Genesis 15 has a fascinating story of God cutting a covenant with Himself on behalf of the world. When reading the story, the surface tale almost makes it seem that Abraham and God are cutting a covenant together. Abraham, the father of faith, finds himself in a moment of doubt. He is asking God, “How do I know what you have promised me will come to pass?†We all have these moments when we are walking out our vision and receiving the promises when we ask God, “Is this You?†God instructed Abraham to get a heifer, a ram, a goat, a dove, and a pigeon. Abraham gathered all the animals, killed them, and cut them in half. He laid the parts side-by-side and waited. This was the sacrifice.

When we bring sacrifice to God, we do not realize that He wants to cut a covenant with us. Covenants were created when two people would sacrifice an animal, cut them in half and set the sides across from each other, let the blood run into the middle, and then the two people would walk through the blood. It was an agreement that was so strong that if one of the two broke the covenant, they would be killed. Abraham brought a sacrifice, and God wanted to make a covenant; however, before Abraham could cut the covenant, darkness falls over him and he falls asleep. How often when we are walking out our dreams do we hit a moment of darkness? Where we cannot see our vision or the goals at the end; this is the time we have to walk by faith to see God’s vision come to pass.

Abraham dreamed of the future. God showed him what was to come with his descendants. When He was done showing Abraham, God cut the covenant. He passed through the blood and forged the covenant with Himself. You see, God is the only being that can keep a promise. God knew that Abraham’s descendants would break the covenant. He would not. He cannot lie; He cannot let people down; He is the only one who could keep this covenant. He also knew that if Abraham cut the covenant, it would be a covenant of works. Abraham would have had a hand in the covenant that brought about the salvation of the world. God created a New Covenant through Jesus’ death and resurrection. He kept the covenant with Himself and built upon it to bring us all back to Him, and there was nothing we have done nor can do to earn any of this. He did it all for us without charge.