seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 15:7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”
8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”
9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”
10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”
9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”
10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
Remember, even tho God told Abram the land belonged to Abram, Abram had no deed to the land. Abram had moved all that way because God told Abram to settle that particular spot of land. Abram, however, had to deed to the land so he could have lost his home.
Here's what blueletterbible.org has to say.
We don't know if the events beginning with Genesis 15:7 followed close upon what happened in Genesis 15:1-6; the flow of the text seems to indicate they did.
After God makes such a dramatic and solemn statement like I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it, how could Abram answer God by essentially saying, "prove it"?
After God makes such a dramatic and solemn statement like I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it, how could Abram answer God by essentially saying, "prove it"?
How could Abram ask "How shall I know that I will inherit it," when God had just accounted him righteous? Abram is experiencing what many of those who are accounted righteous experience. It is as if he says, "I believe when I hear God say it, but five minutes later, I'm not sure!"
Remember, Abram had no title deed to the land, nothing to make anyone else believe he actually owned the land. All he had was the promise of God
Remember, Abram had no title deed to the land, nothing to make anyone else believe he actually owned the land. All he had was the promise of God
In those days, contracts were made by the sacrificial cutting of animals, with the split carcasses of the animals lying on the ground. Then both parties to the covenant would walk through the animal parts together, repeating the terms of the covenant. The LORD made a covenant in Genesis 15:18 is literally, "the LORD cut a covenant."
Jeremiah 34:18-20 makes reference to this same practice of a covenant made by cutting animals and repeating the oath of the covenant as one walks through the animal parts.
Jeremiah 34:18-20 makes reference to this same practice of a covenant made by cutting animals and repeating the oath of the covenant as one walks through the animal parts.
The symbolism was plain: first, this is a covenant so serious it is sealed with blood; second, if I break this covenant, let this same bloodshed be poured out on my animals and me!
There is no mistake about it: when Abram has his doubts, and wants assurance from the LORD, God says to him plainly, "let's sign a contract and settle this once for all."
There is no mistake about it: when Abram has his doubts, and wants assurance from the LORD, God says to him plainly, "let's sign a contract and settle this once for all."
As Abram waits for the LORD to appear and walk through the carcasses with him (to sign the covenant), God doesn't come right away, but the vultures do.
Abram fully expects God to come down and walk through the animal parts with him, because God had previously appeared to him (Genesis 12:7)
Abram fully expects God to come down and walk through the animal parts with him, because God had previously appeared to him (Genesis 12:7)
God has no respect for human time. After all God is eternal. He left Abram facing down birds of prey at the site where this contract was going to be completed.
