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“Reckoned Righteous”Sometime after the events of Lot’s rescue and Melchizedek’s blessing, Abram is confronted the reality that despite God’s goodness, he lacks an heir to inherit God’s blessings. Abram looks at his present reality and concludes the promise of God doesn’t look possible. God, out of His great kindness and mercy, comforts the Patriarch by not only stating His promise, but illustrating to Abram through the multitude of the starry night.
Trusting in this promise, God reckons Abram his righteousness. The Apostle Paul takes this one verse and expands on it in Romans 4. Addressing the subject of works righteousness manifested in circumcision, Paul points back to the moment Abram was credited as righteous. That happened before his circumcision, which means God’s favor was upon Abram long before the man could do anything to merit salvation. |
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“Doubled-Edged Promise”In light of God’s reckoning the man as righteous, Abram is in a position to ask God for a sign. Not out of doubt or disbelief, but for a strength and posterity. The sign God gives to Abram is a strange one, involving the setting aside of valuable livestock, only for them to be slaughtered as a sacrifice.
Placing Abram in a trance, God reveals to the Patriarch His double-edged Word. God starts with the bad news and then moves to a three-part good news. Abram’s descendants will be enslaved, but the oppressing nation will be punished, Abram will die at a ripe old age, and his generations will one day inhabit the very land on which he now stands. |
God ratifies this promise with two images, one of a smoking oven and the other of a touch, passing between the sacrifice. These signs point to promise repeated by God, this time with the expansive reach of His people.