Genesis 15

God's Way of Saving

Following Abram's remarkable encounter with Melchizedek, God spoke to Abram again. 15:1 tells us that 'the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision'. It was a wonderful thing to hear the voice of God, re-affirming all the undertakings that He had given Abram when Abram set out from Ur to follow Him first of all. No doubt Abram needed constant re-assurance of the love and presence and fellowship of God, and God did not let his faithful servant down.

The events of chapter 15 are important for us because they reveal to us the way by which God was determined to bring His word to fulfillment in Abram's experience. He had promised him a land, an inheritance, and Abram went out following God, through faith, "for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). Chapter 15 gave Abram a fresh glimpse of God's purpose, and a new realisation of God's leading and guidance.

But there is more, for in these events that unfolded in Abram's life, we see the way in which and the way by which God saves sinners still. We may be tempted to think that things were different in the Old Testament, and that the saints there were saved by some different method to us. But in Romans 4-5 Paul argues from the life of Abram to show us that just as Abram believed God and was made righteous, so we too must do the same. Much has changed; Christ has come, and the method of God's salvation is revealed to us in all its glorious fulness. But the nature of that salvation remains the same. God gives the grace of faith to those who trust in Him. And, as we shall see in this chapter, that process makes Abram's salvation and hope certain and sure.

There are three elements to this salvation:

Grace Through Covenant

First, God gives His grace through His covenant. 'Covenant' is one of the buzz-words of Scripture. It means a relationship between two parties, and can be used to describe the union of a king and a conquered foe, or a husband and wife in marriage. In its highest sense, it describes a union between God and sinners, made possible because sin, the rebellion that caused them to be estranged and distanced and separated, is dealt with in Christ.

Salvation means enjoying God's blessing instead of His curse, His nearness instead of His distance, being reconciled to Him instead of being far away from Him. Sin has driven us away from God. But - praise God - Jesus died in order to bring us near (see Ephesians 2:13), so near that God can speak of His people being in a marriage, covenant relationship with Him.

So when we hear God speaking to Abram hear, we realise that God is "making a covenant" (15:18), as He made a covenant with Adam and with Noah. In these successive covenants, God is revealing, stage by stage throughout the Old Testament, the way He saves.

He is a God of grace, and His grace determines to bring sinners into the 'bond of the covenant', to use Ezekiel's phrase in Ezekiel 20:37. Barriers of sin and rebellion are taken away. Walls of estrangement and division are torn down. All that men ever did to drive a wedge between them and God He removes, in order that there will be open communion and rich fellowship between God and men. Salvation is covenant-orientated.

In chapter 15, God's covenant was revealed by a strange ritual in which Abram had to take animals and birds, and kill them, split the carcasses in two and lay them along the road. That night God himself came down and moved between the pieces. The Hebrew phrase for making a covenant means 'cutting a covenant', and in this vivid way, God 'cut' a covenant with Abram. There was bloodshed and death - the blood of the covenant was shed as the greatest guarantee of the grace of that covenant.

So it is with us, and for us. God has given His Son, and it is with His stripes that we are healed. There is blessing for us, because in the death of the cross Christ has mediated the cutting of God's covenant with lost sinners. Through Calvary the grace that saves finds its way into sinners' hearts and lives.

Covenant Through Promises

The covenant God made with Abram was written large in gracious promises, given to re-affirm God's marriage-commitment to Abram, to His church in the world. There was the promise of a son, the heir of the promises, the promise of a rich and innumerable family line, and the promise of a land for an inheritance - a permanent place of blessing and covenant dwelling.

In the death of Jesus, the promises of God are made sure to us - they are "Yes!" and "Amen!" in Jesus, to the glory of God through us (2 Corinthians 1:20). God has multiplied promises for us in the Gospel - the promise of forgiveness, the promise of his grace, of his help, of his presence and of his power. All of these promises of the Bible we can claim because they are the very stuff of our salvation.

The hymn talked about "Standing on the promises", and at last that is where salvation alone is to be found. There is no ground of confidence anywhere else. Salvation is not based upon what we are or upon what we can do, but upon what God is, and upon what he has already undertaken to do in and through Jesus Christ.

Promises Through Faith

Finally, how did Abram stand on the promises? By faith - by implicit and wholehearted trust in God. Listen to Paul: "[Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform" (Romans 4:20-21).

That is the essence of faith, and that is God's way of salvation. We trust by faith that God will do what He has said. There is no greater, no better way of salvation. Indeed, there is no other. For then, by faith, we too will be held righteous in God's sight (15:6), saved by the blood of Jesus.

Praise the Lord!