Genesis Vol 3.pdf - College Press

15 ;2-7 GENESIS
v. 2, in token of his faith in God‘s-’ability to perform
what He promises. But this faith s legitimate tokens;
it is anxious to have still fuller assu . So Abram asks,
not in a spirit of doubt but with the purpose to be more
solidly established in its con~iction.’~ The sign Abram
asks for is in reference to concrete possession in the here
and now: a perfectly reasonable and legitimate request,
under the circumstances. (Cf, Gideon’s prayer, Judg.
6:17 ff.; also Mary’s question, Luke 1’:34.) In reply, God
condescends to show him that a covenailt is to be estab-
lished, and tells him what must be done on his part.‘ (Note
again Cornfeld’s explanation in the paragraph above.) He
bade the patriarch take a heifer, a ram and a she-goat, each
three years old, together with a turtle-dove and a young
pigeon, and after dividing each of them except the birds,
to lay them piece by piece over against the other. This
seems to have been the ancient procedure in the matter of
establishing covenants, especially among the Chaldeans.
Having divided the animals (cut each in two, cf. Jer.
34: 18-19), the contracting parties would pass between the
halves; this may have implied that a similar lot-that is,
being killed-was to befall their own cattle in the event
of their violating the covenant. However, in this case,
there was a significant modification: the contracting
parties were not to pass between the halves, nor is the threat
implied in anything that was aone. In this case, Abram
did as the Lord had ordered him, slew the victims, and
laid the divided parts in order. Then from morning until
evening he watched them, and from time to time drove
away the birds of prey which hovered over them. The
proceeding in this instance, therefore, was not a sacrifice,
even though the victims killed were later incorporated in
the Mosaic ritual of sacrifice; rather, it was that aspect of
the covenantal relationship which manifested the faith of
the worshiper.
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