Two Promises and a Covenant

Intro

Passage is about trust. Trusting in what is impossible and what’s unseen. We trust in the things we see.

Sun will come up

Bed is comfy

Car will get you home

Food will satisfy your hunger

What about the things we can’t see. We can struggle in that space. We can find ourselves with so many questions like Abram.

Genesis 15

Main Idea: God is a promise and covenant keeper

Story: Abram is of the line of Shem, Noah’s son. God has already chosen and has made a promise to Abram. Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Abram and Sarai left Haran. Sojourned in Egypt. They left there in haste because God sent plagues on Pharaoh. Abram sojourned in the land for a long time. Eventually blessed by Melchizedek. Then we get to Genesis 15. Abram’s story to this point mirrors the Israelites current situation. Sojourning in the land after plagues forced an abrupt exit from Egypt. Then comes a promise……

Truth #1: God is a promise keeper

Exp. God speaks in a vision. “Reward shall be great.” Abram responds to this in verse 2. Eliezer. Abram’s unformed faith shines here. Common to adopt a son to receive inheritance. Verse 3. Abram’s impatience seeping through. Again, seemingly impossible. God goes the route of a sign. Verse 4-5. Quite the promise to an old man with no children. Seems impossible.

Ill. Be like if God told you he would give you all the wisdom you’ve learned in a 20-year old body. As great as that sounds, it’s impossible. Y’all are like, “I believe.” Or the opposite, all of the 20-year olds would receive wisdom.

Arg. Verse 6. Because of his belief, he was given righteousness. In Galatians 3, Paul alludes to this in his argument that righteousness does not come through obtaining the Law. There was no Law at this point. Righteousness is a gift from God.

Christ - Obviously, Abram saw the birth of Isaac. Thus, the miracle and the promise preserved. The NT reveals that the promise is fulfilled before Christ and after Christ, in the multitude of believers. Romans 4:11-12, “He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.” Also, the multitude referred to Jesus, who would expand the family of faith back to the Gentiles.

Exp. Verses 7-8. God’s promise included offspring and land. This is the part of the promise that he wouldn’t see. So, he asks, how will I know?

App. You may be wrestling with this today. How can I know? Abram was in a unique situation. However, we are on the side of history that has seen God’s promises fulfilled. How do I know?

Trust in the Lord. Verse 7, “I am the Lord.” He first states who he is.

Look at his works. God told Abram to look at the stars. God made those stars, and he knows how many there are.

Truth #2: God is a covenant keeper

Exp. God is going to give Abram a sign. This sign is in the form of a covenant. Just like he gave a sign to Noah. Verses 9-10. Setting up a sacrificial moment. The usual age for sacrificial animals was one-year because less opportunity for defection. Deep sleep came over Abram. Verses 13-14. Israelites were given gold and silver before they left. Moses is reminding the Hebrews that God is keeping his promise already. We don’t have land, but we’ve been delivered. We can trust becuase he’s already delivered.

Ill. Like asking me if we will finish a movie when we are halfway through. Or if we will go on vacation after I’ve paid for it. Half of the work is already done. Trust the rest will happen.

Arg. Verse 17. At face value, this passage doesn’t make sense. In the original Hebrew, it does. Exodus 19:18, “Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.” Smoke. Fire. Kiln or furnace. Exodus 20:18, “Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off.” Lightning. Read verse 17 again. Smoke. Fire. Pot or furnace. Torch = lightning. A Hebrew would see the presence of God. What does the passing through mean? Jeremiah 34:18, “And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts.” God would make them like the calf. Custom that the two parties pass between the sacrifices to invoke the curse on themselves. Abram should have passed through, but he fell into a deep sleep. God alone passes through the sacrifices invoking the curse on himself.

Christ - So, the question is, was God sacrificed like these animals? Yes. Jesus. The covenant, like all covenants, points to Jesus! The sacrificial lamb of God who takes the sins of the world.

App. What do we do? Trust.

Trust in his promises. He promises provision, peace, justice,

Trust in his salvation. Him sending Jesus was enough.

Respond as you feel led.