We read of the story of the Father of our faith, the one who exemplifies and demonstrates the kind of faith we ought to have in God. We would have to do what Abraham did in similitude and semblance to attract and obtain the interest and notice of Heaven coupled with the Heavenly governance and protocol. We were taught by the greatest theologian that ever lived, the great Apostle Paul that if anyone would have to be baptised into the mystical body called Church, such a person would have to believe in the God that made the Heavens and the Earth, just as Abraham did. It was written of him ‘Abraham believed God and it was accredited to him as righteousness’.

He was born to Terah and hailed from Ur of the Chaldea’s. They worshipped the moon god, what is termed today as idol worshipping. When Abraham encountered God the first instruction he received was to leave his father, mother and family. God said to him, ‘I want to show you a place where you have never been’. However, Abraham was not able to make that move into the unseen land until his father died. As soon as Terah died, it was recorded that Abraham, who had previously heard the instruction from God, therefore moved from Ur to an unknown place, all based on promise.

Being made a curse of the Law, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law; that the BLESSING of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith. For it is written, ‘cursed is everyone that hangs from the tree’.

It was written about this great patriarch that he did not consider his own body, which was as good as dead, but was strong in FAITH giving glory to the God of all creation. He did not stagger, totter, wobble or teeter through the witness of his senses because he trusted in that which God had told him. At this time, he was almost a hundred years old and his wife was close to ninety years old. They expected, against all odds and human accreditations, endorsements and approvals, that God was able to do exceedingly, abundantly above that which He (God) had promised.

As I look in the book which keeps the records, it is declared that the annals, chronicles and archives of history, record that Abraham believed in that God who had the ability to call things which had never existed; things that were not in existence as though they were already in existence. We understand by the Book that the worlds were framed, bordered, enclosed and structured by that which God spoke.

It was inscribed of this great man that when God called on Him to sacrifice and slaughter the only son whom he had gotten by promise from the Alpha and Omega as a ransom, he did not think twice because he trusted that God was able to give him another son. He proceeded to a mount of sacrifice called Moriah and without hesitation arranged the wood in order and tied his only son Isaac. Just as he was about to put the knife to his son’s neck, God called Abraham and instructed him not to kill his son. By this action, Abraham was confirmed and endorsed by the heavenly structure of his unending love, trust and reliance coupled with his confidence in God, the grand designer of the Heavens and Earth.

In God, we have some of the characteristics that were never shared with all that He created, although He made man after His image and likeness. His divine omnipotence: His being all-powerful, all supremacy, influence, might and control. His divine omniscience: His being all-knowing, awareness, insight, sagacity, sapience, wisdom and insight. His omnipresence: His being everywhere at the same time, ubiquitously and universally.

For Abraham to have made these decisions and remain confident in God, being endorsed by God and the twenty four elders in the celestial and terrestrial environs, one would have thought that Abraham had all the characteristics that God didn’t share with His creature. If this is true, the conundrum that springs out of our minds would be what was responsible for the propelling force that guarded and guided Abraham as he walked with God.

Please follow me closely in this discourse as I highlight the factors responsible and available to this great man of FAITH. We read from Genesis 15.

God had told Abraham to leave his kindred. As an incentive, He gave promises: ‘I will make your name great. I will bless you. I will make you into a great Nation. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse. All the people of the earth will be blessed through you. Walk before me (God) faithfully and be blameless. I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers. As for me (God), this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful and kings will come out of you’.

On hearing all these promises from God, Abraham fell to his face in fright and questioned God on how He intends to accomplish these great but unbelievable promises and how Abraham will know that He will gain lands and all that God had promised. This he did because he wanted something in which he could anchor his hope on. This sounds like someone has made you a promise and you then begin to ask for proof that the said promise would actually be realised. We all want proof, don’t we?

He had an uncommon encounter with God as God tries to put his mind at rest. God knew Abraham needed proof like normal human beings would think intrinsically. Therefore, God instructs him to get some animals: a heifer, goat and ram, each to be three years old. He also told him to bring a dove and young pigeon. He got the animals and God told him to divide the heifer, goat and ram into two parts and arrange them adjacent to each other, but the birds were not to be divided into two parts. God was about to cut a covenant with Abraham.

In ancient times, COVENANTS were taken so seriously that you could not just cut a covenant with anyone because they carried penalties if broken by any of the parties involved. The principle of covenants was strictly understood by all in those days, because if either party did not fulfil their part of the covenant, something tragic would happen to the offending party.

The general idea about the animals that were cut into two parts was that a requirement between the two parties involved in covenant would be to walk between the divided animals so as to signify that “may this be done to me if I break this covenant; may I be torn apart, may I be cut in half like these animals if I fail to carry out my part of the covenant”.

Abraham prepares the animals, but God is not man; so they won’t both walk between the divided animals. Abraham falls asleep and a horror of darkness enveloped him. A smoking furnace and a burning lamp (signifying the presence of God) went between the animals. ‘Wow!, That was God’, he would have reassured himself when he woke up from his dream. God made that covenant with Abraham. Abraham was not allowed to participate as the second party in the covenant; God was on both sides. In other words, God assured Abraham that He (God) should be torn apart like the animals if eventually He failed to keep His part of the covenant. God took full responsibility for the fulfilment of the covenant if eventually Abraham fails, although God was the first and the second party in the agreement.

Abraham will sin; Isaac, his son will be a wimp. Jacob would be a trickster and a deceiver all the way through. Jacob will have twelve sons, one of his sons will sleep with his father’s wife and another will sleep with his daughter-in-law. Ten of his sons will connive to sell or kill their brothers and these are the PATRIARCHS! Still God did not wipe them out. God has sworn in this symbolic act that whatever curses fall, they are to fall on Him.

This was the anchorage that made Abraham trust in God. He had nothing to lose and peradventure anything happens, God was to be torn apart like the animals divided into two parts. For when God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself.

At Golgotha, there was darkness from the sixth hour to the ninth hour and eventually because of the failure of mankind, He exclaimed, ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me’ and He died. God died. Today, we are faced with the promises of God and because we need encouragement to hold fast to a hope set before us; He Died.

His immortality eventually became mortality; his immutability did suffer mutation; the impossible became possible; the infallibility became fallible. God was cut off and trampled in the dust.

By the death, burial and resurrection, we have hope that He who promises is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we think or ask for in accordance to the power that works within us. It is not a co-operative venture, it is not God helps those who help themselves, and this is the working of God and God alone.

We worry, cry, doubt and become despondent because we have refused to trust God as the anchor of our soul.


Be Refreshed

K Surakat

Wow super long i almost turned back, but very insightful
I never would have pieced the Genesis passage with Christ's death....thank you.

The first half of this article is spot on, but the last half is littered with inaccuracies.

Will highlight these a little later.

frosbel: The first half of this article is spot on, but the last half is littered with inaccuracies.

Will highlight these a little later.

The best lies contain 90% truth.

Excellent piece. I agree with this writing 100%

God took the covenant for both sides...

Jesus paid all...

This is GRACE!

I hope Demi U are preparing for us. By the time the last paper is delivered I can imagine all knees bowing to the awesome grace of God

^^^ God is preparing me bro, I am looking forward to the event,

^^^^

I have bolded the aspects of this article that are without support from scripture and FALSE.

Will address these in detail.

Coming back......

Who is K. Surakat?

shdemidemi:

The general idea about the animals that were cut into two parts was that a requirement between the two parties involved in covenant would be to walk between the divided animals so as to signify that “may this be done to me if I break this covenant; may I be torn apart, may I be cut in half like these animals if I fail to carry out my part of the covenant”.

Abraham prepares the animals, but God is not man; so they won’t both walk between the divided animals. Abraham falls asleep and a horror of darkness enveloped him. A smoking furnace and a burning lamp (signifying the presence of God) went between the animals. ‘Wow!, That was God’, he would have reassured himself when he woke up from his dream. God made that covenant with Abraham. Abraham was not allowed to participate as the second party in the covenant; God was on both sides. In other words, God assured Abraham that He (God) should be torn apart like the animals if eventually He failed to keep His part of the covenant. God took full responsibility for the fulfillment of the covenant if eventually Abraham fails, although God was the first and the second party in the agreement.

Abraham will sin; Isaac, his son will be a wimp. Jacob would be a trickster and a deceiver all the way through. Jacob will have twelve sons, one of his sons will sleep with his father’s wife and another will sleep with his daughter-in-law. Ten of his sons will connive to sell or kill their brothers and these are the PATRIARCHS! Still God did not wipe them out. God has sworn in this symbolic act that whatever curses fall, they are to fall on Him.

This was the anchorage that made Abraham trust in God. He had nothing to lose and peradventure anything happens, God was to be torn apart like the animals divided into two parts. For when God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself.

I just have a few questions questions arising from the bolded above:

1- Where\How do you get the interpretation that: "May the breaker of the covenant be torn apart like the sacrificial animals were torn apart.." as being the significance of walking between the sacrifices??

2- Why do you conclude that Abraham was exempted as a second party to the covenant, As if normally he would have been required to partake in this ritual in the first place?

These questions may seem simple or trivial, but you have made the effort to emphasize the rituals(in bold) and their meanings repeatedly. Surely I disagree with your analysis and understanding of these rituals(and it has nothing to do with sex ) but before we delve into any exchanges, I must get some idea of where/how you draw these interpretations from. I'm not asking for too much details or lengthy explanations; just give me whatever you can. Cheers.

Mehn!!! I never thought I'd see the day that I'd agree with raise the same issues as @frosbel

@OP's analysis, interpretations and extrapolations are heavily flawed(I think). @frosbels highlighted quotes are spot-on.

okeyxyz:

I just have a few questions questions arising from the bolded above:

1- Where\How do you get the interpretation that: "May the breaker of the covenant be torn apart like the sacrificial animals were torn apart.." as being the significance of walking between the sacrifices??

2- Why do you conclude that Abraham was exempted as a second party to the covenant, As if normally he would have been required to partake in this ritual in the first place?

These questions may seem simple or trivial, but you have made the effort to emphasize the rituals(in bold) and their meanings repeatedly. Surely I disagree with your analysis and understanding of these rituals(and it has nothing to do with sex ) but before we delve into any exchanges, I must get some idea of where/how you draw these interpretations from. I'm not asking for too much details or lengthy explanations; just give me whatever you can. Cheers.

Bro, you can't really grasp the content of this document at the first glance, go back and read and re-read it. In addition you must take another look at Genesis 15 to see what really transpired between God and Abraham.

As for your first question about covenants, I am sure you would find out after doing a little research on what happens to whoever breaks a covenant and that was exactly the way it was then and more.


The answer to your second question is in Genesis 15, Abraham slept off and saw a vision of God going through the covenant that was originally meant to be for two.

@OP, I went through your post and studied Genesis 15. It would have been more understandable if you quoted the scriptures as I am not sure some actually went to study this part of the word.

The proof Abraham wanted seemed to be in

Genesis 15:7-8
7 Then the LORD told him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.”

8 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it ?”

Abraham needed proof if he would truly possess the land God said He will give Him to which God asked for those animals. A deep sleep fell on Him where he was oppressed probably signifying the oppression of his descendants in Egypt.

But to conclude, where the oven and flaming torch passed through the midst of the divided animals, the bible said:

Genesis 15:16-18
16 After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”
17 After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. 18 So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River—

Emphasis on this land. Abraham had already believed God on His promises for a son in earlier verses, this convenant was for the proof Abraham required regarding the land he and his descendants will possess.
I really do not understand what you mean by the 'tearing in two' and only God fulfilling a convenant meant for two seeing Abraham was just looking for proof. You may need to explain better.

^^^You are right about the reason God made the covenant. But, Abraham never got the land God promised him that is why God had to die (that is , Jesus had to die for mankind)

shdemidemi:
^^^You are right about the reason God made the covenant. But, Abraham never got the land God promised him that is why God had to die (that is , Jesus had to die for mankind)

How do you mean?

Genesis 13:12
So Abram settled in the land of Canaan

Abraham was already settled on the 'this land'. He just wanted proof it would be his possession. And this came to pass as his descendants came back from Egypt, after four generations, to possess it just as God had said in Genesis 15:16-19.

shdemidemi:
^^^You are right about the reason God made the covenant. But, Abraham never got the land God promised him that is why God had to die (that is , Jesus had to die for mankind)

Ha!

Spot on Alwaystrue, I agree it would have been better with scriptural references.

Alwaystrue:
How do you mean?

Genesis 13:12
So Abram settled in the land of Canaan

Abraham was already settled on the 'this land'. He just wanted proof it would be his possession. And this came to pass as his descendants came back from Egypt, after four generations, to possess it just as God had said in Genesis 15:16-19.

You have completely forgotten that the story of Abraham did not end with Abraham, his descendants had to leave that land you thought was the land and settled in Goshen, before then Isaac who was the promised child came into the picture...and after Isaac was Jacob, then Joseph....if the said land of Canaan was the supposed Land, there won't have been a movement to Egypt....like jesus said I go to prepare a place. What I am bringing to this forum is to make us understand that Christ had been spoken about right from the book of Genesis.....

^^^^^^
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were living in the land of canaan, side by side with the 'canaanites'. It was yet to be possessed and that is why the convenant God had with Abraham was this:

Genesis 15:18
So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given. this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River— 19 the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

Before he made this convenant, He explained to Abraham what would transpire in Gen. 15:13-16. When the time came, the Israelites had to drive out the Canaanites to possess/receive this promised land...

God fulfilled His oath which he took by the sacrifice, you rightly gave the background of as evidenced in Jer. 34:18.


So while trying to show that Jesus was spoken about right from the book of Genesis, trying to restate why Christ died by your post does not qualify as God fulfilled the oath He made to Abraham already. He is not a convenant-breaker as you seem to be potraying here. Psalm 89:34.

Joshua 21:43
And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.

Nehemiah 9:7-8
7 Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him. fo rth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; 8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:

Sister, this is a christocentric teaching. The scripture (old testament) would be ordinary stories if we can't find Christ in them, everything from the beginning has and must always be pointing to Christ.

Now, when you see a covenant, it takes two people to take part in a covenant but God stood on both side of this covenant. Therefore when man fails to fulfil his part of the deal, God came like man to die as man.

shdemidemi:

Bro, you can't really grasp the content of this document at the first glance, go back and read and re-read it. In addition you must take another look at Genesis 15 to see what really transpired between God and Abraham.

As for your first question about covenants, I am sure you would find out after doing a little research on what happens to whoever breaks a covenant and that was exactly the way it was then and more.

I disagree with your interpretations; What transpired between Abraham and God was a blood covenant. Blood covenants carry a spiritual significance and power. It means that the the oath\decree is binding on all interested parties. Abraham needed a decree that will be binding and irrevocable on God who has made a promise to him. The significance of spilling blood is that one life or one path\choice has been irreversibly given up in order to follow an alternative life/path/choice. According to natural laws, blood that is spilled cannot be put back(or life that is taken cannot be brought back), thus making this decree irrevocable until this debt is paid. This is a spiritual principle that all occult practices copy because they know it works(and of course these are shadows of the real thing: The death of Christ). It has nothing to do with your claims that "May the breaker of this covenant be torn apart ...". God simply walked the path of the spilled blood to show that he has signed the contract.

The answer to your second question is in Genesis 15, Abraham slept off and saw a vision of God going through the covenant that was originally meant to be for two.

The reason Abraham did not walk the blood path was because he was not the one who made a promise. The person who makes an promise(God in this case) is required to sign/fulfill(do the blood ritual) the covenant. It is not because God stood in for both parties as you claim, as only one person made a promise/proposal and the other person needed such proposal to be authoritative. That is the assurance Abraham needed to enter into this relationship. Also, it was not that Abraham doubted God's ability to do as he promised but he needed this promise to be binding so that God CANNOT change his mind.

shdemidemi: Sister, this is a christocentric teaching. The scripture (old testament) would be ordinary stories if we can't find Christ in them, everything from the beginning has and must always be pointing to Christ.

Now, when you see a covenant, it takes two people to take part in a covenant but God stood on both side of this covenant. Therefore when man fails to fulfill his part of the deal, God came like man to die as man.

Absolutely Not!!! The bolded has just nullified all the grace gospel you assume to preach. Christ died to abolish/replace the law of Moses. Not because of man's inability to abide by it but because of it's inability to make anybody righteous by God's standards. The law of Moses is a shadow of God's true laws; Shadow means: It follows a semblance of the substance but ultimately is a false representation of the substance. By claiming that christ's death was a result of man's inability to keep the Laws/covenant, you thereby assert that the law is a true representation of God's standards.

.

okeyxyz:

Absolutely Not!!! The bolded has just nullified all the grace gospel you assume to preach. Christ died to abolish/replace the law of Moses. Not because of man's inability to abide by it but by it's inability to make anybody righteous by God's standards. The law of Moses is a shadow of God's true laws; Shadow means: It follows a semblance of the substance but ultimately is a false representation of the substance. By claiming that christ's death was a result of man's inability to keep the Laws/covenant, you also assert that the law is a true representation of God's standards.

Christ died so that his bride could marry him again.

Jeremiah 3:20 "But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me," declares the LORD."



God divorced Israel for her idolatry, which is tantamount to adultery.

Jeremiah 3:8 " And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also."

So God was in covenant with Israel, and divorced her. Is it legal for a man to remarry the wife he once divorced? Let us find out:

Romans 7:1-2 "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband"

Hmm, this sound suspiciously like the law. Lets see:

Deuteronomy 24:3-4
" And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4 her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance."

So how can God take Israel back after he divorced her? This was a mystery because the prophets revealed it would happen:

Jeremiah 31:31-33
" Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: 33 but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people."

Well, if you died and were buried with Christ, then this union is legal.

Shalom

@shdemidemi, the whole OT points to Christ already and that was why the bible said the law and the prophets bore Him witness, so while your cause may be noble, you may need to explain your submission better as your posts below are contradictory.

shdemidemi:
But, Abraham never got the land God promised him that is why God had to die (that is , Jesus had to die for mankind)

shdemidemi: Therefore when man fails to fulfil his part of the deal, God came like man to die as man.

Thanks.

Alwaystrue: @shdemidemi, the whole OT points to Christ already and that was why the bible said the law and the prophets bore Him witness, so while your cause may be noble, you may need to explain your submission better as your posts below are contradictory.

Thanks.

You are right about the fact that the entire Old Testament point us to Christ by extension we must always find Christ in every story we read in the scriptures not inquisitively searching for morals.
Hebrews 6
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel,confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,


The blood that was shed made Abraham have hope in Christ, the covenant became the anchor of his soul. In a similar way the shed blood of Christ gives us hope in this present dispensation. We must read the bible with a preconceived understanding that God is simply doing all He can to bring man back to himself after the fall.

I insist you take another look at the document, the answers to most of the questions and worries are embedded therein, if you can take your mind away from the story itself but look outside the primary story.