The Covenant of Grace:

In my family, we’re big fans of murder mystery TV shows. When I worked in London, a typical Friday night for Esther and me involved Midsomer Murders and a curry. More recently, Death in Paradise has become a favorite of Millie’s, and I love watching it with her.

One of the best things about Death in Paradise is the pre-credit scene, where we meet the murder victim and key suspects. This scene always ends with the discovery of the bloodied body—right before cutting to an upbeat reggae theme tune over shots of beautiful beaches. There are no lyrics, but we like to sing, “Somebody is dead,” along to the ridiculously cheerful melody.

Beyond the amusing contrast with the theme tune, these pre-credit scenes play a crucial role in setting the stage for the mystery. They plant key clues and foreshadow what will unfold throughout the episode.

By now, you probably know how much I enjoy preaching from the Old Testament. One reason for that is that, for me, it’s a bit like the pre-credit scenes in Death in Paradise. The main event hasn’t happened yet, but before it does, we get a glimpse of the landscape and hints of what’s to come.

In our reading from Genesis, we see a powerful glimpse of what is to come in the New Testament. It may not be immediately obvious on first reading, but this passage is packed with foreshadowing—clues pointing forward to what Jesus will achieve on the cross. Let’s take a look at how Genesis 15 sets the stage for the gospel and what it means for us today.

Righteousness by Faith

The first clue comes in verse 6: “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

We often get the idea that there is a contradiction between the Old and New Testaments—especially in terms of how we view salvation. The Old Testament seems to be all about rules and judgment, while the New Testament is about faith and forgiveness.

But Genesis 15 challenges that misconception. This passage, from the very beginning of the Bible, shows that Abraham (still called Abram at this point) was declared righteous by God—not because he followed a set of rules or was particularly moral, but because he believed God. His righteousness came by faith.

Later, in Genesis 17, circumcision will be introduced as a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham, marking him as chosen for this role. But here, in Genesis 15, Abraham’s righteousness is purely a result of his faith in God’s promises.

This same principle applies to us today. When we look at what Jesus achieved on the cross, we see that salvation comes to us not by our works, but through faith. As Paul explains in Romans 4, Abraham’s story points to the heart of the gospel: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Just as Abraham trusted in God, we are called to trust in Jesus.

God Does the Heavy Lifting

The second key point from this passage is that while God expects us to trust Him, He does all the heavy lifting. The second half of Genesis 15 may seem strange to modern ears, with its references to animal sacrifices and clay pots. But when we understand how covenants were made in the ancient world, we see that this ritual powerfully points to Jesus and the cross.

Today, when we make legal agreements, we have paperwork and signatures. In the ancient world, covenants were sealed with more symbolic rituals. In Genesis 15, God is making a covenant with Abraham, and the ritual described—walking between animal sacrifices—was a visual way of sealing the deal.

In the ancient world, blood was used to symbolize a binding agreement. The death of the animals marked both parties’ commitment to the covenant. But there’s something crucial in this passage: while Abraham is a part of the agreement, God alone walks through the sacrificial walkway. The smoking fire pot that represents God moves through the pathway of sacrifices, while Abraham is asleep.

This is significant. In the culture of the time, it was understood that both parties in a covenant would walk through the sacrifices to signify their mutual commitment. But in this case, only God walks through. What this symbolizes is that God alone takes full responsibility for keeping the covenant.

This covenant does not depend on Abraham’s actions; it depends entirely on God.

We see God fulfilling His promises throughout the Old Testament as Abraham’s descendants grow into a great nation. But the ultimate fulfillment of this promise comes in the New Testament when Jesus, Abraham’s descendant, dies on the cross.

Jesus' death on the cross was the willing sacrifice that sealed the covenant between God and His people. His blood didn’t just mark an agreement; it secured an eternal, unbreakable promise. Because of Jesus’ death, we can have complete confidence that God’s promises to us will never fail.

The Practical Application: Living in Light of the Covenant

So, how does this ancient passage speak to us today?

The covenant between God and Abraham changed the course of his life and that of his family. While it wasn’t dependent on Abraham’s actions, it shaped his obedience. It influenced where he and his family would live, later guiding the principles they would live by. It even led to the physical sign of the covenant—circumcision.

You’ll be glad to know that we are not called to be circumcised, but we are still called to live out the implications of this covenant in our day-to-day lives. If we have been declared righteous by faith in Jesus, our lives should reflect that reality. This raises an important question: How is our faith shaping our daily choices? Do our lives reflect trust in God’s promises?

Just as the pre-credit scenes in Death in Paradise set the stage for the rest of the episode, these Old Testament passages set the stage for the New Testament. But maybe another question we need to ask ourselves is: How does this set the scene for our lives? What’s the story in our lives that this points to?

The gospel is not just a story of what happened to Abraham or to Jesus. It’s a story that is being written in our lives today. If we are to live as people of faith, we need to reflect on how God’s covenant with us shapes our choices, our relationships, and our actions. Our trust in God’s promises should direct everything we do.

As we consider the implications of the covenant, let’s ask ourselves: How does this covenant shape the story of our lives? What role are we playing in the grand narrative of God’s kingdom?