gracious acts second. The kingdom is the promise the act of the heir comes second. God reassures Abram that this is not a problem. God can handle it. And Abram believed God. A belief that brings with it a trust in what God can do. After all; look at the stars in the sky. God can do this... he can do anything.
And then something strange took place to seal the promise. Once again Abram falls into a deep sleep. God is present in the fire and the smoke. Just as will be the case so many times as this great kingdom of people that Abram will birth, witnessed in the wilderness. God in the pillar of fire and the cloud. God passes through the sacrifices that Abram brought to offer.
Jesus passes through our sin. Jesus the sacrifice for our sin and God passes through the midst of Jesus as smoke and fire. God is present in the midst of the sacrifice. God is present in the midst and brings forgiveness to all who believe. All who trust in the promise, the Word, the action of God will be saved. A kingdom as numerous as the stars in the sky.
God has made a promise. And in this promise Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise that surpasses race and geography to include all who believe.
Prayer
God of Abram, come to all your children and lead us. Show us the direction and bring us to that promised land. We are your people and you alone are our God... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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