Covenant with Abraham
1981 BC
📂 BIBLICAL
📖 About This Event
The Covenant between God and Abraham, recorded in Genesis 15, is one of the most profound theological passages in the Old Testament. After the battle with the kings, Abram expressed his anxiety about remaining childless. God responded with a vision: 'Do not be afraid, Abram, I am a shield for you; your reward shall be very great.' When Abram questioned how he could know that he would inherit the land, God instructed him to bring sacrificial animals, cut them in half, and lay each half opposite the other.
In ancient Near Eastern covenant ceremonies, both parties typically walked between the divided animals, symbolizing a self-malediction. But in this case, only God—in the form of a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch—passed between the pieces. This means the covenant is unilateral: God binds Himself to fulfill His promises regardless of Abraham's or his descendants' faithfulness. God promised Abram that his offspring would inherit the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates, but that they would first sojourn in a foreign land for four hundred years.
The Catholic Church sees in this covenant the foundation of God's relationship with His people—a relationship based on His grace and faithfulness, not human achievement. Abraham's faith in God's promises was 'counted to him as righteousness' (Genesis 15:6), a verse that both Paul and James cite to demonstrate the relationship between faith and works. Key Scripture: Genesis 15; Hebrews 6:13-15; Romans 4:3; James 2:23; CCC 59-62
📜 Key Facts
Date
1981 BC
Category
Biblical
Icon
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