Count di Stars

Night for open country. One man waka comot from im tent. For im top, di sky full with stars, pass wetin anybody fit ever count. And one voice talk say, Count dem, if you fit.

Abram don dey follow God for some time now. E don leave im homeland. E don allow im brother pikin choose di best land. E don refuse di riches of di king of Sodom. And still, im and Sarai no get pikin. Then di word of di Lord come to Abram for vision. No fear, Abram. Na me be your shield, your very great reward.

Abram answer with honest heart. Sovereign Lord, wetin you go give me, since I still no get pikin? Di person wey go inherit everything wey I get na Eliezer of Damascus. You never give me children, so one servant for my house go be my heir. Na prayer wey come straight from pain. Abram no dey pretend say everything dey fine. And God no scold am for talking am. Instead God answer, Dis man no go be your heir. Na son wey come from your own body go be your heir.

Then God carry Abram go outside. Look up for sky and count di stars, if you fit count dem. Na so your offspring go be. Abram stand under dat big sky, old man wey no get pikin, dey look thousands upon thousands of lights. And then one sentence come wey di New Testament quote again and again. Abram believe di Lord, and di Lord count am for am as righteousness. Abram no get anything for im hand except promise. And e trust di One wey make di promise.

God also promise Abram di land. And Abram ask, Sovereign Lord, how I go take know say I go own am? God answer am for way wey Abram go understand. Bring me one young cow, one goat and one ram, each one three years old, plus one dove and one young pigeon. Abram bring dem, e cut di bigger animals into two, and e lay di halves opposite each other, with one road for di middle. Birds wey dey hunt come down on top di pieces, and Abram drive dem away. Then e wait.

As di sun dey go down, Abram fall into deep sleep, and one thick darkness wey dey bring fear cover am. God tell am wetin dey front. Im descendants go be strangers for one country wey no be dia own, dem go be slaves and people go treat dem bad for four hundred years. But God go judge dat nation, and after, dem go come out with plenty property. Abram imself go join im ancestors for peace, when e don old well. And for di fourth generation, im descendants go come back to dis land.

When di sun don go down and darkness don come, something appear: one fire pot wey dey smoke and one torch wey dey burn, wey pass between di pieces. For dat day di Lord make covenant with Abram. To your descendants I give dis land, from di river of Egypt reach di big river, di Euphrates. And many readers don notice who waka between di pieces. No be Abram. E dey for deep sleep. Na only di fire, di sign say God dey there, pass through. Di promise rest on God.

Dis strange ceremony of Abram match one custom from di ancient world. For Hebrew, you no just make covenant, you cut am. Centuries after, di prophet Jeremiah describe how di leaders of Judah make covenant by cutting one young cow into two and waka between di halves. Di meaning be like one serious oath: make wetin happen to dis animals happen to me if I break my word. For Genesis fifteen, na God imself pass through.

Count di Stars. You go find dis story for Genesis chapter fifteen. Abram get promise but e no get proof, and e choose to trust God. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Next time wey you look up see di stars, which of God promises you go remember, and trust?