THE DIVINE COVENANT In honesty, Abram strove for the sake of Lot and his people; then, having conquered, he rejected the human reward, that had been his right, to be rewarded by God by what humans could not offer, namely the enjoyment of entering into a divine covenant, that his descendants would be like the stars of heaven, and that in his descendants all nations will be blessed. 1- God appears to Abram 1-2. 2- A promise of blessing 3-8. 3- Animals cut down in the middle, and birds 9-17. 4- God makes a covenant with Abram 18-19. 1- GOD APPEARS TO ABRAM “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’ But Abram said, ‘Lord God, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’” (Gen. 15:1-2) God’s words to Abram came at the right time. His saying: “After these things” indicates that what Abram enjoyed, of God’s words and of vision, were a continuation of the previous events. Abram presented his life and his possessions for the sake of his nephew, so enjoyed the Lord himself as a shield; and as he rejected the reward, he listened to the divine saying; “I am your exceedingly great reward.” We did not hear that Abram was afraid, but that he conquered in his battle; so why did God tell him assuring him: “Do not be afraid Abram, I am your shield.” There is no doubt that that divine confirmation, represents a divine approach toward Abram. Abram approached God, not only through prayers and offering sacrifices, but also through strife for the sake of the benefit of others. That is why, God approaches him according to His promise: “‘Return to Me,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I will return to you’ ” (Zechariah 1:3). Abram approached God through his practical compassion toward his brothers; so God approached him by proclaiming that He is a shield to support him. Abram, likewise, approached God through rejecting the human reward; so God approached him by a promise of an exceedingly great reward. Let us approach God, not only by prayers, tears, prostrating, and offerings, but also through a whole life filled with love, for Him and all humanity. When we approach him by action, His approach toward us would be a practical one. The more God approached Abram, the more Abram approached Him; He spoke to Him, not formally, but boldly and lovingly, saying: “Lord God, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” He did not ask Him directly for a son to abolish his disgrace, and to inherit him, but lovingly he admonishingly asked Him: What would be the use of such great gifts, for a childless man, who would be inherited by a stranger? God’s dealings with Abram gave the latter the privilege to talk to him frankly, and with an open heart, to be called “the friend of God.” 2- A PROMISE OF BLESSING Abram’s life was actually a continuous series of encounters with God, and enjoyment of promises. That was not favoritism, but Abram was found worthy of these divine gifts, because of his practical living faith, and his obedience to God in 4 everything. Abram lovingly admonished the Lord, for so great gifts without a son to inherit him. God’s answer to him was: “‘This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.’ Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the star if you are able to number them;’ and He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 4-6). According to nature, that promise seemed impossible to be fulfilled; Yet Abram “believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” That was the first time we hear the word “believed.” Men of God often quoted this verse “Believed in the Lord” (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23); as though Abram, the Patriarch had opened before us, his children, the way of righteousness through faith. As the apostle says: “Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Romans 4:23-24). 3- ANIMALS CUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE, AND BIRDS With an exalted friendship between Abram and God, having been granted a promise he believed, to be accounted to him for righteousness, Abram lovingly asked for a sign, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” (Gen. 15:8) His request for a sign did not imply doubt in God’s promises, but it implied the opening of Abram’s heart to God, and his friendship with Him. That sign came to reveal the mystery of the Church coming out of the person of Abram. God promising to grant him descendants from his body, innumerable like the stars in heaven, is now revealing to him that these descendants, who will be a Holy Church to God, will embrace in her fellowship, members from both circumcised as well as uncircumcised nations. God commanded him to “(cut in two down the middle), a 3-year old heifer, a 3-year old female goat, a 3-year old ram, and place each piece opposite the other; beside a whole turtledove and a young pigeon. When the vultures came down on the carcasses Abram drove them away. Now, when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. Then He said to Abram: ‘Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. When the sun came down and it was dark..., there was a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between these pieces” (Gen. 15:9-17). What is the meaning of all that? Fr. Caesarius of Arles believes that vision to concern the Catholic Church which is to embrace members of all nations, to become children to Abram, not according to the flesh, but in faith. Yet, some of them would, unfortunately be carnal and others spiritual. Fr. Caesarius of Arles says: [Abraham was called ‘Father of many nations” (Gen. 17:5). As nations would believe in Christ, and become children to Abram through following the example of his faith, and not according to the flesh. The Jews, denying faith, would become children to the devil, to be called in the Scripture, “Generation of vipers” (Matthew 3:7); while the nations, believing in Christ would be worthy of being called “Children of Abraham” The turtledove and the pigeon, together with the heifer, the goat, and the ram, refer to all nations; describing the animals as being 3-years old, refers to their belief in the Holy Trinity. The Church embraces spiritual members, symbolized by the 5 turtledove and the pigeon, besides carnal ones, symbolized by the three animals. Although some believe in the Holy Trinity, yet they are carnal, being reluctant to forsake their sins and wickedness. Notice that Abram was commanded to cut the three animals in two down the middle, then to place each piece opposite the other. As to the birds, the Scripture says: “He did not cut the birds in two” (Gen. 15:10). Why was that? Because in the Catholic Church there are carnal members that are cut, namely divided, while the spiritual members would never be so. The reason for that division, is that the worldloving wicked people would never cease to oppose one another, while the spiritual souls, would never divide, because they are ‘of one heart and one soul’ (Acts 4:32). Surely, the turtledove and the pigeon referred to, are these souls, as the turtledove represents purity, while the pigeon represents simplicity. All people fearing God are pure and simple, who say with the Psalmist: “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! For then I would fly away and be at rest” (Psalm 55:6); and, “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young” (Psalm 84:3). The carnals, divided between themselves, are burdened by the heavy chains of sin, while the spirituals are lifted up to the heights, setting forth toward heaven, by virtues, as though by two wings: the two commandments of love for the Lord and love for one another. These can say with the apostle: “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). And as the Priest says “Lift up your hearts,” they can humbly and surely say that they already lifted them up to the Lord. Unfortunately, very few and rare in the Church, can truly say and confirm it1.] Fr. Caesarius also says: [I wish we reveal the simplicity of the pigeon and the purity of the turtledove, in order to be lifted up to heaven by the spiritual wings of virtue, according to the words of the apostle: “We shall all be abducted in the clouds to encounter the Lord in air2.] Let us now think of Abram and how strange he looked before his wife and his servants! That respectable elder standing over the slain animals and birds, cut and arranged according to a certain pattern, without offering them on an altar, or requesting them to be cooked. All day long watching and driving away the vultures coming down on the carcasses attempting to snatch pieces of them! I wonder how did Abram and all others feel. These animals and birds refer to the Catholic Church in its purity and its carrying the weak in her, as well as referring to the life of everyone of its members. Abram refers to the alert spiritual soul, that, although unable to forbid the unclean birds of prey from roaming around him, yet he can keep them from settling down on him, or snatching something of his own. That is confirmed by many of the Fathers of the Church, that the believer cannot forbid sins from attacking him. Yet, when they find him alert, they cannot enter into him or infiltrate his mind and heart. So they stay outside; roaming around, but unable to touch him. He remained the whole day, obediently driving the vultures away, not hearing nor seeing a thing; then horror and great darkness fell upon him... Why? He saw the fruit of sin in man’s life, how it corrupts and enslaves him. He heard how his descendants would become enslaved to a strange nation for four hundred years... It is a painful portrait of the soul that falls under sin, to come into the servitude and humiliation of Pharaoh. But God, by sunset, namely by the fulfillment of days, sets 1 Ser. 82:1, 2. 2 Ser. 82:3. 6 forth humanity by the cross from that servitude, granting it great possessions, saying: “They shall come out with great possessions” (Gen. 15:14) “And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there was a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between these pieces” (Gen. 15:17) A reference to salvation of men by the Lord, and their enlightenment by the fiery Holy Spirit. We can say that what happened to Abram here, refers to the redeeming work of the Lord Christ; When sun went down, at the fulfillment of time, deep sleep fell upon the Lord, as He yielded up His Spirit on the cross, proclaiming the bitterness of sin, that brought us down to hell, and delivered us to servitude for some time. But the Lord sleeping on the cross, as He descends into hell, He carries us upon His shoulders, and let us come out as though with great possessions, carrying His riches and granting us the riches of the Spirit, so that, when the world and the time come to an end, He proclaims the salvation of our bodies, and proclaims His great day as though by fire. St. Augustine presents us with the following magnificent interpretation of this vision: [It is enough to say that, after saying that Abram believed in God, and that was accounted to him for righteousness, it was not a failure of Abram’s faith when he said to God: “How shall I know that I will inherit it?” (Gen. 15:8). He did not mean to imply that he does not believe that he would inherit it, but said “How shall I know?” Namely, He asks for a sign to know the way by which, what he believed to gain would be realized. In this He is like the Virgin St. Mary who asked, not in disbelief, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34). She was asking about the way by which what is to occur, would be realized; to be answered: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the highest will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). Here too, he was given an accurate symbol by which to know the way that thing, which he did not doubt, would be realized. That symbol includes three animals: A heifer, a goat, and a ram, and two birds: a turtledove and a pigeon. The heifer refers to the people who would submit to the Law; the goat refers to the fact that they are sinful people; and the ram refers to that they would reign. (It was said that these animals were three years old; and that is, because there are three well defined epochs of time: From Adam to Noah; from Noah to Abraham; and from Abraham to David, who would set up the kingdom of Israel according to God’s will, following the rejection of Saul. These animals could be carrying other convenient significance, but I have no doubt that they carry symbols of spiritual meanings, together with the turtledove and the pigeon. It was said: “He did not cut the birds in two” (Gen. 15:10); as the carnals are divided against each others, while the spirituals are never so, whether they are like the turtledove, isolated from the numerous disputes with people, or are, like the pigeon living among them, both birds being simple and harmless. As to the birds of prey that came down on the cut carcasses, these do not represent a good thing, but the spirits of the air, that seek for themselves some gain, through the schism of the carnals. Abram’s sitting close to them refers to the fact that, even amid the divisions of the carnals, the true believers would be kept safe up to the end. The horror and fear that fell upon Abram because of the great darkness, refer to the fact that at the end of time, believers will be, as proclaimed by the Lord Christ, in “great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time; no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21) As to what was said to Abram, that his descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years; It 7 is obvious that that is a prophecy about the people of Israel who were to be enslaved in Egypt. As to saying: “When the sun went down and it was dark, there was a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between these pieces” (Gen. 15:17), that refers to the fact that the carnal would be judged at the end of the world1.] 4- GOD MAKES A COVENANT WITH ABRAM “On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates” (Gen. 15:18). God, having revealed to Abram, the sign of salvation for all nations, through the deep sleep that fell upon the Lord just before sunset at the fulfillment of days, and transformed the darkness to a “smoking oven” (a reference to the burning of the sacrifice), and a burning torch that passes amid his people. He confirmed the promise that he is giving Abram’s descendants the land. It is though He is confirming to him, that all what he enjoys of encounters with God, visions and proclamations, are for the sake of the enjoyment of his descendants of the spiritual inheritance in Christ Jesus, the Savior of the world. This covenant have two integrated aspects: First, the enjoyment of Abram’s descendants of the land, and secondly, driving out the pagan nations from it; which He counted ten of them (Gen. 15:19-21). Fr. Serapion2 believes that these driven out nations refer to the eight main sins, that we enjoy overcoming: greed, adultery, love for wealth, anger, grief, spiritual lukewarmness, conceit, pride; in addition to idol worship and blasphemy. 1 City of God 16:24. 2 Cassian: Conf. 5:22.
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