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Genesis 12–17; Abraham 1–2

Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. Genesis 15:9–10

Introduction

For Latter-day Saints, most stories about Abraham in Genesis are familiar. However, the strange narrative of God’s covenant with Abram, later called Abraham, in Genesis 15 stands out as particularly puzzling, often resulting in confusion or skimming the page to get to more easily understood stories.

Abram was losing hope in having literal descendants; his wife was beyond the typical childbearing years. Facing despair, Abram is coming to terms with the idea that Eliezer, his servant, could be his heir (Gen 15:2). However, God reminded Abram that he would literally be the progenitor of countless descendants; his descendants would be like the stars (Gen 15:5). As a token of His promise, the Lord commands Abram to engage in a rather odd ceremony in this chapter, complete with animal halves and a burning lamp.

The Prophet Joseph Smith noted, “The offering of sacrifice was only to point the mind forward to Christ. . . . We conclude that whenever the Lord revealed Himself to men in ancient days, and commanded them to offer sacrifice to Him, that it was done that they might look forward in faith to the time of His coming, and rely upon the power of that atonement for a remission of their sins” (Joseph Smith [manual], 49).

The Sacrificial Animals

These five animals are “every animal allowed or commanded to be sacrificed under the Mosaic law . . . And is it not a proof that God was now giving to Abram an epitome of that law and its sacrifices which he intended more fully to reveal to Moses; the essence of which consisted in its sacrifices, which typified the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (Clarke’s Commentary). 

At three years old, Near-Eastern farm animals are at their physical prime and can breed without age-related complications. This age represents the ideal, pure condition needed for religious rituals and covenantal symbols. Mosaic law consistently mandates sacrifices that are “without blemish” (Leviticus 22:19–21). Also, scripturally, the number three often marks divine intervention, completeness, covenants, and spiritual significance. Each animal’s tri-year age points to the third-day resurrection motif culminating in Christ.

Heifer is egla (עגלה) in Hebrew and appears 14 times in the Old Testament. It is a nearly grown female cow. The heifer in Hebrew sacrifice played two main parts: it was a ritual tool for making a covenant or for cutting, and it was used to purify from death. The heifer’s symbolism was unique, representing life-giving and submissive qualities, in contrast to the frequent male bull offerings.

The Mosaic Law prescribed a specific sacrifice involving a red heifer. The heifer had to be “without defect or blemish” and to have never been yoked (Numbers 19:2). The red heifer sacrifice was distinctive in Mosaic law for several reasons: it involved a female animal, it took place outside the tabernacle entrance, and it was the sole offering where the animal’s color was specified.

Unlike most sin offerings, this heifer was slain and wholly burnt outside the sanctuary. The ashes of the burnt heifer were mixed with “running” (spring) water to create a mixture that was sprinkled on unclean individuals.

Goat is etz (עז) in Hebrew. This female goat’s name originates from the Hebrew word ‘azaz (עזז), signifying strength, firmness, and endurance. The most distinct use of goats took place annually on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, where two goats were chosen to represent different facets of redemption.

The Sin Offering: One goat was designated “for the Lord”. It was sacrificed, and the High Priest brought its blood into the Holy of Holies—the only time a human could enter that sacred space—to sprinkle it on and around the Mercy Seat. This act provided substitutionary cleansing, as innocent blood was shed to cover the transgressions of the nation.

The Scapegoat (Azazel): The second goat remained alive for a “symbolic drama”. The High Priest laid his hands on its head and confessed the sins and iniquities of the people, symbolically transferring their guilt to the animal. A man would then lead the goat into the remote wilderness, representing the total removal of sin and the curse from the camp.

Ram is ayil (איל) in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, a ram was frequently a symbol of power. The ram mentioned in Genesis 15 would have had horns, which are symbolic (see “Horns: Symbolism and Misconceptions”). The most famous sacrificial use of the ram occurred on Mount Moriah when God provided a ram caught in a thicket to be offered in place of Abraham’s son, Isaac. The ram served as a proxy for the “firstfruits of the womb,” a role later mirrored by the Levites who were lifted up to God as holy “fruits” of the nation.

Turtledove is tor (תר) in Hebrew. Even the smallest gift, like the turtledove, can be significant in God’s covenant. Purity, peace, sacrifice, and faithfulness are symbolized by the turtle dove in the Bible, as it mates for life. This bird’s migration announces spring’s coming and signifies renewal. For the poor, it was a common and affordable offering that represented innocence, meekness, and mourning.

Young pigeon is gozal (גוזל) in Hebrew. Gozal portrays a fledgling—newly hatched, dependent, and unable yet to fly. The picture is one of utter vulnerability entwined with parental nurture and protection. Scripture employs the term to evoke covenant sacrifice and divine care.

The Covenant Ceremony

Covenants were serious business in the ancient world. The English phrase “make a covenant” comes from the Hebrew kārat berît, which literally means “cut a covenant”. Blood was shed. The best of the flock or herd was chosen and “cut” into pieces. 

In Abraham’s case, the animals were divided exactly into two equal parts, by being split down middle from the head to the rump and cut down the center, one half lying opposite the other side. Then the two parties of the covenant would pass through the pieces symbolizing their dedication to the covenant and by this action are saying, “If I do not hold to the agreements of this covenant, you can do to me what we did to this animal.” 

Covenant making always implied the giving up of life. Did you ever notice what Nephi said when he tried to get Zoram to stay with him, “as the Lord liveth, and as I live” (1 Nephi 4:32). What did he offer to be taken if he didn’t keep his word? His life. That wasn’t like “Cross my heart and hope to die”. 

Passing between the divided parts of the victim appears to have signified that each agreed, if they broke their promises, to submit to the punishment of being cut asunder; which we find in Matthew 24:51; Luke 12:46. It was an ancient mode of punishment. 

Those who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.

Jeremiah 34:18

Readers may discount what’s happening in Genesis 15, but the Lord is showing Abraham through this ceremony, a type and shadow, or similitude, for his posterity. They would escape from Egyptian slavery by passing through the Red Sea, symbolic of passing through the animals. Also, the children of Israel will pass through Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal as a symbol of passing through the pieces. In Genesis 15, a smoking lamp and a burning furnace passed between the pieces. What led the children of Israel through the Red Sea? A smoking furnace, or a thick smoking cloud. But what was it on the other half? A furnace of light, a bright light and they passed through. Who is that smoking furnace and that burning lamp? The Holy Ghost who seals “all covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations” (Doctrine and Covenants132:7). Abraham asked for a sign, and the Lord sealed the covenant (Genesis 15:17).

Foreshadowing Christ’s Atoning Sacrifice

The Old Testament’s animal sacrifices were to point our hearts and minds to the Savior’s sacrifice so that we can live. In ancient temple worship and scriptural typology, the heifer, goat, and ram serve as similitudes of Jesus Christ’s atonement. Even the locations which ancient Israel used for the sacrifices of the heifer, goat, and ram suggest different facets of His great sacrifice. 

The Heifer: Outside the Camp and the Mount of Olives

The sacrifice of the heifer was performed directly east of the temple on the Mount of Olives.

• A Direct View of God’s Presence: The altar on the Mount of Olives was positioned so the priest could look through the eastern gate directly into the Most Holy Place. This illustrates how the sacrifice of Christ provides the only direct access to God’s presence.
• Gethsemane: Because the Mount of Olives was the location of the Red Heifer sacrifice, it is significant that Christ began His own work of redemption in Gethsemane, located on that same mount.
• Red Heifer. Christ suffered in Gethsemane from the inside out so that He bled from every pore, thus becoming the true “red” heifer. (Doctrine and Covenants 19). 
• The “Red Calf” Tradition: In some ancient Enochian traditions, the martyred Abel—himself a type of Christ—is identified as a “red calf,” reinforcing the link between the red heifer and the shedding of innocent blood for salvation.

The Goat: The Wilderness and the Mercy Seat

The two goats used on the Day of Atonement represented Christ’s work in two distinct locations.

• Selecting the Scapegoat: The selection of Azazel, the scapegoat, took place in front of the temple. It involved choosing between two, with one being set free to carry away sins into the wilderness and one slaughtered. Just as the High Priest symbolically transferred the iniquities of Israel by laying hands upon the head of the goat, there was a similar transfer occurring with Christ. 
• Sins Upon His Back: According to Isaiah 53, God laid the iniquity of us all upon Him. The scapegoat had to be a spotless and unblemished substitute. As the innocent goat was designated to represent sin, God made Jesus, who knew no sin, “to be sin” so that believers might be made righteous. Christ was scourged and carried our burdens on His back.
• The Wilderness and the Scapegoat: One goat was led outside the camp into the barren wilderness to bear the weight of the nation’s curse. This symbolizes Christ being led outside the place of God’s special presence to suffer and die alone in our place.
• Inside the Veil (The Sin Offering): The blood of the other goat was brought inside the veil and sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. This represents Christ, our Great High Priest, entering once for all into the true holy places of heaven with His own blood to secure eternal redemption.

The Ram: Mount Moriah and Calvary

The ram on Mount Moriah serves as a profound substitutionary type of Jesus Christ, representing the specific moment God provided a blameless sacrifice to die in the place of those under a sentence of death. 

• The Center of History: Mount Moriah is viewed as the central point of all history, where the history of Israel was orchestrated to lead to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.
• The Substitution Site: Just as the ram was offered as a substitute for Isaac on Moriah, Christ was offered as the “Lamb of God” at the same location to spare humanity from the sentence of death.
• Priestly Consecration: Because the ram was the animal used for the consecration of priests (Exodus 29), it symbolized Christ’s complete consecration.
• The “Restful” Offering: Noah’s sacrifice of a ram after the Flood is described as a “sweet savour” or a “restful” (nihoah) offering. This ritual signifies the completion of a new creation and the removal of the curse from the earth.
• Adam’s First Sacrifice: Islamic and early Christian traditions record that God provided a ram for Adam to sacrifice after his exile from Eden, teaching him that the shedding of blood was a necessary type for future forgiveness.

Summary of Location Symbolism

Sacrifice	Primary Location	Symbolism for Christ
Heifer	Mount of Olives / Outside the Camp	Christ’s suffering outside the gate and His voluntary entry into Gethsemane. Used for purification from the dead.
Goat	The Wilderness / The Mercy Seat	Christ bearing away our sins and having the sins laid on His back. Transferring of guilt and bearing away of sins.
Ram	Mount Moriah	The historical and central location of Calvary where death and sin were overcome.

Summary: The ritual sacrifice performed by Abram in Genesis 15 served as a formal “cutting” of a divine covenant regarding the inheritance of the land and the destiny of his descendants. Each animal and requirement in the ritual points to deeper spiritual truths and the future work of Jesus Christ. The ceremony culminated when a “smoking furnace” and a “burning lamp,” representing God’s presence and promise, passed through the pieces. 

This sacrifice confirmed that while Abraham’s descendants would face suffering, the smoking furnace, they would also have the light of the Spirit and eventual deliverance, the burning lamp. Through this “Covenant between the Pieces,” Heavenly Father demonstrated that His promises were immutable and guaranteed by His own Son’s life.