Staff That is Unyielding

7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

8 And he said, LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

Then at such a time as this, God has come to make a covenant with Abraham there in full. Usually if the Lord says something we believe it and that's good enough for us to simply have a trust in the Lord. Though the other issue is whether it was good enough for Abram who needed proof of some sort. Though instead of just testing the Lord, Abram wants to see some sort of pledge or a sign that what the Lord says he's actually going to do. The issue here with trusting the Lord is that he's always good for his Word. Either he can get very angry at Abram's questions or he can just start giving again. Considering that he'd just allowed for Abram's household to share in the blessings in full, though without directly being in line for the powers, means that there's hope in the house for all of Abram's seed. In this case, Abram did as he was commanded in building an altar and preparing the creatures rather than a distrust in the Lord. The sacrifice required something of him, even that of his flocks and his herds. Let's see what these would've been.

An heifer of three years old

A she goat of three years old

A ram of three years old

A turtledove

A young pigeon

At this point, Abram's just rounded up the sacrifice particulars and now he's got to arrange them all out on the altar. He'll cut up all the pieces into some portions and put them out for the relative thinking. Though that's not finished yet until he's taken his staff and stood out there all day just to drive away prey. I mean, it's only right that he should place his trust in the Lord and so pray to him and talk together always but when it comes to the birds that the Father in Heaven feedeth them too just to consider, Abram's sacrifice very much was not for the taking having been saved in the making. At night though when the sun went down, I'm sure there was creatures and all sorts of wolves which is a very good thing with God as his portion who would've guarded an unconscious man laid out on the ground almost as his own dear Son. Though perhaps that's a bit of a stretch except for the Lord God who was walking still through the midst. Certainly the Lord was correct in the thinking that the whole land would just return unto him. Though for a time he'd allowed Abram but a glimpse of his presence and also his best as caretaker of such and so also consider the God in his time who'd make all things unseen yet that are visible.

13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.