Chapter 5-Faith Laying Hold of God (Genesis 15)

Do you ever doubt the promises of God? On the one hand, it seems to be a ridiculous question to ask of people who believe in the infallibility (incapability of error) and sufficiency (providing everything needed for life and godliness) of Scripture. But on the other hand, what happens when we are in the midst of trials and temptations? Do we always respond in a way that accords with our beliefs?

In our text, we see that Abram had fears and doubts. He had no offspring to inherit the promised land, and furthermore, the promised land was not yet his! But what does Abram do? He brings his concerns to God. And in response, God further reveals His plan to make of Abram a great nation, pointing Abram to the night sky and stating that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars he sees.

What God does next was quite spectacular, both for Abram, and for us. God 'cuts a covenant' with Abram, but what is unique about this particular covenant is that it is God Himself who walks between the animals that had been cut, symbolizing that God would bear the curse on behalf of Abram and his descendants if the covenant was broken.

Indeed, in Christ, we see the curse associated with the breach of the covenant pronounced and carried out. God the Son bore the wrath that was rightly ours, so that we might be reconciled to Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 perhaps states it best: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." And because of this, even in the midst of fear and doubt, we can lay our concerns at the feet of Christ, and by faith lay hold of God's promise, knowing with certainty that He Who Is Faithful will surely bring His people to the eternal promised land.