“Go and see who I AM and what I do” says God to Abram, in the first part of this passage. 

I imagine Abram in his tent with his questions hemming him in. It’s hot and dark and in the dark God says ‘come outside’. (15.5) God shows Abram all He’s made in creation: all those stars shining in the desert night and reassures Abram of His purposes. He took him outside and made him look up. The account is going to get mysterious and mystical later, but here is God’s creation speaking truth into Abram’s life. 

I am fortunate enough to live near mountains! On my way to work yesterday the glimpse of one just as it got light reassured me of Father God’s steadfast strength amidst the business of daily life. Always and constantly with me! Ask God to speak both through this strange passage and also through whatever you encounter in His creation; ‘come outside’ He says.

This account marks a new beginning – remember God walked in the garden in the cool of the day. Remember God is going to have these kinds of discussions with Jacob, with Moses, with Elijah – a pattern of friendship and questioning. A covenant cut between Yahweh and His friend.  This story is not about sin, even if Abram is a ‘sinner’ that is not mentioned; there’s no law yet, so no laws broken? No separateness from God, even though there has been separation, the casting out from the Garden? The opposite is true, this is about a uniting of them as the bodies of the animals are divided. 

And amid this mysterious encounter, Abram can still have his questions– you keep saying this God, but I still don’t have any children!  You keep saying this, God, but how will I know?  And God’s answer is simply ‘because I have told you’ and this is what ‘Abram believed God’ (15.6) is all about.  This is trust; this is faith.  The command from God is ‘KNOW’.  I’m putting this knowledge in you – remember in Eden that knowledge destroyed the relationship, here it establishes it.  The righteousness of Abram is not about what he does, but what he knows, and he can only know if he believes he knows.

We have plentiful evidence of God’s ability to do what He says, through the Bible and through the testimony of the saints.  Abram didn’t.  I am challenged by this.  Abram just believed.

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Lord God of Abraham, we need to KNOW You are God in all we’ll encounter today. Please speak to us now. Amen