Grace Presbyterian Church, Montclair, New Jersey

In these next chapters, God establishes his covenant with Abraham.  These chapters refer to prevailing patterns of the ancient world which are understandably foreign to us.  What is most crucial is that God makes a promise to Abraham that is everlasting. Abraham’s only response is to believe, trusting in God’s promise. In this extremely crucial section, we have the definition of humanity’s right relationship to God, trusting in God’s promises. However, human impatience cannot wait for God’s fulfillment. Sarah and Abraham try to fulfill the promise on their own with tragic results. God’s promises may seem unbelievable but they are nonetheless certain.

1. God’s Promise — Genesis 15
   1. God appears to Abraham in a vision (Genesis 15:1). An encounter with the living God is terrifying. God’s word to Abraham repeated throughout the Scriptures is “Do not be afraid” (Genesis 15:1; Exodus 14:13; Joshua 11:6; Isaiah 44:8; Matthew 14:27; Luke 1:30, 12:32; Acts 27:23-24).
   2. God identifies himself as a “shield” for Abraham (Genesis 15:1; Psalm 119:114; Ephesians 6:16). He speaks of a “great reward” for Abraham.
   3. Abraham raises the issue that he does not have any children. God then takes him outside and shows him the stars in the heavens and tells him that this is what his descendents will be like (Genesis 15:5).
   4. In one of the most important verses in the Bible, we read of Abraham’s response. He believes, literally trusts, God and it is “reckoned” or regarded as righteousness (Isaiah 28:16). The Hebrew word for “believed” is the root of our word, “Amen.” The apostle Paul emphasizes two essential truths about this statement (Romans 4, Galatians 3):
      1. Our relationship to God is not based on the law or any religious, much less spiritual or moral, practice. It is based on faith which is trusting in God’s promise. Faith precedes the law by hundreds of years. It precedes even the practice of circumcision.
      2. The descendents of Abraham are those who share the faith of Abraham. This includes Gentiles as well as Jews (Galatians 3:8-9).
   5. God promises the land of Canaan to Abraham as a guarantee of his covenant (Genesis 15:7, 17:8).
   6. God then enacts a ritual with Abraham which was familiar in that period. A number of dead animals are cut in two. The practice of solidifying a covenant or treaty in this time was to have both parties walk between the two rows of cut animals. The idea was that the parties were saying that the same fate should befall them if they failed to keep the terms of the treaty. Given this fact two things are very notable:
      1. Abraham is placed in a “deep sleep.” Only God presumably carries out the ritual and passes between the cut pieces. In this act God is making a covenant with himself. Abraham is not the partner but rather the beneficiary (along with his spiritual descendents, Romans 9:6-8) of God’s covenant. This underscores the fact that our promised salvation is dependent on God alone and not on us (John 1:12-13; Romans 9:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 6:13-14).
      2. The reference to a “smoking fire pot” and a “flaming torch” as well as the “terrifying darkness” which descends upon Abraham refer to ancient magical practices designed to protect the participant from witches or evil spirits. In this action, where God places himself both under the terms of the covenant and the ritual expulsion of witches, we see a foreshadowing of the crucifixion in which Christ will himself be broken because of humanity’s breaking the covenant (not trusting in God) and will also destroy Satan and his followers (I Peter 2:24; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 12:1-8).
2. The Struggle of Living in the Promise — Genesis 16
   1. Even though Abraham has received the great promise of having descendents like the stars of heaven, he and his wife, Sarah, remain childless.
   2. Sarah invokes an established practice of selecting a slave girl to bear her husband’s child. According to the law of that time, the child would legally belong to the wife and the slave girl must not seek to take the position of her mistress (Proverbs 30:21-23).
   3. Not surprisingly, this practice is far from effective. Hagar, the slave-girl views Sarah “with contempt.” Sarah looks to Abraham for support (Genesis 16:5). Abraham basically opts out (Genesis 15:6). According to the law of the period, the slave-girl could not be sent away. However, there was nothing to prevent her from being abused. The phrase “dealt harshly” includes the idea of violence.
   4. Hagar flees. An angel of the Lord appears to her and gives her also a promise about her descendents. She is then told to return to her mistress and that the name of her child will be Ishmael, “God who sees” (Genesis 16:9-11).
   5. The point of this story is that Abraham and Sarah become impatient waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise. They take matters into their own hands. What they do is legal according to the customs of their culture but it is a far cry from God’s will. Not surprisingly, as has been the case with human sexual standards throughout history, things turn out poorly. Nevertheless, God’s grace is extended to everyone concerned.
3. God Seals His Covenant — Genesis 17
   1. God reaffirms his covenant with Abraham. Abraham is to walk before God and be blameless. This is a result, not a cause, of his having entered into God’s covenant (Genesis 15).
   2. God’s covenant with Abraham will be an “everlasting covenant.” Therefore the “new covenant” which Jesus speaks about is not completely new but a new form of this eternal covenant (Mark 14:24). Some of the oldest New Testament manuscripts do not have the word, “new.” The point is that relative to the covenant of the law (given to Moses, Romans 4:13-16), the gospel is a “new” covenant (Jeremiah 31:31; Hebrews 8). However, relative to the covenant made with Abraham, it is an eternal covenant which continues and is fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:6-9). In this sense, Abraham believed in the Gospel (John 8:56).
   3. Ages in this passage are no doubt symbolic. To say that Abraham was ninety-nine when he was given the promise of a son means he was an even one hundred when Isaac was born. Ten symbolizes completeness so one hundred is an intensive (10×10) statement of completeness. Sarah had been barren all along (Genesis 11:30). She and Abraham are clearly past the age of child bearing at this point.
   4. The signs of the eternal covenant here have inspired much debate. They are the promise of the land and the rite of circumcision. The church, beginning with the New Testament, has regarded both as symbolic. Circumcision is not a requirement in the New Testament and its sign is taken over by baptism (Colossians 2:11-12). In the same way, the promise of the land is often seen as being fulfilled in the historical reality of the people of God or the church. There is really nothing in this passage to support the present secular state of Israel. On the other hand, there is nothing in Scripture to prohibit the idea of a continuing state of Israel. Paul views Israel in both literal and symbolic terms (Romans 9:1-8) so we are not necessarily confronted with an either-or here.
   5. When Abraham hears about God’s promise of a son, he laughs (Genesis 17:17). The promises of God can appear ridiculous to us, especially when we view them in terms of human possibilities (Matthew 19:26).
   6. The chapter ends with a form of christening with the sign of circumcision. Abraham and Sarah are given their official names (Genesis 17:5, 15).
   7. All the males of Abraham’s household, including Ishmael, are circumcised (Genesis 17:23). God’s promise is extended broadly. Yet the true son of the promise, Isaac, who will be the ancestor of Christ, has not yet been born.
4. Questions for Us
   1. How do we experience faith as trust in the promises of God? What are some of the ways we become impatient with God?
   2. How do you relate the description of the covenant in chapt. 15:1-6 with the one in chapt. 17:1-8? Do you see them as the same or different? What do these passages say about the relationship between faith and works (cf. Romans 4:5; James 2:21-24)?
   3. Abraham is our father in faith (Romans 4:16) yet he laughs at God’s promise (Genesis 17:17). Do you find this fact comforting or disturbing, or both? Why?

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