061 Abraham: The Covenant

It’s been 25 years since Abraham began his journey of trust by leaving his hometown of Ur. Over 10 years since the Lord had promised Abram many offspring. He is now 85 years old and Sarai, his wife, is 75…yet the promise of an heir was still unfulfilled.

The Lord saw his friend struggling and He graciously appeared to him once again to offer him help and hope. He reassures Abram that he will indeed have an heir who would in fact be, not his servant, but a son of his own DNA. In fact, Abram’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.

And Abram believed. He didn’t know how God was going to give him a son, but he believed that He could and would give him a son.

At this point in the story, the narrator inserts a simple comment.  “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (v.6)

This phrase is one of the most significant verses in the Bible. 

Because of Abram’s faith, God gave the man the gift of relationship with Him.

Coming into a right relationship with God is not a function of works (what we do) but faith (that we believe). 

See that word “credited”?  It literally means, “put to a person’s account.”  God deposited righteousness into Abram’s spiritual saving account.  And it was because of faith – nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.  To this day that’s no less true.

Then God formalized His promise to Abram by “cutting a covenant” with him. 

Covenants were always confirmed through the shedding of blood.

As was the custom of the day, Abram arranged the carcasses of the slain animals so they created a corridor of blood.

Typically, both parties involved would walk between the slaughtered animals.  It was a symbolic way of each one saying, “May the same thing happen to me if I should fail to live up to my end of the agreement.”

However, in this case, note that Abram didn’t walk the path. Only God did. God chose to unilaterally commit Himself to Abram and his descendants.

God was so determined to stay in this relationship that He demonstrated it in the ultimate display of love – the death of Jesus.  

You might look at it this way: you and I failed to keep the covenant.  But rather than our bodies being torn apart, God’s was in order that the covenant might be reinforced in a new way. 

Jesus alluded to this in familiar words that are often quoted when we share communion.  

“In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.’”(Luke 22:20)

If you’ve ever wondered just how much the Almighty wants to be in covenant with you …all you have to do is look at the cross.  For it was there that the new covenant was offered.

The new covenant we are offered is by grace, but it is only accepted through faith.

You and I are invited into the greatest of all covenants. When we embrace it, a new relationship is formed. We are now children of God.

When you are in covenant with God, your identity is forever changed.

Text: Genesis 15

Originally recorded September 21, 2014, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.