The Abrahamic Covenant: The God Who Keeps You by Pastor Paul Becker

Genesis 15:9-21 and Galatians 3:13-14

The Abrahamic Covenant is a cornerstone in the framework of redemption in the Bible. It reveals God's initiative in grace, his commitment to redemption, and his plan for a people through whom he would bring about his purposes for the whole world. The covenant with Abraham is a covenant of grace, making a separate nation out of Abraham and his descendants, the Jewish people, through Isaac and the twelve tribes of Israel. It is an everlasting covenant that extends into the future kingdom of Christ.

The covenant is restated in chapters 12, 15, and 17 in Genesis. In summary, God chose and called Abraham to leave his country, relatives, and his father's household to embark on a journey to an unknown land. Because of his faith, God declared Abraham to be righteous and made three promises:

1. Nationhood - God promised to make Abraham a great nation, not merely by numerical growth but for a great, redemptive purpose.

2. Land - God promised a land where his people would dwell, and they recognized God's presence and rule.

3. Universal Blessing - God promised that "all nations on earth will be blessed through Abraham."

Genesis 15 shows a dramatic near-eastern ritual to seal the covenant. Abraham was ordered to bring several animals to God: a cow, a female goat, and a ram, all three years old, and a turtledove and a young pigeon. Abraham cut the larger animals in half and laid the halves next to each other. Abraham did not cut the birds in half. In this near-eastern ceremony, both parties walk through the blood between the halves. When both parties have done this, they agree that if one breaks the covenant, the covenant breaker would share the same fate as the animals whose blood was shed. When it came time to walk through the blood, God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Abraham, and he appeared as a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch that passed between the divided animals. God sealed the covenant for both parties, taking the penalty for any sin Abraham - or his descendants - committed against the covenant.

It is essential that you let scripture remind you of your identity:

1. Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham (Gal 3:7)

2. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:29) 

Because of your faith in Jesus, you are covered under the everlasting covenant with Abraham. And should you sin against God while in covenant, you are spared the penalty of death because Jesus passed through the blood of the halved animals on your behalf. Since the time of Abraham, the sin-saving work of Jesus was being revealed until such a time was prepared for the whole world to know. On the cross, Jesus died for you, a child of Abraham. Jesus is God whose holiness, justice, love, grace, mercy, and loving-kindness keeps you near him forever.

It's a great day to live the Gospel!

God willing, we hope to see you on Sundays!