In the 15th chapter of Genesis, the Lord entered into a covenant with Abram:

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.

Genesis 15:17 NIV

In this verse, the Lord sealed His covenant with Abram by taking a “walk unto death” between the halved pieces of the animals that He had commanded Abram to bring. By the firepot and torch passing between the pieces, He committed that He alone would be responsible for the blessings of this covenant coming to pass.

But why specifically did these items, a firepot and a torch, pass between the pieces?

The items themselves are not as important as the adjectives:

“A SMOKING firepot with a BLAZING torch” – Smoke and fire.

If we fast-forward to the 13th chapter of Exodus, when the Israelites first left Egypt:

(21) By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.
(22) Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Exodus 13:21-22 NIV

God’s presence WITH Israel and GUIDING Israel was represented by the smoke and the fire.

In the next chapter, the smoke and the fire came between the Israelites and the Egyptians to protect them:

(19) Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them,
(20) coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

Exodus 14:19-20 NIV

The smoke served to blind the Egyptians while the fire gave light to the Israelites.

Let’s look at two more verses, one from the Old Testament and one from the New:

Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently.

Exodus 19:18 NIV

Smoke and Fire here represented and accompanied the presence of the Lord!

In his sermon on the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted the prophet Joel:

I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

Acts 2:19 NIV

From theses verses and other passages in scripture we can ascertain that smoke and fire represent:

• God’s Judgement and Holiness:
  • The Bible talks about our deeds being tested by fire.
  • Aaron’s disobedient sons were consumed by fire when they offered unauthorized incense in Leviticus 10.
  • Offerings were consumed by fire sent by the Lord when Aaron and his sons were ordained in Leviticus 9 and also when Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18.
• God’s Protection and Providence:
  • The smoke blinded the Egyptians from coming near the Israelites.
• God’s Glory, Presence and Power:
  • Smoke entered both the first tabernacle (Exodus 40:34), Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 7:1) and the Temple in Heaven (Revelation 15:8), representing the glory of the Lord. See also Isaiah 6:4.

During the Christmas season we hear the word “Immanuel”, which means “God with us”. The smoke and fire represent God’s Judgement, Holiness, Protection, Providence, Glory and Power. These attributes were certainly a part of His covenant with Abram and each covenant in the Bible.