Seed of nations
Believed God's Word
For a barren womb
Right faith
Bewildered mind
Stars gave count
For tomorrow's life
Yahweh spoke
Promise of land
Peculiar gift
To a childless man
One child
Many nations
Who shall confirm
To bear condemnation?
Abram slept
God walked through
Torch and pieces
On behalf of you
Covenant
Confirmed alone
The LORD bears all
To bring the nomad home
Have you ever been blessed to have someone act or speak on your behalf? Through a simple act or word, another person can remove the burden that you carry. Instead of your effort and work, someone else takes responsibility to see the results come through.
This is what God did on Abram's behalf. While there was no son yet to Abram, God promised that He would be the father of children as countless as the stars. Abram "believed in the LORD" and it was credited as righteousness (Genesis 15:6, NAS).
God also promised land. Already populated, God would have to be the driving force to make this promise come true. Abram asked God to confirm His word. The Lord did so in a covenant ritual of the time. Sacrifice was made, and the animal split into two. Those making the covenant would walk between the sacrificial pieces, symbolizing what could be done to them if they failed to come through with their agreement.
As the covenant was made, Abram fell into a deep sleep. This left God alone as the responsible party to walk between the pieces. On behalf of Abram, God was giving full assurance that it would be He who gave this land to the descendants of Abram.
We do see God come through on this promise in the books of Exodus through Joshua. Without God's leading, the descendants of Abraham were unable to secure the Promised Land and be the people from whom the Messiah would come.
A torch of hope, God personally acted on Abram's behalf to secure such a great promise.
Copyright by Kendra Hinkle 2008.
1 comment:
Kendra, isn't it something how God really just wants us to believe him? What can we give him? Our wealth? Yes, but he created it. Our talents, intelligence and personality? Yes, but he gave them. In the end, our greatest gifts to God are the ones that, by definition, only can be freely given by us, not coerced from us: our faith, our hope and our love.
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