Promise Keeper

3 And Abram said, "You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir." 4 But the word of the LORD came to him, "This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir." (Genesis 15:3-4)

God had made Abram a promise (Genesis 12) to give him descendants - through whom the world would be blessed. Even though he was advanced in age and his wife, Sarai, was barren, Abram believed and followed God obediently. And he waited. For many years. Surely God knew that Abram's trust was running low. When God spoke to Abram, all those years later, about good news of a great reward Abram was understandably snippy. Abram was not afraid to be honest with God, and God was not angered by Abram's honesty. God not only renewed the promise made so many years before, but God made a blood covenant with Abram. It was common practice at the time for the person making the oath to walk between the portions of the sacrificed animal to signify that they themselves would rather die than break the covenant.

Here, God walked.

17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. (Genesis 15:17)

God's promise did not end with Abram. We are the descendants, and we are the world blessed through those descendants. For us God walked the path to the cross, became the sacrifice, and fulfilled the covenant.

Glory to God!