Thursday 6 June, 2019

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. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”

“He also said…”

What would Abram have missed out on had he not have stayed for the “He also said…” – for the next bit?

Because the bit before was pretty fantastic…

I’m going to give you a son and you’re going to have a huge family!

Awesome! But God continues in verse 7…

“And I’m going to give you this whole land!”

Plus, God gave Abram exact details of what will happen in Egypt, the exodus and God’s deliverance.

Plus, God appeared to Abram with a burning pot and blazing torch and made a covenant with him – a promise, written in blood, to give Abram the land.

And this was a picture of a new covenant that was on its way. It was also written in blood but this time it would be Jesus’. It would be by faith in God just like the first one was with Abram. And it would mean an eternal land for me when I repent of my sin and rest my faith on Jesus. That’s so amazing!

Lord, thank you for this new covenant, written in the blood of Jesus, that saves my life. Help me live every day in the sure hope of your promises that will never be broken. Hope me to stay long enough to hear and receive all you long to tell me.   Amen

Written by Boudy VanNoppen