What Is God Doing Here?

On to Chapter 15 of Genesis!  This is for our meeting on Thursday, May 17.

Last week was interesting and there was action and intrigue.  This week there is strange behavior by both Abram and God.  This chapter is about a covenant God makes with Abram and the odd way God ratifies it.

Read the chapter a few times this week, and consider the following questions:

• When has God initiated the coversation with you?
• What does it tell you about the relationship Abram had with God?
• Abram wastes no time bringing up what's bothering him, what's bothering him?
• He believes God in verse 6, so why the renewal of this discussion in verse 7?
• If you had to write a transition between verse 6 and 7, what would it be?
• Why does God "prove" His promise with dead animals, a smoking oven, and a torch?
• What clue do we have that God has actually arrived?
• Do a search on "Suzerainty Treaty" and browse some of the results.  Do any features of verses 7-21 sound like any of those sorts of treaties?
• In this account, who is the suzerain and who is the "vassal"?
• If God is sovereign, the Creator, Master, and incomprehensible to His human creatures, why would He do this?  To whom is He binding Himself?
• Pastor Rod gave a list of promises of God in his sermon Sunday.  If you remember any, write them down.  If you don't listen to the sermon again, and write them down.  From this account, how sure can you be that God will make good on His promises?  How comfortable are you with that?

That should gain both practical and interesting understanding from this passage.  I hope to see everyone on Thursday!