Secluded in a remote passage of scripture, within the first Book of the Holy Bible, oblivious to most Scholars and laymen, resides the single most significant transaction in the Old Testament. Within this single passage exists the fundamental cornerstone of the Christian faith. In Genesis Chapter 15, resides the first passage in the Holy Bible that introduces the principle foundation of the redemption of fallen man. It is the only passage in the Holy Bible that tells us why God's Son had to die.

 

In Genesis 15 we find God promising Abraham he would have an heir from his own body, by his legitimate wife Sarah, and that the descendents of this heir would be as many in number as the stars of heaven. Furthermore, God promised Abraham the land between the Nile and Euphrates Rivers as an inheritance for his descendants forever. This was so far beyond Abraham's comprehension that he ask God for a sign of conformation. In response, God performed a transaction that was common to men in ancient times, one in which Abraham was very familiar. This was the most solemn and binding transaction that two parties could make.

 

In ancient times when two parties entered into this most serious agreement, they would kill an animal, and cut it in half, laying the two halves of the animal side-by-side allowing the blood to run between the halves. Each party would walk between the pieces, in the blood, swearing a solemn oath that whoever brakes this oath, will be slain, and cut in half as the animal they walked between. This most serious of oaths is called a blood covenant.

 

God instructed Abraham to bring certain animals, kill them, and divide some of them down the middle and lay them side by side. As the sun was going down Abraham fell into a deep sleep, and God only, performed the blood covenant ritual. Described in this passage was a burning oven and a burning lamp that passed between the animal pieces. Notice here, not one, but two symbols passed between the pieces. In the Holy Bible, God is many times depicted as a "Consuming Fire," and Jesus is many times depicted as the "Light of the World." The Burning Oven (Consuming Fire) is God the Father, and the Burning Lamp (Light of the World) is God the Son.

 

God in His foreknowledge knew Abraham and his descendants were incapable of keeping this solemn oath, so God caused Abraham to fall into a deep sleep. While Abraham slept, God the Father performed the covenant ritual, passing between the animal pieces to fulfill God's part of the covenant. Then God the Son performed the covenant ritual, passing between the animal pieces to fulfill Abraham's and his descendants, part of the covenant. This meant that God the Son assumed the covenant responsibility, and therefore, the covenant penalty. Since Abraham, and his descendants failed to keep this covenant, God the Son must assume the responsibility, and penalty for the covenant breakers, by dying the death of the animals, in the covenant breaker's place.

 

Some two thousand years after the performance of this ancient covenant, Jesus died a bloody death just like the animals. The Bible says, when He was crucified, the Veil of the Temple was torn in-two from top to bottom. The Bible also tells us that this Veil was a representation of the body of Jesus. The Veil of the Temple stood between sinful man and Holy God. Behind the Veil of the Temple was the Holy of Hollies, which represented the presence of God. When Jesus died, His body was symbolically torn into, literally allowing us access into the very presence of God through Him.

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