Balancing preparation and Providence: Lessons from Abram’s covenant (Genesis 15; Romans 4)

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Let’s journey with me through this remarkable passage — not just as a tale about Avraham Avinu (our father Abraham) but as a living conversation about faith, community, and the balance between human responsibility and trust in HaShem.

Genesis 15 is more than a snapshot in history; it’s a cornerstone for how we understand our relationship with the God of Israel, and by extension, how we navigate issues facing today’s believing communities — especially those centered around worship, security, and salvation.

Torah and the Renewed Covenant: Tying Together Threads

Let’s start by grounding ourselves. Our study focuses on Genesis 15, which the prophet seemed to parallel in Zephaniah 3 and the apostle drew deeply from in Romans 4:1–9 and Galatians 3. What emerges is an intricate tapestry about how God’s relationship with Avram — his calling, his trust, and the covenant — sets the pattern for everyone who is grafted in through Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus; Romans 4:1-9; Galatians 3:6-9).

Progression of Covenant: Calling Before Ceremony

Here’s the key question that arises: When is the covenant truly put into effect? Is it once the ceremony is completed (with all the outward signs—circumcision, sacrifices, etc.), or does it happen the moment God calls and Avram responds in trust (אֱמוּנָה emunah, “faith” or “faithfulness”)?

Genesis 12:1 sets the stage: “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth (לֶךְ-לְךָ lech-lecha) from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.’” The calling comes first. It’s not a perfunctory ritual; it’s an act of trust. Avraham had to get up and go — action rooted in belief. This single thread runs through the rest of the Torah, the Prophets, and the B’rit Hadashah.

Romans 4 and the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) reference this: The earliest believers wrestled with whether it was ceremony (like circumcision) or faith that marked one as belonging to God’s people. The conclusion, just as in Avraham’s story, was clear: first comes the calling, then the trusting response, and through that, God’s righteousness.

Promise of Descendants: Flesh, Faith, Fulfillment

In Genesis 15:2–6, Avram’s fear and frustration bubble up. He asks God if Eliezer of Damascus will be his heir, perhaps thinking, “Isn’t the promise ultimately practical — about offspring, about a legacy?” But God pushes back: “Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.’” (Genesis 15:4 NASB 1995).

Here’s the pivot: God’s promise isn’t about technicalities or legal substitutions. It’s about the faithfulness of the promise-maker, not the ingenuity of the recipient. Avram’s faith — his אֱמוּנָה emunah — is what God “credited … as righteousness” (וְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה ve-he’emin b’Adonai vayachshevehah lo tzedakah; Genesis 15:6).

אֱמוּנָה emunah and אָמֵן ameyn/amein derives from the verb root אָמַן aman (“to confirm, support, uphold,”¹Scott, Jack B. Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.8. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980. i.e., “so be it”): the idea of confirming, supporting, or upholding a word. When we say “amen,” we affirm that we trust God to do as He has said.

Paul ties this in Galatians 3:6–9 and Romans 4, underscoring that righteousness isn’t achieved through works, but through faith —φέρεται pistis (“faith/trust” in Greek).

Word of the LORD: דְבַר־יְהוָה D’var Adonai

One often overlooked detail is the recurring phrase: “the word of the LORD came to …” (Genesis 15:1 and onward), a motif we encounter with prophets and judges throughout Scripture. This isn’t just poetic. When it says, “The word of the LORD [דְבַר־יְהוָה D’var Adonai] came to Avram in a vision” (Genesis 15:1), or later to Yeshayahu (Isaiah) or Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah), it signals real, weighty intervention.

The B’rit Hadashah draws out this theme. In John 1:14 we read: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us…” (Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο kai ho logos sarx egeneto). That is, דְבַר־יְהוָה D’var Adonai is not abstract. It’s actionable, embodied, and ultimately culminates in Yeshua, the Living Torah.

Righteousness: צְדָקָה Tzedakah and the Covenant Seal

Returning to Avraham, we encounter the full depth of faith and righteousness. Righteousness, or צְדָקָה tzedakah, isn’t merely an ethical status; it’s about standing rightly related to God’s promise. Genesis 15:6 says, “Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” (NASB 1995).

Here’s where we revisit Noah—another emblem of faith: Noah was “a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9 NASB 1995). Both Avraham and Noach trusted God’s promise against impossible odds, and that trust was counted as righteousness.

This theme is expanded in James 2:14–24. Apostle Ya’akov writes, “You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’” (James 2:22–23, NASB 1995). The faith that saves, the faith that acts, is faith embodied in trust-filled obedience.

The Covenant Ceremony: God Alone Walks Through

Let’s slow down at the dramatic heart of Genesis 15: the “cutting” (כָּרַת karat, “to cut”) of the covenant. In the ancient Near East, both parties would walk between the divided pieces of sacrificed animals, binding themselves to the terms: “So may it be done to me if I break this covenant.” But in Genesis 15:17–18, only God — manifest as “a smoking oven and a flaming torch” — passes between the pieces. Avraham, meanwhile, falls into a deep sleep (Genesis 15:12–18).

Why is this so profound? Because here, God assumes full responsibility: He binds Himself irrevocably to Avraham and his descendants, independent of Avraham’s ability to hold up his end. This is חֶסֶד khesed (“steadfast love/covenant loyalty”) in action, the backbone of Israel’s hope.

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land….”

Genesis 15:18 NASB 1995

Shepherd and Shield: מָגֵן Mageyn and the Good Shepherd

Jumping ahead, we see how Scripture uses the promise of protection—God as shield (מָגֵן mageyn)—to assure Avraham: “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great” (Genesis 15:1 NASB 1995). This imagery flows throughout the Psalms: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 NASB 1995).

This connects directly to the metaphor of the shepherd (רֹעֶה, ro’eh). The LORD is my shepherd (יְהוָה רֹעִי Adonai ro’i; Psalm 23). In John 10:11–15, Yeshua says, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός ego eimi ho poimēn ho kalos). A true shepherd, unlike the hireling or the unfaithful watchman of Ezekiel 34:11–16, actively guards his flock — even at great personal cost.

Balancing Security and Providence: Community in Nehemiah

Let’s address the real-world question: Should houses of worship arm themselves against evil? Do we trust in fences and guards, or in Providence? Scripture gives arguments on both sides, and our dialogue must reflect that!

In Nehemiah 4:7–23, when rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, the people worked with one hand and kept a weapon in the other (Nehemiah 4:17). This was not faithless fear, but faithful stewardship. “At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us” (Nehemiah 4:20 NASB 1995). Nehemiah’s people prepared, but their ultimate hope remained in God.

Arguments for robust security include stewardship (Genesis 4:9, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”), protection of the vulnerable (Psalm 82:3–4), and wise prudence (“The prudent sees the evil and hides himself…” Proverbs 22:3 NASB 1995). Yeshua Himself warned, “But if you do not have a sword, sell your coat and buy one” (Luke 22:36 NASB 1995) — though the context was complex.

Arguments against robust security highlight trusting God’s protection (Psalm 46:1), prioritizing non-violence (“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” Matthew 5:39 NASB 1995), and ensuring that security does not transform sanctuaries into fortresses rather than sanctuaries. “Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NASB 1995).

A Living Balance: Faithful Action and Prayerful Trust

What emerges from the meeting — what the tapestry of all these Scriptures reveal — is that it’s not “either/or”; it’s “both/and.” God expects us to be wise, proactive stewards, but never to lose sight of our utter dependence on Him. “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the LORD” (Proverbs 21:31 NASB 1995).

Both Genesis and the B’rit Hadashah are a seamless story: faith in action, trust in the faithful covenant-keeper, and a place for community to take practical steps — side by side with walking in radical dependence on HaShem (“the Name,” the LORD).

Community, Role, and Responsibility

Nehemiah’s model speaks powerfully to us. Each had a role—builders, guards, trumpeters — representing the diversity within the body (1Corinthians 12:12–27). Some are called to be “sheepdogs,” some “sheep”; all are essential. Ann emphasized, drawing from Nehemiah and Paul, that true community is interdependent and loving, supporting “widows, orphans, and the strangers” (the גֵּר geyr) in their midst — hallmarks of biblical righteousness and justice (Deuteronomy 10:18; James 1:27).

Faith That Perseveres

As we conclude, let’s reflect: Salvation and security are intertwined themes in Scripture, and the shield against evil ultimately belongs with Heaven (“Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help…” Deuteronomy 33:29 NASB 1995). Yet, our faith is most vivid where our hands and hearts, our preparations and our prayers, together shape a community that faces darkness but does not shrink back (Hebrews 10:39).

May we — as Avraham, as Nehemiah, as the faithful throughout Scripture — walk forward in faith, acting with wisdom and compassion, but always placing our trust in the One who alone keeps covenant and protects His people: Adonai Tzva’ot, the LORD of Hosts. Amein and amein.