COMMENTARY

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Yahweh makes a covenant with Abraham who is promised a son and a land. This passage is one of several accounts of Yahweh's covenant with Abraham. It is noteworthy that Yahweh came to Abraham with a covenant proposal. Yahweh comes to Abraham as a shield (v. 1) and thus Abraham has no need to fear being in Yahweh's holy presence. In this account, Yahweh promises Abraham three tremendous blessings: a son, a nation, and a country. The covenant is made legal and binding by the sacrifices which are divided in two for the two parties of the covenant. The symbolism is that if one or the other should break the covenant, the fate would be death as happened to the ones sacrificed. The promises were accepted in faith and this was credited to Abraham as righteousness…