JesusWalk Bible Study Forum: Q4. Cutting the Covenant - JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

Q4 (15:17-18a) Why did God go through the covenant ritual with Abraham, with the divided carcasses? Why does God bind himself to a solemn promise? How does Abraham respond to God's promises (15:6)? What promises has God made to us that affect our futures? What significance does blood sacrifice have in those promises?

Pastor Ralph, on Sep 10 2004, 12:41 AM, said:

Why did God go through the covenant ritual with Abraham, with the divided carcasses?

So Abraham could truly understand what is to become. To show him also that his seed will become an alien residen in a land not of theirs and they will have to serve them.


Why does God bind himself to a solemn promise?

God binds himself to a promise because he does not lie and what words comes from his mough is truth, divine truth.

How does Abraham respond to God's promises (15:6)?

Abraham responds by asking Sovereign Lord by what shall I know that I shall take it in possession?

What promises has God made to us that affect our futures?

God's promises us a new heaven, new earth, and that his Son will crush Satan and his followers. With this should and does give us hope that this wicked system will end soon.

What promises has God made to us that affect our futures?

We sare not to go out and kill an animal or anything to offer sacrifice but we are to give our soul (offer up ourselves) to God. Jesus gave his life so that we may have everlasting life (a ransom), therefore, we give our soul to our heavenly Father.

a covenant was made just like a treaty and to break it would be a curse unto himself

Q4 (15:17-18a) Why did God go through the covenant ritual with Abraham, with the divided carcasses? Why does God bind himself to a solemn promise? How does Abraham respond to God's promises (15:6)? What promises has God made to us that affect our futures? What significance does blood sacrifice have in those promises?


According to the ritual of the covenant, God Himself went through the rituals so that Abraham would be convinced and trust God that He would fulfil His covenant with Abraham. God binds Himself to Abraham with the covenant because of His love for Abraham. God wants to prove to Abraham that He is a God of promises and that He will not fail him.

Abraham does everything that the Lord commands him to do. He obeys God implicitly. Above all Abraham believed what the Lord said He would do. And this belief was credited to him for righteousness.

God promised to Abraham that He would bless him and make him prosperous and his generation countless as the stars of the sky and the sand on the sea shore. Comparing those promises to us, we are also blessed by the Lord saying He will take care of us at all times and never leave us.

The blood sacrifices denote that we are cleansed by the blood shed on the cross by Jesus as a one time sacrifice. We are children of the Lord purchased by the supreme sacrifice of Jesus and redeemed from guilt of sin. What more can we ask for!!!

When Abraham implored God for a sign (“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”), God condescended to follow the custom of the Chaldeans to confirm his oath to Abraham.

God chose to do so “because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.” (Heb 6:17)

When God walked between the carcasses, he confirmed his promises to Abraham of a son, and the land his descendants would inherit. God’s covenant was given unilaterally—with no expectation made in exchange.

In much the same way God has entered into covenant with us through the blood sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ, such that all who believe have, like Abraham, a “sign” in the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the promise of forgiveness of our sins and life everlasting. Like Abraham, we can look forward to inheriting our “heavenly Canaan”.

Why did God go through the covenant ritual with Abraham, with the divided carcasses? To seal the covenant with Abraham in a way in which Abraham would understand and to show Abraham that He alone is God and that He will keep His promises for blessings.

Why does God bind himself to a solemn promise?
What God says He will do, He does and by binding him self solemnly to his promise means that He means it. God made a promise and intended on keeping it.

How does Abraham respond to God's promises (15:6)?
He put his faith in HIm and he believed the Lord would do as He said.

What promises has God made to us that affect our futures? On the basis of faith He has promised us eternal life with HIm if we believe in His Son Jesus Christ.

What significance does blood sacrifice have in those promises? Just as God entered a covenant with Abraham by walking through the animal sacrifice, God made a covenant with us by becoming flesh and becoming the ultimate sacrifice. It is through Christ's blood we have been given the promise or the gift of eternal life.

Q4 (15:17-18a) Why did God go through the covenant ritual with Abraham, with the divided carcasses? Why does God bind himself to a solemn promise? How does Abraham respond to God's promises (15:6)? What promises has God made to us that affect our futures? What significance does blood sacrifice have in those promises?

God wanted Abraham to know that He takes His word seriously--that He does not promise something and not carry it out! He used this covenant ritual because it was a ritual that he must have been acquainted with, since this practice was common in the Near East at that time.
Abraham showed his lack of belief in asking how he could know this would happen. Thus, God made this solemn promise to him by this covenant ritual.
God has told us that if we believe with all our hearts that Jesus is the Christ, that He died for our sins and rose again, sitting now on the right hand of God the Father, and if we trust in His sacrifice to make us right with God, then we are saved for eternity with Him!
This blood sacrifice was a fore-runner and forecaster of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus! His blood is our sacrifice, and no more blood sacrifices are ever needed now! PTL!

Pastor Ralph, on Sep 9 2004, 10:41 PM, said:

The only reason I can see God going through the covenant ritual with Abraham or whoever, is because mankind counldn't conceive truth beyond a piece of paper! So God wrote it down & prospered us much for believing Him through the darkness of our own hearts.

God know's why He chose to bless us through Abraham. It's part of the over all picture on bringing us back home. I'm just glad that Abraham believed Him and went marching on for the Glory of God!!!

I don't know what the significance of blood is. Besides that without it, our bodies wouldn't live. I know that Jesus shed His for us, and I thank Him beyond measure or expression for His suffering.

I study The Word and I understand the Type's & Figures, and such in The Word. I understand English! Comprehension isn't hard if you have common sense, and common sense tell's us that everything basically works off of and from the same principle. What goes around, comes around!!! You can't have one without the other. Did I say something new here? NO!!! Yes, I get my cake and I get to eat it too

The significance of these questions, have no significance to me anymore. They are no longer questions. Desperately seeking God and what He mean's beyond His Word is no longer. I knew God as a very very young child. I talked to Him, and although He did not out loud talk to me. He assured me that I would be okay and that He loves me and that I wouldn't be alone. I know it in my heart, well, in my head too!!! I didn't have guidance in The Lord from a church or my immediate family, so I know that what I know (Love) was written into my being from God. I didn't figure it out on my own, like I thought and even said so. (Oh Father Forgive me & Thank you for Forgiving me). God made me who I am, it is just up to me on who am I going to follow - God or the way's of the World!!! Now having said that. The World is Gods'!!! So I must and do care for it. For You!!!

I don't know for sure why I have not answered the question plainly or even at all. I enjoy the Bible Studies, and hearing what you all know about Christ. I look forward to when we meet in Gods' Glory!!! For the most part I would just be repeating what you all have already written here. And so I can not answer. I want to, but can't. I don't know why so I just started writing things from my heart, hoping for the Words to say what I do know about this subject. The exactness hasn't happened yet. But I feel in my soul that the choise Word is near. Love!!!

God gave us many examples from the History of mankind to get understanding with. That is Understanding this life, and how to overcomve it. With Love!!! But to take His Word and disect it into mear words doesn't do God justice. Mear words is what I hear. I hear understanding. To bundle God up into understanding History, is SAD. Sure Gods' Glory is in it and all about it, but there is more to God then just understanding why man does what he does. Rituals & whoopla!!!
An Added Note: Just because I say that I am not desperate to understand God doesn't mean I don't love Him & can't wait to go home. Because I love God with a passion that consumes me beyond my being able to tell, and I look so forward to Heaven with God. I am just not desperate, I am growing up in our Adoni and Peace has taken the place of Desperation! Hallelujah!!! Amen!!!Do you need any help? Getting things done - someone to trust - Godly companionship? Contact me I will do what I can!!!God Bless & Keep You!!! With Love, Lisa

As Westerners, we don't understand the seriousness of Covenant. Eastern people do. Abram knew what a covenant was - a pact, a treaty, a promise. In this country we take our contracts too lightly - look at divorce - bankruptcy - job and church hopping. If it gets inconvenient or boring - we get out. But in the East, it is serious business when you enter into covenant with someone - - it is a pact that is meant to be kept and if not kept - consequences come.

When God gave Abram the instructions to get the animals - Abraham was not told what to do with them - He knew what to do. In addition, when MOses was recording the story he was not led to add commentary explaining what was happening, he knew his readers would know what was going on.

As God (represented by the smoking pot) passed thru the pieces - Abram feel into a deep troubled sleep - he became depressed, because he knew that he himself would be expected to pass thru the pieces as the other person of the covenant. When you pass thru the pieces, you are saying "if I don't keep up to my part of the bargin and I break this covenant, then you can do to me what we have done to these animals - cutting in two and spread my blood. Abram was fearful because all that was required of Him was to walk in God's ways with faith. Abram understood he was a sinner and would not be able to live up to this.

But God in His perfectness and love, stopped Abram and the fire pot passed through. God is represented by smoke and fire all thru the Bible, so at that moment that the firepot went between the pieces, Jesus was condemend to die for our sins.

God showed Abram the promise of the Messiah - and by Abram's faith he was made righteous - Abram understood the serious of the promise and Abram knew that God was a covenant keeping God - the promise was true and would be kept.

For us, we know that in the end we will be victorious because at the 7th trumpet "the mystery of God is finished!" Abram looked forward to the sacrifice of the Messiah and we look back at the first coming of the Messiah - - His blood sacrifice - the perfect atonement - for all of our sins!

Quote

[color="blue"]4a.) Everyone has stated the answer, but what I think is wonderful is how a holy and righteous God, humbled (I say this with reverence..) himself and made a promise to sinful man because of the faithfulness shown by Abram to God.[/color]
4b.)(15:17-18a) Why does God bind himself to a solemn promise?
[color="blue"]4b.) Because God wants us to know how much He loves us and is willing to show us this through this human act.[/color]
4c.)(15:17-18a) How does Abraham respond to God's promises (15:6)?
[color="blue"]4c.) Abram believed!![/color]
4d.)(15:17-18a) What promises has God made to us that affect our futures?
[color="blue"]4d.) Our Needs (Psalm 37:3); Unlimited Blessings (Mark 9:23); Answers to Prayer (Mark 11:24); Removal of Obstacles (Luke 17:6); Divine Sonship (John 1:12); Eternal Life ( John 3:14); Spiritual Fullness (John 6:35); Spiritual Light (John 12:46); Power for Service (John 14:12); Salvation (Romans 1:16)[/color]
4e.)(15:17-18a) What significance does blood sacrifice have in those promises?
[color="blue"]4e.) Protection (Exodus 12:13); Atoning (Exodus 30:10); Liberating (Zecariah 9:11); Securing Pardon (Hebrews 9:7); Cleansing (Hebrews 9:22)[/color]

GOD went through the covenant ritual with Abraham because He was confirming the covenant that He had already made with Abraham and from verse 8 we can see that Abraham needed that confirmation.

GOD binds Himself to a solemn promise because He does not change. If He has said something will be we can count on the fact that it will be.

Abraham responded to GOD's promises by believing what GOD said.

The promise in Galatians 3:29 "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:"

Ephesians 1:7 "In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" Hebrews 13:20 "Now the GOD of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant."

Why did God go through the covenant ritual with Abraham with the divided carcasses?

This showed the seriousness of the covenant with Abraham. It was a promise from God which He Himself was making and which He Himself would keep. The passing through the divided carcasses makes known that God's covenant's with man are made by sacrifice and they are sure.

Why does God bind Himself to a solemn promise?

Because of who He is and His love for us.

How does Abraham respond to God's promises?

He believes!

What promises has God made to us that affect our futures?

God has promised us salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. In Genesis 3:15 He shows His plan. In Genesis 15 : 17 both the smoking furnace and the burning lamp speak of Christ. Throughout the Old Testament Christ is continually revealed.

What significance does blood sacrifice have in these promises?

The only sacrifice acceptable to God has always been blood sacrifice of His choosing culminating in the sacrifice of His one and only begotten Son our Lord and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.

God Bless!
Jen
Number 6:24-26

Yes, God bind Himself to his promise that He makes for us. He love us and and He care for our needs. I am so glad that I serve a good God.

God went through the covenant ritual with Abraham because all God's
covenants with man are made by sacrifice. We know that if He places a
desire in our hearts for Him, then He has accepted our sacrifice. "A broken
spirit and a contrite heart, God will not despise".

God binds himself to a solemn promise, because He can swear by none
greater than Himself to see that the promise is fullfilled.

Abraham responds to God's promise by simply taking God at His word.

Jesus told us that He has gone to prepare a place for us, that where He is,
there we may be also. Also He said , "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee

The significance of blood sacrifices in these promises is that "without the
shedding of blood , there is no remission" . There is life in the blood and the blood that flowed from Calvary's cross is our covering from all sin, having
accepted this sacrifice personally.

God went through the covenant ritual with Abraham, with the divided carcasses because that was how covenants were confirmed in that era. God binds himself to a solemn promise because He loved Abraham. Abraham responds to God's promises (15:6) with continued and deepend faith. Promises God has made to us that affect our futures are eternal salvation and fellowship with God. The significance blood sacrifices have in those promises are a cleansing of our sins before God, whether through animal sacrifice or the atoning blood of Jesus!

God goes thru the covenant ritual with Abraham so he will understand what will become of his descendants. He is sealing the covenant with Abraham by walking thru the pieces of animal flesh.
God binds Himself to a solemn promise because He can't lie-He is a God of Truth. When God makes a promise, He shows us that He intends to keep it.
Abraham responds to God's promises by accepting them by faith.
God has promised us eternal life with him if we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord. He promises that Jesus will one day return for His followers. He promises that Satan will one day be thrown into the lake of fire. He promises a new heaven and a new earth where we will live with Him for eternity.
Just as God entered into a covenant with Abraham thru animal sacriface, by becoming flesh and shedding His blood on the cross, He became the ultimate sacriface. We are given the promise of eternal life thru the blood of Christ.

God's word is God's word. It is never broken. If God said He is going to give the land to Abraham, then nothing can change that. However, man is the problem. There are always doubts, fears, ifs and buts. Man seems to like a special sign, and Abraham wanted a sign to show that the promise would indeed manifest. So God gave him a sign that he would understand. It was a sign used in old Sumeria, between men promising fealty to each other. It was the sign of the blood covenant. It contained both a promise and a curse - "I will do thus and thus to you, or else I will be cursed as these animals are cursed. Somehow that gave Abraham the assurance he needed. He understood the blood covenant from old times. He now felt secure in the promise. Disobedience costs blood (in those days a man who transgressed the law was usually killed by spear, or punished so his blood flowed).

God binds Himself to the solemn promise to give Abraham the assurance he wanted. If God says something, there is no doubt about that, as God is not a liar. Abraham was the weak party.

Abraham responded by believing this promise.

There are many promises made to us in scripture - the eternal inheritance, a mansion in Heaven, He will never leave us or forsake us, but be with us all the time, we will not be condemned for our sin, etc

The significance of the blood sacrifice in these promises is that man has been unable to keep his part of the promises, to be faithful to God, and therefore deserves to die. But Jesus came to fulfil man's obligation, to be the sacrificial lamb in our place. As we partake of the communion we honour that sacrifice made for us. We are to take it in a holy state, in fellowship of forgiveness with our brothers and sisters. If we abuse the communion we actually drink a curse on ourselves. We then do ourselves much more harm than good. We are not to take lightly the word of the Lord.

TO REMIND HIM OF THE COVENANT THAT GOD HAD MADE WITH HIM. TO SHOW ABRAHAM THAT HE IS A FAITHFUL GOD.
ABRAHAM REMAINED FAITHFUL AND KNEW THAT GOD WOULD DO EXACTLY AS HE SAID HE WOULD. THOUGH ABRAHAM DIDN'T KNOW OR UNDERSTAND HOW IT ALL WOULD WORK OUT, HE KNEW THAT THE COVENANT THAT GOD HAD MADE WITH HIM WOULD COME TO FRUITION AND GOD WOULD KEEP HIS PROMISES.
GOD HAS GIVEN US JESUS AS A SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS. HE GAVE HIS ONE & ONLY SON, WILLINGLY, SO WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO DIE IN SIN. JESUS DIED A CRUEL AND BLOODY DEATH FOR OUR SINS. GOD GAVE US A FREE WILL TO CHOOSE EITHER TO FOLLOW JESUS OR TO LIVE IN THE WORLD. PRAISE HIM AND GIVE HIM THE GLORY. WORSHIP THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD.
MY GOD, WHAT A SACRIFICE AND PROMISE. IN RETURN WE HAVE THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN AND FORGIVENESS.

In the ancient world of Abram, legal and binding agreements were not put on papers written by lawyers and signed by the parties involved. Instead, the two parties would arrive at a mutually acceptable agreement, and then they would formalize it in the form of a covenant. The covenant was sealed by the dividing of an animal (or animals). In fact, the technical term literally means ‘go cut a covenant.’ The animal(s) was cut in half and the two parties would pass between the halves. It seems that in this oath, the men acknowledged that the fate of the animal should be theirs if they broke the terms of their agreement. So we see that these verses do not describe the process of animal sacrifice, but the legal act of making a binding agreement.

This covenant is distinctive because only God, in the appearance of a smoking oven and a flaming torch, passed between the divided carcasses of animals. This was done to signify that the covenant was unilateral and unconditional. No conditions were placed upon Abram for its fulfillment. God committed Himself to a very specific course of action. What more reassurance could be asked?

Abram believed in the Lord. He did not merely believe about God, but in Him. Abram believed in the person of God, his faith was based upon the promises of God. Abram’s belief was one that necessitated action. Clearly, Abram’s works did not initiate his salvation, but they did demonstrate it. Also, Abram’s faith was related to a very practical and sensed need—the need for a son. God does not ask us to believe in the abstract, but in the everyday matters of life.

I can only add what Paul said in Romans:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).

the only thing i can add is in regards to the blood. The wadges of sin is death. Because of sin, blood/death was required to reunite man to God.
Since the fall, God has substituted the death of man from sin with the death of chosen animals. Atonement was made. This wasn't satisfying to God, as He wanted to be united with man as it was meant to be. Thus, Jesus, God in the flesh, the PERFECT atonement, came at the right and proper time that no more blood would ever be needed.
I'm not exactly sure how this truth relates in significance to covenant rituals. I'd like to know if anyone has any ideas.