Signed in Blood

I used to think faith and doubt were mutually exclusive. But after reading in Genesis chapter 15 this morning, I am beginning to doubt that observation.

God had just promised Abram a son. Abram responded to God’s promise with faith and God “reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Then God promised to give Abram the land as his possession. But, instead of responding with a statement of faith, Abram responded with a question tinged with doubt. “O Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?”

It’s as if Abram was saying: “I believe You can do it . . .  but just in case . . . as a backup plan . . .  just to be sure . . . can I get that in writing . . . signed in blood?”

At this point in the story, I completely get Abram. Maybe that’s because I tend to relate to heroes of the faith when they’re at their weakest.  

After all, I know what it’s like to walk the fence between belief and unbelief.

One minute I am walking in complete assurance of God’s promises and then the next minute I waver and wonder . . . will God really do it? What ensues is generally a great tug-of-war between faith and doubt. 

God’s response to Abram’s weak and wavering faith offers me hope. Instead of chastising Abram’s doubt, God offered a guarantee. And in Genesis 15:9-18, we get to watch God sign that promise in blood.

Although the ceremony recorded in this passage is unfamiliar to us, it would have been very familiar to Abram. It was a covenant ceremony. It was the sealing of a promise. It was two parties staking their lives on their word. It was sacred.

God called for the animals of the covenant. Abram slew them and laid them opposite the other. What resulted was a blood path. It would have been customary for the two parties of the covenant to clasp hands and walk the blood path together. As they walked the trail of blood, these two individuals would be linked by a promise unto death. “May my blood be shed if I fail in the terms of my promise. Should I fail to keep my word, you have the right to call for my blood.”

The interesting thing about the ceremony in Genesis 15 is that God failed to clasp Abram’s hand. And as Abram fell into a fitful sleep, God walked the blood path alone. By doing so, God not only guaranteed His faithfulness to the covenant, but He also promised to cover any covenant failure on Abram’s part. “May My blood be shed if I fail in the terms of My promises. Should I prove Myself unfaithful, you have the right to call for My blood.  And, should there be any covenant failure on your part, I offer My blood for that as well.”

There’s the gospel again. God doing for us what we could not do for ourselves . . . God covering our covenant failures with His own blood . . . God promising to be faithful, even in the face of our unfaithfulness and doubt.

God’s faithfulness is not dependant upon my belief. Somehow this truth helps dispel my doubt. So, whether I’m on the fence . . . or walking by faith . . . or wavering in unbelief, my faithful God will do as He has promised.

And, as we will see throughout Abram’s story, faith and doubt continue to co-exist, but God’s faithfulness never waivers. He has sealed His promises with His blood. He has walked the covenant blood path with Himself and He alone is faithful.

He has signed His promises in blood. May we take Him at His Word.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,

for He who promised is faithful.”

Hebrews 10:23