Genesis 25 Series

[Read Galatians 3:6-9, Ephesians 2:8-9.]

Having this assurance is a great comfort to those who believe. If salvation was as a result of works we’d never know if we’d done enough to satisfy the debt of our sin. We’d always be wondering if we were in or out of God’s good graces. But we don’t have to wonder. If we believe, truly believe in God, we will be with Him in Heaven one day.

He reminds Abram of this Truth later in their conversation.

[Read Genesis 15:15.]

One day Abram you will enter into eternity and this eternity will be a peaceful one. It will be with those whom like you have believed. You and I have that same assurance of our salvation as well.

But look back at verse six again. It seems that even though Abram was a believer in God, he still had some questions.

[Read Genesis 15:6-8.]

Abram declares his faith, God reminds him of the covenant, but Abram still wants to know how is this going to happen. “I mean, what assurance can you give me to squelch my doubting heart?” So:

4. God assures Abram by formalizing the covenant.

“Alright Abram. You want assurance, you got assurance.” But be careful what you ask for – you just might get it.

[Complaining parent coming to me about another leader story.]

Abram wants a guarantee that God will actually do what He says He will do. So God creates a dramatic scene to assure Abram that everything was under control. He has Abram set up the ceremony that had been used in those days to signify a covenant between two parties. Animals would be cut in half and the two parties would walk in between the halves signifying their allegiance to the covenant. If one of the parties broke their end of the agreement, they would be cut in half like the animals they had walked through. Brutal – but effective.

[Read Jeremiah 34:18-20.]

[Read Genesis 15:9-11, 17-21.]

The smoking pot and the flaming torch signified the presence of the Lord much like the pillar of smoke and fire that led the Jews through the wilderness. When God passed through the animals alone He was letting Abram know that He alone would be the One responsible for the fulfillment of the covenant.

What an encouragement that must have been for Abram. To know that the fate of the world didn’t rest upon his shoulders. To know that this amazing promise of an innumerable nation that would bless the entire world was God’s responsibility and not His must have brought great relief to Abram. God would fulfill His promise, His way, according to His purpose.

But along with this assurance came a difficult Truth – enslavement was coming to the chosen people. Kind of a good news, bad news situation here.

God said, “Yes, I will bring forth a nation. But there will be some difficult times ahead for the people of that nation.” So God puts Abram in a deep sleep and teaches him through an almost nightmarish situation.

[Read Genesis 15:12-16.]

Basically, God is referring to the 430 years that that Jews were enslaved to the Egyptians. Those years when they were strangers in a strange land. But at the end of those four generations God would judge the nation of Egypt, set His people free, they would return to the promised land and through them God would carry out judgment upon the Amorites who were still in the land of Canaan.