Category: Divine Principle

The Israelites Were Supposed to Follow and Obey Moses in Faith

The Israelites Were Supposed to Follow and Obey Moses in Faith

Book Review: As A Peace Loving Global Citizen
By Rev. Sun Myung Moon
Read the review

Cheon Seong Gyeong 490

Parents who have given birth to and
raised children all understand the desire
to receive blessings and feel happi-
ness through their sons and daughters,
whom they love dearly. Also, if they have
established a correct standard through
which they can experience joy, they will
want to bequeath this to their offspring
for eternity. Even fallen parents hope
that their children will grow up as fine
people who can be followed and revered
by all nations and praised eternally.
The parental heart seeks to protect
children from harm and is concerned
about them day and night. The heart of
fallen parents can even be like this. For
example, a mother ignores the diaper
smells from her baby while nursing her
child at her breast. Thus, if fallen parents
have such a heart towards their children,
how earnest must God’s heart have been,
longing to love Adam and Eve based on
their original hearts? You should all
think about this. When you nurse and
nurture your babies, you sing them lul-
labies and whisper to them, wishing that
their lives will be a success. Any parent
has such a heart.
No matter how incompetent or lack-
ing parents may be, if one of their chil-
dren suffers from a disability, the par-
ents’ hearts are devastated to the point
of breaking. If this situation is then
resolved, the relief and joy are over-
whelming in proportion to the origi-
nal pain. If such is the heart of a fallen
parent, what must be the heart of God?
(20‐209, 1968.6.9)

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

THE PROVIDENCE OF RESTORATION UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MOSES
2.1 OVERVIEW OF THE PROVIDENCE LED BY MOSES

2.1.1
THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH
2.1.1.1 THE CENTRAL FIGURE TO RESTORE THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH

Moses was the central figure to restore the foundation of faith. A
foundation of faith had to be laid anew to begin the course to return
to the promised land of Canaan upon the conclusion of the four hun-
dred years of slavery incurred because of Abraham’s mistake in his
symbolic offering. Let us first examine the providential position of Moses and how he was different from all the previous central figures

First, Moses was put in the position representing God, acting in His
stead. God told Moses that he should be as God to Aaron. Second, God set up Moses to prefigure Jesus.

By prefiguring Jesus, Moses pioneered the path for Jesus to one day walk. Like John the Baptist after him, 40 Moses was to make straight the way for Jesus.

2.1.1.2 THE OBJECT FOR THE CONDITION IN RESTORING
THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH

Moses was in a position different from earlier central figures who
were entrusted with laying the foundation of faith. Unlike Abel, Noah
and Abraham, Moses did not need to make a symbolic offering. Rather,
he could restore the foundation of faith merely by obedience to God’s
Word while fulfilling a dispensation of forty for the separation of Satan.

2.1.2
THE FOUNDATION OF SUBSTANCE
In the Age of the Providence to Lay the Foundation for Restoration,
God worked to lay the family foundation of substance. Upon entering
the Age of the Providence of Restoration, God worked to lay the nation-
al foundation of substance.

Once Moses had secured the position of Abel, the Israelites, stand-
ing in the position of Cain, were supposed to fulfill the national indem-
nity condition to remove the fallen nature through their obedience to
Moses. By doing so, they would establish the national foundation of
substance.
2.1.3
THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MESSIAH
Moses was to restore through indemnity the national foundation of
faith, and the Israelites under Moses’ leadership were to restore through
indemnity the national foundation of substance. This would have con-
stituted the national foundation for the Messiah and the basis for a sov-
ereign nation to which the Messiah could come.

2.2 THE NATIONAL COURSES TO RESTORE CANAAN
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MOSES

Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, the satanic world, with mir-
acles and signs, led them across the Red Sea, and had them wander
through the wilderness before entering the promised land of Canaan.
This foreshadowed the course on which Jesus would one day lead
Christians, the Second Israel. With miracles and signs, Jesus would bring
Christians out of lives of sin and lead them safely across the troubled
sea of evil. He would take them through a desert devoid of life-giving
water before guiding them into the Garden of Eden of God’s promise.
Just as the national course to restore Canaan under the leadership of
Moses was prolonged as three courses because of the Israelites’ faith-
lessness, the worldwide course to restore Canaan under the leadership
of Jesus had to be undertaken three times because of the disbelief of
John the Baptist and the Jewish people of that day.

2.2.1
THE FIRST NATIONAL COURSE TO RESTORE CANAAN
2.2.1.1 T HE FOUNDATION OF FAITH
After four hundred years of slavery in Egypt, the indemnity period
required of the Israelites due to Abraham’s mistake came to an end. In
order for Moses to become the central figure to restore the foundation
of faith and be qualified to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he as an
individual had to inherit the four-hundred-year national indemnity
period and complete a dispensation of forty for the separation of Satan.
In addition, Moses had to restore through indemnity the number forty,
which unfallen Adam should have fulfilled to establish his foundation
of faith. 46 To achieve these purposes, Moses was brought into the
Pharaoh’s palace, the center of the satanic world, and he spent forty
years there.

During the forty years of his life in the Pharaoh’s palace, Moses fulfilled the dispensa-
tion of forty for the separation of Satan and thereby restored the foun-
dation of faith.

2.2.1.2 T HE FOUNDATION OF SUBSTANCE
Moses was in the dual position of parent and child. When he laid
the foundation of faith, he also secured the position of Abel for the
foundation of substance. The Israelites, who were in the position of
Cain, were supposed to follow and obey Moses in faith. By inheriting
God’s Will from Moses and multiplying goodness, they would fulfill the
national indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature and lay the
national foundation of substance. The Israelites were to lay the foun-
dation of substance by following Moses from the time they left Egypt
until they entered the blessed land of Canaan.
God commenced the dispensation to start the course with Moses’ act
of killing an Egyptian.

2.1.3 T HE FAILURE OF THE FIRST NATIONAL COURSE TO RESTORE CANAAN

The Israelites when they saw Moses strike and kill the Egyptian, they misunderstood him and spoke ill of him:
When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling
together; and he said to the man that did the wrong, “Why did you strike
your fellow?” He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over
us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was
afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of
it, he sought to kill Moses. —Exod. 2:13-15
Moses was left with no choice but to escape from the Pharaoh.
Reluctantly forsaking the Israelites, he fled into the wilderness of
Midian. The foundation of substance was shattered, and the Israelites’
course to restore Canaan under the leadership of Moses would be
repeated a second and eventually a third time.

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By Walking in Jesus’ Footsteps People of Faith can Bring Satan to Submission

Book Review: As A Peace Loving Global Citizen
By Rev. Sun Myung Moon
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Numbers 9

15-16 As soon as the sacred tent was set up,[d] a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it. 17-19 The Lord used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there, 20-22 whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year. As long as the cloud remained over the tent, the Israelites stayed where they were. But when the cloud moved, so did the Israelites. 23 They obeyed the Lord’s commands and went wherever he directed Moses.

2 Kings 4

3 Elisha told her, “Ask your neighbors for their empty jars. And after you’ve borrowed as many as you can, 4 go home and shut the door behind you and your sons. Then begin filling the jars with oil and set each one aside as you fill it.” 5 The woman left.

Later, when she and her sons were back inside their house, the two sons brought her the jars, and she began filling them.

6 At last, she said to one of her sons, “Bring me another jar.”

“We don’t have any more,” he answered, and the oil stopped flowing from the small bottle.

7 After she told Elisha what had happened, he said, “Sell the oil and use part of the money to pay what you owe the man. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

Chapter 2

Moses and Jesus in the Providence of Restoration

The Bible contains many secrets concerning God’s work of salvation. It is written, “Surely the Lord God does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” However, without knowing the principle behind God’s providence, people have been unable to discern the mysteries concealed in the Bible. In particular, we shall examine how God set up the providential courses of Jacob and Moses as models for Jesus’ course to save humankind.

THE MODEL COURSES FOR BRINGING SATAN TO SUBMISSION

We learned that in the providence of restoration in Isaac’s family, Jacob was the central figure who laid the foundation of substance. He secured the position of Abel and labored to bring Satan to submission and fulfill the indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature. Jacob’s entire course became the model course for Moses and Jesus. Jesus came to bring Satan to submission in substantial terms. Before Jesus, Moses walked a course for the subjugation of Satan that was the image of the course Jesus would walk. Still earlier, God had Jacob walk a course that was a symbolic representation of Jesus’ course. Moreover, Jacob’s course is the model for the course which the Israelites and all of humanity must walk to bring Satan to submission and attain the goal of the providence of restoration.

1.1 WHY JACOB’S COURSE AND MOSES’ COURSE WERE SET UP AS THE MODELS FOR JESUS’ COURSE

 The goal of the providence of restoration is attained when human beings bring Satan to voluntary submission and become his master. They must do this by fulfilling their given portion of responsibility. Jesus, as the Messiah and the true human ancestor, came to help all people of faith bring Satan to voluntary submission. By himself, he pioneered the course to bring Satan to complete submission and has since guided people of faith to follow his example. Satan, who does not meekly surrender even before God, would by no means readily surrender to Jesus, much less to ordinary believers. Therefore, God, who takes responsibility for human beings, whom He created, called upon Jacob and worked through him to show us, in symbolic form, the course for bringing Satan to submission. Moses was able to subjugate Satan by following the pattern of the model course which was revealed symbolically in Jacob’s course. In his course, Moses developed this to the level of image. Similarly, by building on the pattern of Moses’ course, Jesus came to substantially bring Satan to submission. By walking in Jesus’ footsteps, people of faith can also bring Satan to submission and master him.

True Parents Must be Restored on the Side of Heaven

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1892

Catching tuna is not fishing. It is
more like hunting at sea. You are hear-
ing the term “hunting at sea” for the first
time, right? Catching one tuna is hard-
er than killing a large cow. One tuna
weighs more than one thousand pounds.
Some tunas can weigh five hundred, six
hundred, or even seven hundred kilo-
grams – that is bigger than a bull. It is
exciting to catch such fish! We take all
the blood out since the fish will spoil if
left for a long time after being caught,
and in an instant the water becomes a
sea of blood. At that moment, I cannot
help but think, “Oh, I am so merciless!”
Whenever I feel that way, I think “God
allows people to suffer because they are
the sacrificial offerings for the libera-
tion of humankind.” Also, I feel better
when I tell myself, “Well, these fish were
caught from nature and I never invested
myself in raising them, but from now on
I will raise fish and offer them as a sacri-
fice.” This is why I carry out the fish farm
and marine product industries. (219-196,
1991.8.29)

Cheong Seong Gyeong 1284

What is the hope of humankind? It
is to attend True Parents. Six thousand
years ago, Adam and Eve were sup-
posed to be blessed in marriage and all
of humanity was to become the descen-
dants of God. However, due to the Fall
of Adam and Eve, human beings became
the descendants of Satan instead. There-
fore, True Parents, who were lost six
thousand years ago, must be restored
on the side of heaven. You have to be
reborn through the relationship of
love with True Parents. Only then can
you become citizens of the Kingdom of
Heaven. (19-203, 1968.1.7)

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

3.2 THE FOUNDATION OF SUBSTANCE

 To establish the foundation for the Messiah in Isaac’s family, the foundation of substance had to be laid next. For this purpose, Isaac’s sons, Esau and Jacob, had to be placed in the divided positions of Cain and Abel respectively. By making the substantial offering, they were responsible to fulfill the indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature and lay the foundation of substance.

 However, before Esau and Jacob could fulfill the indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature and make the substantial offering, Jacob first had to fulfill the indemnity condition to restore the position of Abel. First, Jacob fulfilled the condition of victory in the fight to restore on the individual level the birthright of the eldest son. Second, Jacob went to Haran, which represented the satanic world. After suffering through twenty-one years of drudgery, he triumphed over Laban in the fight to restore the birthright by gaining family and wealth as his due inheritance. After winning this victory, Jacob returned to Canaan. Third, on his way back to Canaan, the land of the promised blessing, Jacob triumphed in wrestling with an angel at the ford of Jabbok, thereby restoring dominion over the angel in a substantial struggle. Through these three victories, Jacob restored through indemnity the position of Abel. Thereupon, Jacob became the central figure of the substantial offering.

 When Jacob returned to Canaan with his family and wealth after enduring twenty-one years of hardship in Haran, he moved Esau to overcome his former hostility: And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. And he put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. —Gen. 33:1-4 When Esau opened his arms and affectionately welcomed Jacob, they fulfilled the indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature. For the first time, the foundation of substance was laid successfully.

 Their victory in the providence centered on Abraham also restored through indemnity, horizontally in one family, the long vertical course of history in which God had been working to restore the foundation of substance.

3.3 THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MESSIAH

 God’s work to lay the foundation for the Messiah, which He first tried to establish in Adam’s family, had to be conducted three times because the central figures of the providence of restoration could not fulfill their portion of responsibility. The third attempt was in Abraham’s time, yet even this was prolonged when he failed in the symbolic offering. Isaac and his family inherited the Will and laid the foundation of faith and the foundation of substance. At last, the foundation for the Messiah was established. One would expect that the Messiah would have come on the earth at that time. However, by Abraham’s time, fallen people had already built up satanic nations which could have easily overpowered Abraham’s family. Hence, even though the foundation for the Messiah was laid at that time, it was a limited foundation, on the family level. The Messiah could not have safely come on that foundation. A foundation of a sovereign state was needed to cope with the nations of the satanic world.

 Though the descendants of Isaac had established the family foundation for the Messiah, they would leave their homeland and suffer in a foreign land for four hundred years as the penalty for Abraham’s mistake. Despite their suffering in Egypt, they would flourish and consolidate as a people. They would return to Canaan and build the national foundation for the Messiah as a sovereign nation prepared for the Messiah and his work.

 A course of indemnity had been placed upon the shoulders of Abraham’s descendants due to his mistake in the symbolic offering. Jacob was to begin this course of indemnity, not Isaac. Indeed, the one who shoulders the major burden in walking the course of indemnity is the Abel-type person who serves as the central figure of the substantial offering. Jacob’s family stood upon the foundation for the Messiah which had been completed in Isaac’s family. Inheriting the position of Isaac’s family, they set out to complete the dispensation entrusted to Abraham by taking responsibility for Abraham’s sin and embarking upon the four-hundred-year course of indemnity.

 In Jacob’s family it was Joseph, the son of Rachel—Jacob’s wife on God’s side— who was to secure the position of Abel by entering Egypt and walking the course of indemnity. Jacob, as the central figure who laid the foundation for the Messiah in Isaac’s family, was responsible to shoulder Abraham’s sin. He was also responsible to embark upon an indemnity course to realize on the national level the Will which had been entrusted to Isaac. Therefore, as was the case with Abraham and Isaac, God regarded Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the same person with respect to His Will, even though they were three different individuals.

 In conclusion, Jacob was victorious in taking responsibility for the indemnity course to pay for Abraham’s mistake. By using his wisdom for the sake of God’s Will, Jacob triumphed as an individual in his struggle with Esau to win the birthright. He entered Haran and, as a family, triumphed in a twenty-one-year struggle with his uncle Laban to win the birthright. On his way back from Haran to Canaan, Jacob was victorious in the fight with the angel. He was the first fallen man to fulfill the indemnity condition to restore dominion over the angel. Thereupon, he received the name “Israel,”75 signifying that he set the pattern and laid the groundwork upon which the chosen people would be established. After returning to Canaan with these victories, Jacob won Esau’s heart, and together they fulfilled the indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature. Jacob thus victoriously completed the model course to bring Satan to submission

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The Third Try Must Be Victorious

John 16

21 When a woman is about to give birth, she is in great pain. But after it is all over, she forgets the pain and is happy, because she has brought a child into the world. 22 You are now very sad. But later I will see you, and you will be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel. 23 When that time comes, you won’t have to ask me about anything. I tell you for certain that the Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. 24 You have not asked for anything in this way before, but now you must ask in my name.[b] Then it will be given to you, so that you will be completely happy.

Eccliastes 5

18 What is the best thing to do in the short life that God has given us? I think we should enjoy eating, drinking, and working hard. This is what God intends for us to do. 19 Suppose you are very rich and able to enjoy everything you own. Then go ahead and enjoy working hard—this is God’s gift to you. 20 God will keep you so happy that you won’t have time to worry about each day.

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

3.1.2.2 ABRAHAM’S OFFERING OF ISAAC

 After Abraham failed in the symbolic offering, God commanded him to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt offering. In this way, God began a new dispensation for the purpose of restoring through indemnity Abraham’s failure. Why, then, did God work with Abraham again when he had him offer Isaac?

 We can advance three reasons. First, the number three represents completion. God’s Principle requires that when the providence to lay the foundation for the Messiah takes place for the third time, it must be brought to completion. Therefore, God’s providence to lay the foundation for the Messiah, which began in Adam’s family as the first dispensation and continued in Noah’s family as the second dispensation, had to conclude in Abraham’s family, which was the third dispensation.

 Second, as was explained earlier, when Abraham was making his sacrifice, he was in the position of Adam. Satan had attacked both Adam and his son Cain, defiling the family over the course of two generations. Hence, according to the principle of restoration through indemnity, God could work to take back Abraham and his son Isaac over the course of two generations.

Third when Abraham was called by God, he stood on the merit of both Abel, who succeeded in the symbolic offering at the formation stage, and Noah, who succeeded in the symbolic offering at the growth stage. Upon this double foundation, Abraham was to make the symbolic offering at the completion stage. Accordingly, even though Abraham failed, God could raise him up and give him another chance to make an offering based on the accumulated merit of Abel’s and Noah’s faithful hearts.

How did Abraham offer Isaac?

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” —Gen. 22:9-12

Abraham’s faith was absolute. In obedience to God’s command, he was about to kill Isaac, his only son, intending to offer him as a burnt offering. God intervened at that moment and told Abraham not to kill the boy. Abraham’s zeal to do God’s Will and his resolute actions, carried out with absolute faith, obedience and loyalty, lifted him up to the position of already having killed Isaac. Therefore, he completely separated Satan from Isaac. Because Abraham succeeded in his offering of Isaac, the providence of restoration in Abraham’s family could be carried on by Isaac.

3.1.2.3 ISAAC’S POSITION AND HIS SYMBOLIC OFFERING IN THE SIGHT OF GOD

When God saved Isaac from death, Abraham was also resurrected to life, now loosed from all the ties with which Satan had bound him when his symbolic offering was defiled. Furthermore, Abraham and Isaac attained inseparable oneness in their fidelity to God’s Will.

 In making the offering, Isaac and Abraham underwent a process of death and resurrection. As a result, two things were accomplished. First, Abraham succeeded in the separation of Satan, who had invaded him because of his mistake in the symbolic offering. He restored through indemnity the position he had occupied before he had made the mistake and transferred his providential mission to Isaac from this restored position. Second, by faithfully obeying God’s Will, Isaac inherited the divine mission from Abraham and demonstrated the faith which qualified him to make the symbolic offering. After the divine mission had passed from Abraham to Isaac, Abraham offered the ram provided by God as the substitute for Isaac. In fact, this was the symbolic offering by which Isaac restored the foundation of faith. Isaac, having inherited Abraham’s mission, made the symbolic offering and restored through indemnity the foundation of faith.

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Good and Evil Have to Be Divided

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1566

Now that the vertical and horizon-
tal eight-stage indemnity has all been
completed, the Ceremony of the Settle-
ment of the Eight Stages could be per-
formed on August 31, 1989, in Alaska,
the most northerly location in the West.
It is the northernmost place. On the first
day of September, I declared “the ideol-
ogy centered on the Heavenly Father”
at the same place. The ideology cen-
tered on the Heavenly Father is simul-
taneously the ideology of salvation by
love as well as the ideology of parental
love. This parent-centered ideology is all
about a life lived by giving love. Satan
cannot oppose anything based on love.
If he cannot oppose the path taken by
the Unification Church, we can rapidly
expand worldwide. (199-157, 1990.2.16)

Richard: There is nothing to hold us back. Will we take the batton and run the race?

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1398

I cannot even say anything to you
about this serious matter. If I told you
what I know, you would descend to the
depths of grief. I have had to reach my
present solitary position all by myself.
Who believed that we could accomplish
3.6 million couples? Kwak Chung-hwan!
He did not believe it. No one believed it.
I alone had faith that we could do it. Re-
creation takes place under the orders of
creation issued by God. Ezekiel was able
to bring to life thousands of people from
the valley of sand; from the valley of dry
bones, Ezekiel brought to life an exceed-
ingly great army. You must understand
that the Almighty God is with us. (288-161,
1997.11.27)

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

THE PROVIDENCE OF RESTORATION IN ABRAHAM’S FAMILY

Abraham had to restore through indemnity the foundation of faith, and his sons had to restore through indemnity the foundation of substance.

3.1 THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH

3.1.1 THE CENTRAL FIGURE FOR THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH

 In the providence of restoration in Abraham’s family, the central figure to restore the foundation of faith was Abraham. However, Abraham could not inherit this mission unless he first restored through indemnity all the conditions which had been given to Noah to fulfill, but which were lost to Satan due to Ham’s sin.

Abraham was to inherit the mission of Noah and thus the mission of Adam. In this capacity, he represented restored Adam. As God had blessed Adam and Noah, God also blessed Abraham:

I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves. —Gen. 12:2-3

3.1.2 THE OBJECTS FOR THE CONDITION OFFERED FOR THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH

3.1.2.1 ABRAHAM’S SYMBOLIC OFFERING

 God commanded Abraham to offer a dove and a pigeon, a ram and a goat, and a heifer.48 These were the objects for the condition which he offered to restore the foundation of faith. What was the significance of Abraham’s symbolic offering? Abraham was required to offer in an acceptable manner objects for the condition to restore all that Cain and Abel were supposed to accomplish through their sacrifices, and all that Noah’s family was trying to accomplish through the dispensation of the ark.

Abraham offered three types of objects as the condition for his symbolic offering: first, a dove and a pigeon; second, a ram and a goat; and third, a heifer. These three sacrifices symbolized the cosmos, which was completed through the three stages of the growing period. The dove represented the formation stage. The ram represented the growth stage. The heifer represented the completion stage.

 Why did Abraham place the three sacrifices—the dove and pigeon, the ram and goat, and the heifer, symbolizing the formation, growth and completion stages—on one altar? Before the Fall, Adam was responsible to grow through all three stages in his one lifetime. Similarly, Abraham, now in the position of Adam, was supposed to restore, all at once, the long providence which God had conducted through the three providential generations of Adam (formation), Noah (growth) and Abraham (completion). Now let us study how Abraham made the symbolic offering: He said to him,

“Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know of a surety that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years.” —Gen. 15:9-13

When Abraham offered the birds without first dividing them, it meant that he offered what had not been wrested from Satan’s possession. His mistake had the effect of acknowledging Satan’s claim of possession over them. Abraham’s mistake in making the symbolic offering caused the offering to be defiled. All the conditions God intended to restore through it were lost. As a consequence, Abraham’s descendants had to suffer oppression and slavery for four hundred years in the land of Egypt.

 Abraham failed, repeating the mistakes of the past. Consequently, the providence centered on him was prolonged through the three generations of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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