A Promise to Abraham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A Promise to Abraham - Essay Example Then the lord answered Abraham that no one will be his heir apart from the one who will come from the body of Abraham. In addition, God went further and directed Abraham outside at night. Then he told him to count all the stars that he saw above the sky. God told he would bore as many children as those stars in the sky1. Abraham had great believed in God, and he accounted it to him for righteousness. The lord then told him that he was the lord who brought him out of the land of Ur of the Chaldeans, then gave the land that he was dwelling in at that moment to inherit it. Consequently, Abraham wanted to if he would inherit that piece of land2. Following this question posted to the lord, Abraham was ordered to bring with him a heifer, female goat and an old ram all three years in age, turtledove and a young pigeon. Abraham then brought all these to the lord, divided them into two equal parts, and placed each peace opposite the other, but he did not divide the birds into two. In addition , whenever the vultures tried to interfere with the staff Abraham drove them away3. The time was going, and darkness was approaching as the sun was going down. Abraham felt a deep sleep, he was in slumber land, and beheld darkness accompanied by terror felt to Abraham. Then the lord appeared to him and told him that since his off springs would be strangers in a ground that was not theirs, they would serve them and afflict them for four hundred years. This came to succeed the sunsets and it was dark, and instantly came a smoking oven and a combusting torch, which passed against those meet pieces. On this same day, the lord God made a covenant with Abraham and informed him that he had landed his descendants land to dwell in starting from river Egypt to the great river Euphrates of Euphrates. Then Abraham gave thanks to God and headed to his missions4. Analysis of the literary style and the characteristics of the passage Following the first scene (Gen 1-5), the chief is Abraham’ s seed. God seeks to encourage Abraham in his fear by affirming that his reward would be very great (15: 1). Abraham responds by questioning him about the validity of the reward since he is childless. The lord assures Abraham that his ‘’seed will be more numerous than the stars in the heavens (Gen 4-5). He promises Abraham again what he is going to do in the near future, the ‘seed’ promise is as certain as the reliability of God5. Genesis 15:6 breaks the narrative pattern, Mosses affirms that Abraham responded to God’s promise of innumerable seed with faith. Based on Abraham’s faith, the lord reckons him as righteous. He recognizes Abraham as his loyal servant with whom he will enter into covenant. Genesis 15:7-18 recounts God’s making of covenant with Abraham. The stress in this part shifts to land promised by the lord to Abraham. He encourages Abraham with the fact that he had removed him out of Ur to lend him the land of Canaan as hi s heredity. (15:7). Therefore, the inheritance to be given to Abraham’s ‘’seeds’’ refers primarily to the land (15-8). In response to Abraham’s question, God gives assurance by entering into a covenant with him6. The covenant ceremony begins with the familiar pattern of the lord’s command and Abraham’s faithful obedience. The lord commands Abraham to take him certain animals. Abraham obediently comply cutting and laying some of the