Tag: Covenant

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Genesis Chapter Sixteen, The Birth of Ishmael!

[1] Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
[2] And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
[3] And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
[4] And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
[5] And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
[6] But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
[7] And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
[8] And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
[9] And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
[10] And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
[11] And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
[12] And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
[13] And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
[14] Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
[15] And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
[16] And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

Commentary on Genesis Sixteen

After having received the promise of an heir, it was not long before Sarai, Abram’s wife, became anxious about the advancing age coming upon both herself and her husband. The promise had been given, but from a human point of view, there did not appear to be any action forthcoming! Let us learn a lesson of great value from this study in that God does not always act when we deem it prudent for Him to do so.

The Scriptures are filled abundantly with accounts of God waiting until the moment when it seems that what is in play can’t be brought to fruition by any force other than the hand of God. Many factors enter into this type of situation. Consider the next items that often play a part in such situations.

  • God desires to demonstrate His power to the world at large through what transpires.
  • There are often many diverse individuals and groups of people who are to be impacted.
  • The faith of those involved is tested through the passing of time before the action of God.
  • The circumstances through which God will demonstrate His power and wisdom must be prepared.
  • There is a direct link between prophecies given and prophesies fulfilled that must be established.

These are but a few considerations involved in a thing which God desires to bring to pass. In the case before us, the delay in fulfilling His promise of a male heir born from Abram’s loins results in Sarai’s faltering in her faith. She sets out to “help” God along in this venture by formulating a plan based upon what she can observe and what she is experiencing. It is written.

“Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
[2] And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
[3] And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.”

(Genesis 16:1-3)

The reference to an Egyptian handmaid being among those in the camp raises the question.“When was this one acquired?. Should you look back in the study of Genesis you would find that there is one time which lends itself to such an acquisition. That is found in chapter 12 where we are told the following.

“And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.”

Genesis 12:16)

As we ponder this account once again it becomes clear that the presence of Hagar in the camp was a result of Abram being in the wrong place at the wrong time. God had not told him to go to Egypt. He was in fact directed unto Canaan. Even though there was famine in the land God, having so directed Him, had committed Himself to his preservation. The journey into Egypt had resulted in nothing but trouble from the outset. Sarai, through whom the line of the promised seed of the woman was to come, had been placed in imminent danger due to the falsehood which Abram concocted going into the situation. It took a direct intervention by God to protect the holy line which would ultimately result in the coming of The Messiah.

Before us now is the fruition of that first Egyptian encounter. Take note that sin does not usually cease corrupting after one isolated incident. The effects are frequently displayed and experienced for years or even lifetimes after the first incident. Now I realize that some will object to what I have said and point out that God’s grace and The Blood of Christ cleanses us from all Sin . I do believe that to be true. However, if a man gets involved in a street fight before he comes to Christ, and loses an arm, when that man is born again he does not grow a new arm in its place. Sin leaves scars, my friend, and that is what I am addressing here.

In the chapter before us, we are witnessing the origins of the continued conflict between the descendants of the sons of Hagaar, and the coming sons of Sarai , which we are watching on the world stage of the Middle East now in the headlines of our news media. I would point out that there is a major consideration in this which is first encountered in the interaction between Adam and Eve in The garden of God, Eden.

God has clearly established the proper places of authority and responsibility in the formation of a home. It is the man of that home who must protect all the others who dwell therein, and it is the man of the home who bears responsibility for the decisions which he allows to be made within the established family and home. Adam listened to Eve and disobeyed God. Abram here repeats this reversal of roles by harkening unto Sarai and taking Hagaar, the Egyptian. God had never instructed them to do so in this matter.

Take careful note that there is a failure on the part of both Sarai and Abram in that neither of them consulted God before undertaking this deed. No one bothered to pray about the action being considered! We read the following.

And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
[4] And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
[5] And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

(Genesis 16:3-5)

Note carefully the reaction of Sarai unto the consequences of the situation which she was,in large part, guilty of orchestrating!She blamed her husband! She even went so far as to invoke God as arbitor in this matter. So often in matters where a woman involves herself in things in which she ought not be involved is this same propensity seen. The idea seems to be,“I am guiltless because you knew better but did not stop me!” To be fair it must be stated that Abram did hold the responsibility to reign in Sarai as she attempted to set this plot in motion. All parties involved suffered unintended consequences of their sin which were hidden from thier view until they could not be avoided! Yet even in the midst of this God was there causing the evil which had been intended to be worked for good. It is written.

“[6] But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
[7] And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
[8] And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
[9] And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
[10] And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.”

(Genesis 16:6-10)

In this portion of the passage before us we find Christ is present and actively interacting with Hagaar! Jesus Christ did not come into existence when the babe of Bethlehem was born. There are several passages which speak to the eternal presence of Him. Consider the following.

  • 1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” ( John 1:1-3)
  • 2.”And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
    John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
  • 3..”Jesus said unto them, Verily,verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
  • ( John 8:58)
  • 4. “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”
  • (Luke10:18)

These are but four such verses. Time would not allow a complete listing of the passages which speak to the eternal existence of Jesus, The Christ of The Living God. I will point out that whenever the phrase, The Angel of The Lord, occurs in The Old Testament it is speaking of Christ, The messenger of God. Note carefully the promise given unto Hagaar. Who other than God could fulfill such a promise concerning multiple generations of children yet to be born?

Let us note that the promise given here declares unto Hagaar that she is with child and then goes on to describe the character of her unborn son! It is written.

“11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
[12] And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
[13] And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
[14] Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
[15] And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
[16] And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.”

(Genesisd 16:11-16)

The name “Ishmael” literally means ,“God hears”. Let us take refuge in the truth that even when we seem to be forgotten or driven away from those whom we have been involved with, God still hears us when we call! It is also true that God sees and understands our current prediciment when we think we are alone. The name given to the place where Hagaar encountered God means,”The Well Of The Living One Who Sees.

As we conclude our look at this chapter in Genesis let us take away the truth that God does not need our intervention in a thing in order to fulfill His covenant unto us. Let us also seek to understand that prayerlessness is instrumental in our falling into sin. When we fail to pray before making major decisions or taking major actions we set ourselves up to act using human logic and wisdom. It is often the case that these are in contridiction to the plans of God. Brethren, let us resolve to be people of prayer and people of faith even when it seems that to do so is in contradiction with the ways and methods of the world around us.

God’s ways are higher than man’s ways, and we often cannot understand them until they are revealed to us in response to a season of prayer. Let us also resolve to not be impatient as God works, for often the timing involved in a thing is important for God to receive all of the glory involved in a matter. Note that Abram was 86 years of age when Ishmael was born. However the plan of God was not yet completed. The seed of promise was still to come. The need to exercise faith in the power, promise, and willingness of God to bring this all about was still required of Abram and Sarai. Concerninig the exercise of faith by this couple we find the following written.

“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.”

(Hebrews 11:11-12)

May God grant unto us the grace and faith to live as people of faith and prayer so that we, in our lives might receive the full measure of abundant living which He wishes us to possess.

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Genesis Chapter Fifteen, The Everlasting Covenant Of God Unto Abram And His Descendants Concerning The Possession Of The Land

[1] After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
[2] And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
[3] And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
[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.
[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.
[6] And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
[7] And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
[8] And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
[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.
[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.
[11] And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
[12] And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
[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;
[14] And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
[15] And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
[16] But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
[17] And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
[18] In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
[19] The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
[20] And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
[21] And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Commentary on Genesis Chapter Fifteen

In the days of the ancients it was customary to seal business transactions with a covenant between all parties involved. This was the equivalent to our modern day contracts and held just as much power to bind all concerned to fulfill certain obligations unto each other. In the event of a dispute the known existence of a documented , witnessed, covenant would be produced as evidence which ought to settle the matter. Before us in this chapter we see one of the most important covenants in the history of humanity set out. It is no mere covenant between one man and another. This is a covenant between Abram and God Himself.

Not only does this covenant, which God cannot break, relate to certain gifts and affirmations unto Abram, but it also extends unto his descendants down through the remainder of human history. It is important to grasp the context of this encounter between God and Abram in order to understand the content of the covenant which is to be made here. Abram had recently engaged successfully in battle with certain kings who still dwelt in the neighboring areas around him in Canaan. He had good reason to be afraid due to his status of being an alien and a stranger in that place. The fear of reprisal for his actions would certainly be understandable. So it is that we find God reassuring him from the very beginning of this meeting that there was no need for fear.

The specific relevant content for this request was set out at the first. It is important to remember that Abram had forgone what some would consider his share of a great bounty which would have been divided between the victors of this most recent campaign involving the rescue of his kinsman Lot. He had chosen the better part, which was to follow God, rather than to partake of what could be considered ill-gotten gain. So it is that we find God beginning this meeting by reassuring him of two things immediately. It is written.

“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
[2] And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
[3] And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
[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.”

(Genesis 15:1-4)

The deterrence to fear was that God Himself would defend and protect Abram. Look closely at the passage above. The symbolism of a shield in battle is protection from assault by an enemy. It is a defensive piece of battle attire. No one, nor anything, can penetrate the protection of God’s defenses! This is the first thing which becomes part of the covenant “package” if you will. God made a promise here. God will keep it. The second thing which is addressed is the rewards involved in Abram’s life. Note that God promises to be the exceeding great reward which cannot be equaled by the accumulation of all the riches in the earth. To possess God is more than sufficient for life upon this earth.

To possess the wealth of the world and not have God is never sufficient. Men always seem to crave just a wee bit more than they have and devote themselves to the pursuit of that little extra, thinking that they can attain peace and satisfaction by doing so. Jesus Himself said the following.

” Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
[25] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
[26] For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

(Matthew 16:24-26)

The focus upon things of eternal significance ought always exceed one’s focus upon the things of this current life. All men will cross from here into eternity. Nothing which is of this earth shall do so. Yet it is, sadly, the preoccupation with accumulation of temporal things which occupies the efforts of men most often. God makes a promise unto Abram that he would never need to follow the crowd in this regard in this chapter of Genesis.

In response to these things, Abram raises a most valid question. The name Abram means “Father,” yet he had no heir born of his own bloodline. At this point in his life, most scholars place Abram’s age to be about eighty-five years old. It is only natural for one to begin thinking about the ticking clock concerning this biological matter. It is evident from the text that Abram had been considering the options before him by the mention of Eliezer of Damascus as the most probable heir to his fortune. In response to this, note God’s firm rejection of the idea, and His affirmation that there would be one born from Abram’s own loins who would indeed inherit the promises that we are looking at right now. The promise of an heir was not the totality of the agreement which God was entering into with this man however. It is written.

“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.
[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.
[6] And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
[7] And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
[8] And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
[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.
[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.
[11] And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
[12] And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.”

(Genesis 15:6-11)

Take careful note of the manner in which God proceeded here! First off He outright denied the possibility of an heir other than one who was a biological descendant of Abram. That settled the issue for time and eternity. Then God proceeded to draw Abram’s attention to an innumerable quantity of visible reminders that He had promised that Abram would have prolific progeny. Whenever he looked up at night that reminder was there, constant and boldly reassuring, in it’s silent proclamation that God had decreed this thing with which he was concerned.

Having been given this infallible assurance Abram decided to believe God and for doing so he was accounted as righteous by God! Yet God was not yet done with this matter. There was still the matter of the land in which his servant Abram dwelt at the moment. God started this transaction, as one ought to begin such a thing, by asserting His identity and asserting His right to transact business in the matter at hand. Observe the seventh verse of this chapter where we find the following written.

“[7] And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.”

(Genesis 15:7)

God’s assertions are based in His self sufficiency and in His right to do as He wills with the land being spoken of here by right of ownership due unto creation of it! Such a claim far exceeds any assertion which any human or group of humans could ever put forth. The Psalmist affirmed this right through creation, which God alone holds, when he wrote the following.

“The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”

(Psalms 24:1).

This is also acknowledged by Moses who wrote the following.

“And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD’s.”

(Exodus 9:29)

Even the Apostle Paul recognizes this, when speaking unto the church at Corinth, when he states the following.

“For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:”

(I Corinthians 10: 26-28)

No matter how loud or long one may protest this truth, it cannot be denied. The covenant which God is about to enter into with Abram cannot be annulled or disavowed by any mere mortal claiming a superior right to God’s right of ownership. He may do as He chooses, or as He allows for He is Sovereign. There is much strife and severe contention in the land which God has promised unto Abram as I type this. Many are very fiercely asserting their “rights” to possess this land at the expense of Israel, whom they are set to remove from the face of the earth. Possession of that which rightfully belongs unto Israel alone is not sufficient to assuage these of whom I speak. The great conflict which we see in our midst even now is not a recent thing. As we journey through Genesis we shall see the origins of this hatred driven grudge unfold shortly.

Having determined that this covenant would be entered into, God now instructs Abram in the manner of sealing it. Abram sets out the blood sacrifices as he was told to do and then proceeds to wait upon God to move. There is a pattern here which we ought not miss. You will find as you traverse The Holy Scriptures, that all movement which involves God in the affairs of humanity originates with God. Men do not possess the ability to seek out and initiate such transactions if God does not want to be found. He is beyond our reach unless He makes Himself available. The next step[ is for we who are engaging in such an encounter to receive instruction from God and then take time to prepare according to these instructions.

Moses did not build the Tabernacle of God, which was borne during the wanderings in the wilderness, according to his whims and fancies but rather he first received the master plan from God, then began to gather the materials and people for the job as God directed him to do. The time for the onset of the work was not immediate, however, but if you read the account of the building of the tabernacle you will find that they moved when God said to do so. This is always the case in such things. God instructs us to do a thing and then causes us to wait for His own Sovereign reasons. When all is ready. When all is prepared according to His plan. Then and only then will He move.

In the account before us we see this set forth when we read the following.

 “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
[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;
[14] And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
[15] And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
[16] But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”

(Genesis 15:12-16)

Note that then sealing of this covenant required blood. It is ever the case that god has set out the necessity for a covering of blood when He agrees to an action. This is reinforced in the writing unto the Hebrews where we read the following.

Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
[7] But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
[8] The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
[9] Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
[10] Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
[11] But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
[12] Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
[13] For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
[14] How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
[15] And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

( Hebrews 9:6-15)

I would point out that our view on the necessity of a blood offering is of no consequence in such things. One does not approach God , The Creator of heaven and earth, upon terms which we might choose to dictate. We will either accept His terms or lose the benefit attached unto those terms. For reasons which we may not understand God has decided that the redemption from sin required the blood of His own Son be spilled at the set time, in the set manner, and by the set people. We cannot choose to dictate any alternative conditions for the gospel of God to be made more “acceptable” to other or ourselves as some would have you believe. The gospel is comprised of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as our substitute for the penalties attached unto our sins.

Contained within the body of this covenant is to be found the pronouncement that teh descendants of Abram would enter into a period of four hundred years of sojourning , much of which would be served as slaves. It is further stated that God intended to judge that nation which would so afflict His people and that they would return to the land of promise when the timing was right according to God. Note that this is a reference by God Himself to that period of bondage in Egypt which was to come upon them.

Note also that there is an element of grace in this toward a people known as the Amorites. These people dwelt in Canaan and were notoriously perverted. Yet God in His mercy and grace would grant them an additional four hundred years from the time of the entrance of Israel into Egypt until they were brought forth to return into Canaan in order that they might repent or continue to fill the cup of iniquity spoken of here. No one will ever be able to say to God that they did not have a chance to rectify the sin problem before Him.

In the evening, as the sun set God saw to it that Abram was deliberately incapacitated and therefore could not walk through the path between the two rows of blood offerings. Why would He do this? Usually the parties entering into such an agreement would join hands and walk in that fashion to signify that if one or the other did not keep the bargain the right to swift and total retribution was granted unto the other party involved in the covenant. This was serious business indeed!

There are two things to note in this which we see before us now. The first is that God knew that Abram could not keep any commitments that would be made in this covenant by him. As stated , in the event of default the obligation would fall unto God to exact the required retribution upon Abram and God had no desire to do this! The second component of this action is that God cannot obligate Himself by oath with any further binding agreement than that of His own character. The smoking furnace and the burning lamp which did pass through each signifies a different attribute of God’s character. It is written.

“And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
[18] In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
[19] The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
[20] And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
[21] And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

(Genesis 15: 17-21)

Note carefully the scope of the land which was given here. Israel has never possessed it all. The idea of Israel occupying the mass of property signified here would be ill tolerated by the world at large of this day due to the necessity of dispossessing the current occupants who dwell there now.

The fulfillment of this covenant, which God sealed unto Himself in this covenant, will come but it will be done in the timing of God Himself and not before.

In closing this chapter we are given a partial listing of those tribes of peoples which God had designated for destruction and removal from the land of promise. It is of value , I believe , to ponder these for in doing so one will be forced to admit that not one of these ethnicities is currently dwelling in the land promised unto Abram. Let us take from this a warning that God will judge sin and will execute the decreed sentence upon all who choose to reject His solution to the same after a period of extended grace and mercy has been used up in its entirety.

God , who is faithful and cannot lie, has decreed these things unto Abram by a blood covenant. Rest assured my friend that the things He has said He will do are as good as done from His point of view.

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