The Covenant Maker: Genesis 15:8-21
God makes the covenant with us; our job is to accept it. He gives us grace when we did not deserve it. He shows us love when we do not ask for it. He watches over us when we think we have everything under control. He brings salvation to us when we cannot possibly earn it ourselves.
In response to Abram’s fear, God reminds him the great I Am called him out of the Chaldeans. Abram was not called by a god of the past whose power is waning. Abram was also not called by some god of the future whose power has not yet come. Abram was called by the God of the present, who is always in power and under whom all things are in His control.
When Abram asks God how he will know the promise to be true, God tells Abram to bring animals for a covenantal sacrifice. The animals are split in half and arranged with a path between them. The people making the covenant would walk between the halves. In doing so, they declared that should they not keep their end of the covenant, they should receive the same fate as these animals.
Abram obeys. He slaughters the animals and arranges them. As he awaits for God to come, he drives away the scavenger birds brought in by the smell of decaying flesh. When evening comes, tired of chasing away the birds, Abram falls into a slumber. Here God makes a significant declaration.
While Abram slumbers, a flaming torch and a pot pass between the sacrificed animals. The smoking pot – some translations indicate this is a furnace or crucible – gives us two symbols to consider. Smoke signifies the presence of God and is reminiscent of the pillar of smoke God uses to guide the people of the exile. The pot is a symbol of judgment. Pots, furnaces, and crucibles are used to change the structure of a substance through pressure, often in the form of heat.
The torch also gives us an image of God. The torch signifies God’s light. This whole scene started because Abram was having difficulty seeing the path God was taking to fulfill His promise. Here God comes as a torch to show Abram the way.
The most significant part of this sacrifice is that God alone participates in walking through the arranged animals. Abram is asleep and seeing a vision. He certainly cannot walk through the sacrifice! God’s point is clear. He makes a covenant with Abram. Abram’s sole role is to receive Gods promise. God will make it happen; Abram merely needs to believe.
This is how it is with God. We like to bargain with Him. We come to Him with deals and trade-offs. But that is not how God works. God comes to us and extends promises we don’t deserve. God makes the covenant with us; our job is to accept it.
