An Everlasting Covenant
God’s Heart
Opening your heart to God’s Word is a beautiful, life-altering experience. God’s Word is His heart. As we read it and reflect upon it, the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and guides us according to His perfect will for our lives.
The relationship Abraham had with God was covenantal; it was built upon a covenant God made with him and his offspring. In simplest terms - God made a promise to Abraham and upon that promise and Abraham’s faith in God, their relationship was established. That promise was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus and represents the hope of every believer in every generation that followed. Although he couldn’t fully grasp it when he followed God into the land he did not know, Abraham’s ultimate Promised Land - his ultimate home - was Jesus. Jesus was his destination and He is ours as well.
Let’s explore this covenant and its impact on our lives as Abraham’s offspring.
The concept of a covenant may be somewhat foreign to us. In our everyday lives, we participate far more often in the making and keeping of contracts than covenants. There are three major differences between these two types of promises that are worth noting. First and most significantly, a contract is about what someone gets; whereas, a covenant is about what someone gives. Second, a contract is signed; whereas, a covenant is sealed. Finally, a contract is legally binding; whereas, a covenant is spiritually binding.
The most accessible example we have of a covenant in modern society is the marriage covenant. Married couples enter into a sacred covenant during their wedding ceremony. They make vows to one another - vows in which they pledge to give all of their love and all of themselves to one another forever. In Ephesians 5, we learn that a marriage actually represents the covenantal relationship between Christ and His church.
Covenants are meant to be everlasting and are typically accompanied by a sacred oath. In the Bible, covenantal oaths are sealed with blood. Actually, the root of the original Hebrew word for covenant means to cut. Covenants would be sealed between two parties with a solemn pledge by cutting sacrificial animals into two parts. The two parties - typically kings of neighboring territories - would then walk through the center of the two halves of the animals, meeting one another in the middle as a symbol of their pledge of loyalty to one another.
Genesis 15:1-21 tells the story of the cutting of God’s covenant with Abraham. In it, we see that the covenant God makes with Abraham and his offspring is everlasting and ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. Our very roots as Christ followers are evident in Abraham’s covenant relationship with God.
Let’s look at some excerpts from the story:
Excerpts from Genesis 15:
God’s Covenant with Abram
1 …the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless…you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “…your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars…So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
7 And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other…
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram…
Notice what happens. Abraham cuts the animals, but the ceremony to seal the covenant takes an interesting and truly beautiful turn. Normally, the two parties would walk through the center of the pieces of animal carcass and meet in the middle, but not for the sealing of this sacred covenant. Abraham does not walk through the carcasses; only God does. A smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass between the pieces - taken to be symbolic of the fire of God’s presence. God alone vows to carry the burden. He alone pledges to meet the stipulations of this covenant.
This is very significant to the special covenant God has with His people.
When two parties in the Ancient Near East would cut a covenant and walk between the pieces of the dead animal together, the symbolism was that if the promise were to be the broken - if the stipulations of the oath were not met - the person who broke it would pay with the penalty of death. He would die just like the sacrificial animals had. The covenant was sealed in blood.
But all God asks of Abraham is faith.
He doesn’t meet Abraham in the middle. Rather, He does it all. He gives all. He seals the covenant in His own blood. God Himself promises to die knowing that Abraham’s offspring will need a Savior to pay for their sins - to atone for their inability to meet the righteous demands of a Holy God.
Genesis 15:6:
And he (Abraham) believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness.
God fulfills His promise to Abraham through the shed blood of His Son on the cross. The promise is spiritual and everlasting - sealed with the blood of Christ and made by the one and only God who gives all.
Romans 6:23:
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are Abraham’s offspring. We are people of promise.
Share Your Heart
Consider the following discussion starters as you share your hearts with one another:
Have any of you ever broken a contract, receiving grace from the other party, or extended grace to another party who broke a contract with you? How can we relate such life experiences to the covenantal relationship we have with God? He has established a covenant with us through which - no matter what we do - forgiveness and grace are always available. Discuss your feelings and/or questions about this beautiful gift.
Discuss Genesis 15. What must it have been like for Abraham to be called in such a personal and impressive way by God Almighty? Remember, Abraham understood the concept of cutting a covenant. It was part of his culture. What do you think he was thinking when he saw the smoking fire pot and flaming torch pass through the pieces? Do you think he could have possibly understood how powerful that moment was?
Abraham’s legacy of faith is part of our legacy as people of faith - people of promise. In Abraham, we find our roots, our history, our people. Discuss that legacy and any thoughts you have about being people of promise - people whose spiritual roots are built upon a promise made by God.
The Cries of Your Heart
At Hearts Together Women, we believe that the Lord hears the cries of our hearts.
We also believe in prayer partnership because God’s Word teaches us that partnering with one another in prayer is powerful.
James 5:16 says, “Therefore…pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
And Jesus encourages us, “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there” (Matthew 18:19-20, The Message).
What amazing promises!
Here is how prayer partnership works at a Hearts Together Gathering:
After we share in the Word and discussion, your facilitator will ask each woman for her prayer requests. All you need to do is share your requests - the cries of your heart - because we all have them.
We encourage you to request prayer for 1) your own needs; 2) the needs of your family and loved ones; and 3) the needs you see around you - in the workplace, the school, the neighborhood or even the nation.
After the requests are shared, your gathering facilitator will lead in a prayer for the needs that were put forth.
In the following days, we encourage you to pray for the requests of the other women in your gathering. They will do the same for you. That’s what prayer partnership is all about!
As we partner with one another in prayer, we trust the Lord will meet with us and answer us in accordance with His perfect will.
Your Heart to His
Maybe you felt the Holy Spirit stirring something in your heart during this gathering. It doesn’t have to end here. Take it home. In the followings days, continue to pursue Him. Spend some time alone and quiet, away from the noise of life - just you and Jesus.
Tell Him the cries of your heart. He is listening; He cares, and He does answer. Praying is kind of like having a conversation with your best friend. He created you, so He already knows everything about you. He just wants to be with you.
After you pray, reread the Scriptures and thoughts under God’s Heart. Reflect upon the verses and how they speak to you and your life.
Here are some things you might contemplate and pray about:
Reflect upon your covenantal relationship with God. Remember, like Abraham, your relationship is built on God’s promise to be yours forever. All God asked of Abraham was faith. It is the same for you. Jesus took the penalty for your inability to meet the righteous demands of a Holy God upon His own body. He gave His life for your sins and sealed the covenant with His own blood. Because of your faith in Him, the penalty for your sin has been paid. You have been declared righteous. You are free. Trust in this everlasting covenant. Ask the Lord to help you to have faith.
This is just between you and Jesus - your heart to His. Make space in your busy days to spend some time with Him.
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Do you have a Bible? If not, there are many digital options - Bible apps, etc. We suggest starting with John’s Gospel.
