We learned that Abraham was the one man that God picked out from all of the people on the earth to set His love on in a unique way. God continually showed him how much He loved him. Abraham would forever remember that dark night when he saw the flaming torch and smoking fire pot traversing between the sundered animal parts. I don't know about you, but I never understood that meaning quite so clearly as I did this time.
As a reminder . . . read Genesis 15:9-11. We learned that it was customary (we know this because God did not tell Abram "how" to do this) to "seal the deal" with another by killing certain animals, cutting them in half, placing one half on each side of a pathway wide enough for two men to walk through.
So picture this (I know it's hard) - on either side is half of each of the animals - their blood flows into the pathway. The two who are making the promise walk between the carcasses as if to say, "May this be done to me - may I be cut in two - if I do not live up to my part of the covenant." WOW! THIS is what Abram was going to do with God - each of them would walk together to commit to / swear to / pledge to the covenant.
BUT . . . "a deep sleep fell on Abram" (Genesis 15:12). WHAT? Abram goes to sleep in the middle of this ceremonial solemn promise??? YES! God puts Abram into a sleep, similar to the one He put Adam into when He took his rib and made Eve. WHY? Because our Almighty God knew that Abram could not walk blameless before Him as He commanded (Genesis 17:1). Therefore, God did not invite him OR allow him to walk between the pieces of the animals. BUT . . . "when the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between the pieces." (Genesis 15:17). In subsequent Scriptures we learn that Moses meets God in a burning bush (Exodus 3:2); the Israelites followed a pillar of cloud by day and the cloud of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). God alone assumed the full responsibility for seeing that every promise of the covenant would be realized, and He alone submitted Himself to the curse.
Abram had no idea what the cost would be for God to fulfill this oath of grace. But this is why Abraham rejoiced to see Jesus' day (John 8:53, 56) That was the day when God, in the person of Jesus Christ, walked the bloody path, marked not with the blood of halved animals but with His own blood. "When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing" (Galatians 3:13). Christ delivered us from the curse of our inability to live up to the covenant so that we may become heirs of its blessing. When God made this promise to Abram - since He had no one greater to swear on than Himself, He said, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you" (Hebrews 6:13-14).
Now that we understand what it meant for God to pledge this with Abram let us keep this all in mind as we head toward Palm Sunday and Easter.