Genesis 15:8 Commentary and Bible Study

In some way this is a perplexing verse, but it is vital. Abram ‘said, Lord GOD’ – this is the first chapter to contain this address to God, ‘Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?’ How can I be certain? He had faith. He believed God would give him the land, but how could it be accomplished? Will God enable him to see how this would be done? And the response of Almighty God in the vision is in verse 9: ‘He said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ It will consist of sacrificial animals because sacrificing was already going on, but this is not necessarily a sacrifice. It turns out to be for a covenant. Apparently, there is no instruction from God as to what exactly to do with these animals, but Abram seems to know what to do; it was a custom of the times, the experts tell us. He was told what animals to use, but not given instructions as to what to do with them. He is to take these reasonably adult animals of value, slay them, divide them, and lay the pieces opposite each other in two lines with a gap between the lines; the birds are to be left intact. We know a little bit about this from one reference in Jeremiah 34:18-20, where Jeremiah helpfully tells us about a judgment of God upon people who have entered into a similar covenant and broken it. Apparently the custom with covenants was for two parties who were entering into an agreement together, to take these animals and cut them in two, and then they would walk down the aisle between the pieces, and that would signify their agreement in a covenant. It was a solemn ritual and if anyone broke the covenant that person would be liable to be treated just like the animals: executed, slain. So here, Abram is instructed by God to take the animals and he lays them out as if he and God are going to enter into a covenant with each other. But, of course, they are not. What is going to happen is that God is going to make a covenant with Abram in the form of a solemn promise; he is going to somehow take his promise that Abram would inherit the land and his seed, and he is going to remake it in terms of a solemn covenant. But they will not both walk down the aisle between the pieces to make this agreement; only God will do this. It is going to be a very one-sided covenant. Abram will enjoy the benefits of it and his seed will inherit the land, but only God can bring it about. So although the custom of a human covenant ritual is going to be followed, only God can ratify or carry out this covenant. Abram can do nothing to contribute to it. So Abram took these animals, divided them in the midst, but not the birds, laid the pieces against each other. When the vultures, or some other carrion eating birds, came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away, and that seems to have been his task for a long time. And he waited, and waited for the next instruction, and it didn't come, and twilight came, and darkness began to fall.