Blood Covenant.

This last week we took a deep dive into the blood covenant that Abram experienced in Genesis 15. I would like to make this a practical connection to our personal relationship with God. How does Abram’s experience bless us?

Let’s look at several things in the text of Genesis 15. The first is fear. Abram was afraid. Abram had just (Genesis 14) won a significant battle against four middle eastern kings; in this battle he rescued his nephew Lot and his family. Now Abram has had some time to think about the whole experience and there is a presence of fear in his heart.

Time does that for us. When we contemplate even great accomplishments like winning a battle, getting 99% on an exam, or landing a big promotion, we have both doubts and fears that creep into our mental framework. That’s called being human! God quickly addresses Abram’s fear because fear is debilitating. Fear shuts us down. Fear causes us to live as cowards - to live timid. That is antithetical to the life of a believer in Jesus. We are called to live outside of fear, trusting that God is with us, protecting us, safeguarding our souls and our life.

God promises Abram that He Himself will be Abram’s shield. This is one means for God to dispel Abram’s fear.

A second issue to address in Genesis 15 is doubt. Abram trusted, yet doubted. “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness . . . But Abram said, ‘Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?’” (Genesis 15:6 & 8). God is so concerned about His connection to us and about our growth in the faith that He is patient with slow, painful progress. God was able to bridge the gap between doubt and a fuller understanding of God’s trustworthiness. It is that focus on God’s trustworthy nature, and God’s desire to be our shield and reward, and God’s commitment to be with us always . . . that builds our internal convictions and shores up our trust in the perfect loving God.

The issue is never with God; the issue is rooted in our sin-squelched, skittish nature. We don’t have, in our selves, a reason for God to make such commitments to us. But that commitment is lodged in His heart, not ours. God’s desire is to help us along to trust His perfect nature. I mean, if God really is perfect, then His love is not tainted by selfishness or intrigue (like human love is often tainted). God’s perfect attitude means a perfect commitment to us and our faith life growth.

It relies on His perfect Grace - this is extreme; take a seat and try to follow the heart-wrenching turns this will take. And here is the key phrase that exemplifies Abram’s concern: “But Abram said, ‘Sovereign LORD, how can I know . . . ?’” (Genesis 15: 8). Abram was looking for an additional foolproof exhibition of God’s loyalty to Abram; we are often in that same predicament. We know why God should avoid us so we are skeptical when He sticks around. Our hearts wonder, “will you still be here when I fumble? Will you still be here if I break? Will you still be committed to me if I’m not nice to you?” Is God fully committed to us? The answer comes in the form of a blood covenant.

Here is how it plays out: “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” (Genesis 15:9-10). God gave Abram a list of ingredients for an Ancient Near Eastern blood covenant. God did not give any instructions to Abram because Abram recognized what was coming.

In this blood covenant, each of these animals was alive and then killed, split in two, creating a bloody trail between the halves. Each participant in this covenant would walk though the trail of blood and agree to keep their end of the bargain under penalty of death: being hacked in two; torn apart. This is an incredibly serious covenant. Each participant is bound to their end of the bargain under penalty of death. This provides a great deal of comfort for each party. That is a real commitment.

But then Abram starts to trace the steps of this covenant and he recognizes a serious, dark issue. “ As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him” (Genesis 15:12). Abram knew that the perfect God would have no problem keeping His end of the bargain. But Abram also knew his own track record. If Abram stepped one foot into this blood covenant, he would be toast. His sin would betray him and he would have to be cut in two. That is a thick and dreadful darkness.

We all need that moment of recognition, that our sinfulness may seem flowery and light compared to mass murderers and senile, self-centered bigots, but in front of a holy God our sins are all dark, cold, hurtful, treacherous and evil. One sin condemns us all.

When Abram recognizes this dreadful truth, God rushes in and delivers the seal on this blood covenant. Watch who/what passes through the bloody path. “When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram” (Genesis 15:17-18). Abram did not set even one step into the covenant; God passed twice into this covenant of blood. The first pass– a smoking firepot that exemplifies God’s presence – God passes through the pieces. The second is a blazing torch which also represents God’s presence. God passes through the pieces and promises that if Abram messes up, if Abram sins, if Abram is unfaithful, God will be the one held responsible; God will get ripped in pieces.

That is extreme grace!

But what about us? What is our connection to the blood covenant? We also have an extreme covenant that Jesus implemented on Passover evening (the night before Jesus was betrayed). The Lord’s Supper is a blood covenant. Jesus calls it a “New covenant in my blood.” That means that if we sin, if we fall short of the glory of God, we are not torn and bleeding, nailed to the cross of shame; Jesus is. It is the new covenant in His blood, poured out for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.

God’s commitment to you is extreme; it breaks all barriers and goes the distance. God suffers death instead of us. God is tortured and we get eternal relief. God agrees to shed His blood when we sin and that was accomplished two thousand plus years ago on Golgatha. The cross is the place of this deadly covenant that now promises us eternal life! Go in peace . . . because that is God’s desire for you!

Blessings to all of you, in Jesus Christ.