While Abram was in Haran, the Lord called him to leave his country and family and to go to a place that the Lord will show him. This was the commencement of the covenant that God made with Abraham, at this point still referred to as Abram. It is important from the very onset to notice that it is God who initiated this covenant and who initiates all the other covenants that He makes with mankind. In the passage before us, God promises Abram three things: to make him a great nation; to make his name great; and to make him a blessing.

Later in Genesis 15, the Lord proceeds to further establish His covenant with Abraham. Here, there is an activity that takes place that is significant in covenant making. Usually, in the world that Abraham lived, covenant making was a present occurrence. What would happen is that an animal would be cut into two and the pieces placed on either side. The two parties making the covenant would walk between the pieces and meet halfway. This deed communicated to each other the seriousness of the covenant they were making – that whoever breaks the covenant be like the dead animal. However, in the covenant between God and Abraham, only God (represented here with the smoking fire pot and the flaming torch) walks between the pieces of the slaughtered animal. In a sense, God was indicating by this deed that He had chosen to take upon Himself the punishment of Abraham’s covenant breaking. Of course, a few thousand years later, God will indeed die for man’s sin and rebellion.

In Genesis 17, God sets a sign for the covenant He had made with Abraham – the sign of circumcision. This was meant to be a reminder to the Israelites that God had set them apart for Himself and had called them to be a kingdom of priests. Yet this covenant with Abraham and its promises was not merely meant for Abraham and his biological descendants, it was meant for the blessing of the nations, even the Gentiles. Because of Abraham’s faith in and obedience to God, he therefore became the father of all (Romans 4:16) – all those who would, just like him, believe in God. Therefore, God’s covenant with Abraham found its fullest expression in the death and resurrection of Christ so that those who believe in Jesus may be partakers of the promises made to Abraham. In the words of a popular children song, “Father Abraham has many sons, has many sons…” The question is, are you one of them?

1. What makes the covenant between God and Abraham unique compared to the others?

2. What lessons can we learn from Abraham as revealed in the covenant making process?

3. What aspect(s) of God have you learnt as revealed in His covenant making process with Abraham?