A Covenant with Man (#262 of 365+)

“So the LORD said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.’ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the
halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half… When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces” (Genesis 15:9-10, 17)

Ancient contracts and pacts were often accompanied by the shedding of blood to indicate the earnestness of the two parties who made the agreement. In Hebrew, this was called karat berit or “cutting a covenant.”

The Lord wanted the Messiah to be born from a nation set apart, and Abram wanted to leave a legacy but he didn’t have an heir. Their desires were the perfect match for a covenant between divinity and humanity. When the Lord said Abram would become “Abraham,” meaning father of nations, and his great grandchildren would outnumber the stars in the sky the man “believed the LORD” (Genesis 15:6). But when the Lord also said he would be able to take possession of the land, well… The news was almost too good to be true! Abram wanted a guarantee of what was to come.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Lord showed how much he wanted relationships with his people by making covenants with them. Then in the New Testament we see his final and ultimate covenant with mankind when the Father sent the Son to shed his blood and die for us. When we follow Abraham’s example and “believe the Lord,” we receive the earnest “deposit” of the Holy Spirit “in our hearts” as a guarantee of our glorious future home with him (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

As Joni said, our Lord “is the original promise keeper.” We can have the confidence to stake our very lives on every word he says. Even when it seems too good to be true.

“He remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is” (2 Timothy 2:13 NLT)

Lord, you are so good! You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Thank you for shedding your blood and giving me your Spirit so you could be everything to me... Amen.