Birds of prey come down on the carcasses, and Abram drives them away. The detail is both realistic and symbolic. Birds of prey attacking sacrificed animals would have been a common problem in any outdoor ceremony. But in the context of this covenant narrative, the birds of prey represent the forces that would corrupt or interrupt the covenant — opposition, delay, distraction. Abram's active defense of the sacrifice — driving the birds away — is a picture of covenant faithfulness: the covenant person actively protects what God has set apart. Luke 8:12 describes the devil coming and taking away the word from people's hearts — the same imagery of a predator attacking what has been set apart. The application: what God sets apart for covenant purposes will attract opposition. The active defense of what God has placed before you — prayer, Scripture, relationships, commitments — is part of what faithfulness requires.

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