Page 12 - The Marriage Covenant

With God, such covenants are not necessary, for His nature is faithfulness. Yet fallen
man is unfaithful. The covenant was given to testify with great certainty that when man
gave his word it could never be altered, renegotiated, or broken. The consequences of
breaking covenant was death.
There were certain symbols and elements that were used to establish a covenant. Their
presence holds great meaning. We read of one such covenant that God made with His
friend, Abraham. The context of the passage is a discussion between Yahweh and Abraham
in which Abraham asks for an heir. Yahweh promises Abraham that he will have a son from
his own loins, and that he will become a great nation and possess the land in which
Abraham was sojourning.

Genesis 15:8-18
And [Abraham] said, "O Yahweh God, how may I know that I shall possess it?" So
He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat,
and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon." Then he brought
all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he
did not cut the birds. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon
Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him... And it came about
when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking
oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. On that day Yahweh
made a covenant with Abram.

God’s Covenant with Abraham