God's Grace in Creation

In his youth, four-time Emmy Award winner Mark Burnett saw the Bible as the rulebook of a strict and angry God.  That impression is shared by a lot of people who have a limited familiarity with the Old Testament.  But in time, Burnett, the producer of Survivor and The Celebrity Apprentice, and his wife, Touched by an Angel star Roma Downey, began to understand the Scriptures in a whole different way.  They began to see it as a love story.  In March of 2013 Mark and Roma combined their talents to produce an epic five-week, 10-hour television miniseries on the History Channel, bringing The Bible to life in a striking new way.  Mark explained, "We wanted it to be heartfelt and we wanted it ultimately to be a love story – to tell the Bible from the beginning to the end in a grand, sweeping embrace.” Regardless of whether or not they succeeded in attempting to portray Scripture as a divine romance, they were right.  In truth, the Bible is much more a love story than it is a rulebook.  It is the story of how God embraces His chosen people with His grace and through them offers His grace to all mankind. 

But the grace of God is evident in Scripture long before God singles out Abraham to be the father of His chosen people.  God’s love for mankind is manifest already “in the beginning.”  God begins to disclose His motivation in undertaking the work of creation as early as day four of the creation week.  As on the earlier days, God spoke His creation into existence, but this time also explains the reason He puts the sun, moon and stars in place.  “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth” (Genesis 1:14-15, emphasis mine).  These heavenly bodies were generated by God to serve mankind “as signs to mark seasons and days and years.” That’s why they are described from our point of view as being “in the expanse of the sky.”  God, the author of time, wants us to be able to mark time and to number our days “aright” so that we might grow in wisdom and make the most of the time we have here on earth (Psalm 90:12). 

As He carried out His work of creation, God was careful to put everything in place that was necessary to sustain human life.  The expanse of the sky provided the oxygen required for life, while the requisite liquid water was separated from the dry land so that people would have a place to live and breathe.   God made sure that the plants He created perfectly complemented mankind and the animals.  While we require oxygen for cellular respiration and exhale carbon dioxide, the plants all around us use carbon dioxide, sunlight, water and minerals from the earth to produce the food we need to sustain life, and in the process, release the oxygen that we require.  This perfect symbiosis demonstrates the grace of God in providing for us before He even brought us into being.  God even had us in mind when He created different classes of animals, both “wild animals” to be appreciated for their strength and beauty, and “livestock” or animals that could be readily domesticated and put to use by mankind (Genesis 1:25). 

Mankind is frequently described as "the crown of creation."  As God went about His work of creation He clearly made certain that everything was well prepared for the crown to be put in place.  This is powerful evidence of God's grace and love.

Copyright by the Author.

Grace, Mercy and Righteousness from God

Before we dive into the Old Testament itself in search of God’s grace, however, there is an important question that we ought to answer.  What is grace?  In our modern speaking we use the word grace to describe all kinds of things.  Most often it describes beauty in the form of graceful movement or dance, or kindness in the form of gracious words.  Both of these meanings flow out of the original meaning of the word grace.  We also use the word grace to speak of prayers that we offer before a meal.  This usage comes closer to the original meaning, since our prayers acknowledge that the food we are about to consume is a gift of God’s grace, and we seek His blessing as we partake of His gifts. 

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The basic Hebrew word for grace is the word חֵן (ḥēn), which means favor.  The word describes the willingness of a superior to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior.  Grace is an act that displays one’s fondness or compassion for another.    When God grants grace, He shows unmerited favor toward sinners, who are unable to please God.  Grace demonstrates His goodness toward those who are helpless and weak.  Because of His grace, God is favorably disposed toward us, even though we are completely unworthy of any of the goodness He shows to us.  Grace is a part of God’s character.  He is repeatedly described through the Old Testament as being a “gracious” God.  Because this is God’s nature, there are countless incidents throughout Scripture where God demonstrates grace, and the word חֵן is never used.  Grace, then, is God’s undeserved and unsolicited favor toward those who cannot help themselves because of their sinful nature.

Another key word connected to the grace of God is the word חֶסֶד (ḥě·sěḏ) or kindness, meaning unfailing kindness or devotion, that is, a love or affection that is steadfast.  The difference between grace and kindness is that חֶסֶד stresses free kindness within a lasting relationship and does not necessarily express the movement of the stronger to the weaker.  The King James Version used the words “mercy” or “loving-kindness” to translate this Hebrew term, whereas the New International Version frequently uses the simple word “love” as well as “mercy”, and the English Standard Version often translates it as “steadfast love.”

These two terms are frequently linked to each other in describing the nature of God, along with similar terms like “compassionate,” “forgiving,” “slow to anger,” and “faithful.”  With terms such as these being the words God most often uses to describe Himself in Scripture, it should not surprise us to find example after example of God’s grace to His people throughout the Old Testament.

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Another term that connects directly with Romans 3:21 is the Hebrew word צְדָקָה

(tsâdaqah) meaning “righteousness.”  In reference to God Himself this word is used to describe God’s character as sovereign in administering justice and punishment.  God by nature is always righteous and acts justly.  In reference to sinful human beings however, this word most often means to justify, to declare righteous, or to save or vindicate.  Thus, when God credits righteousness to someone they are justified before God, saved from the punishment they deserve, and are restored to a right relationship with God.  The fact that God is willing to do this is a demonstration of God’s grace.  God makes us righteous by His Word because He is gracious and merciful.  Thus, justification by grace through faith is first taught in the Old Testament. 

On the basis of this understanding of the grace of God, and the righteousness that comes by grace through faith, then, let us begin our search for Prophetic Grace.

Copyright by the Author.

God's Alien Task vs. His WIlling Work

When God revealed Himself to Moses on Mt. Sinai, even following the incident of idolatry by the children of Israel involving the golden calf, He gave this description of himself to Moses: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Exodus 34:6-7).  This is God’s most complete self-revelation up to this point in time. In it He characterizes Himself as a God of grace. 

Now it’s true that God does go on to say: “Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7).  Some would argue that this addendum negates God’s claim of graciousness.  Indeed, one could argue that these words sound almost vindictive and vengeful.  However this is nothing more than a restatement of God’s threat in connection with the Second Commandment.  God’s words there clarify His meaning here:  “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:5-6, emphasis mine).  God’s punishment is extended only to those who hate Him, but on the other hand, He shows mercy to not just three or four generations, but to a thousand generations of those who love Him.   

God must uphold His holiness and righteousness by punishing sin, but He does not delight in doing so.  In fact, such work is referred to as an “alien” work.  In Isaiah 28 God says this: “The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon—to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task. Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land” (Isaiah 28:21-22 emphasis mine). These words of warning against Israel illustrate God’s attitude toward punishing sin with judgment and destruction.  It is not something God delights in.  It gives Him no pleasure. Parazim and Gibeon were places where God had given Israel victories over their enemies.  So it really would be strange for Him to rise up (as He once had on Israel’s behalf in those places) in order to punish their sin and rebellion. 

The prophet Jeremiah in the book of Lamentations also shows us the true character of the God of the Old Testament.  “For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.  Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.  For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men” (Lamentations 3:31-33, emphasis mine).  Yes, God necessarily, nevertheless unwillingly, does sometimes afflict us in our sinful rebellion.  His heart’s desire, however, is to show compassion, which He will unfailingly do at the very moment of our return to Him in repentance.

 

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Twice through the prophet Ezekiel God tells us that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.  “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23 and 33:11).  Yes, God does punish the wicked and pay the wages that sin earns.  But this is not something that God delights in.  Rather, God’s Word tells us:  “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy” (Micah 7:18 emphasis mine).  Yes, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  That’s because meting out death is God’s alien work, but His proper work in which He delights is giving life to repentant sinners by grace.  And this is just as true of God in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament.

The God of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, then, is a God who delights to show mercy.  Granting grace is God's customary work.  Because of our sinful rebellion God is forced at times to exhibit His alien work, which is wrath and punishment.  But He finds no joy in performing this work, and would much rather show grace and mercy to all who will receive it.  Showing grace and mercy is the work God willingly undertakes!

Copyright by the Author.

Prophetic Grace -- An Old Testament Journey with a Loving God

For two years, part of my job at Concordia Lutheran Church, San Antonio, Texas was writing a daily commentary on one or two chapters of the Old Testament.  This commentary was intended to aid people who were following the “Word for Today” Bible reading plan on the church’s website.  In addition to being a great challenge, this task also proved to be a great blessing to me personally in my own faith life.  Naturally, being a pastor I had read and studied the Old Testament both in the seminary and in the ministry, as I preached and taught Bible classes.  But it had been a long time since I had poured over the entire Old Testament in such a relatively short period of time, and I had never done so while charged with the responsibility of helping other believers understand this sometimes complex, sometimes confusing collection of sacred writing.  Still, my consideration of the Old Testament might well have ended when I wrote my final commentary on Malachi chapter 4, had it not been for an episode in my Interactive Adult Bible Class one Sunday morning. 

I was leading my class through the book of Romans and chapter 3 was the subject of our attention. This is a very familiar section of Scripture to me, since I had previously coauthored a book based (in part) on Paul’s letter to the Romans entitled, The Goal of the Gospel: God’s Purpose in Saving You.  You know what it’s like when you’re reading again a very familiar part of the Bible.  It’s like an old friend, comfortable and comforting.  As you begin reading, all of the truths you’ve previously acquired from it flood your heart and mind.  You delight in its memorable treasures, but you really don’t expect to find anything new.  Then, just when you least expect it, God assaults your heart and mind with a new insight that had previously escaped your attention (or perhaps had been previously learned but long forgotten).  That’s what happened to me that day in Bible class.

Romans 3:21 says:  “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.”  The righteousness to which Paul refers here is the righteousness of faith.  “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22).  Paul is highlighting the central doctrine of the Christian faith, that is, justification by grace through faith.   This most precious truth teaches us that we are saved from sin not by trying hard to overcome it, but solely by the grace of God through the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It was He alone who lived a sinless life in this sinful world.  It was He alone who loved you and me enough to lay down that life as the perfect sacrifice for all our sins.  It is by faith in Him alone that His righteousness is credited to you and me, and we become righteous in God’s sight.  It is only by His glorious resurrection victory that His sacrifice is accredited as all sufficient, and we are allowed to share in His victory over sin, death and hell.  This overwhelming truth about God’s grace at work to save us is declared over and over again throughout the New Testament.  It is the hope of every true Christian for life everlasting.  There’s nothing new here, right?

What struck me that morning in Bible class, however, was not the central truth of the Good News of salvation by grace.  What jumped out and assaulted me was the phrase, “to which the Law and the Prophets testify.”  The words “the Law and the Prophets” are New Testament shorthand for the complete Old Testament.  This expression was Paul’s way of encompassing God’s entire revelation from Genesis to Malachi in five simple words.  The word “testify” is the Greek word “martyreo” which means to bear witness to the truth to or to speak well of someone.  Suddenly it occurred to me that the Old Testament bears witness to the truth of the righteousness of faith, or salvation by grace.  At the same time, the word “testify” spoke even more powerfully to assure me that the Old Testament speaks well of the grace of God, and for that matter, of the God of grace. 

This was especially significant to me because of the interest I have in apologetics.  Having read several books by “the New Atheists,” as they are sometimes referred to, clearly the witness that men like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Denning bear against the God of the Old Testament is anything but positive. In his book, Is God a Moral Monster? Paul Copan described their testimony in this way: “The New Atheists commonly raise questions about strange and harsh Old Testament laws, a God of jealousy and anger, slavery, and the killing of the Canaanites—and that’s just the beginning of the list.” Just the beginning, indeed!  One of Richard Dawkins most famous quotes describes God in the following terms.

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser;   a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

Those venomous words definitely do not speak well of God’s character, as the prophets who wrote the Old Testament bore witness to it.  But it’s not only the New Atheists who sometimes mischaracterize the nature of God as revealed by the Law and the Prophets.  Many Christians would freely express their understanding of God’s Word something like this:  “The God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath while the God of the New Testament is a God of love.”  This misunderstanding is similar to the error that befalls many Christians who think the Old Testament equals “Law” while the New Testament equals “Gospel.” 

As I thought about Paul’s words, “to which the Law and the Prophets testify,” I began to recall various Old Testament verses and accounts that spoke of God’s grace and the righteousness of faith.  Passage after passage flooded my mind, and it struck me that these verses provided a very different picture of the God of the Old Testament than the one many people had.  This was not a vengeful, wrath-filled tyrant, but a loving, gracious God who longed to do good for His people, and to live in close fellowship with them.  

Over the next few months I hope to share some of those grace filled Old Testament passages with you.  Please check back regularly to continue this journey through "Prophetic Grace."

Copyright by the Author.

What Have We Lost?

Before the election on November 6, a large number of political pundits were expecting and predicting a strong Romney victory.  When the results were in I sat, like millions of Americans, in stunned disbelief, wondering what on earth had just happened.  The outcome should have looked more like 1980, when Ronald Reagan triumphed over Jimmy Carter, but it didn’t.  Analysis of the Romney loss has run the gamut, most of it blaming the candidate or the GOP.   There is a much deeper reason, however, why 2012 didn’t turn out like 1980.  Very simply, we don’t live in the America of 1980.  America has lost something since that time, something that has altered the soul of our nation.  Songs like “American Dream” by Madison Rising and “American Heart” by Faith Hill attempt to convince us that the American spirit is still alive and well, and it is… in a minority of American voters.  The majority of voters that re-elected a failed president to a second term, however, have lost essential elements of the American spirit that would have been required to get this nation back on course.  It’s not difficult to identify what is missing from America 2012 that was far more prominent 30 years ago.  Four elements of that American spirit lacking today are easy to identify. 

The first missing ingredient is faith.  Secularism is on the rise in this nation, as it has been for 50 years.  The secularists have taken over our key American institutions of academia and the media. We see the rise of secularism in the “war on Christmas,” that was lost most recently in a court decision barring churches in Santa Monica, California from setting up a nativity display with 60 years of history behind it in a public park.  We see it in the required evolutionary instructional paradigm in every public school that does away with any need for a “creator” to explain the origin of life.  We see it in the philosophy of scientism that touts the belief that science can solve all our problems, given sufficient time and resources.  We see it in the increasing number of Americans, now almost 20 percent, who claim no religious beliefs or affiliation.  Yes, millions of Americans still profess faith in God, but a large slice of them live as “functional atheists,” going about their daily routine without ever acknowledging God’s existence in word or deed. 

Another element of the American spirit that has slipped away is our heart. There once was a deep sense of community that ran through our nation that could be seen in neighbors sitting on their front porch chatting with one another.  Now suburban Americans open garage doors remotely and close them before exiting the car, only to go out and sit on the back yard deck or patio behind a six-foot privacy fence.  Because of high mobility, extended family relationships are largely a thing of the past that now show up only on the holidays, when we hop in the car or on a plane to visit relatives for a day or two.  Yes, a sense of community still exists in small towns all over America, and in extended church “families” that truly do care for each other.  And this sense of community also resurfaces in times of disaster, like Hurricane Sandy.  But in big cities and suburban enclaves all over this county there is isolation and a sense of estrangement from community that breeds government dependency.  When close family and caring neighbors are not there to step in and help in times of need, the government becomes the primary provider of a “safety net” that grows larger and larger, and increasingly looks more like a snare to entrap us than a cushion to lessen our fall, or a hand out designed to enslave us, rather than a hand up to help us back on our feet. 

A third element of the American spirit that has been lost is a sense of decency.  Over the past 30 years we have witnessed a coarsening of our culture that has robbed us of much of our dignity as human beings.  Only the few who read the writings of our Founding Fathers will apprehend the deterioration of our speech, both in terms of an inferior command of the English language, and the resultant flow of filth from the mouths of so many Americans, that mirrors the language graphically portrayed in movies and pop music.  Respect for human life as sacred and valuable in every instance and at any stage is appreciably diminished.  The Judeo-Christian values that once provided a firm anchor for morality in America have been called into question, or rejected outright as “Puritanical” or “narrow-minded.”  Thus, anyone with the audacity to uphold the ancient societal norm of marriage between one man and one woman is viewed as “hateful” or “homophobic.”  Ours has become a society in which the primary value is tolerance, which results in a stubborn unwillingness to call almost anything wrong or to label anything as evil.  In this America, a candidate with sterling character and high morals is not viewed as any better a choice than is a candidate who is seen to be “hip” and “cool” in the eyes of pop culture. 

The fourth element of the American spirit that has been lost is freedom.  It was a fierce spirit of independence that led our forefathers to make a declaration that could have cost them everything yet just might, by the hand of Providence, result in real freedom in this land of opportunity.  They understood what few Americans today realize.  Real freedom requires both risk and sacrifice.  America 2012 is far too willing to live in bondage, whether that takes the form slavery to mounting debt, both personal and national, or servitude to the government itself, as our tax burden steadily escalates and bureaucratic regulations multiply.  The belief that our rights are inalienable, granted by our Creator, has given way in the minds of too many of us to a belief that we have a “right” to government provided jobs, retirement, healthcare, indeed, security itself.  Thus, we have come to imagine that the government grants us our rights, and by consequence of that same belief, that the government can take them away.  This is not freedom as our Founding Fathers envisioned it!

Without these four elements of the American spirit firmly planted in the American psyche, we cannot hope to be the nation we once were.  The America we have come to know and love cannot survive without faith, heart, decency, and freedom.  No politician can restore these to our souls.  Only by genuine repentance of what we have become, and a heartfelt return to the God of our Fathers can we restore these elements to the American soul and restore our nation to its former greatness.

Intolerance on the Left

I'll never forget the morning I walked into the Starbucks on South Hill in Puyallup, Washington.  I had come there to meet another pastor, and I was just a few minutes early.  As I wandered through the coffee shop I saw many people that I knew.  Almost everyone of them was either a member of my own church, Our Savior Lutheran in Tacoma, or a fellow believer from one of the other Christian churches in Puyallup, whom I had come to know in the community.  There were only a handfull of people in Starbucks that morning who were unknown to me, but nevertheless, I knew that every one of them was also a Christian.  How did I know that?  They were clustered in twos or threes, coffee and pastry on their tables, alongside their Bibles which were open for study.  Some had their heads bowed and their hands joined as they prayed together around the table.  I found it remarkable at that time, largely because Western Washington is one of the most unchurched areas in the whole United States.  Yet, there, in a Starbucks on an early weekday morning, every one of the twenty or more people in that coffee shop was a practicing Christian.

As I think back on that morning I find it even more remarkable in a way.  Why is that?  It has to do with the recent flap over Chick Fil A, as a result of comments made by President and COO Dan Cathy in support of traditional marriage and family.  The "left" was up in arms, many calling for a boycott of Chick Fil A.  The mayors of Boston and Chicago even threatened to block any future Chick Fil A restaurants in their cities.  A Chicago alderman promised that no Chick Fil A would ever be allowed in his ward.  And in New York City, the NYC Council Speaker asked New York University to immediately end their contract with Chick Fil A.  Sadly there was at least one example of hate-filled vandalism against a Chick fil A, accusing the restaurant of hate just because they uphold traditional family values.  Gay activists threatened a "kiss-in" against Chick Fil A, which all but fizzled and was essentially non-existent by comparison with the "Chick Fil A Appreciation Day" on August 1, which brought literally millions of patrons to the more than 1600 franchises nationwide.

The message that those restaurant patrons were trying to send was not just about appreciating the traditional values espoused by the Cathy family who founded Chick Fil A, but even more, it was a message about freedom of speech, and the right of every American to not only hold to, but to express their own point of view about marriage, family and faith, without being condemned or worse yet, coerced into compliance with the "politically correct" viewpoint.

So as I thought back to that morning in Puyallup, what struck me at this time was that unlike most on the "left" in regard to Chick Fil A, those Christians in Starbucks that morning were perfectly content to let Starbucks be Starbucks, while they enjoyed their coffee and pastries, along with the comfortable setting Starbucks provided for Bible study and prayer.  Come to think about it, the Starbucks management and employees in that coffee shop were also perfectly happy to let the Christians exercise their faith within the confines of their establishment that morning, even though the corporate ethos of Starbucks is undoubtedly very different from the values of the Christians who were patronizing it that morning.

Yes, I've heard Christians call for boycotts of businesses who support the gay agenda, but for the most part I don't think those calls are very successful.  One of the organizations I personally support called for a boycott against Home Depot because of their support for the gay community.  I have to confess that I still shop at Home Depot because they are the most convenient place for me to find everything I need for my house and yard.  And in a very real sense, I too believe in freedom of speech.  Although I strongly support traditional marriage for both cultural and religious reasons, I'm willing to let the Home Depot corporation express their support for a different point of view.

When you think about it, where has freedom of speech and freedom of religion thrived?  Only in Christian cultures and nations.  And why is that?  Because the Christian religion has nothing to do with coercion or threats.  Only when someone freely gives their heart to Jesus because Christ first loved them enough to die for their sins, can they ever be called a Christian.  Yes, Christians do believe in certain moral principles and values, and we believe that some of these principles need to be upheld by society through laws put in place for the safety and wellbeing of the people of our society.  However, individuals are free to disagree and to seek to persuade others regarding their point of view.  Nevertheless, the moral principles and values that Christians seek to uphold are usually the longstanding truths that have been a part of our culture and society since the founding of this nation.  The "left" wants to enforce a new standard of morality (or immorality depending on your point of view) and wants to silence and punish any and all who disagree with them.

So even though Christians are labeled "intolerant," in reality Christians are no more intolerant that those on the left who want to silence the traditional or Christian point of view.  This nation was founded upon the Judeo-Christian world view and Judeo-Christian values found in Scripture.  That worldview and morality may not prevail forever in our nation.  It certainly has not been the predominant worldview in all of human history.  But those of us who hold that worldview and values should not be forced to keep silent just because our beliefs are based upon the Word of God.  We should not be forced to capitulate to the voices of secularism, just because our nation does not have an established state religion.

I believe the voice of truth was heard very loudly last Wednesday, on Chick Fil A Appreciation Day.  It was a voice that spoke of traditional family values, but it was also a voice that spoke loudly and clearly for freedom of religion and freedom of speech as guaranteed in our First Amendment.  We must not let our voices be silenced by those on the left who call us "intolerant," but who are themselves so intolerant that they are unwilling to listen to our point of view without calling us hateful and bigoted.  Let us always exercise our right as citizens to speak up, but let us also remember to speak the truth in love.  I think Chick Fil A Appreciation day was a great way of doing just that.

How God Cut a Covenant With Us

We don't use the word covenant in our everyday language very often, but Scripture uses it all the time to describe the relationship between God and His people. The common word that most people would substitute is the word contract. When we enter into a contract we talk about writing, drafting, or signing a contract. Interestingly, in the Bible you don't write a covenant, you cut it.

 If you're wondering where this language came from, you can look at Genesis 15. Here God makes a covenant promise to Abraham, that his descendants would be like the stars in the sky or the sand on the sea, and that He will give him the land that He promised to him. But how could Abraham know that God would keep His promise, especially since Abraham was an old man with no hope of having a child?

 In Abraham's time there was a common ceremony that a king would use to enter into a covenant relationship with people he had conquered. The conquered people had to take animals from their flocks or herds and cut them in two, laying the halves on the ground with a path between them. The king would then make a promise about what he would do for them, and he would also command the people what they had to do for him, like the tribute they had to pay. He would then command the people to walk between the animals that had been cut in two, and the king would threaten to do the same thing to the conquered people if they would not obey his commands and keep the covenant. This is how the language of "cutting a covenant" came about.

 When God made His promises to Abraham, He told him to do the same thing. God said: "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." Abraham did as God commanded, cut the animals in two and laid them out on the ground. Then he waited. I'm sure that Abraham was expecting God to tell him what he had to do as a beneficiary of the covenant promises that God had made to him. And I'm sure He expected God to command him to walk the path between the pieces as a threat of what would happen to him if he did not do as God commanded.

 As Abraham sat there driving off the birds of prey as he waited for God's command, something entirely different happened. "When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces." What was that all about? The next verse says, "On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abraham." Essentially, in the form of "a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch" God Himself passed between the cut pieces of animal that were laying on the ground. Instead of threatening Abraham, God threatened Himself. It was as though God told Abraham, "If I fail to keep the promises that I have made to you this day, I will destroy myself." How amazing is that?

 God essentially told Abraham that nothing would keep His promises from coming true. Sadly, however, Abraham's descendants broke the covenant that God made with them. They forsook God and worshiped and served the idols of their pagan neighbors. What would God do now? Would He abandon them or destroy them? In fact, what God did was make a new covenant, a covenant that promised "I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more."  (Jeremiah 31:34)  But how could God do that? Only through the death of His own Son, Jesus, could God offer the forgiveness of sins freely to all who believe as Abraham did.

 So what did it take for God to keep His covenant with Abraham? What God had to do once the old covenant was broken, was to do exactly as He threatened to do when He cut that covenant with Abraham. He had to destroy Himself. Even though He was not the one who broke the covenant, God was determined that His promises would never be broken. Therefore, God Himself came into our world in the person of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, and He sacrificed Himself for our sins, so that we could be right with Him! Isaiah 53:10 says, "It was the LORD's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer." Why? So that the covenant would not be broken. So that God's promise would be true. Scripture says: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ." (2 Corinthians 1:20) 

Who can comprehend such a God, a God would would let nothing, nothing interfere with His promises, not even if it meant the death of His own Son. What an amazing God we serve! He cut a covenant with Abraham, and kept it by cutting down His own Son for our sins. Praise God for His all surpassing grace!