Remembering God's Covenant with Abram During Lent

Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal. It is a time when we journey toward the cross, remembering Christ’s sacrifice and the depth of God’s love for us. One powerful passage that can shape our Lenten meditation is Genesis 15—the account of God’s covenant with Abram.

This chapter is a pivotal moment in Scripture, where God makes an unbreakable promise to Abram (later Abraham), assuring him of countless descendants and a homeland. But beyond a historical promise, this covenant foreshadows the greater covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Here’s why remembering Genesis 15 is so important during Lent:

1. God’s Faithfulness in the Face of Doubt

Abram was struggling with doubt. He had been promised descendants as numerous as the stars, yet he and Sarai remained childless. Lent is a season when we, too, bring our doubts before God—doubts about His promises, His presence, or our own worthiness. In Genesis 15, God doesn’t rebuke Abram for questioning. Instead, He reassures him, showing that faith is not about never doubting but about trusting God even when we cannot see the outcome.

2. The Covenant Sealed in Blood

One of the most striking images in Genesis 15 is the covenant ritual. God instructs Abram to cut animals in half, and then, in the form of a smoking firepot and a flaming torch, God alone passes between the pieces. This was a dramatic way of saying, “If I break my promise, may I be torn apart like these animals.”

This act points directly to the cross. In Christ, God takes on the full responsibility of the covenant, bearing the punishment for human sin. Jesus' blood is the seal of the new covenant, fulfilling what began with Abram. During Lent, as we reflect on Christ’s suffering, Genesis 15 reminds us that God has always been willing to go to great lengths to keep His promises and restore His people.

3. Righteousness by Faith

Genesis 15:6 declares, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” This verse is a cornerstone of our understanding of salvation—it is not earned by works but received by faith.

Lent invites us to examine our hearts and return to God, not through mere religious actions but by faith in His grace. Just as Abram was counted righteous by believing in God’s promise, we are counted righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled that promise.

4. A Call to Patience and Trust

Though God made His covenant in Genesis 15, Abram still had to wait years before seeing its fulfillment. Lent is a time of waiting as well—a time of longing for Easter, longing for renewal, and even longing for Christ’s return. As we meditate on Genesis 15, we are reminded that God works in His perfect timing, and His promises will not fail.

Remembering God’s covenant with Abram during Lent deepens our understanding of God’s faithfulness, the significance of Christ’s sacrifice, and the call to live by faith. Just as God walked through the pieces alone, taking the full weight of the covenant upon Himself, so too did Christ bear the full weight of our sin on the cross. This Lenten season, may we trust in His promises, rest in His grace, and prepare our hearts for the joy of resurrection.

In God’s grip,

Pastor Chuck Church