The Crimson Thread Part 4: The Gospel Promise in Abraham’s Covenant
Note: This is part 3 of our series, The Crimson Thread: Tracing the Gospel From Genesis to Revelation. Click here to begin with Part 1: The Miracle of The Bible
The Blessing of All Nations
“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed’.” Galatians 3:8
Have you ever wondered what the significance of God’s covenant with Abraham was and still is? The first 11 chapters in Genesis, tells us the story of creation and the history of early mankind. Even in these few chapters, God’s plan of salvation shines through like a bright star. The remaining 918 chapters (in 39 books) of the Old Testament contains the story of Israel, the people with whom God made His covenant through Abraham. Moreover, the whole of the New Testament (260 chapters across 27 books) has its basis in the Old Testament.
This is why, looking at the Bible from this perspective, we may see the Old Testament as the book of divine promises, prophecies, and “shadows” and the New Testament as its fulfillments. You will, no doubt, remember most of these aspects, which we have already examined, as we delve into the peculiar elements of the Abrahamic Covenant.
The Cutting of the Covenant
In our times, we would talk about the “making”, “entering into” or “signing” of a contract. In Abraham’s time, it was called “cutting a covenant”. But why “cut” a covenant? The intention was to consider making an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces. The Hebrews called this “cutting”, “ka-rath’”.
The Scope of the Covenant
The Abrahamic Covenant has many elements to be considered. Its consequences apply to the whole history of redemption. At the time that God made His covenant with Abraham, all people on earth had turned away from the only true God and worshipped self-made idols. By cutting this covenant, God established a “crimson thread” by which He caused His holy Name, His divinity and power, to be honored, remembered, and worshipped. He chose Abram the Hebrew, and his posterity, “the children of Israel”, to be the thread carriers.
Why God Renamed Abram to Abraham
God renamed Abram to Abraham in Genesis 17:5 as part of His covenant promise. The name Abram means “exalted father,” but Abraham means “father of many nations.” This change was significant because God established Abraham as the patriarch of His chosen people, fulfilling His promise that Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the dust/sand of the earth (Genesis 13:16; 32:12) and the stars of the heavens (Genesis 15:5).
This renaming marked a spiritual transformation, signifying Abraham’s expanded role in God’s redemption plan. Alongside his name change, God instituted circumcision as a sign of the covenant and reiterated His promise that all nations would be blessed through Abraham—a prophecy ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16).
Why Circumcision as the Sign of the Covenant
When God instituted circumcision as a sign of the covenant, that practice was not unknown. Other ancient cultures practiced it before and alongside Israel. It was common in Egypt and other Near Eastern societies, but its significance varied. While some cultures performed circumcision for hygienic or ritualistic reasons, God tied it uniquely to Abraham and his posterity. It was meant to be a permanent, personal, and physical mark. For God’s chosen people, it signified that they belonged to Him in a peculiar relationship. It was instituted in Genesis 17:10-14, where God commanded Abraham and his descendants to be circumcised as a symbol of their commitment to Him.
Spiritual Connotations of Circumcision
We must keep in mind that, in the Old Testament, the events, rituals, and/or directions given by God are usually two-pronged. It fitted the then-current situation, but also looked beyond the physical present towards the spiritual fulfillment. Circumcision is one of the many. It carried deep spiritual meaning beyond its physical act: it signified not only obedience and faithfulness but also spiritual purification and transformation.
Even in Deuteronomy 10:16, we read: “Therefore, circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.” Later, in Deuteronomy 30:6, 15, God promises and warns: “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live… See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil…” And God warns of the results of such a choice between His love and His righteous wrath, in Jeremiah 4:4: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts… lest My fury come forth like fire… because of the evil of your doings.”
In the New Testament, circumcision became a metaphor for cutting away sin and spiritual impurity (Romans 2:29): “…circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” Paul later emphasized the circumcision of the heart, meaning an inner transformation rather than just an external ritual (Colossians 2:11).
Jesus, the Focal Person of the Covenant
As said, God chose the nation of Israel to be the carrier of His long-term plan of salvation. This is why biblical history relates to the history of this nation, right through the Old Testament. These are the “shadow of things to come, but the body/substance thereof is Jesus Christ” (Colossians 2:17).
Now let’s look at the (fore-)“shadow” of the body/substance, namely Jesus Christ, in the “cutting” (making) of the covenant. Keep in mind that God renamed Abram (“Exalted Father”) to Abraham (“Father of many nations” – Genesis 17:5).
In Genesis17:2 promises Abraham to multiply him exceedingly, and in Genesis 12:3, that “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” And again, in Genesis 22:18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Paul clarifies the meaning hereof in no uncertain terms: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds’, as of many, but as of one, ‘AND TO YOUR SEED,’ who is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16).
The whole of Galatians 3 explains this beautifully. I encourage you to read it through attentively. The bottom line is that, right from the beginning, Jesus Christ is presented as the Mediator between God and mankind. Paul concludes: “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, [and you are] heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:29). This means that the moment you believe in Jesus Christ, you are His disciple and have then inherited all of God’s covenantal promises that He has made to Abraham, as if God has made those promises to you personally.
The Covenant Messenger
Nowadays, when a contract is broken, the guilty party is officially notified of impending legal action. Even so, when a covenant was broken by one party, the other party sent a covenant messenger to him.
Delivering the Message
To really understand God’s grace toward Israel, we must understand the usual treatment of covenant breaking. Traditionally, the messenger delivered the message by way of rhetorical questioning, designed to convict and lead the transgressor to repentance. Keep in mind that the sender of the message was by no means obligated to send such a messenger, because the defaulter was then already under the curse of the covenant. This was merely a part of traditional etiquette.
The Defaulter’s Choice
- The transgressor could beg forgiveness, make good for the damage he has done, and be forgiven; or
- He could persist in wrongdoing. As a token of this attitude, the messenger was beaten up, had half his beard and hair cut off, and sent back to his sender, or even killed. Now, the sender had the full covenantal right to execute the curse of the covenant on the transgressor.
God’s Way of Dealing with Covenant Breaking
Now, remember that, in making the covenant, God had graciously taken any covenant-breaking on His account. Nor did He limit Himself to only one covenant messenger. Of course, you would have taken note of all the prophets in the Bible whom God had sent to Israel due to their unfaithfulness to the covenant. Those were all His covenant messengers!
- In Isaiah 1:6 God asks them: “Why do you persist in rebellion?”
- In Isaiah 5:4 God expresses His grief over Israel’s rejection of Him: “Why do you persist in rebellion?”
- Jeremiah questioned the people: “What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me?” (Jeremiah 2:5)
- Ezekiel was sent with a plea for repentance, urging Israel to turn back to life: “Why will you die, people of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11)
These, and many more prophetic pleas, show God’s deep concern, His justice, and His unwavering desire to bring His people back to righteousness.
Jesus, God’s Final Covenant Messenger
The Old Testament history of God’s people couldn’t last forever. That, also, had to find its fulfillment in Christ Jesus. He was God’s final Covenant Messenger. And even then, God was merciful and, of course, fitting all parts of His long-term plan into place.
- John the Baptist was sent to warn God’s people of the impending coming of the final messenger:
- Approximately 700 years before Christ was born, Isaiah 40:3 prophesies: “…a voice cries in the wilderness: ‘prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God…’”
- Approximately 400 years before Christ was born, Malachi 3:1 warns: “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. (Please note that there are two “messengers” here- the first one intimately tied to, and preparing the way for, the second one.)
- John the Baptist identified himself as this messenger. When asked by the priests and Levites to identify himself, he replied: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:23). Matthew 3:1-3 confirms this: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ’Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”
- Jesus Christ, truly the LORD God in human form (see John 1:1, 14) is the final “Messenger of the covenant” spoken of in Malachi 3:1. He is also the LORD, and God, of Isaiah 40:3 mentioned above. You may now ask: “But why is Jesus then depicted as bringing the wrath of God with Him, as He is pictured in Malachi 1:2-3? Didn’t He come to save us?” Excellent question!! We must keep in mind that this description refers to the cloud of the covenant-curse under which Jesus came to John the Baptist and to the Jews, God’s covenant people of the Old Testament. Remember that God is not only “Love”; He is also righteous!! And His righteousness is “The wages of sin is death!” (Romans 6:23). And that is our faith and hope- Jesus, our Substitute!! He came under the cloud of God’s righteous wrath, and gave Himself to carry it in our stead.
Conclusion
It is clear, then, that the Abrahamic Covenant spans the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The term “Gospel” (in the original Greek language) spells “Glad Tidings ” or “Good News.” The story of the Abrahamic Covenant is nothing but a joyful message for us who belong to Jesus Christ, our beloved Lord and Savior.
Won’t you consider giving even more of yourself to Him, who has given us His all?
