Genesis Part 027
Abraham trusted and had faith in God. This is no small statement and is later quoted in Romans 4:3 as proof that we are brought into a right relationship with God through faith, not through something we can physically do.
While obedience to God is required, no amount of obedience can ever bring us into a right relationship (justification) with God. Justification is possible only through faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.
In Genesis 15:9-18, God makes a covenant with Abraham. There have already been several other covenants made in Genesis thus far. These include the Garden of Eden, and two with Noah (one before and one after the flood). Covenants are a major part of the Bible and form the lens through which we understand prophecy.
There is much to be said about these covenants. In the NKJV of the Bible, Genesis 15:18 says “the Lord made a covenant with Abram . . .” The Hebrew word for “made” means “to cut.” The phrase literally means “to cut a covenant.” When covenants were made in ancient times, they were made binding by killing and cutting an animal. Even in our English language, we still use the term “to cut a deal” which seems to have stemmed from this ancient practice. Non-biblical documents from the first millennium before Christ imply that the cutting of the animals represented what would happen to a person who broke the covenant.
In verse 17 it appears that the smoking furnace and burning lamp were signs of God’s presence (like the pillars of cloud and fire in Exodus). What we see here is that God is shown to have passed through the cut animals essentially promising Abraham that all this will surely happen.
Hebrews 6:13 tells us, “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.” There is no life greater than that of Almighty God. This was a powerful message to Abraham. Abraham did not pass between the animals. This promise was unconditional in that God would absolutely bring about the Savior of the world through this family line.
It’s worth noting, that the five different animals stated in verse 9 (heifer, goat, ram, turtledove and pigeon) were the same that were allowed to be sacrificed under the Mosaic law.
For more information on God's promise and covenant to Abraham, give this 7-minute article a read.
Tomorrow we will continue discussing Abraham’s faith.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
