Week 5: The Covenant Established
Week 5 Overview
God does not leave Abram with a vague promise — he formalizes it in a covenant ceremony, then renews it again and again as years pass and the promise still seems impossible. This week we witness the birth of the covenant institutions: circumcision, the change of names from Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah, and the arrival of mysterious visitors who announce that the promise will finally be fulfilled within a year.
Weekly Memory Verse
“He believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” — Genesis 15:6 (ESV)
Daily Readings
| Day | Title | Passage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | God’s Promise to Abram | Genesis 15:1–21 |
| 2 | Hagar and Ishmael | Genesis 16:1–16 |
| 3 | The Sign of Circumcision | Genesis 17:1–27 |
| 4 | Three Visitors | Genesis 18:1–15 |
| 5 | Abraham Intercedes | Genesis 18:16–33 |
Discussion
Background
Genesis 15:6 — “he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness” — is one of the most quoted verses in the New Testament. Paul builds his entire argument in Romans 4 and Galatians 3 on this single verse, arguing that justification by faith is not a New Testament novelty but the pattern established with Abraham centuries before the law was given.