BWV #34 YHWH the Faithful
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INTRODUCTION Genesis 15:13-21.
INTRODUCTION Genesis 15:13-21.
Tonight we come to the place where the Abrahamic Covenant is to be ratified.
This is the equivalent of a contract signing.
I have a house for sale.
Hopefully, at some point an offer will be made.
Then I will counter, and again, hopefully we agree upon a price.
At that point, we have a verbal promise, if they pay such and such, I will sign over the property to them.
But it is all based on a promise at that point.
But then, the realtor will prepare the contract, and both parties will sign, and now the contract is in effect.
In a round about way, that is what we see here.
YHWH has made a promise.
And we might be tempted to say, but why does it need to be ratified?
Well, we have 6000 years of recorded history.
In that record, we learn that God is a faithful God who always keeps His word.
In fact we have staked our eternal soul on that trust.
But Abram has no such record.
Abram only knows what God has revealed thus far.
His understanding of God is growing bit by bit, conversation by conversation, interaction by interaction.
He does not know the faithfulness of God the way we do.
He has no record of God’s faithfulness in the past.
He only knows YHWH in a limited fashion at this point.
And as I shared last time, he simply asks, how can I know and understand that these things will come to pass?
The really awesome thing we see here, God understands.
YHWH understands where Abram is in His understanding , and He is willing to meet Abram at that point and show Him in a tangible way, I am faithful
Before we get to the ceremony itself, we need to review just a bit.
Abram had returned from a great victory.
Melchizedeck had blessed Abram and told him YHWH had given him this great victory.
Abram worshipped through the giving of tithes.
Then as chapter 15 opens, it seems as if Abram has some fear concerning his future and the kings of the east.
They might return and attack.
And that brings us to chapter 15.
YHWH reassures Abram, reminding Him that I am your shield and your provider.
You will indeed become a great nation.
Even though you have no offspring yet, you will.
And Abram believed God, and the Lord credited righteousness to his account.
That is to say, YHW H declared Abram righteous.
Abram was born again, he is a child of God.
By grace through faith, Abram now has eternal life.
He is a new creation, and yet he still has some uncertainty concerning his relationship with the Lord and the means by which YHWH will fulfill all these promises.
This brings us to the ratification ceremony.
THE SOURCE OF THE COVENANT
THE SOURCE OF THE COVENANT
This was a very common ceremony when two parties entered into a covenant with one another.
And that is really informative.
Because what that shows us is YHWH’s willingness to meet with us in ways that we understand.
In fact that is one of the most amazing characteristics of God, that He meets us in ways that we can understand.
The Bible is very clear on this, God is infinitely beyond our capacity to understand in the fullest sense.
Isaiah 55:8-9 illustrates this very truth.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares Yahweh. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
The heavens, not heaven, are higher than the earth.
Heavens encompasses much more than our atmosphere.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.
The text goes on to say this same man, Paul, was caught up to Paradise and her inexpressible words, which man is not permitted to speak.
My point is this, heaven refers to our atmosphere on the lowest level, space on the second level, and the abode of God on the third level.
As for that third level, we have no idea where it is.
We cannot see it.
Nor can we fully comprehend it.
I would argue it is infinite.
All of this to say, the wisdom and ways of God are so far above ours, as far as God’s abode is from the earth.
Thus, the separation between the ways of God and the ways of man are incalculable.
We are finite beings, God is infinite.
Abram is finite.
But again, at least we have the word of God to help us understand God in a tangible way.
Abram has no such luxury and is learning of God one small step at a time.
And again, the beauty here is seen in his willingness to meet Abram in a way that Abram can understand.
The carcasses remind us that this is a covenant ratified in blood.
This a familiar Biblical concept.
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews weighed in on this topic.
For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” And in the same way, both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry he sprinkled with the blood. And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
The question must be asked, why did men develop this type of covenant?
And the only possible answer is that it comes from God.
God made promises to Adam and Eve, and then sacrifices animal.
Noah sacrificed and worshipped YHWH, and then the Lord promised to never again flood the earth.
The Abrahamic covenant is ratified with blood.
The Mosiac covenant is ratified with blood.
And of course we know that the New Covenant is ratified in blood.
Jesus said Luke 22:20
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
So it seems that man got the idea for a blood covenant from God.
Beginning in verse 13 the Lord restates the covenant, and with greater detail, and it is prophetic.
First, your seed.
Remember, Abram was concerned because he had no children.
Your seed is a strong and direct statement, I am going to fulfill the promise I made to you.
Second, Your seed will suffer slavery for a time.
This is one of those things where Abram was probably scratching his head, why?
Fortunately we have the Biblical record to help us to understand why.
Remember, Abram lives in Canaan but is surrounded by thousands of Canaanites, Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, hittites, Perizzites, Rephaims, Amorites, Gergashites and Jebusites.
Literally thousands of these vile sinful people inhabit the land.
Do you think for one minute as the descendents of Abram begin to increase that these peoples are just going to walk away from their homes for Abram?
No way.
We have already seen the heart of man on display as he competed for land and resources through the art of war and conquest.
Now theoretically YHWH could simply speak and all these people vanish.
Then Abram could have it all.
But that is not His plan.
Instead, the Lord is going to move the descendents of Abram out of Canaan for a time, and basically incubate them until a vast and numerous people are ready to emerge.
All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, who came out of his loins, excluding the wives of Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six persons in all, and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.
Seventy people in all, pretty insignificant.
But look at the promise God made to Jacob in Gen 46:2-4
And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. “I Myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I Myself will also bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes with his hand.”
The point is, YHWH has a plan.
Let me make this point, kind of a rabbit trail.
We often focus solely on the outcome.
We are results oriented.
We measure success by the outcome.
But sometimes in God’s economy, it is the process that matters most.
Such is the case here, God has a plan and that plan is to develop a people through the process.
But the main point is this, YHWH is going to reveal so very much about Himself and His future plans for humanity.
Now listen carefully because I don’t want you to misunderstand what I am about to say.
Everything about their trip to and back out of Egypt, as well as their return to the promised land, is a parable.
I am not saying it didn’t really happen.
Because I believe with all my heart it all is historically accurate and true.
But think about it this way, what is the purpose of a parable?
A parable is an earthly story that is intended to teach spiritual truth.
As best I can remember, every parable is an earthly story that in some way illustrates the kingdom of God and or how to enter into it.
There are so many parallel truths that can be seen when one compares the history of this people into and back out of Egypt with the salvation of people under the new covenant.
Now here is the big push, we know that salvation gives all the glory to God.
Israel’a time in Egypt, and their deliverance, is going to bring glory to God as He proves Himself strong in their eyes.
There are things they are going to learn about God that could only be learned through the hardships they endured.
The Lord even spells out how long, after the 4th generation they will return here.
And the delay is also explained, God is gracious.
God will not judge the Amorite yet for his sin is not yet full.
In other words, like we see still today, YHWH is patient not willing that any should perish.
The Canaanites have 400 years to repent, that is the grace of God in action.
THE SYMBOLS OF THE COVENANT
THE SYMBOLS OF THE COVENANT
When YHWH is finally ready to ratify the covenant, He appears in symbolic ways.
First the smoking pot or oven.
This is quite vague until you understand what kind of oven this is.
This was a furnace or cooking pot used to purify metals.
The precious metal was placed in the pot and then heat applied until the metal melted.
As the metal, like silver turned to liquid, the dross, impurities, separate from the silver and float to the top.
The refiner, the silversmith then skims the impurities off and the remaining liquid is purer.
The question is, what does this smoking pot mean?
If we turn to Peter’s first letter we gain some insights.
so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Faith is more precious than any precious metal.
YHWH is perfecting Abram’s faith.
Faith is perfected through the fires of life, the trials and tribulations.
knowing that the testing of your faith brings about perseverance. And let perseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not put to shame, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
The message is this, Abram, I have been and will continue to perfect your faith.
A great mistake we as Christian’s make about faith is that we tend to think it originates with us.
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
What does it mean that someone is the author of something?
Simply put, it originates with them.
If I author a book, it originates with me.
Thus, if Jesus is the author of faith, then faith must originate with Him.
This is not a doctrine found only this letter to the Hebrews.
The Apostle Paul had the same understanding, and the Spirit inspired him to writes Eph 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast.
Again as we saw last time, the “it” in this passage must have an antecedent.
Some try and say grace is the antecedent.
But grace is by definition an undeserved gift.
Thus if grace were the “it” the text would read an undeserved gift is a gift.
That makes no sense.
The truth is, the antecedent of “it” is faith.
Faith is the gift of God.
Faith originates with Jesus and He gives it as a gift.
The point, nobody come to Jesus Christ in faith unless the Father draws them and illumines the truth for them.
Abram is at that point.
But even more than that, this smokin pot reminds us that our faith in continually being perfected in the furnace of affliction.
And it is our God, do you see it, He is the smelter, He is the furnace that through heat removes the imperfections.
So, as YHWH ratifies the covenant, He also conveys the message, I am not through with you.
As the Hebrew letter stated, Jesus is not just the author of our faith, He is the perfecter of it as well.
The reality is, this is a timeless message.
He who has begun a good work in you, will perfect it.
God is going to continue to refine Abram in the furnace of affliction until Christ is formed in Him.
And the same is true of you and I.
Now I don’t want to run off on a tangent.
But I do want to point out that for us today, the Lord has many instruments He uses to the refine us.
Church leaders and teachers being one of them.
My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—
Paul labored to the end that God’s people be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
The second symbol is the burning torch.
A torch of this nature is a source of light.
And that is fitting, for the Lord is our light.
Jesus is the light of the world.
And there is even this, the scripture says that God’s word is a light unto our feet.
And Jesus is the word.
Almost circular reasoning.
God is light, and in Him there is no darkness.
God often revealed Himself in this manner.
In the wilderness wanderings, by night YHWH was seen in the pillar of fire, light.
On Mt Sinai, His glory shone, so much so that Moses came down off the mountain glowing.
Jesus appeared as light to Saul on the road to Damascus.
God is a light unto Abram.
God has been illuminating Abram, God has been a light of revelation to Abram.
A Light for revelation to the Gentiles, And for the glory of Your people Israel.”
So the message for Abram is two fold, and for us by the way.
God is a light that illuminates the way of Salvation.
God must reveal the truth, God must call, and God ultimately saves.
Second, God is a light that reveal the life of righteousness.
Hence, in time we receive the moral law.
But again for Abram, God alone is his source or morality.
Next we come to the covenant guarantee.
THE GUARANTOR OF THE COVENANT
THE GUARANTOR OF THE COVENANT
Verse 18 defines for us the covenant guarantee.
On that day, YHWH cut a covenant.
The language is explicit, and it matches what we see in the narrative.
Abram was a non participant.
Abram was in a deep sleep and had a vision, almost a nightmare, remember he was full of terror.
Abram was nothing but a witness to the ratification of the covenant.
Again, that fits what we have already discussed, this was a unilateral covenant.
There were no conditions.
YHWH did not say, hey Abram, if you are a good boy I will make you a great nation, make your name great and bless you beyond measure.
YHWH simply said, this is what I am going to do.
I will make your name great.
I will bless you.
I will make of you a great nation.
I will bless all the nations through you.
I wil, 100% unconditional.
Purely the choice of God by the grace of God and the work of God.
Based on God’s past words concerning the covenant, it shouldn’t surprise us that God passes through the carcasses, alone.
YHWH is the only one making a promise in this covenant.
Notice, that true to the norms of this covenant, as God passed through, he said to Abram, to your seed I have given this land.
Just as men would pass through and make their promises to each other, God now does so for Abram.
This was a solemn and serious covenant.
Highly respected by the people.
And it was a great disgrace to break your promise.
This is why I titled this lesson, YHWH the Faithful.
YHWH will not now or ever break His promise.
This passage alone ought to be enough to crush the bad theology of the covenant theologian.
The Covenant Theologian believes that YHWH no longer has a place for Israel in His agenda.
In fact, they actually teach that God has forsaken Israel and all the promises made unto Israel in the OT were actually intended for the church.
That is how they justify their position.
The problem is, the language is very clear, that land is for the descendents of Abram.
Now to be fair, their rebuttal is that believers are the spiritual descendents.
That is true.
But spiritual people don’t need physical land.
In addition, there is nothing in this text to indicate that we are having a spiritual discussion.
And I might add, if the church has replaced Israel in all respects, then why do the Jewish people still exist, when not other ancient group does.
And, why are they back in the land, as the Lord promised.
My biggest problem with Covenant Theology is that it challenges the integrity and faithfulness of God.
If God is not faithful to His promise to Abram, then how can we be sure He will keep His promises to us?
We also see that God’s unilateral promises are also eternal.
God is immutable, He does not change.
He is not a shifting shadow.
He is not like us.
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not establish it?
His promises are eternal, or He is no God at all.
THE SCOPE OF THE COVENANT
THE SCOPE OF THE COVENANT
As this chapter comes to a close we see the magnitude of the promise YHWH made to Abram.
From Egypt to the Euphrates, it is all yours Abram.
This really is an incredible gift of land.
It is really incredible to think, that YHWH gifted this much land, to this one man and his descendents.
It speaks to the overwhelming generosity of our God.
The land is Abram’s inheritance so to speak.
We see the same kind of generosity in our inheritance.
We are joint heirs with Christ.
Everything that is His, is ours.
It is hard for me to wrap my little brain around that as I imagine it was hard for Abram to understand the magnitude of his promised land.
The eternality of this promise is seen in the verbage.
The verb translated “I have given” is in the present tense.
Not the future tense, and not the past tense.
What this means is that the action was already completed.
Think of it this way, Christ was crucified before the foundation of the world.
God can state it this way because once it was decided, it was decreed, thus is was a done deal.
LIkewise, YHWH has decided, this land is for My people, it is my will in eternity past, and is a done deal.
The land was Abram’s, then and forever more.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Skeptics scoff at God’s promise here because in reality, the nation Israel at their height as a nation under David and Solomon, never occupied more than about 10% of the land promised.
They question both the existence of God and or His ability to fulfill His promise.
But the truth is, the failure here to possess the land does not lay at the feet of God, but God’s people.
400 years from now, God is going to bring the descendents of Abram back from Egypt to this land.
And listen to the instructions YHWH gives to Joshua as they prepare to take possession of the promised land.
“Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. “From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.
Here the promise is restated.
All they had to do was go and claim it.
They never did.
Again some question God in this.
But the truth is, all they had to do was go, and they would have possessed the land.
It was already theres, and in the eyes of YHWH, the Jewish people hold title to it still to this day.
There is a message for us today.
As joint heirs with Christ we are immeasurably rich, we have been promised an abundant life.
Yet most Christian’s live as spiritual paupers.
For the same reason, they have never laid hold of all that Christ offers.
You see what most fail to realize is that the abundant life has nothing to with physical stuff, and everything to do with who we are in Christ.
We could all be so much more than we are if we would but lay hold of the life Christ has for us rather than pursuing earthly things.
