Genesis 15: The Covenant

To understand this chapter we need to examine what Abram has been through so far. He has been commanded to leave the land he hailed from to move to Canaan with a promise this would be his land and he would be the head of nation. Since then, he has had to flee from his land because of famine. He allowed his wife to go into the court of another king. The land has been divided between him and his nephew because of a family dispute. Two of the cities of been conquered by neighbouring kingdoms and then reclaimed through war by Abram. Still he has no biological heir and his hold on his land is politically shaky and it has been several years since the first promise.

In chapter 15, God comes to Abram in a vision and promises him safety and that He will be Abram's reward. Abrams answer in a very human way. He reminds God that he has no children and his heir will be one of his servants. God promises him a son and from that son will come great nations. Abram believed God's promise. Abram then presented God with a sacrifice.

After this, Abram had a dark feeling of being unsettled. It was then that God let him know an ominous part of the future, he decedents will be slaves for 400 years. But the nation who would hold them as slaves would be punished. The Lord would bring them out slavery and they would punish the Amorites in this time. However, God assured Abram that he would die well before this time and in his old age, at peace. God then passed between the sacrifice and reaffirmed the promise of the land and kingdom.

This is an intense chapter. We get a glimpse of how human Abram is. I know I can relate the feeling of feeling that promises have not been fulfilled and will never be fulfilled. Yet, we see that God knows our human nature. He does not allow Abram to continue to be in torment. He reaffirms the call He has placed on Abram. Mostly importantly, Abram believes God. We even see that God, in His wisdom, chooses to reveal Abram's long life. He also reveals for future generations that He knows that hardship is coming, but He has already put in motion His plan of redemption. (We also get a look at God grace, given that He gives the Ammorites 400 years to turn to Him before sending in soldiers to drive them out.)

So I am praying that God re-affirms my call, if that is still what He desires for my life. I am praying for peace as I wait. Being a person of action, I struggle with times of inaction. I am praying for calm and wisdom that I will hear God's guidance and go forward at the appropriate time. I have read Genesis many times and in previous readings I have mostly focused on the main characters. This time, I am aware of the role of Abram's family. I am praying not only for my own guidance, but for guidance for my household.