Abram Sleeps as the Fire Passes Over the Offeringby Ironbark
15:12Genesis 15:12
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
As the sun was setting beside the covenant sacrifices, a deep sleep and a terrifying darkness fell upon Abraham. The darkness portrayed the long, oppressive bondage his descendants would suffer in Egypt before possessing Canaan, and with the smoking furnace it pointed to that servitude and to their deliverance after four hundred years. In that setting God opened to him the plan of redemption through Christ's death and coming in glory, showing him the earth restored to Eden's beauty as his everlasting inheritance. That horror foreshadowed what would fall upon Jesus on the path to Gethsemane and the cross as He made His soul an offering for sin. In Gethsemane a comparable anguish encircled His humanity as He bore the sins of the world and felt His Father's separation, and with the destiny of a lost world hanging upon His choice He submitted to the Father's will rather than leave humanity to perish.
Covenant Night and Prophecy
Near sunset Abraham was waiting beside the covenant sacrifices when a deep sleep fell upon him and a terrifying darkness came over him. That great darkness was a figure through which it was revealed to him that his descendants would suffer long, servile bondage in Egypt before they possessed Canaan.
Together with the smoking furnace, the darkness stood as a symbol of that bondage and of the promised deliverance after four hundred years. In that same setting was opened to him the plan of redemption through Christ's death and coming in glory. He was shown the earth restored to the beauty of Eden as his everlasting inheritance, the final fulfillment of the promise.
Foreshadowing Christ's Agony
The horror of great darkness that fell upon Abraham foreshadowed what would fall upon Jesus on the path to Gethsemane and crucifixion when He made His soul an offering for sin as He faced Jerusalem's doom. In Gethsemane a comparable horror and overwhelming anguish surrounded and encircled His humanity. His human nature trembled at the suffering required to save humanity from sin. The powers of darkness closed around Him there.
As He bore the sins of the world in humanity's place, He felt His Father's anger and separation. Satan tempted Him to think that God had forsaken Him. The destiny of a lost world hung in the balance as He faced whether to stand as humanity's surety with the mysterious cup trembling in His hand. He could have refused the cup and left humanity to perish, but He submitted to the Father's will and chose to suffer for the guilty.
Horror as Human Distress
The horror of great darkness expresses intense dread and overwhelming anguish. It describes profound distress that comes in scenes showing the consequences of following human plans instead of God's plans. The same image describes deep distress connected with uncertainty and the drowsy state of God's people.
It also describes severe depression experienced during the evening ordinances, which lifted into peace and rejoicing during the washing of one another's feet. It means a horror that can fall in bereavement and uncertainty about duty, when grief over a lost child and a crushing burden for God's people bring sleepless nights, severe pain in the heart, no rest in any position, and repeated fainting. That horror continues until fervent prayer prevails and God gives relief through a vision of His cause.
As the sun was setting beside the covenant sacrifices, a deep sleep and a terrifying darkness fell upon Abraham. The darkness portrayed the long, oppressive bondage his descendants would suffer in Egypt before possessing Canaan, and with the smoking furnace it pointed to that servitude and to their deliverance after four hundred years. In that setting God opened to him the plan of redemption through Christ's death and coming in glory, showing him the earth restored to Eden's beauty as his everlasting inheritance. That horror foreshadowed what would fall upon Jesus on the path to Gethsemane and the cross as He made His soul an offering for sin. In Gethsemane a comparable anguish encircled His humanity as He bore the sins of the world and felt His Father's separation, and with the destiny of a lost world hanging upon His choice He submitted to the Father's will rather than leave humanity to perish.
Covenant Night and Prophecy
Near sunset Abraham was waiting beside the covenant sacrifices when a deep sleep fell upon him and a terrifying darkness came over him. That great darkness was a figure through which it was revealed to him that his descendants would suffer long, servile bondage in Egypt before they possessed Canaan.
Together with the smoking furnace, the darkness stood as a symbol of that bondage and of the promised deliverance after four hundred years. In that same setting was opened to him the plan of redemption through Christ's death and coming in glory. He was shown the earth restored to the beauty of Eden as his everlasting inheritance, the final fulfillment of the promise.
Foreshadowing Christ's Agony
The horror of great darkness that fell upon Abraham foreshadowed what would fall upon Jesus on the path to Gethsemane and crucifixion when He made His soul an offering for sin as He faced Jerusalem's doom. In Gethsemane a comparable horror and overwhelming anguish surrounded and encircled His humanity. His human nature trembled at the suffering required to save humanity from sin. The powers of darkness closed around Him there.
As He bore the sins of the world in humanity's place, He felt His Father's anger and separation. Satan tempted Him to think that God had forsaken Him. The destiny of a lost world hung in the balance as He faced whether to stand as humanity's surety with the mysterious cup trembling in His hand. He could have refused the cup and left humanity to perish, but He submitted to the Father's will and chose to suffer for the guilty.
Horror as Human Distress
The horror of great darkness expresses intense dread and overwhelming anguish. It describes profound distress that comes in scenes showing the consequences of following human plans instead of God's plans. The same image describes deep distress connected with uncertainty and the drowsy state of God's people.
It also describes severe depression experienced during the evening ordinances, which lifted into peace and rejoicing during the washing of one another's feet. It means a horror that can fall in bereavement and uncertainty about duty, when grief over a lost child and a crushing burden for God's people bring sleepless nights, severe pain in the heart, no rest in any position, and repeated fainting. That horror continues until fervent prayer prevails and God gives relief through a vision of His cause.