This is a new order of chapters; the place of faith and triumph has been given as a whole in chapters 12 to 14; here we have God's ways-promise-law-covenant, etc. Historically, the title of God seems founded on the facts of the preceding chapter, and Abraham's conduct; this makes the difference between this chapter and chapter 17 still plainer; here it is Jehovah.
Abraham having conquered the power of the enemy, and refused anything from the world, God is his shield and exceeding great reward; being his he asks for himself and is answered, receiving the promise of the heir, and the limits of the earthly inheritance-what man down here wanted. God did not appear to Abraham here; the word of the Lord came to him, and he believed it, and he is justified, it is for righteousness to him. It is not worship. Faith is sealed by a covenant for the earth.
The beginning of the chapter seems a reply to the renouncement of chapter 14; this gives a character also to what follows. The intervention of God was from Himself, not a reply, so that the other questions were awakened.
God reveals what He is in Himself to Abraham-his defense and portion forever-but His grace leading out the desires, and meeting the condition of man also, assured all that in grace.
There is His word for the positive, conferred blessing; destitute man finds His righteousness in faith in it; being God's word he believes it, notwithstanding all in himself which would make it impossible through weakness-impossibility of submitting to the sentence of condemnation, and the greatness of sin causing doubt as to grace. Further, the Lord volunteers to recall his attention to Himself being concerned in it in grace (v. 7), " I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it"—I came to you, when a poor idolater, with the purpose and intention, and your lot depends on grace and purpose, not on your strength or condition—it did not then—it does not now—I had the purpose when I visited you in your misery, when you had not even the desire for it.
Next, Jehovah encourages him by binding Himself now by the solemnity of His own act, in which it was impossible for Him to deny Himself, or lie as a man would by a similar solemn covenant; He passes between the pieces of the victim.
But more, the value of the Sacrifice, its moral claim, its title, to set aside which God must deny Himself-not be Himself, which is established by Himself, and which is between Him and Christ, so that Christ would not have what has infinite claim for what it is-divine righteousness, which He should have (see John 17 and 12); the whole power of that which is founded on what God is, is now engaged in securing the blessing. This is wonderful truth!
God has graciously entered into this-given us this assurance-but the same necessity of His nature which rejects sin-the same truth which cannot fail-the same righteousness which cannot fail-the moral obligation which flows from His nature in the highest possible way—is engaged in the blessing. It, relatively and repulsively, in its negative effect, rejected firstly, necessarily, sin-a sinner; but in its positive, and powerful reality of nature, will, and righteousness, and debt to Christ, now secures the blessing. It has so voluntarily acted to secure me, and make me happy, but it has acted in manifesting itself in the work of Christ, and cannot afterward deny itself; it is between Christ and God, though to my security, profit and joy.
He has passed between the pieces, the sacrifice of Christ, the offering of Himself up to death; it is the sacrifice He despises, that is, morally, Himself, whose character has been perfectly glorified in it, if there is not perfect security of blessing. What a wonderful grace, and condescension is this! Yet God is glorified in it, and in Himself in it.
Then there is another thing, man's nature, such as we are, can have no part in it; hence it involves death as to this, He brings us out into another scene and state where we enjoy the profit. Abraham passes under the horror of great darkness, and sleep, to come under the promise of blessing, and receive it, in this way of severity. Christ therefore has, in accomplishing this, died, and risen again to enjoy and enter into it.
Death must pass upon nature, when God gives blessings, secured according to His, in righteousness; this also becomes real deliverance from sin. God becomes (is in this and becomes) the light (of life), and the furnace of His people, to consume all that connects with the life of sin.
It is a wonderful display of God's ways and dealings, basing blessing on Himself, in connection with sinners, through the work and sacrifice of Christ Himself; the Holy Ghost realizes all this in our souls. Romans and Galatians, in a more elementary way, are just the development of this, and the doctrine in them as found elsewhere in Paul; other consequences are attached to it in connection with the Person and title of Him who wrought it.
The driving away the birds (v. 1) seems the guarding the perfectness of the Victim of sacrifice from all contamination or imperfection; the living, working Christ as man does this, for Abraham is the living dying man.
We have here an entirely new thought or principle; hayah d'var Y'hovah el Av'ram," the word of Jehovah was to Abram." The God of glory had appeared to him, and spoken (chap. 12), but now there was an express word or revelation, a communication of God's intention and mind.
It is all prophetic announcement; d'var (word of) Jehovah, not personal relationship.
2. Adonai Jehovah.
-4. Here again d'var [Y'hovah] elav lemor, " the word was to him, saying," in this faith is manifested, Abram he-emin ba-hovah (believed Jehovah).
NOTE.-It is not when Jehovah appeared, but when the word of the Lord came to Abram, that he believed, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
6. Better, I think, as Paul interprets, to translate here " believed the Lord "; there is b' (in) in Hebrew, but the verb with it has scarcely this force.
7. " And He said, I am Jehovah "; the davar (word) was Jehovah who had too made him go out from Ur of the Chaldees.
Now too Jehovah makes a covenant with him.
We have not the davar (word of) Jehovah again till 1 Sam. 3:1, 7, 211And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. (1 Samuel 3:1)
7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. (1 Samuel 3:7)
21And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. (1 Samuel 3:21), which makes it more remarkable; in verse 21, it is formally distinguished, Jehovah spoke to him (Samuel) bid'var (by the word of) Jehovah. After Gen. 15, and Samuel, and to Nathan, 2 Sam. 7:44And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying, (2 Samuel 7:4), we find it with Solomon when at Gibeon, 1 Kings 6:1-chap. 12: 22, Shemaiah; and with the prophets regularly, particularly Jeremiah and Ezekiel; in Daniel not, save in reference to Jeremiah. Psa. 33:66By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. (Psalm 33:6), is remarkable, even if it cannot necessarily be made personal, because we have davar (word) and ruakh (spirit), Isaiah 30:3333For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. (Isaiah 30:33), is nish'math (breath).
13. It is clear that either in the 400 years, all are from that time to the exodus, or that 100 years is the equivalent of a generation. In the fourth generation they shall return,
Ya-shu-vu (they shall come again), verse 16 seems from Egypt where they had gone down. Abram's portion is parenthetically in verse 18; but verse 13 applies to his seed, and the " serving " to the Egyptians, for the nation that subjected them to it God would judge, verse 14.
Then the 400 years comes in question, that is, whether it is directly found in-nu (they shall afflict) or not; it is not by the accents; Athnakh comes before it, then it would be " up to 400 years hence "; however, this I still leave in doubt. There is no reason to confine ger (a stranger) in a nation not theirs to Egypt, and if so, the 400 years becomes simple, only it is what we call round numbers. The two events occupy 400 years; the fourth generation would then be the stay in Egypt; " returning hither" clearly does not refer to a sojourn in the land. The only question would be on b'eretz lo la-hem (in a land not theirs).
The Mal'a'k (Angel of) Jehovah, (is not this the first time we have had it?) is distinctly called "Jehovah."
We are here, not in the large principles of moral good and evil, and God's ordering of the world, but of man's ways as within the calling of God; man's, or woman's, workings and plannings, and the result in God's hand. The only person who was any way right, save despising her mistress, for which she suffered, was Hagar, and to her an Angel-messenger from Jehovah, speaks; not to any one else in the chapter. Abram accepts it, and gives the name pointed out.
But Mal'a'k Jehovah seems an inferior manifestation to Jehovah's own visitation; the ye-ra Jehovah (Jehovah appeared) as chapter 12:7, and as we learn from Acts 7, already in Ur of the Chaldees, and again in chapter 17:1; in chapter 15 we have another form of revelation—the word of the Lord d'var (word of) Jehovah was to Abram in a vision, ma-khazeh.
The Lord's appearing seems more present relationship; it produces worship, or familiar intercourse, communion in confidence and intercession according to its nature. At first such a revelation as led Abram to God, chapter 12; it is not said " appeared," indeed it is passed over as already done, for Terah had taken Abram before; it is only in chapter 12: 4, that he moves " as the Lord had said." The word of the Lord being in a vision, produces faith in what is said.