Genesis15_7-10

Genesis 15:7–10:

“And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

And he said unto him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.”

God Elohim revealed to Abram that He was the God who had brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees. Although Abram had followed God for a long time, he still could not completely understand God’s will. Ur was a place full of idols, where many people served false gods and pursued their own desires. What Abram experienced was similar to our current situation. Even though we have believed in God for a long time, we still do not fully know Him or confirm that our lives are related to Him. Therefore, God told Abram that his path of life from Ur to Mamre had been led by Him. Meanwhile, God promised that Abram would inherit that land.

It was natural for Abram to ask God how he would know that he would inherit it. Abram took hold of God’s word and requested confirmation. It was an effective conversation between God and Abram. Abram was able to receive God’s word and respond to Him throughout their conversation.

Then God told Abram to prepare some offerings. A heifer is a sacrifice for a peace offering. A she-goat is a sacrifice for a sin offering. A ram is a burnt offering. A turtledove represents a suffering life. A young pigeon symbolizes a believing life. There were five offerings, and the number five signifies responsibility in the Bible. The two living birds also include the number two, which signifies testimony. God expressed His plan and testimony to Abram through those sacrifices.

Perhaps Abram did not understand the meaning of God’s command. Nevertheless, he did what God commanded him and prepared those offerings. At that time, God could not explain everything to Abram directly because Jesus Christ had not yet come.

Since we have read the entire Bible, we know that all those sacrifices represent Jesus Christ. He died for sinful people and redeemed them through His life on the cross, which is foreshadowed by those offerings. Indeed, Jesus Christ is the one true offering to God and the only One who satisfies God.