-
†. Gen 15:15a . . As for you,
Abram must have begun to wonder if maybe he too was in danger of
oppression and slavery.
†. Gen 15:15b . .You shall go to your fathers in peace;
Have you ever wondered how you'll die-- by accident, poison, in a violent
mugging, disease, cancer, car wreck, a fall, hit in the head by a tree limb, or
from a random bullet in a drive-by shooting? People often die suddenly and
totally unexpected. Many people die a very unhappy death-- miserable,
alone, unloved, and unfulfilled.
God promised Abram that he would not die like that. His death would be
tranquil and calm and actually quite satisfactory. He would experience no
fears, no anxiety, and no regrets.
†. Gen 15:15c . .You shall be buried at a ripe old age.
Death stalks each and every one of us like a hungry predator, waiting for its
chance to do us in. We just never know.
"Jesus told them: The right time for me has not yet come; but for you any
time is right." (John 7:6)
Abram had the envious advantage of knowing he would live a full life before
he died. Everyone should be so lucky!
†. Gen 15:16 . . And they shall return here in the fourth generation,
for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.
God mentioned only one of the nations living in Canaan. Why was He going
to delay transferring possession of the land until the iniquity of the
"Amorites" was brimming-- why them and not the others? Probably because
God promised Abram that He would bless those who blessed him.
Well . . the Amorite men-- Mamre, Eshkol, and Aner --were Abram's friends
and allies during the recent military campaign to rescue Lot; so that the
ultimate destiny of Canaan hinged upon the decadence of just one tribe: the
Amorites. Sometimes it really pays to have God-fearing friends in this world;
for example:
Jacob:
"And Laban said to him: Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I
have learned by experience that Yhvh has blessed me for your sake". (Gen
30:27)
"The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and Yhvh has
blessed you wherever I have been". (Gen 30:30)
and Joseph:
"When Joseph's master saw that Yhvh was with him and that Yhvh gave him
success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his
attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to
his care everything he owned.
. . . From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he
owned, Yhvh blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The
blessing of Yhvh was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in
the field". (Gen 39:3-5)
†. Gen 15:17 . .When the sun set and it was very dark, there
appeared a smoking oven, and a flaming torch which passed
between those pieces.
The Hebrew word for "oven" is tannuwr (tan-noor') which means: a fire pot.
But it's not just a simple bucket of coals. It was actually portable kitchen
equipment, especially for baking fresh bread. There are several passages in
the Bible where ovens are connected with Divine judgment. (e.g. Ps 21:9
10, Mal 3:19-21, Matt 13:40-43)
†. Gen 15:18a . . On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram,
This is now the second covenant that God made with His creation. The first
one was with every living creature back in chapter nine. That one is often
called Noah's Covenant. But this covenant, well known as Abraham's
Covenant, is somewhat different. It's not made between God and every
living creature, but between God and one specific human being and his
progeny.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 15:15a . . As for you,
Abram must have begun to wonder if maybe he too was in danger of
oppression and slavery.
†. Gen 15:15b . .You shall go to your fathers in peace;
Have you ever wondered how you'll die-- by accident, poison, in a violent
mugging, disease, cancer, car wreck, a fall, hit in the head by a tree limb, or
from a random bullet in a drive-by shooting? People often die suddenly and
totally unexpected. Many people die a very unhappy death-- miserable,
alone, unloved, and unfulfilled.
God promised Abram that he would not die like that. His death would be
tranquil and calm and actually quite satisfactory. He would experience no
fears, no anxiety, and no regrets.
†. Gen 15:15c . .You shall be buried at a ripe old age.
Death stalks each and every one of us like a hungry predator, waiting for its
chance to do us in. We just never know.
"Jesus told them: The right time for me has not yet come; but for you any
time is right." (John 7:6)
Abram had the envious advantage of knowing he would live a full life before
he died. Everyone should be so lucky!
†. Gen 15:16 . . And they shall return here in the fourth generation,
for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.
God mentioned only one of the nations living in Canaan. Why was He going
to delay transferring possession of the land until the iniquity of the
"Amorites" was brimming-- why them and not the others? Probably because
God promised Abram that He would bless those who blessed him.
Well . . the Amorite men-- Mamre, Eshkol, and Aner --were Abram's friends
and allies during the recent military campaign to rescue Lot; so that the
ultimate destiny of Canaan hinged upon the decadence of just one tribe: the
Amorites. Sometimes it really pays to have God-fearing friends in this world;
for example:
Jacob:
"And Laban said to him: Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I
have learned by experience that Yhvh has blessed me for your sake". (Gen
30:27)
"The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and Yhvh has
blessed you wherever I have been". (Gen 30:30)
and Joseph:
"When Joseph's master saw that Yhvh was with him and that Yhvh gave him
success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his
attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to
his care everything he owned.
. . . From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he
owned, Yhvh blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The
blessing of Yhvh was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in
the field". (Gen 39:3-5)
†. Gen 15:17 . .When the sun set and it was very dark, there
appeared a smoking oven, and a flaming torch which passed
between those pieces.
The Hebrew word for "oven" is tannuwr (tan-noor') which means: a fire pot.
But it's not just a simple bucket of coals. It was actually portable kitchen
equipment, especially for baking fresh bread. There are several passages in
the Bible where ovens are connected with Divine judgment. (e.g. Ps 21:9
10, Mal 3:19-21, Matt 13:40-43)
†. Gen 15:18a . . On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram,
This is now the second covenant that God made with His creation. The first
one was with every living creature back in chapter nine. That one is often
called Noah's Covenant. But this covenant, well known as Abraham's
Covenant, is somewhat different. It's not made between God and every
living creature, but between God and one specific human being and his
progeny.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=