FEARLESS - Boldly Pursuing Jesus And His MissionSample

In order to seal the promise God gives Abraham, God gave a powerful covenant. Now this covenant is a little strange – it’s a vision of animal carcasses cut in half, a prophecy of Abraham’s future descendants experiencing captivity then deliverance (which is fulfilled in the book of Exodus), then a torch passing through the remaining animal carcasses. 

So, why this weird vision from God?

The vision involving the carcasses was known during that time as a “self-curse.” A “self-curse” means that if the promise-giver forsakes the promise, the fate of the dead animals will become their fate.

God initiated this vision to Abraham, God gave the confirmation, and God sealed the promise by representing the light that passed between the carcasses. Sealing this covenant meant this promise was going to be upheld by God himself, and if He didn’t uphold the promise to make Abraham into a great nation, He would bear the punishment.

God was faithful with His promise, but Abraham’s descendants weren’t faithful with their end. They wandered, disobeyed God, took things into their own hands, and decided their ways were better than God’s ways.

And yet, centuries later, God would still take the curses of the covenant on Himself. He sent His Son, Jesus, to bear the punishment, rather than us receiving the punishment. Now, through Jesus, the promise given to Abraham is fulfilled in His followers today. And that covenant is still in place.

God is the promise-maker, the Initiator, and the fulfiller of the promise.

Take a few minutes and thank God for fulfilling His promise to Abraham, then to us through Jesus – for saving us, redeeming us, and calling us His own.