Genesis 12:1-9; 15; 17:1-14 – The Covenant of Promise (Abrahamic), The Covenant of Grace, Part 2

Introduction

Have you ever been in a spot where you trusted someone, but you were still struggling because of what you were experiencing? What were you wanting from them? Or, have you ever had someone trust you, but they started doubting? What did you give them?

In Psalm 103, David says, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” You see, unlike us, Yahweh remembers that we are made of dust, and we doubt. God always keeps his word. If he says it, he will do it. But we doubt. Thus, Yahweh promises, cuts a covenant with Abram, and then gives him a sign to assure him of all God’s promises.

Today, we will see in the covenant God made with Abram that God is Our Faithful God who shows this by making promises, making a covenant, and giving signs to testify this to his people. Because of this we can have confidence in all God’s promises, just like Abraham did.

Background

A perfect world was created and then spoiled by sin. Then sin reached a terrible apex and God destroyed all humanity except for Noah and his family. After a fresh start, humanity went right back to rebellion in the Tower of Babel, refusing to fulfill God’s creation purpose of making his name great and filling the earth for his glory. Instead, they lived to make their name great and fulfill their purposes. Because of their rebellion against God and his purposes, he scattered them throughout the earth. This is the background for the story of God’s covenant with Abraham.

Exposition

Let’s look at our first point from Genesis 12:1-9 which is, God’s Covenant Promised. This passage, known as the call of Abraham, shows how Yahweh promised that he would bless all the families of the earth through Jesus Christ, Abraham’s offspring.

Abraham and his father, Terah, worshiped pagan gods. The godly line was corrupted. What would happen to God’s promise to send a serpent-crusher through the line of Shem? What would God do? God solves this problem in 12:1, “And Yahweh (the LORD) said to Abram…” God calls Abraham by seeking him out. God is doing the acting. Without God’s voice Abraham would have died a pagan and Israel would not exist. There would be no Messiah, no Good News, no savior of the world. God initiates by giving a command and making a promise.

Redemption starts and ends with God. God chose Abraham, not the other way around. God’s call was a gift. Abraham was chosen by God to receive God’s word, even as an idol worshipper. God chose Abraham, and it is the same with us. God chooses us and speaks the word of his Son into our hearts by the Spirit and when he does, he also gives us the gift of faith to trust and be united to Christ.

And what was that word? 12:1-3 tell us, “Go out from your land and from your relatives, and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse. And all families of the earth will be blessed in you.” All these are actions God will do to and for Abraham. This is a God-centered passage that speaks of Christ in whom all these promises are yes and amen (2 Cor. 1:20). In fact, this was the gospel of Jesus Christ that was preached to Abraham.

This is why Gal. 3:8 says, “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’” Yahweh preached the gospel to Abraham! Genesis 12:1-3, are the gospel. The promise that Yahweh would bless both Abraham and all the nations was a foreshadowing of the gospel. The phrase, in you, refers ultimately to Abraham’s offspring, his seed, which we see in verse 7 where God says, “To your offspring I will give this land.” This is why Gal. 3:16 says, “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.”

The gospel was that through Abraham’s seed (i.e. Jesus), the nations, Gentiles, would be blessed. This was in fact accomplished by Abraham’s seed, Jesus the Christ. Jesus is the one who brings the blessings to all the nations by taking the curses, those who would curse Abraham and his seed, of these self-same nations upon him.

Our second point is from Genesis 15, which is God’s Covenant Initiated. This passage, known as God’s Covenant with Abraham, shows that Yahweh solemnly covenants to his own hurt that he will fulfill his promises to bring about redemption for the world through Abraham’s offspring, which is Jesus Christ.

Just to remind you, between Genesis 12 and 15, Abram defeated four kings from the north in order to save his nephew, Lot. At the beginning of chapter 15, he is probably worried about the nations taking revenge. This is why this verse says, “After these things…” that Yahweh came and visited Abraham and spoke to him in a vision, and so verse 1 says, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” Here we see Yahweh wanting Abraham to know that he doesn’t need to fear.

But what was he afraid for? His safety (possible revenge…God will be his shield), his livelihood (gave a tenth to Melchizedek…your reward great), and the future (over 75 with no children…as the stars). Though Abraham had the great idea to adopt his servant, God directly tells him that it will be a son through his own body, showing him the stars as an example of how great his offspring would be.

In Verse 6 it says, ”And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” What does this mean? God accounts to him a righteousness that is not his by nature or right. God confers a legal status on those who trust him. He counts them as free from guilt. But how does God do it? Not by works, after all, Abram hasn’t done anything yet, but by faith...trust. Abram heard what God promised and saw the stars as a sign of what he would do…and he simply trusted in God's word. As we saw earlier, this promise of offspring was about Jesus blessing the nations by his life, death, burial, and resurrection.

The Bible tells us that anyone who has faith in God’s promises that Christ’s work justifies us inherits the blessings of Abraham. And so, we can call ourselves children of Abraham even though we are not Jews by birth. We are children of Abraham because we have faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ as promised and certified by God. And since we have the same faith as Abraham, we receive the same righteousness as Abraham did by the life-giving work of Jesus Christ.

But God gives Abraham more than his word. He cuts a Covenant with Abraham. Verse 7 says, “And he (Yahweh) said to him (Abram), ‘I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.’” God uses the same language as he does in the preface to the Ten Commandments. Just like with Israel, Yahweh declares that Abram’s relationship with him is not Abram’s doing, but God’s. God is the great initiator. God calls us and gives us the ability to respond.

God told Abram that he would receive the land that he is a stranger or immigrant in. But how? He can’t just take it. So, Abram says, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” Abram is not doubting here. He is thinking about how in his time, transactions of land transfer required a covenant ceremony. Abram is asking for a land transfer.

This is why the section from verses 9-21 closely follows the pattern of that time of a land grant treaty. What is different is that this covenant is one-sided. This shows that God both initiates and fulfills the covenant.

In verses 9-10, Abram prepares the covenant ceremony by bringing 5 animals that are fully grown and ritually mature. He cuts them in half, and lays the pieces in two separate, but parallel rows. But why? This covenant ceremony invoked a curse that if they did not fulfill their part of the covenant, the gods/God would cut them in two like the animals.

In verses 12-16, as Abram sleeps, quite literally, a ‘terrifying darkness’ falls on him. God has shown up, and Abram will receive a revelation from him. This revelation is that his descendants would have to wait to get the land, living as foreigners in another country, where they would be slaves and be oppressed for four hundred years. But Abram won’t have to worry, because the oppressive nation will be judged and will allow them to go free with great possessions. The people will become rich and, in a sense, be remunerated for their slavery. But Abram will die in peace having a good and long life. It will take 4 generations for this to happen because the guilt of the Amorite people is not complete. They must be judged, but not for 4 more generations. Then they will have gone too far. God is patient and longsuffering.

Then Verse 17 says, “When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.” As Abram watches the two rows of cut-up animals, he sees a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass between the half-pieces. These things are what God uses to reveal to Abram his very presence. The symbols of smoke and fire will show up in subsequent generations to represent God’s presence.

But why does God pass through the pieces? To show that God himself will bear the penalty if the promise to Abram is broken. God obliges himself to fulfill the terms of the covenant, symbolizing that he will be split apart if he fails to keep it. You see, this was an acted-out curse. A divine self-imprecation that guaranteed that Abram’s descendants would get the land or God would die, and God can’t. This land promise would be seen under Joshua, actualized under David, then realized under Solomon (1 Kings 4:21), and confirmed by Nehemiah, but will only be completely fulfilled in the new heavens and earth.

Though God is taking full responsibility for the promises of the covenant, the reality here is that Abram does have obligations. There was an obligation to loyalty. Abram was required to be a loyal covenant-keeper, and God, by passing through the pieces alone, ensured that Abram would be compliant. But how? How can God keep his word when Abram and his descendants fail to be loyal? In a word, Jesus.

In the generations that followed, God would keep his word (Rom. 9:6), but his people didn’t. And so, God underwent the curses of the covenant himself (Gal. 3:13) for his people, so they could receive the promise. Ultimately, Christ bears the penalty for our disobedience, our failure to be loyal, and God keeps his promise to make Abram into a great nation, bless the world, and give the land in and through Christ in whom we inherit all the blessings of Abram.

As we look at verses 18-21, notice how Scripture tells us that this was a covenant that Yahweh made with Abram. Yahweh commits himself to fulfill all the promises that were made to Abram. Literally, cut a covenant. This is done with blood to show the surety of the covenant, that God would be destroyed if he went back on his word.

What is the bottom line here? Yahweh makes a solemn covenant that guarantees that Abram’s offspring would have all the land he showed to Abram. This covenant is the guarantee that God will fulfill the promise made in Gen. 12:2, that Abram would be a great nation.

The reality is that God is a God who can be trusted, he is faithful. He didn’t need to swear by his own hurt because, somehow, he might forget to keep his promises, needing a threat looming over his head, like we often do. He didn’t need to make this covenant for his sake. He made it for Abram’s and for ours.

God is faithful and will always keep his promises. Every word he says can be banked on. But what of these promises for us? How do they apply to us? Paul says in Galatians 3:29, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” Since God said to Abram “...to your offspring I give this land…”, and we are Abraham’s offspring, then we are the ultimate recipients of this promise in Christ. And that land is the new heavens and the new earth.

Onto our third and last point from Genesis 17:1-14, which is God’s Covenant Sign. This passage, known as Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision, shows that Israel and all God’s people should take seriously God’s covenant signs that he gives to his people. We should apply the sign of the covenant to ourselves and our families.

13 years have passed since Abram and Sarai attempted to fulfill God’s promise by their own wisdom and 14 years since God’s covenant with Abram. He has been in the land of Canaan for about 23 years. Ishmael is 13, and Abram is 99. Abram assumes that Ishmael is God’s promised offspring, but God has other plans.

What would you think if you were 99 years old and your wife was 89 and God told you that you would have a baby in about a year? Only an Almighty God could do this, right? In verse 1, God appears to Abram and speaks to him, saying, “ʾAnī El Shaddai”, “I am God Almighty.” He does this because he has unlimited power. He can make the barren fruitful.

Next, he tells Abram what he must “walk before me” and “be blameless.” The idea here is allegiance to a king. In other words, God tells Abram to be loyal to him with all his being. He tells him to do this so “that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” The phrase “my covenant” is used nine times in this chapter. This is God’s covenant, not Abraham’s. God is in charge.

By telling Abram that he would multiply him, Yahweh reminds Abram of his previous promises. Quite literally, it says, “…multiply you very very.” Yahweh is essentially heightening the force of his promise. Do you see why Abram needed to know that Yahweh is El Shaddai, God Almighty? In response to this, Abram falls on his face. He acknowledges his “master-servant” relationship to God in the covenant.

God tells Abram that he “shall be the father of a multitude of nations,” and because of this God enlarges his name by modifying it from Abram (the father is exalted) to Abraham (the father of many). A name change represented a change in character or destiny. This represents his enlarging posterity. It is a confirmation of God’s initial promise.

But not only will Abraham be the father of many nations, but his offspring will be royalty. This is fulfilled in the Davidic dynasty, but ultimately, when Jesus Christ, Abraham’s son, the Son of David, sits at God’s right hand to rule the nations.

What about the promise of nations? This covenant promise is fulfilled in you, me, and Christians all over the world. Abraham is and will be the father of every nation named in the new heavens and earth. Why? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and anyone who believes is a child of Abraham.

In verse 7 we see Yahweh establishing “my covenant” not only with Abraham, but “between me and you and your offspring after you…” This covenant is for Abraham’s posterity as well.

The content of this covenant addresses two things. First, God will “…be God to you and to your offspring after you.” Second, God will “…give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings…”

This phrase, “to be a God to you” is the heart of the covenant, it is part of the Covenant Formula we have been talking about. God Almighty will be his people’s God. Abraham and Israel had a unique relationship with God. No other person or nation had this. God bound himself to them.

What about the land given to Abraham and his posterity forever? The land, though given to Israel throughout its history, has not been fully consummated, nor can it be in a world that will be burnt up with fire. It will be consummated forever in the new heaven and new earth.

The climax of this covenant is found in verses 9-14. In verse 9 God says, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.” Notice that after Yahweh told Abraham what he would do for him in vv. 4-8, “As for me…”, here in vv. 9-14, God reveals to Abraham and ultimately to Israel what he requires of them, “As for you…” This is a covenant that both Abraham and Israel must keep. But not just for one generation, but for every generation; in other words, it is perpetual. It is not voluntary or optional.

And how are they to keep this covenant? Every male participant of the covenant must be circumcised. This sign was to be done not only to Abraham but to every male when he was eight days old, even slaves, whether foreign or domestic. In the ANE, some cultures would circumcise a boy to mark puberty. But God demands that infants be circumcised. Why? It is a sign of covenant membership. If infants are to be circumcised, the point of circumcision is what Yahweh is saying to them, because at that age they cannot speak to him.

What is God saying? The children of God’s covenant people are included in the covenant. Circumcision doesn’t establish the covenant; God does. Circumcision is a sign of membership in the covenant family. The covenant and its sign and seal are connected and cannot be broken apart. It represents the relationship between God and his people. It was for anyone who was a part of Abraham’s household, even foreign and domestic slaves. The covenant is expansive.

But it was also to be in “your flesh an everlasting covenant.” It is a permanent sign of God’s covenant in the flesh. Just as circumcision is irreversible, so God’s covenant is irreversible. Even if people fail to “keep the covenant” by not submitting to this rite, God’s covenant community represented by the family of Abraham and Sarah stands forever. But what if the whole nation is unfaithful? Is the covenant gone? No. Even when Israel rebelled and disregarded the covenant, bringing about exile, the covenant was not invalidated.

In verse 14, Yahweh explains how serious this covenant is by giving a covenant curse. God uses some wordplay, “He that is not himself cut will be cut off.” In other words, anyone who is not circumcised will be cut off. A choice is set before Abraham and all God’s people. Be cut in or be cut off. If a person would not submit to this sign of covenant membership, they were rebels against the covenant stipulation and had broken God’s covenant. Thus, forfeiting their privilege of being part of God’s covenant community. A person is either cut into the covenant or cut out of the covenant.

In verses 15-16, Sarai is given a new name, Sarah. Just as Abraham entered a new phase of life, so Sarah. Abraham’s name means “father of a multitude of nations,” and Sarah’s name means princess. The meaning didn’t change, but the name was changed to reflect the fact that nations and kings would come from her. She is nobility. Sarah was included in the covenant. The promise did no come just through Abraham but through Sarah. Though didn’t have the sign, they were included in the covenant by virtue of their husbands or fathers.

Now that we have seen what God has promised and what God requires, the question before us is this…will Abraham obey? Will he trust God that he will make Sarah bear a son at 90 years old, within a year? This seems impossible. What will he do? He acts. That very day he takes himself, Ishmael, and all his slaves, and every male in his household and circumcises them! He obeys immediately, exactly as God requires. This was one of the turning points in world history. We can compare this to Noah’s entry into the ark or the exodus from Egypt.

So, what is the point of circumcision? It reminds God of his covenant promises and reminds God’s people that they must live in loyalty to the covenant as members of God’s covenant family. Those who were circumcised confessed that they were God’s covenant people. Because of this, they lived in hope because this was an everlasting covenant and the land of Canaan was a perpetual holding. This is why the prophets, during the time of the Babylonian captivity, looked forward to a new and eternal covenant. It was new because they would observe it, not just God. It was also new because God’s law wouldn’t simply be external, but internal, written on their hearts.

But what about the everlasting sign of covenant membership, the circumcision of all males? We can’t just ignore it since it is said to be an everlasting sign. The answer is found in both Jesus’ person and Jesus’ command. Jesus was circumcised, thereby fulfilling the law (Luke 2:21), but after his death and resurrection, right before his ascension, he sent his disciples out to baptize, not to circumcise.

Because of this, the right of circumcision is no longer required for covenant membership. Jesus’ blood was shed, and so put an end to all the bloody rites and sacrifices of the old covenant. He fulfilled them all. He was cut off from the land of the living so that we might be joined to him in both his death and his resurrection.

This is why Paul says in Galatians 6:15 that “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!” Baptism replaces circumcision and becomes the sign of covenant membership. And so, Paul says, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” and “There is no longer Jew or Greek…for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” In this new covenant, all receive the sign of baptism. The sign becomes wider because in Christ, God’s grace is seen for what it is…expansive.

If baptism replaces the sign of the covenant, what do we do about baptism, since infants were circumcised? Should they receive the sign of membership? Yes. Colossians 2 makes an explicit connection, which a thorough study will show.

But regardless of that topic, the real question for you is this: Are you united to Christ? If you are, have you been baptized? If not, why not? God required his people to take the sign of the covenant. It was a big deal for God…so, why would anyone neglect it today?