Genesis 15:7 -12, 17-18
7 Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.”
“… 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. …”
God made a covenant with Abram promising both descendants and land. For the latter, God asks Abram to perform an ancient ritual. The dividing of the animals and spilling of their blood symbolized the “blood oath” given by both parties – Abram and God. To further symbolize the efficacy of the covenant, the Lord passes between the animals in the form of a smoking pot and flaming torch.
While scholars continue to debate the precise meaning of the two figures, all are in agreement that they are symbols of God’s promise to Abram. (God swearing on Godself). Because of this highly ritualized event, the covenant between Abram and God is sealed. The promise cannot and will not be broken.
In the waters of baptism, we receive the gift of God’s covenant through water and the Word. Greater than numerous descendants or an allotment of land, the promise given to us is life – new life as children God, inheritors of eternal life, and bearers of the Holy Spirit. Even though less dramatic than a smoking pot and flaming torch, the covenant made through the water and the Word is nonetheless a promise to be cherished, celebrated, and revered. As it was with Abram, the covenant of baptism cannot be broken.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the covenant You have made with us in Holy Baptism. Fill me with such joy and peace that I celebrate each day the new life You have given me. Amen.