248 - The Covenant of Abraham#
248 - The Covenant of Abraham
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic we are sharing is called: The Covenant of Abraham.
Genesis 15:8-21,
8 Abram said, “O Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit this land?” 9 He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtle dove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then Abram brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates, 19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! Thank You for allowing us to see such words. I am a descendant of Abraham, and I want to know what I have received through this covenant with Abraham, because it is an early covenant. Today, Jesus also has a covenant with me and the Father. Through today’s words, let me understand Your covenant and know what part I am to inherit. Thank You and praise You! Open the door of my heart to accept today’s words. In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!
The Bible is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. What is a covenant? A contract. When we make a covenant today, we first write down the contents of the contract, what responsibilities I should bear, what blessings I can receive, all written in the contract, and finally, we need to sign and seal it. In the past, it was called a seal or a fingerprint; this is the most important part. If the contents of the contract are all written out and given to both parties, but the final signing and sealing step is missing, it is useless; there must be a proof on it.
So, brothers and sisters, the covenant between God and Abraham is also God’s covenant with you, an unchanging covenant. A covenant is a core term that runs throughout the entire Bible, absolutely not the result of human rational thought, but the truth of the Bible. We can say that God is a covenant-keeping and loving God. The Old Testament often mentions that He is a covenant-keeping and loving God. Which covenant is He keeping? What covenant do you have with God? God keeps that covenant.
If you keep the Ten Commandments with God, then you should keep that covenant well and strive to obey the Ten Commandments. If you cannot obey, when curses come, do not complain. If the covenant you have with God is a covenant of grace, you should also know what you are to inherit. The Bible itself is a book of grace covenants. The term covenant appears hundreds of times in the Bible, enough to show us its importance.
The Bible records many covenants, starting with Adam, who made a covenant with God. The content of the covenant is particularly simple: You may freely eat of the fruit of all the trees in the garden. It is a blessing given to him, with a part to be obeyed: But of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. This is what happens when you breach the covenant. Last time we talked about Adam breaching the covenant; today we will talk about Abraham.
Brothers and sisters, think about it: Would Abraham breach the covenant with God? Through this passage, I want to give everyone a real insight. By the time of the New Testament, the covenant of grace is made between God and man. The cross of Jesus Christ is a covenant, representing the most important covenant between God and man, and between man and man.
Therefore, the covenant that God made with Abraham is also related to us, because we are spiritually the descendants of Abraham, and through Jesus, we can inherit the blessings of Abraham. So we need to learn and understand this blood covenant made through Jesus, knowing that we are all people of the covenant and can receive blessings from God. Let us understand what kind of covenant we have with God through the knowledge of the covenant of Abraham.
Now let us look at the content of Genesis chapter fifteen. Chapter fifteen mainly records the covenant God made with Abraham, which is a very important revelation phase of the covenant. We can say that this chapter is the most complete and beautiful description of the grace covenant made between God and man. In this chapter, there are actually two great truths: righteousness is a grace freely given by God, and through faith in man, we can receive God’s blessings. We call this the grace covenant. Now let’s focus on the content of the covenant made between God and Abraham, because once you know the content, you will know what kind of blessings you are to inherit.
Sharing the first point: A covenant is made for certainty and cannot be revoked.
Why make a covenant? It is a constraint on both parties; once you say it, you must do it. What happens if you cannot do it? Some people backtrack and say, “I never said that.” Oral agreements are often not trusted, so to give an oral agreement a proof, people use some unchangeable things to make a covenant.
For example, in the past, among the Israelites, sometimes they would pile stones to make a covenant, using several large stones, saying we will make a covenant with this stone. Some would say, “I swear by the moon.” Why point to these things to make a covenant? Because they do not change. If you swear by a car, what if the car is gone? That is not a reliable thing. The Bible mentions many instances where people made covenants by pointing to unchangeable things.
God also has a covenant with us. The purpose of making a covenant is to let us believe that what God says can be accomplished. Do not think of Abraham’s faith as particularly great; he also had weak moments. Look at verse 8, when God said to Abraham, “I will bless you, and you will become a great nation; your descendants will be as numerous as the sand by the sea and the stars in the sky.” Abraham said, “You say my descendants will fill the earth; how can I know?”
Abram said, “O Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit this land?” This proves that this land is not yet Abraham’s; he is just temporarily staying there. But God said, “This land you are standing on, I will give you the whole thing.” Abraham said, “How can I know?” He wanted a proof, not because Abraham doubted God; he believed God very much, but he wanted a visible proof.
So God, according to Abraham’s faith, made a contract with him. At that time, God said, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtle dove, and a young pigeon, and cut them in half, placing them opposite each other.” Why do this? It is actually to use the way people make covenants to tell Abraham: I want to make a covenant with you; you go prepare the contract.
A contract means it is a covenant between two people, combined together, in duplicate. Let me show you a picture; this picture was drawn by Sister Zhang Hui from the church. God said to Abraham, “Bring Me a cow, cut it in half,” and below is the split heifer; “a three-year-old female goat,” on the left is the split female goat; “and a three-year-old ram,” on the other side is the split ram; “a turtle dove and a young pigeon.” The two birds above, now God gives him a way to establish a covenant, which is to cut these animals in half and place them opposite each other.
10 Then Abram brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.
Now this picture just proves this matter; drawn like this, it resembles a cross. Now the real drama begins. Abraham is to take these animals, slaughter them, and cut them in half, placing them opposite each other, thus forming a blood path between the two halves.
Now Abraham is preparing the content of the covenant, preparing the sacrifices required for making a covenant. This is the standard procedure for making a covenant in Abraham’s time. At that time, both parties making a covenant would take some animals, cut them in half, and place them opposite each other, forming a blood path in the middle. Both parties would walk through the blood path while making promises, declaring: If I breach my promise, I will be cursed, just like the animals.
Above is God, below is Abraham. How is this covenant completed? The sacrifices have been prepared. When God says, “I will bless you, I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand by the sea, I will make you a great nation,” this is God’s promise to Abraham. What will Abraham do? “I will obey Your words and keep Your words from generation to generation.”
Then both would say: If I breach this covenant, I will be split like this sacrifice. If Abraham was indeed there at that time, he would also have to say this. First, make a vow, and second, what if he breaches it? If it is a covenant between people, the other party walks through the blood path from one end to the other: If I breach the covenant, this is the consequence. Such a covenant is deeply engraved in their hearts.
The two parties must walk through the middle to promise that they will fulfill this covenant. This covenant actually has an implied meaning: If I breach the covenant, I will also be cut in half. Establishing a covenant or oath on the blood path is also called a contract.
Jeremiah 34:18-20,
18-19 The leaders of Judah, the leaders of Jerusalem, the officials, the priests, and all the people of the land cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it in my presence to make a covenant. Then they broke My covenant and did not keep the words of the covenant. 20 I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life; their corpses shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.
Now we know why, during the time of the great prophets and minor prophets, the Israelites suffered. God did not wrong them; this is what they deserved because they breached the covenant. In the ancient covenant ceremony, when both parties passed through the pieces of meat, they were actually saying: If I do not fulfill my promise, let me be cut in half like this.
At that time, the Israelites said this before God, and later they replaced the covenant God made with them with Abraham. What benefits does the covenant of Abraham have? Today we will talk about how the Israelites in the wilderness replaced this covenant, changing it to: Whatever you ask me to do, I can do it, come on! Let’s make a covenant. Then there were many curses that followed; this is a kind of pride.
So brothers and sisters, do not say before God that you can do anything. In the covenant, God also made a declaration, saying: I will fulfill what I have said to you, but what will happen if you breach the covenant? What will happen if I breach the covenant? God cannot go back on His word; what God says will never be broken.
So when God commanded Abraham to cut the animals, Abraham was very clear in his heart: Now I believe God. In the past, he often made covenants with people like this; now God, according to the way he made covenants with people, said, “Abraham, let’s do it this way: If I breach the covenant, I will be cut in half like this animal.”
Abraham said, “Okay! I believe You.” Does God need to make this covenant? What He says will be accomplished; it is Abraham’s lack of faith. So God used a way of covenant that was acceptable in Abraham’s time to make a covenant with Abraham.
Abraham did what God asked him to do; he had already killed the animals and cut them in half, then waited for God to come. He had to wait until both parties arrived; Abraham arrived first and waited there. It was getting dark, and God had not come. In the meantime, a bird came down and landed on the dead carcasses, and Abraham drove it away.
Many people say this has spiritual significance: When we make a covenant with God, there will definitely be the work of the devil, trying to hinder your covenant with God. We just need to hold on to God’s words, and no hindrance will work. When the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly a terrifying darkness fell upon him. God came, and Abraham was in a stupor.
Sharing the second point: The sleeping covenant-maker.
When Abraham made a covenant with God, cutting the animals in half, blood was everywhere. He should have walked through the carcasses, and God should have walked through from the other side; then this matter would be finished. But Abraham was waiting there, waiting for God to come and make this covenant with him, but he never waited and ended up falling asleep.
Now let’s think: What would happen if he hadn’t fallen asleep? If at that time God walked over from above and Abraham walked over from the other side, do you know what the consequence would be? If Abraham lied at that time, would that count as breaching the covenant? Yes, then he would be doomed. But today there is a benefit: Abraham did not walk through. God knew Abraham could not do it; God is a God full of mercy and love, and this is manifested here.
God wants to make a covenant with us, and He does not want us to bear the consequences of breaching the covenant; this is God’s intention. Can you find such a good partner in this world? He always wants to make a covenant with you, wanting to bless you, but we say, “No, I don’t believe You; I won’t make a covenant with You.”
Yet God keeps wanting to make a covenant with us, allowing us to receive blessings legally and reasonably; this is God’s intention. Because of God’s mercy, even though He knows Abraham cannot keep these covenants and cannot walk through the carcasses, He still wants to make a covenant with Abraham. So when Abraham fell asleep, someone else took Abraham’s place and made the sacrifice, which foreshadowed the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ as the sacrifice.
In verse 17, when the sun went down and it was dark, behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
Now, is God making a covenant with Abraham? Abraham did not pass through the pieces, but this covenant has been completed. How was it completed? Since Abraham did not pass through, there must have been someone who passed through. Who is it? A covenant must be between both parties; one party walks over, and the other party walks over; it is a mutual agreement. Now, is it between both parties?
The first is the smoking oven, and the second is the burning torch. This represents our Father making a covenant with Abraham. What do these two things symbolize? Both of these things are symbolic and have many different interpretations. The interpretation I accept is: This symbolizes the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire passing through those pieces. And this is the surprising part; you will find that God actively makes a covenant with man, but God unilaterally passed through the pieces using another person, symbolizing that God will bear all the responsibility to fulfill the covenant He made with man.
This covenant seems a bit unfair because Abraham did not pass through the pieces, but someone passed through for him, which is the burning torch. I want to say: The smoking oven symbolizes our Father; the burning torch symbolizes the Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus took Abraham’s place, and our Father passed through the pieces from one side, while the Son passed through from the other side; the covenant was completed. Abraham did not pass through, but he bore the consequences of this covenant.
Now we also have a covenant with the Father. Originally, after breaching the covenant, we should have been on the cross and should have died, but we did not die; Jesus Christ died for us. This covenant was also established by Jesus Christ for you. We are not the ones who made the covenant with God; we are not the ones who passed through the pieces, but we are indeed the ones who receive the blessings. When the covenant was made, Abraham was asleep; he was the sleeping covenant-maker. The Son, Lord Jesus, manifested in the pieces and, when passing through, what did He promise?
If someone takes your place to pass through the pieces, what would that person say? If I were to take Sister Dong’s place to pass through the pieces, what would I say? Wouldn’t both parties also make promises? If I take her place to pass through the pieces, if she breaches the covenant, I will bear the punishment for her, “Like this corpse being cut in half, I will uphold this covenant.” Jesus said this and passed through the pieces.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus on the cross said, “Father, forgive them.” This means: I will bear all the punishments for their breaches of the covenant; I will pass through those pieces and die for them. This is the original covenant God made with Abraham. Lord Jesus is actually saying: If My people breach the covenant, let Me be cut in half. So Lord Jesus had to die to fulfill this grace covenant, not because Jesus sinned, but because we sinned.
This grace covenant is established on the basis of actions. Many people say that under grace, actions do not matter; however, when this covenant was established, it was based on Jesus’ perfect actions. Jesus has already fulfilled all the law and has perfect actions, and we inherit only the blessings that Jesus brings us.
In the covenant of actions, Jesus bore the consequences of our breaches of the covenant. When the Father saw this, He promised us, giving us His life, granting us blessings like those of Abraham, and giving us all the blessings of Jesus Christ. Why is this so? Because the covenant of actions has never been abolished; Jesus has already borne the punishment for our breaches. Our God knows that we fallen people cannot do what God requires us to do. So what does God’s covenant refer to? The Ten Commandments, is that God’s standard? Can God do this? We cannot; if we cannot do it, we will be cursed and die.
But today, when we believe in Jesus, all of this changes. Jesus fulfilled the actions that God required of us, and this is why Jesus had to die. Jesus Christ was cut in half for our sake, brutally dying on the cross, and for our sins, He took our place and bore the Father’s anger towards those who breach the covenant; all of this was accomplished in Jesus. He paid our debt of sin, and in fulfilling the law, we can inherit the righteousness that Jesus brings us.
Through this, you understand one thing: This covenant is an unbreakable bond of love between the Father and the Son, allowing all of us who believe in Jesus Christ to be eternally connected to the Father. In fact, only this covenant can be kept forever.
Any individual making a covenant with God is a covenant breaker; only the covenant made between the Father and the Son is an eternal covenant. The burning torch became a comfort for the Israelites at that time because such a foreshadowing emphasized that God would be with His people in Egypt. This is why various forces want to destroy the Israelites, yet the Israelites continue to exist. Do you remember how God went to save the Israelites when they left Egypt? He said, “Your cries have reached My ears, and I will remember the covenant I made with Abraham.”
So the burning torch was to lead the Israelites through the wilderness to the beautiful land of Canaan. Think about it, why the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire? We might think it is because of the weather, but in reality, it is God’s eternal presence with them, leading them into the promised land. Do you know how good our Lord is? The one who made a covenant with you says, “I will lead you into a land flowing with milk and honey; I will not let you go alone; I will give you direction, and I will walk forward with you.” So the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire represent that God is with them day and night.
Sharing the third point: The terms of the covenant.
Verses 13-14, 13 And He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.”
These are the terms of the covenant. Let’s take a look: You must know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve the people of that land, and they will afflict them for four hundred years. This proves that God is giving the Israelites a prophecy, saying, “Your descendants will one day be enslaved by others, but I will bring them out; the nation they serve, I will punish.” This proves that Abraham knew these things. God also knows the suffering you are experiencing now; this suffering is not in vain.
During those four hundred years, although the Israelites were doing hard labor, they will come out with great possessions, proving that they were indeed paid for their labor. At first, they were unwilling to pay them, but God used a supernatural way for the Egyptians to give it to them. In the end, the Israelites did not plead with the Egyptians, “Please give us some money, let us go.” Instead, the Egyptians said, “I beg you, I will give you money; please hurry and leave.” The Israelites said, “No, it’s not enough.” “I have this much at home; I will give you everything valuable I have; I beg you, hurry and leave.”
In today’s terms, it would be like a boss pleading with an employee, “I will give you money; please leave my company.” There is only one possibility: This person is a disaster; as long as they stay in the company for one day, all sorts of problems will arise. So “I will give you some money now; please leave.”
The Israelites came out like this; the Bible says they came out of Egypt with heads held high. God paid the wages for four hundred years in one go.
I want to say: Your current loss does not represent your eternal loss. Even though you have suffered losses now, God will surely compensate you, so do not seek revenge yourself. The terms of the covenant are such that their descendants will be wealthy.
Matthew 1:2, Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers;
When God made a covenant with Abraham, Abraham had no children; this was all produced in faith. Today, God says, “I will bless you,” and you have not seen it yet, but first, you must believe; this is the covenant. When two people make a contract, do they first see it before making it? No, the contract is made before the matter is accomplished, and then it is executed according to the contents of the contract. It is the same whether you are in a company or doing business with others. It is the same between you and God; do not say, “Lord, let me see first, and then I will make a covenant with You.” You first make a covenant with God, and God will accomplish what He has said in the contents of that covenant.
So after God made a covenant with Abraham, Abraham saw it and gave birth to Isaac, Isaac gave birth to Jacob, Jacob gave birth to Judah and his brothers, and by the time of the Exodus, the Israelites were numerous, flourishing, and exceedingly strong, filling the land. (Exodus 1:7, NKJV)
Some people do not understand why God allowed the Israelites to suffer in Egypt for four hundred years. It was not God who made them suffer for four hundred years. They initially went to Egypt, which was the best land; Egypt was the most powerful nation in the world at that time, and God prepared the strongest nation and the most beautiful land for them. But later, the local king changed his heart.
Even so, the Israelites multiplied and were not hindered, proving that the land was particularly suitable for growth. If they had been placed in a very cold place, they probably would not have multiplied so much in four hundred years. The land of Egypt was particularly suitable for growth, and until there were two million people, God said, “It is time to come out; I will begin to deal with them. Since they have treated you so harshly, I will deal with them. Do not worry; I am acting according to that covenant.” So brothers and sisters, after you make a covenant with God, is suffering permanent? No, the blessings God gives you are permanent.
Deuteronomy 1:10, The Lord your God has multiplied you; behold, today you are as numerous as the stars of heaven.
1 Kings 4:20, Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea, eating and drinking and happy.
Did God’s words come to pass? This proves that at that time, the population of Israel was already quite large, just as God had prophesied to Abraham. God raised up Moses to convey a message to the Israelites: Their large population was because of the covenant God made with their ancestor Abraham, which is why they were so numerous.
Think about it, in the past two thousand or three thousand years, the conditions for childbirth were not so advanced; many children died at birth. Yet how strong were the Israelites? Under the powerful oppression of Egypt, they grew robustly and multiplied. How ruthless was Pharaoh at that time? He ordered midwives to go into the homes of the Israelites giving birth; if they found a boy, they would kill him directly, not allowing him to be born.
Later, those midwives said, “O king! It is not that we do not want to kill them; as soon as they say, ‘We are going to have a baby,’ the midwives hurry over, and before they arrive, the baby is already born. How can we kill him?” This proves that the babies were very healthy, and health is a gift from our God. God gave it to them not because of their good behavior, but because of the covenant made with Abraham. God fulfilled His covenant with Abraham, and the descendants of Abraham were thus numerous.
During Solomon’s reign, this matter was reaffirmed. In 1 Kings 4:20, during Solomon’s reign, Israel was at its most glorious time, immensely powerful, with many surrounding nations paying tribute to him. The Bible says, Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea, eating and drinking and happy.
Why mention them separately? Judah refers to the south, and Israel refers to the north; from the south to the north, the Israelites were as numerous as the sand by the sea, and they were all eating, drinking, and happy. When God made a covenant with Abraham, could he know that this would be the outcome? No, but he could see it through the contract. So brothers and sisters, we should believe one thing: Today you are a person who has a contract and a covenant with God; God will absolutely not breach it. What is the promise God has given you?
Sharing the fourth point: We are also heirs of this covenant.
The first passage of scripture is for you: Galatians 3:7-9
7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
Today, when you read this passage again, you will understand what it means; some sentences will be unlocked. So you should know that those who are of faith refer to all who believe in Jesus Christ; this is the one who is of faith, not one who is based on works. Being based on works means that your actions must be good for God to bless you.
Being based on faith means that I believe Jesus did it for me; I am a descendant of Abraham because Abraham made a covenant with God in this way. Abraham believed God’s words; he did not pass through the pieces, nor did he walk through the blood path; someone walked through for him, and this covenant has been completed.
We are also like this; we did not go to the cross, but someone has already gone for us and resolved our sins. The consequences of this covenant are already upon us, so all curses are far from you. Why can you say, “In the name of Lord Jesus, I command this disease, this curse to leave me”? Why can you declare this? Because you are a person who has a covenant with God. You cannot say, “Lord, today I have sinned again; do You not love me anymore? Have You forsaken me?”
The covenant does not say this; it does not say that if you sin, you will be abandoned. No, the result of sin is death; that is the consequence of breaching the covenant. Jesus died for you, so today God will not leave you. Hallelujah! You must believe that Jesus has already died for your sins on the cross and rose again for you three days later, and you can be justified by faith, being a descendant of Abraham. This covenant is not only made with Abraham but can also be inherited by the descendants of Abraham.
After you believe in Jesus, it is not just you who are blessed; your descendants will also be blessed because of you. And since the Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, it preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “All nations will be blessed through you.” When did God preach the gospel to Abraham? It was during the passage we are discussing today. God foresaw what would happen, that all the descendants of Abraham would be justified by faith in Jesus, so now God preached the gospel to Abraham, saying, “You believe, and I will make your descendants so numerous…”
Abraham said, “I believe, but how can I know?” God said, “Easy, let’s make a covenant.” Thus, He preached the gospel to him. God not only spoke it but also gave him evidence, which is the covenant we are discussing today. You know, Jesus is the one who made the covenant between you and God; the evidence is the Bible. The Bible has clearly written all the contents of the covenant between you and God, and the blessings you are to inherit are all written in the Bible. And the covenant God made with Abraham was in the midst of that sacrifice; Abraham saw that and said, “I believe.”
Today, when you see the Bible, you say, “I believe,” and you will receive this blessing. Because all of this is what Jesus has done for you, just like when Abraham made a covenant with God; it was not he who walked through that blood path, but the torch passed through for him, and it is the same.
So at that time, God said, “I have preached the gospel to Abraham,” saying, “In you all nations shall be blessed.” It does not mean that Abraham had particularly great faith; he made a covenant with God and believed that God had such great power to accomplish it. No, it is because of the covenant we are discussing today that someone walked through for Abraham, which is why God said this. It is evident that those who are of faith are blessed together with believing Abraham.
What is said here is not about Abraham’s sin, but about the time of making the covenant. Did Abraham have faith when making the covenant? He had great faith; he could not do anything because he was asleep at that time, and this covenant was already established. When he woke up, he found that this matter had been completed, and he said, “I believe this covenant is truly wonderful.”
To be honest, if you encounter such a covenant, you would also be willing to receive the blessings in the covenant without having to bear the punishment. Who would not want that? So after that covenant, Abraham understood one thing: My God loves me like this. So later, when he gave birth to Isaac, he still believed that God could bring the dead to life and create something from nothing. His faith continued to grow, and the starting point was that covenant.
So, brothers and sisters, start experiencing God’s grace in small matters in your life. You must first believe that you have a covenant with God, established by the precious blood of Jesus. The book of Hebrews clearly tells us: Through Jesus Christ, we have opened a new and living way, leading directly to the veil, into the Holy of Holies.
You can draw from there the grace of God and be blessed together with believing Abraham! God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to make a covenant with humanity, but this is not a new covenant between the holy God and sinful people. If it were, we would be struck down for every sin, and every sin would sever our relationship with God. The one who made the covenant is Jesus Christ. If we were to make the covenant ourselves, we would breach it before sunset, unable to keep it even for a day.
You must believe this: God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to make a covenant with Him; Jesus represents us. Jesus Christ came into the world as our representative to make a covenant with God. So Jesus came into this world, yet He was completely sinless, perfect and without flaw; He could be our representative. Has this covenant been completed? Jesus paid the price for you and me on the cross. If you believe that all of this is completed, you should believe that the Father’s everything is yours.
Originally, all of this was given to Jesus because it was He who made the covenant with the Father, but Jesus gave it to you; He died in your place. So today we can have God’s love, mercy, and His abundant grace. You cannot break this covenant; once you believe in Jesus, you cannot go back; you cannot become a sinner again because Jesus represents you and has become the heir of this covenant. The Covenant of Abraham reveals how God treats His people throughout history and shows us what kind of God He is, which is particularly important for our faith.
You must also believe: You are a person who has made a covenant with God; Jesus has taken on your part of the breach, and you can inherit the blessings in this covenant. Through the Covenant of Abraham, it is shown that God will keep His promises and has already accepted you to become a people of this holy covenant. This covenant directs our faith towards Jesus and lets you know that every time you see Jesus, you should believe: All the promises in Christ are yours.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for allowing me to make this covenant with You through Jesus. I know that relying on my own actions, I cannot keep this covenant; I must be the one who breaches it because my actions are always imperfect. But today, I thank Jesus for representing me and becoming the one who made this covenant, and I also believe that You can keep this covenant unchanged forever.
You have given me Your blessings, allowing me to inherit the blessings of Jesus Christ. I believe that the covenant between me and the Father is eternal because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
When I see the covenant of the animals that God made with Abraham, I remember that Jesus made a covenant for me, which is the covenant of the cross. Every time I see the cross of Jesus, I know that I have a covenant with God. So in the new week, I will no longer fear all the paths ahead of me.
You are with me, just like You were with the Israelites in the wilderness, with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, never leaving them. Today, I also believe that the Holy Spirit will never leave me because of Jesus’ covenant. Thank You and praise You! Heavenly Father! You love me so much, and I give all the glory to You. In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!