The covenant between God and Abraham is told twice throughout the book of Genesis in two very different versions, in both chapters 15 and 17. These two accounts of the covenant are quite necessary in that the facts are similar, but at the same time show distinctions about the God they worshiped, the actual covenant itself, and the relationship between Hebrew people and their God. The first distinction noted between the two is when the Lord first came to Abraham, and presented himself in two separate fashions. In chapter 15, the first account of the covenant, the Lord presented himself as a kind God, in which he said, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” (Genesis 15:1) In contrast, in chapter 17, t
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