God’s Covenant with Abraham, by Jan Goeree & Abraham de Blois [c.1700]
In the OT, God appears in some peculiar and puzzling ways: in Genesis 15, as “a smoking oven and a burning torch.” Why does God appear as smoke and fire in this story? Truthfully, I have no idea –– and this is an important aspect of reading and understanding an ancient text that comes from a foreign culture. There are many things that are unknown to us, many things that we can’t explain. And it’s OK not to have all the answers to everything. In fact, I believe that the mystery of the Bible is a central aspect of its enchantment and allure. All that being said, however, what is important about God’s covenant with Abraham is not how God appeared but rather what God did when making the covenant with him. As St Paul would explain many centuries later, God’s righteousness is not a paycheck––that is, payment for services rendered––but rather a gift freely bestowed on us when we believe God’s promise, no matter how improbable, or impossible, it may seem.
Suggested Reading: Genesis 15, Genesis 2-3
Lecture: Abraham the Covenant Patriarch [58 mins]
This lecture was recorded on 12 Mar 2016 at the Zion Evangelical Bible School in Khayelitsha, South Africa.
Reading the Old Testament 