There are five covenants of promise in our Old Testament readings for the Sundays in Lent. Last week we began with the rainbow covenant with Noah. In this first covenant in the Bible, God declares to Noah and all creation that He will never again destroy the earth by a flood because of human sin. The rainbow in the sky is a reminder of this. God is not a God of retribution, but of restoration.
The second covenant is the covenant God makes with Abram, who changes his name to Abraham. In this covenant, God's work of restoration begins. Like the covenant with Noah, this is an everlasting covenant. God promises that Abraham would be the father of a great nation; with land, many descendants, and great prosperity. Jesus is Abraham's descendant, and we believe that Christ's death on the cross makes this covenant everlasting for all people that receive him by faith.
Abraham becomes the great example of faith. The Apostle Paul quotes Genesis 15:6, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," when he writes about faith in Romans 4. Abraham's faith made him righteous as he responded to God's call.
Today we are reminded that God is personal and cares about all creation. God personally entered into this covenant with Abraham. We're also reminded of the importance of faith in daily life. Let us remember that God still personally cares about each one of us, just as he cared for Abraham. And let us also live by faith, trusting God to lead us as he led Abraham so long ago.
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