Anticipating Christ,
The Greater Abraham
Genesis 15:1-12, 17
The following Advent devotion provides Scriptural texts we can meditate on as a church congregation, in concert with the sermon series each week, to gain a deeper understanding of our sin, a closer look at the beauty of Christ, and the power of the Gospel that saves and redeems.
Scripture
1After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram.I am your shield,your very great reward.”
2But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
4Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” 5He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
6Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
7He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”
8But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”
9So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”
10Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.
17When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.
Genesis 15:1-12, 17
We walk with Abraham into one of the most significant moments in Scripture: God’s covenant promise. After Abraham refuses the king of Sodom’s wealth, God comes to him in a vision and reassures him, “I am your shield, your very great reward.” Yet Abraham wrestles with God’s promise; he is still childless, with no visible sign that the “great nation” and countless offspring God promised will come to pass. God responds not with rebuke but with reassurance, leading Abraham outside to look at the stars and promising, “So shall your offspring be.” Abraham believes God’s word, and that faith is credited to him as righteousness. We see that true righteousness is not earned by achievement but received by trusting in who God is and what He has promised.
God then goes even further. In a dramatic covenant ceremony, God alone passes between the pieces of the sacrificed animals, taking full responsibility for keeping His promises. He binds Himself to Abraham with a life-binding covenant, effectively saying, “May I be torn apart if I fail to keep my word.” Though we are the covenant-breakers with our hearts divided and often set on lesser gods, God Himself bears the cost. Centuries later, this covenant love is fulfilled in Jesus, the true offspring and bright Morning Star, who is torn for our unfaithfulness and credits to us the righteousness we did not earn. At Christmas, we see not only a promised child in a manger, but our covenant keeper in the flesh: the One who is our shield, our very great reward, and the greatest gift of all.
Meditate
Take a few moments to quietly reflect on this truth.
Like Abram, our hearts yearn for assurance that only God can give. Jesus, who is God, took on the punishment we deserved so that we might receive His righteousness. The cross is our ultimate assurance that he will never fail to keep his promise.
Pray
Speak this prayer, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in your heart and mind.
Father, thank you for being faithful even when we are not. Help us trust you and your Word. May we rest in the hope that Jesus, our very great reward, shines brighter than every other light in this world. Prayed this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Apply
Consider specific ways you can live out this truth today.
When you find yourself asking, “How can I know that God is all I need?” look to the cross. The same God who kept his covenant with Abram came down in person to live the life we should have lived and died the death that we should have died. Look at His faithfulness in Christ Jesus. Let us trust Him more than the promises of this world.
Memorize
Carry this truth with you throughout your day.
32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
