I AM: Robed Week Six - Day Two

By Central Women

Yesterday, we looked at Noah and God’s covenant with him and all the living creatures. Noah—a righteous man who walked with God—was saved from the flood because of God’s grace. God didn’t put any conditions on His covenant, nor was man required to do anything. Keep this in mind as we continue our time together today.

The next covenant we’ll explore is God’s covenant with Abram. Let’s look at Genesis 15 together. Read the whole chapter and then consider the questions. (Once again, consider marking “God” with a triangle and “covenant” with a box. If you’re concerned about marking in your Bible, use a pencil or an erasable pen.)

Who initiated this covenant? With whom?

What are some of the elements in this covenant?

What is promised and who is it promised to?

How does Abram respond in verse 6?

Describe how the covenant was made (v. 9-10, 17).

Interesting, isn’t it? Likely you have more questions right now than we have time to answer together! Here are some tidbits to hold you over: Berith, the Hebrew word we translate as “covenant” means “a pledge/agreement; a compact that is made by passing between pieces of flesh.” In Genesis 15:18 we see that God “made” a covenant, but the Hebrew karat (translated “made”) literally means “to cut.” Here it refers to an alliance made by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces. We get the phrase “to cut a covenant” when we put “made” and “covenant” together.

Did you remember that picture from the Scripture we read today with animals cut in half and God, described as the smoking oven and torch, passing between them? In this act, God made a covenant with Abram to do specific things for him, for his descendants, and for all people.

Didn’t you love reading that Abram believed and was reckoned righteous? Once again, God gives, He extends His grace not only to Abram but to his descendants as well!

Look at Galatians 3:6-9 and Romans 4:1-5. How are these verses connected to Abram’s belief? What do we learn about the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abram?

What wonder that we who believe in Christ Jesus are counted as descendants of Abram, the believer!

Time to give you just a bit more information as we end today. As He did with Noah, God approached Abram to make a covenant with him. He didn’t ask Abram to do anything—the covenant He extended was unconditional. We see later on in Genesis 17 that God restates this covenant, changes Abram’s name to Abraham and gives him the sign of this covenant: circumcision.

Later, in Exodus 24:1-11 the nation of Israel enters into a covenant with God and affirms that they will keep the covenant saying, “We will do all that God says.” Blood—called the “blood of the covenant”—is sprinkled on the tablets, altar, and the people. I’m hoping some New Testament thoughts are coming to your minds now! If not, no worries we are going to get there tomorrow!

Ladies, do you feel blessed? If you belong to Him, your sins are forgiven just like Abram’s. Do you recognize any deceit in your heart? What about sin that is weighing upon you? Spend a few minutes writing out what you have seen and what you need to confess.

Now let’s praise God for what He has done! Pray Psalm 32:1-5 NASB with me:

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Psalm 32:1-5

Stay with me friends. I promise, we will pull all of this together these next two days.