Building Altars

Genesis 15:7-21

Abraham begins this section with another question for God:

How can I know?

This time he is referring to the promise of inheriting the Promised Land.

God answers by having Abraham prepare a sacrifice.

Once he does so, the Lord appears with the imagery of fire and smoke and solidifies His promise to Abraham as a covenant.

This section also holds strong parallels to Israel’s future as an enslaved nation.

God assures their eventual freedom to Abraham and goes on to list, in detail, the lands they will inhabit.

One important takeaway in these verses is the physical reminders of God’s promises.

Abraham prepares a physical sacrifice and literally sees the spirit of God interact with it.

The Israelites exit Egypt with great possessions, marking not only the beginning of their new lives, but also the faithfulness of God throughout their enslavement.

Somewhere along the way, many of us have been convinced that physical reminders of God’s promises show a lack of faith.

On the contrary, time and time again the Bible shows us men and women building altars as remembrance for something God did in their lives.

I have two “altars” that hang in my office...

First, is my license to preach presented to me at FBC Hartford.

Second, my diploma from Maranatha.

The third is my certificate of ordination

Takeaway: It’s okay to ask God, How can I know? Faith doesn’t always have to be invisible.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for Your promises. Please encourage my faith today with something tangible.