The God of Promise Genesis 15:7-21
How shall I know?
The Emblems of the Covenant
Consider again, that this covenant Promise, made to Abraham, was made before he bore a physical seed. In other words, before there were any Jews or Jewish nation. So just as Abraham's faith preceded the giving of the Law by 400 years, so too the Covenant upon which Abraham's faith was focused. The international dimension of this Promise of God isn't just an interesting corollary. It isn’t an adjustment on God’s part due to Israel’s hardness of heart. it is the focus & intent of the promised Seed from before the foundation of the earth! (Ephesians 1:3-14 + 2:11-22) This is Paul's argument in Galatians 3. And this Promise is nothing other than the Gospel which is the Power of God unto Salvation! (Romans 1:16)
Remember: Genesis 15:1-6 God has reassured Abram that the Blessed Seed would be his own son, from his own loins. 15:6 is crucial, “and he (Abram) believed in the LORD; and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Vs 7-8 Abrams “yeah but”, “how shall I know that I shall inherit it”?
V. 7 God once again assures Abram by reminding him that He brought Abram out of a pagan land unto a land He was giving him. Such an incredible parallel to the Lord’s words to Israel in Exodus 19:3-6!
Vs. 8 God has already counted Abram righteous upon his belief in the Promise.(Vs6) Is he now unbelieving? I think we see here Abram’s humanity and in what follow’s, God’s great condescension to his frail humanity. Israel manifested their evil heart of unbelief before Moses ever came down from the Mount with the Law and then tested God for 40 years. They never believed the covenant promises in Exodus 19-20 and never were declared righteous because their deeds were evil!
Vs 9-17 God’s emblems of sacrifice–How Abraham was to know, and in shadow & type, how we are to know the Surity of God’s Promise.
I believe these "Covenant Emblems", laid before Abraham, prefigure Paul's statement in 3:1. "Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed (KJV-"evidently set forth" before you) as crucified". This is how we know!!!
Consider the Elements of the Promise!!!
1. 15:9 Note the LORD’s words, “Bring Me”, “Take Me”-KJV. The Sacrifice was unto the LORD. All sacrifices in Scripture are first of all God-Ward. Romans 3:21-26 proclaims the God-ward side of this Covenant. The Divine Benefit, if I may so speak, is that the Holy, Perfectly Righteous God is set before us as Perfectly Just in receiving sinful humans into His Eternal Presence. He has not given up one iota of His Righteousness Person in order to commune with us! Romans 3:25-26 uses two beautiful words to express to us His working to maintain the Integrity of His Being. He "SET FORTH" His Son to be a Propitiation, a Mercy Seat, sprinkled with Eternally Present Blood to "DEMONSTRATE" that He was Righteous in not demanding immediate death & Eternal punishment for every single infraction under the Old Covenant. This was the future Hope of the OT saints.(Hebrews 11:39-40) And not just regarding them, but also to "DEMONSTRATE AT THE PRESENT TIME" His Righteousness that He might manifest for all Eternity that He is perfectly JUST, and The JUSTIFIER over every one who has faith in Jesus.
2. 15:9 3 year old animals: These animals became the animals sacrificed in the ceremonial law, with one striking difference. Abraham was to sacrifice 3 year old animals. A heifer (Numbers 19:1-10); a she-goat (Leviticus 3:12-17); a ram (Genesis 22:13; Exodus 29:15-18; Leviticus 5:15) Perhaps this points to the Perfect Sacrifice’s 3 year ministry, verifying that He was a perfect man, yet a man like us and therefore, a Suitable Sacrifice. (Hebrews 2:14-18) The lesson in the law with spotless young animals focuses on the perfection of the only sacrifice God would receive. And the “firstborn” qualification surely was to teach Israel of the Only Begotten Who was to be the Firstborn from the dead! (Matthew 1:25; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:12-15-18) Birds for the lowliest & poorest of sinners, an emblem for all of us to find great comfort in.
3. 15:11 Abraham drove away "the fowls" that came to devour the emblems of the Covenant. Vultures are always seeking to attack God's Covenant with us in our Sacrificed Jesus, but it is a key part of faith to drive away the vultures of fleshly doubt. The Work of God is always to believe in Him Whom He has sent. (John 6:29; 1 Timothy 3:16) Our flesh always looks to the flesh to produce what only the Spirit can produce.(Galatians 3:3) Drive away the vultures by looking only unto Jesus, the Author & Perfecter of our faith!!!
4. 15:12-16 It seems that “the dark night of the soul” at some point visits all the truly righteous! This is the occasion of God’s prophecy of Abram’s physical seed. Most often, the revelation of His Will & Purpose for us is not found on the mountain top, but in the Valley of Humiliation!
5. 15:17 The crucifixion beforehand!!!
a. Smoking oven: Smoke is #6227 literally "smoke". (Isn’t that profound!) Used in Exodus 19:18 of the smoke on Mount Sinai, emblematic of God descending upon it. Poetically of God's anger. 2 Samuel 22:7-9; Psalm 18:7-8. Gesenius
Oven: 8574-an oven or furnace. The oven or furnace, combined with smoke, seems to be the "furnace of God's anger" to be poured out upon the perfect sacrifice (for our sins).
b. Burning torch/lamp: burning #784 379x in KJV. Fire, of firey theophany, (Exodus 3:2, 13:20-22, 19:17-18) the altar fire,(Leviticus 1:7, 8, 12) and sometime, the fire of God's wrath (Numbers 11:1-3).
Torch/lamp #3940 a shining. Judges 7:7:16-20 (Gideon’s torches in pitchers); Isaiah 62:1-4 (The prophetic impact of this “burning torch” that passes between the two halves of the sacrifice?)
Gesenius on it's use in Job 12:5, "a lamp despised" cast aside for no longer giving light. Figuratively, an image of a man formally highly esteemed, but now cast aside, despised.” Isaiah 53:3
To sum up this emblematic Gospel: The smoking oven of God’s Glorious Righteous Justice that descended upon Mount Sinai, a Righteousness & Justice that was spurned even before it could be proclaimed on tables of stone, that Fearful Glory is poured out upon the Sacrifice. But that Righteous Justice is wedded with the burning torch, that Glorious Theophany that called out Moses, God’s deliverer, & that led Israel through their wilderness. And yet that Glorious Theophany seems shrouded in the pitcher of human flesh until the Glorious day of battle, when we hear the shout, “the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon, the pitcher is crushed, and the Ultimate Glory shines forth! (II Corinthians 4:5-6.)
This is the Gospel Hope that was an Anchor to Abraham’s faith, how He was to know that God’s Promise, God’s Gospel was Eternally Sure. God’s perfect Righteousness & Justice, & it’s Divinely required Wrath is bound Eternally to His Glorious Theophany, His Shining Face revealed in God made flesh and dwelling among us, Who Alone could give the shout, “it is finished”, His “the Sword of Lord & Gideon” Victory cry as the pitcher of His flesh was broken and His Eternal Victory was assured. This is the Glorious God Who passes through the halves of the required sacrifice, providing the required Divine Benefit, a God Who is completely satisfied and at Complete Peace with those who can now “come to God through Him”, the benefit to His Adopted people.. (Hebrews 7:22-28)
Beloved, what is your Blessed Hope built upon? Jesus Christ has clearly been set before you as crucified, and not in shadow but in Glorious Bloody history. The pitcher has been shattered! Have you heard the shout? Are you trying to add ANYTHING to this perfect sacrifice? This is the Place of rest & Peace, the Glory of God that has passed through the Sacrifice!!!
How shall I know?
The Emblems of the Covenant
Consider again, that this covenant Promise, made to Abraham, was made before he bore a physical seed. In other words, before there were any Jews or Jewish nation. So just as Abraham's faith preceded the giving of the Law by 400 years, so too the Covenant upon which Abraham's faith was focused. The international dimension of this Promise of God isn't just an interesting corollary. It isn’t an adjustment on God’s part due to Israel’s hardness of heart. it is the focus & intent of the promised Seed from before the foundation of the earth! (Ephesians 1:3-14 + 2:11-22) This is Paul's argument in Galatians 3. And this Promise is nothing other than the Gospel which is the Power of God unto Salvation! (Romans 1:16)
Remember: Genesis 15:1-6 God has reassured Abram that the Blessed Seed would be his own son, from his own loins. 15:6 is crucial, “and he (Abram) believed in the LORD; and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Vs 7-8 Abrams “yeah but”, “how shall I know that I shall inherit it”?
V. 7 God once again assures Abram by reminding him that He brought Abram out of a pagan land unto a land He was giving him. Such an incredible parallel to the Lord’s words to Israel in Exodus 19:3-6!
Vs. 8 God has already counted Abram righteous upon his belief in the Promise.(Vs6) Is he now unbelieving? I think we see here Abram’s humanity and in what follow’s, God’s great condescension to his frail humanity. Israel manifested their evil heart of unbelief before Moses ever came down from the Mount with the Law and then tested God for 40 years. They never believed the covenant promises in Exodus 19-20 and never were declared righteous because their deeds were evil!
Vs 9-17 God’s emblems of sacrifice–How Abraham was to know, and in shadow & type, how we are to know the Surity of God’s Promise.
I believe these "Covenant Emblems", laid before Abraham, prefigure Paul's statement in 3:1. "Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed (KJV-"evidently set forth" before you) as crucified". This is how we know!!!
Consider the Elements of the Promise!!!
1. 15:9 Note the LORD’s words, “Bring Me”, “Take Me”-KJV. The Sacrifice was unto the LORD. All sacrifices in Scripture are first of all God-Ward. Romans 3:21-26 proclaims the God-ward side of this Covenant. The Divine Benefit, if I may so speak, is that the Holy, Perfectly Righteous God is set before us as Perfectly Just in receiving sinful humans into His Eternal Presence. He has not given up one iota of His Righteousness Person in order to commune with us! Romans 3:25-26 uses two beautiful words to express to us His working to maintain the Integrity of His Being. He "SET FORTH" His Son to be a Propitiation, a Mercy Seat, sprinkled with Eternally Present Blood to "DEMONSTRATE" that He was Righteous in not demanding immediate death & Eternal punishment for every single infraction under the Old Covenant. This was the future Hope of the OT saints.(Hebrews 11:39-40) And not just regarding them, but also to "DEMONSTRATE AT THE PRESENT TIME" His Righteousness that He might manifest for all Eternity that He is perfectly JUST, and The JUSTIFIER over every one who has faith in Jesus.
2. 15:9 3 year old animals: These animals became the animals sacrificed in the ceremonial law, with one striking difference. Abraham was to sacrifice 3 year old animals. A heifer (Numbers 19:1-10); a she-goat (Leviticus 3:12-17); a ram (Genesis 22:13; Exodus 29:15-18; Leviticus 5:15) Perhaps this points to the Perfect Sacrifice’s 3 year ministry, verifying that He was a perfect man, yet a man like us and therefore, a Suitable Sacrifice. (Hebrews 2:14-18) The lesson in the law with spotless young animals focuses on the perfection of the only sacrifice God would receive. And the “firstborn” qualification surely was to teach Israel of the Only Begotten Who was to be the Firstborn from the dead! (Matthew 1:25; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:12-15-18) Birds for the lowliest & poorest of sinners, an emblem for all of us to find great comfort in.
3. 15:11 Abraham drove away "the fowls" that came to devour the emblems of the Covenant. Vultures are always seeking to attack God's Covenant with us in our Sacrificed Jesus, but it is a key part of faith to drive away the vultures of fleshly doubt. The Work of God is always to believe in Him Whom He has sent. (John 6:29; 1 Timothy 3:16) Our flesh always looks to the flesh to produce what only the Spirit can produce.(Galatians 3:3) Drive away the vultures by looking only unto Jesus, the Author & Perfecter of our faith!!!
4. 15:12-16 It seems that “the dark night of the soul” at some point visits all the truly righteous! This is the occasion of God’s prophecy of Abram’s physical seed. Most often, the revelation of His Will & Purpose for us is not found on the mountain top, but in the Valley of Humiliation!
5. 15:17 The crucifixion beforehand!!!
a. Smoking oven: Smoke is #6227 literally "smoke". (Isn’t that profound!) Used in Exodus 19:18 of the smoke on Mount Sinai, emblematic of God descending upon it. Poetically of God's anger. 2 Samuel 22:7-9; Psalm 18:7-8. Gesenius
Oven: 8574-an oven or furnace. The oven or furnace, combined with smoke, seems to be the "furnace of God's anger" to be poured out upon the perfect sacrifice (for our sins).
b. Burning torch/lamp: burning #784 379x in KJV. Fire, of firey theophany, (Exodus 3:2, 13:20-22, 19:17-18) the altar fire,(Leviticus 1:7, 8, 12) and sometime, the fire of God's wrath (Numbers 11:1-3).
Torch/lamp #3940 a shining. Judges 7:7:16-20 (Gideon’s torches in pitchers); Isaiah 62:1-4 (The prophetic impact of this “burning torch” that passes between the two halves of the sacrifice?)
Gesenius on it's use in Job 12:5, "a lamp despised" cast aside for no longer giving light. Figuratively, an image of a man formally highly esteemed, but now cast aside, despised.” Isaiah 53:3
To sum up this emblematic Gospel: The smoking oven of God’s Glorious Righteous Justice that descended upon Mount Sinai, a Righteousness & Justice that was spurned even before it could be proclaimed on tables of stone, that Fearful Glory is poured out upon the Sacrifice. But that Righteous Justice is wedded with the burning torch, that Glorious Theophany that called out Moses, God’s deliverer, & that led Israel through their wilderness. And yet that Glorious Theophany seems shrouded in the pitcher of human flesh until the Glorious day of battle, when we hear the shout, “the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon, the pitcher is crushed, and the Ultimate Glory shines forth! (II Corinthians 4:5-6.)
This is the Gospel Hope that was an Anchor to Abraham’s faith, how He was to know that God’s Promise, God’s Gospel was Eternally Sure. God’s perfect Righteousness & Justice, & it’s Divinely required Wrath is bound Eternally to His Glorious Theophany, His Shining Face revealed in God made flesh and dwelling among us, Who Alone could give the shout, “it is finished”, His “the Sword of Lord & Gideon” Victory cry as the pitcher of His flesh was broken and His Eternal Victory was assured. This is the Glorious God Who passes through the halves of the required sacrifice, providing the required Divine Benefit, a God Who is completely satisfied and at Complete Peace with those who can now “come to God through Him”, the benefit to His Adopted people.. (Hebrews 7:22-28)
Beloved, what is your Blessed Hope built upon? Jesus Christ has clearly been set before you as crucified, and not in shadow but in Glorious Bloody history. The pitcher has been shattered! Have you heard the shout? Are you trying to add ANYTHING to this perfect sacrifice? This is the Place of rest & Peace, the Glory of God that has passed through the Sacrifice!!!