Genesis 15:6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:17-18 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, 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 offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,
In the stillness of a desert night, surrounded by cut offerings and the lingering scent of sacrifice, Abram beheld something utterly sacred — God Himself, in the form of a smoking oven and a burning torch, passing between the pieces of a covenant. It was not Abram who walked through the blood-soaked path. It was God alone. And that changes everything.
This act is one of Scripture’s clearest pictures of divine grace. Covenants in the ancient world required both parties to walk through the cut pieces, symbolizing mutual responsibility. But here, only God passes through, taking full responsibility for fulfilling His promise. He binds Himself unilaterally to Abram and his descendants—Israel. The land promise, the coming redemption, and the future inheritance were not based on man’s faithfulness but on God’s unbreakable word.
Yet the scene also shows a battle in the waiting. Before the presence of God appears, vultures descend—unclean birds seeking to steal the sacrifice (Genesis 15:11). Abram drives them away, foreshadowing every believer’s struggle. We offer God our worship, our lives, our praise—but the enemy comes, trying to rob us of our faith and steal our promises. Like Abram, we must rise up, stand guard, and fight to protect what God has spoken. Let us not passively watch while doubt, distraction, or discouragement pick apart our altars.
The symbols that appeared—smoke and fire—are rich with meaning. The smoking oven speaks of judgment, refining, and awe; the burning torch speaks of mercy, light, and hope. Together, they reveal the character of the God of Israel: just and holy, yet merciful and near. In Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), we see both realities embodied. He is Zion’s salvation that burns like a torch (Isaiah 62:1), and He is also the one cut off for the sins of His people (Isaiah 53:8). He walked between the pieces, taking on the burden of blood so that we could walk in the freedom of grace.
Yet, this covenant speaks beyond the personal—it is national. God’s promises to Abram include a literal land for his descendants, and Scripture affirms that this land promise is everlasting (Psalm 105:8-11). The modern restoration of Israel in 1948 was not the result of mere human determination—it was the unfolding of God’s unbreakable covenant. Even after dispersion and judgment, He has remained faithful.
Ezekiel 36 gives voice to His divine intention:
“… It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name … And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen… and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD… when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you… A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you…” (Ezekiel 36:22–26)
From the beginning, God’s plan has echoed with both physical return and spiritual awakening, calling His people back to their land and stirring their hearts to return to Him. His promise was never just to bring them home, but to cleanse them from defilement, ignite them with new life, and fill them with His Spirit through their Messiah. The exile is ending. The restoration has begun.
This is the same God who calls to us today. He still walks between the pieces. He still sanctifies His name through mercy and judgment. And He still offers to remove hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh. In Yeshua, we become part of this redemptive story—grafted in, renewed, and rooted in eternal promise. (Romans 11:11-32)
So rise up, and stand your ground. Bring your offering of praise with boldness. Guard the altar of your heart—drive away every vulture that dares to steal what God has spoken. Trust the One who walked the blood-stained path alone. His fire has not gone out. His torch still blazes in the darkness. And His covenant promises remain unshakable, eternal, and true.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Does it ever happen to you – that something terribly simplistic just suddenly becomes clear? I realized something about us the other day. We, humans, are such addictive creatures.
This verse in Nehemiah connects the observance of a Holy day with the joy of the Lord. Our identity as “saints” (literally, “holy ones”), called to be holy, means we are and ought to be set apart from the world. But does that mean a solemn and joyless life of boredom as some have been led to believe? I have heard statements like, “I’m miserable, but at least I’m holy!” No, to be simultaneously holy and miserable is “oxymoronic” (if I may coin an adjective). It contradicts the very Spirit of God!
In 70 AD Jerusalem finally fell to the mighty Roman army led by Titus after a long siege. To commemorate the Roman victory over the Jewish rebellion, an arch was erected in Rome known to this day as the Arch of Titus. This famous arch depicts the fall of the Temple and its artifacts paraded in a processional described by the historian Josephus’ in his account, “The Jewish War.”
Genesis 24 recounts the marriage of Issac and Rebekah. As the offering of Isaac by his father Abraham was a clear picture or type of our Heavenly Father’s offering of His Son Yeshua, we may also view this marriage as a picture or type of Yeshua’s marriage to his Bride.
I just read an interesting article discussing how the current crisis is spawning worry and anxiety syndrome amongst many people. An emotional environment is sweeping the land. The effects may be subtle, but they’re serious. Do we want to contribute to this?
In Israel, we often see goats and sheep roaming the countryside. Driving through rural Israel often involves suddenly stopping to allow a herd of sheep or goats to cross the road. But interestingly, I have never seen “sheep kill” on the side of the road in all the years that I’ve lived in Israel. It’s because sheep don’t roam without a shepherd!
Set my mind on things above where my life is hidden with Christ…
…every problem, every issue, every fear, every practical matter concerning nature and flesh, to be reckoned in the light of a spiritual identity, a reality which I cannot see, a Heaven which is somewhere outside my universe. And Paul says, “Seek that!” How do I do that? How do I stretch my attention into the Heavenly realm…set my mind on things above?