The LORD establishes His covenant with Abram a second time. The covenant is that he will give Abram offspring as numerous as the stars. He will also give Abram a very specific plot of land. That’s why it is called the Promised Land! But it is a detail from this account that is special for our study:
[God] said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. . . . When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram Genesis 15:7-18
Abram killed those animals and cut them in half, and spread them out so that there was a path between the halves. This moment is very similar to those peace treaty covenants between greater kings and lesser kings described with Noah’s covenant. Except for one important detail: It is the Greater King (represented by the pot) who passes through the sobering runway. He is the One making the promises here, and, as always, He is the One who pays the death penalty for His covenants.
God says to Abram, “To your offspring I give this land.” Abram doesn’t even have an heir yet, and he’s nearly a hundred years old, and yet—here it is—he believes God! And in that moment, God credits it to Abram as righteousness. Let me clarify here: Is Abram, in fact, righteous? Is he without sin, as God is? No. But God counts him as if he were righteous. It is like a return to Eden, simply based on taking God at His word that He will bless you!
In other words, God pardons the person who believes Him. This is a new covenant! Not based on blood sacrifice rolling back sins, but on belief! The books of Romans, Galatians and James all quote this essential moment in worship history!
"Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"-and he was called a friend of God. James 2:23
Another new moment: a human who is called a friend of God! Not just a forgiven sinner. Not just a restored ally, or even a returned child, but a friend. Two-way conversation, mutual trust, and promises given and received. Again, this seems to shed light on the concept of walking with God. After all, friends walk with friends.
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. Genesis 17:5
God gives Abram and his wife new names, as another sign of this covenant that He made with the couple. God demonstrates His authority over the life of His friend by changing what his name will be called. Notice again how it is worded: “your name be called.” Just as a father calls his son a name, as people called on the name of the Lord, so these words are used again here. It is no coincidence that over and over, the Bible shows God’s authority over creation as it says, “And God said . . . “ Just as a father calls his son a name, as people called on the name of the Lord, so these words are used again here.Later, Jesus would exert His authority over His followers when He declared what people would be called.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter). John 1:42
Remember what a covenant is? It is like a peace treaty, or like a solemn agreement, or like a contract. Something is required of each side of the covenant for it to take effect. So far, most covenants have been initiated by God, and involve God doing the major work. God promises Noah that he will not flood the earth, and no commitment is asked of mankind. God promises Abram that he will be the father of many nations, but nothing specific is required of Abram. This time, however, God initiates a covenant with Abram that focuses more on what Abram and the men in his family must do; this time, with nothing specific required of God to reciprocate.
And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. Genesis 17:9-10
Keep in mind that a covenant is not merely an aspirational goal. It is not a light promise. It is more binding than giving your word. It is even stronger than a signed legal contract. It is so strong because it is unthinkable to break it. For example: God will not destroy the earth by flood, even if mankind becomes as corrupt as it was in the days of Noah. This is a covenant from the Lord, not the word of men. So it must be true on the other side of the covenant with Abram.
Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." Genesis 17:14
Today, we live under a New Covenant based on the death of Jesus. At the last supper, the Lord said that the cup is the blood of the new covenant. This is a sacred promise from God that is just as sure as any other. As is recorded multiple times in the New Testament:
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 1 Corinthians 11:25
The New Covenant that Jesus brings also involves God paying the death penalty for the sake of establishing it. And what is required of us, the recipients of the covenant? That we remember.
The next scene in the life of Abraham provides another curious hint as to how God interacts with people, or at least how He interacted once.
And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. Genesis 18:1
The form that the Lord took, however, is not what I would have expected. Three men are standing before him, and Abraham seems to somehow know that these men are special. He addresses his visitors as “O LORD.” The writer of Hebrews says that we show hospitality because sometimes people entertain angels, unaware of their identity. So it happens here that Abram meets men, whom he somehow knows are more than men. Then he and Sarah hasten to offer them food and water to wash their feet and shade to rest, and while the men eat, he stood by them under the tree, as their server, but not as their friend.
Which begs the question: If you are friends with God, does that make you equals in some way? Moreover, does it mean that you have a right to disagree, or to negotiate with your Friend? What about the right to lie to him (by, for instance, saying that you didn’t laugh, when he says you did)? Let’s notice how Abraham approaches this conversation. The men reveal God’s plan to destroy Sodom, and Abraham is concerned for his nephew Lot, who lives there. So they have a conversation, negotiating terms of what might keep God from destroying the city. Aside from the conversation itself, notice the descriptions around each interaction.
The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do...?”
So the men turned from there and went....
Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous...? Suppose there are fifty... Far be it from you to do such a thing...Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. ... Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?"
Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppose forty ...."
Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty ...."
He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty ...."
Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten ...." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it."
And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. Genesis 18:25-33
What just happened here? Abraham knows that he is in over his head, and that the LORD has all the authority. But he dares, with much fear, to negotiate on behalf of his nephew. They are not equals by any means. But they are friends. And God grants Abraham his requests. Because that’s what friends do.
YOUR ENCOUNTER
Has God given you a name, as He did for Peter and Abraham? Perhaps it is a cute nickname, like your parents or grandparents had for you, as a special mark of their love for you. Perhaps it is a lofty and prophetic goal or vision for your future, packed with meaning and challenge to live up to your name. If you have not yet heard your new name, let me encourage you to spend some time in prayer asking God what it is. You are the only one who can know it, you know.
To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. Revelation 2:17
No one else knows that name. But you are allowed to know it, perhaps even in this lifetime! It is the Lord's special identity for you, that describes your innermost person. You might need to wait until you have completed "conquering" before you hear it. But maybe you get to know it in this life, too. Perhaps, "You have not because you ask not." Be bold. Ask. Then share with someone what you learned and write it in your journal.