Covenant is a sign written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action. (Biblical) Covenant is an agreement between God and His people in which God
makes certain promises and requires certain behavior from them in return. Some such covenants are: The Admanic Covenant, The Noahic Covenant, Abrahamic Covenant, Mosaic Covenant, Israelic Covenant, and the Davadic Covenant
etc. In our text 
today such an agreement is taken place, God makes a
promise to give Abram an heir and Abram sealed the agreement by the animals sacrifice.
Assurance was given to Abram of the land of Canaan for an inheritance. God never promises more than He is able to perform, as men often do. Abram did as God commanded him. He divided the beasts in the midst, according to the ceremony used in confirming the covenants. Having prepared according to God’s appointment, he set himself to wait for the sign God might give him. We must keep watch upon our spiritual sacrifice. When thought of doubt, discouragement, not knowing what to do, or where to turn, like those fowls, coming down upon our sacrifices, we must drive them away, and seek to look to God without distraction.
God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Abram; with this sleep a horror of great darkness fell upon him; a sudden change. The sudden change, the children of light do not walk in the light. Several things were then foretold. The suffering state of Abram’s seed for a long time; they shall be strangers in a foreign land. Children of light do not always walk in the light. The heirs of heaven are strangers on earth. They shall be servants; but Canaanites serve under a curse, the Hebrews under a blessing. Those that are blessed and beloved of God, are often sorely afflicted by wicked men. Though God may allow persecutors and oppressors to trample upon his people a great while, He will certainly reckon with them at last.
God allow Abram to fall into a deep sleep, so that He could speak to Him. Sometimes God want to talk to us, therefore He will put us in a certain position so that we can hear Him. In the vision God tells him five things:
1. Do not be afraid: God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. Throughout the scripture we are encourage not to fear. “I will fear no evil for thy art with me”, Fear not, I am thou shield; I will not fear what flesh can do to me; The word of God assures us that we are not to be afraid, because we have a signed covenant that God himself will take care of us. Throughout scripture God encourages us not to be afraid; When Joshua was taken over for Moses God tells him to “be strong and very courageous”, “I will be with you I will not fail you.”God tells us the same thing today, fear keeps us in torment
2. I Am your shield: God reassured Abraham that there was no need for him to be afraid, because He was His shield. God makes the same promise to us, the shield of faith protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy. God says He is our shield, He is our great joy, He is our protector, our way maker, our deliverer, God is our omnipresent God, and He is everywhere present at the same time. He is omnipotence, all powerful and He is omniscience all knowing, and the covenant that God made with us will not be broken by God; He cannot break His word because it is signed in blood. Jesus sealed the covenant with His blood. God is not like man that He should lie, or the son of man that He needs to repent.
3. Your reward will be great: Abram follow the mandate for confirming the covenant, in essence he signed on the Dottie line. God promise that our reward will be great, but we have to do what the covenant agreement calls for. The bible says that Abram believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, some things have to be taken on faith alone, there was no manifestation of Abram having an heir at that time, all he had was a promise, that his seed shall be as the sand on the sea, God says to him I am the same God that brought you out of UR of the Chaldees, to give you this land. In essence God is saying you can trust me, Abram believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. The bible lets us know without faith it’s impossible to please God, he that cometh to him must believe that he is and he is a rewarded of those who diligently seek him. We must keep the covenant agreement, we must pray, the bible says that man ought to always pray and not faint; we are to seek , knock, and ask, we are to search the scriptures daily, we are to practice the means of Grace, we must keep our end of the agreement.
4. Don’t worry: about not having an heir, because God says that you will have an heir that will come from your own body, The word of the Lord came to Abram saying that this man will not be you heir; God says to us why do you worry that is not a part of the covenant. You must believe that God will carry out his part of the agreement; Matthew says: ‘we are not to worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.” (6: 25)
5. Promise of a son: The promise so would come from Abram own body God kept His promise, there we are Heirs and Joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
