Abraham, Father of Faith part 2 “The Unconditional Covenant”
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
Introduction
Introduction
There are three covenants made in the Old Testament:
Adamic
Noahic
Abrahamic
Abraham was the beginning of our faith. Is that right? Oh, Abraham had the promise. And God called Abraham because he was a great man, I guess?
No, sir. He come down out of Babylon, in the land of Chaldea, in the city of Ur, and God called him and made His covenant with him, unconditionally.
“I’m going to save you. And not only you, Abraham, but your Seed,” unconditionally. 53-0609A - "Demonology, Religious Realm"
He was determined to save man.
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
The call that God gave was a supernatural call. But, yet, it never staggered Abraham, no time. He always knowed it was God.
God’s callings are supernatural; there is nothing natural. God takes the supernatural and works it out in the natural, but the callings of God are supernatural. The Bible said, “Gifts and callings are without repentance.” See, it’s foreordained by God. 64-0402 - "Jehovah-Jireh #1"
It’s a good thing it was unconditional, because Abraham immediately started making mistakes.
Abraham’s first mistake: A lack of total separation.
Abraham’s first mistake: A lack of total separation.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
God told him to separate from his kindred.
Another thing He told him to do, to separate himself now from his kindred and all of his people.
God, in order to get a man or a woman, boy or girl, to obey Him, you have to separate yourself from all unbelief, that’s right, until you totally separate yourself from anything contrary to that Word, and believe It. God calls for a total separation. 64-0402 - "Jehovah-Jireh #1"
This wasn’t a request, it was a command, and Abraham failed.
And, look, Abraham, as all mortals, not an immortal man, not a man that can’t make a mistake, but constantly made mistakes. But no matter how many mistakes he made, his anchor still held, for he had the promise.
So, he took with him, Sarah. He took Lot. He took his daddy. And as long as they was with him, God could not bless him. The old man finally died, and they buried him. He went on up a little farther, and Lot backslid. And you know what happened there.
And then he separated himself from him. Then God appeared to him again, said, “Now, Abraham, look all over the ground. It’s all yours.” When he had made the right choice. That’s it. Separate yourself from everything.
Maybe that’s the reason some of us are not getting along so well. We’re holding onto things that we ought to let go, in the separation. A little doubt, a little wonder, a little skeptic: “Wonder if It’s right. Could This be? Could That be? How could It be?” Cut loose, this morning! 55-0109M - "Melchisedec, The Great Prince And King"
We should lay aside the unbelief that so easily besets us. Separate from it!
Abraham was slow to obey when it came to his family, but the covenant was unconditional.
Abraham’s 2nd mistake: Leaving Caanan
Abraham’s 2nd mistake: Leaving Caanan
9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
But the confirmation of the covenant, now, Abraham come out of the land, sure, crossed over the river Euphrates, many of you did, was baptized, come over into the land.
Now, don’t take right back down to Egypt, stay right here in the land, obey, stay right in the promise of this Father, see. Stay right under the Holy Spirit, no matter…
Don’t pattern yourself after somebody of the world, you pattern yourself after Him. See? Watch Him, watch His life. Don’t act like So-and-so does, Sister Susie, or Brother Jackson, or whoever it might be, don’t look like, don’t act like them, you just walk with Him.
“Fill my way every day with love, as I walk with the Heavenly Dove.” Just stay right with Him, watch how it sweetens you, and cuts all the world away. Oh, my, you don’t care what the people says, you’re walking with God. 61-0209 - "Jehovah-Jireh"
11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
Sarah does, and Abraham’s fears came true. All the time Abraham is making money on the deal.
17 And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.
Abraham, no special man, come down from the tower of Babel, perhaps come out of an idolator bunch (his father), come down in the land of Shinar down there, to dwell in the city of Ur. And while he was there, God spoke to him by grace.
Not because he was different, not because he was a better man; but, by grace, God called him. The Bible clearly makes that known.
Oh, Abraham, how Abraham tested God’s patience! Told him, said, “Abraham, stay in this land, don’t you go out of it.” But as soon as a famine come, Abraham run.
Abraham spoke of us. God took Abraham by grace, and saved him. And that’s how He takes you, by grace. And how do we test His patience? Today we’re up, tomorrow we’re down. One day we believe, the next day we’re wondering. Today we’re a Methodist, tomorrow we’re a Baptist.
Today we believe in Divine healing, tomorrow the tummy ache comes and we don’t know whether we believe it or not. But yet in the midst of all of that, God wants us to stay put. But He saves us, anyhow. If it wasn’t the grace of God, we’d all be gone. Sure. God saves us by His grace.
Abraham was supposed to stay in that land, but he went down into the Chaldeans, or, not Chaldeans, but the Philistines. Went down there to sojourn, to get out of the famine. Things was a little hard up in his country, so he went down there to journey down there with them.
Done exactly what God told him not to do, but yet the grace of God appeared to him, kept the king from taking his wife. Grace of God. When Abraham said, “It’s my sister,” lied about it, but yet the grace of God held him because he repented. He was willing to repent.
And anybody that’s willing to repent, the grace of God still goes for you. The grace of God is searching for you. So, that goes for you backsliders this morning, the grace of God is still looking for you. If you’ll just repent, God’s grace is sufficient. 61-0827 - "The Message Of Grace"
The first time doesn’t bother me, but Abraham does this again AFTER meeting Elohim. This offends my Wesleyan Holiness sensibilities.
1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
Bro. Branham said Abimilech was a holiness man.
That night he had a dream, and God said “you are as good as a dead man”
He had more integrity than Abraham.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
This was preplanned, because Abraham had a complex about Sarah.
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
This next verse is remarkable.
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
This king of Gerar fell in love with her. And Abraham lied, said, “That’s my sister.” This is going to shock holiness people. Said, “That’s my sister.”
So you find out that night after he took his bath, and laid, and stretched his big feet out in the bed like that, he said, “Oh, my,” said, “Lord, I’m so happy You gave me this pretty girl.” Ignorant all the time of the fact it was another man’s wife, and while he was laying there…
Now we’ll remember, he was a righteous man. And so while he went to sleep, the Lord come to him and said, “You’re just as good as a dead man.” “Why?” He said, “Lord, why am I as good as a dead man?”
Said, “Well, you got another man’s wife out there.” See, God in His sovereign grace protecting that stream of blood which come Jesus.
That’s right. God will do it, don’t you worry. He will take care of the rest of it. You just let Him alone. Just commit yourself to Him; He will take care of the rest. Said, “You’re as good as a dead man.”
Why, he said, “Lord, you know the integrity of my heart.” Why, he said, “You know that she told me, ‘That’s my brother,’ and he told me, ‘That’s my sister.’”
He said, “Yeah, I know it. I know it. I know the integrity of your heart, and that’s the reason I kept you from sinning against Me.”
Look. Here’s grace. “I know you’re a good man, a righteous man, and everything. But I’ll not hear your prayer. Her husband is My prophet.” Think of it: a little liar, backslid.
You say, “Brother Branham, I done something the other day. I’m afraid the Lord won’t heal me tonight.” Oh, yes, He will. Don’t you get scared. You’re a Christian; just set still. Repent for what you done and go on.
Say, “Well, I backslid, brother.” Don’t make any difference. Repent and go on. See? You’re scared.
The first little thing comes along, you turn your head one way. You think God’s going to condemn you. Repent, that’s all. Get right.
Now look. There was Abraham, and anyone knows that God told Abraham not to leave Palestine. And any time that a person disobeys God, he backslides. Is that right?
And because a drought come on, Abraham, instead of standing, facing the music, he went and done exactly what God told him not to do.
So if you do what God tells you not to do, you’re backslid. So Abraham was setting out there, backslid and telling a lie. But God couldn’t turn His child down. He give him the promise, unconditionally.
He said, “That’s My prophet. You take his wife back and restore him. If don’t, you’re as good as a dead man. And let him pray for you.” Who? Hallelujah! Who?
“Not that ‘holier than thou art,’ but My prophet setting out there. I’ll hear his prayer.” Hallelujah! There’s the grace of God to the Holy Ghost Church, and you don’t recognize it. 54-0306 - "The Unconditional Covenant That God Made With His People"
Abraham’s biggest mistake: Ishmael
Abraham’s biggest mistake: Ishmael
We’ll get more into Ishmael at another date, but it was a huge mistake.
Ishmael was the seed of promise, slightly doubted.
Just because the promise was unconditional doesn’t mean Abraham couldn’t make a mistake, it just means God wouldn’t give up on him.
18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Bro. Branham said this about Abraham and Ishmael:
Done made him a promise, you know. Not…See, right then Abraham would have failed, but the promise is unconditional; the covenant, unconditional. 65-1128E - "On The Wings Of A Snow-White Dove"
How can we understand an unconditional covenant?
How can we understand an unconditional covenant?
Jehovah is Abraham’s Father. He loves him.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Let us examine the first phrase, “as many as I love.” In the Greek the emphasis is upon the personal pronoun “I.” He does not say as many would feel He should say, “as many as love ME.” No sir.
We must never try to make Jesus the OBJECT of human love in this verse. No! It is the MANY that are the LOVED ONES of God. It is HIS love, in question, NOT ours.
So once again we find ourselves glorying in His salvation, His purpose and His plan, and we are confirmed even more strongly in the truth of the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages (9 - The Laodicean Church Age)
This love is “Elective Love.” It is His love for His elect. And His love for them is apart from HUMAN MERIT for it says that the purpose of God stands in election which is exactly opposite to works or anything man has in himself. An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages (9 - The Laodicean Church Age)
And now He says to His own, “As many as I love, I REBUKE AND CHASTEN.” To rebuke is to reprove. To reprove is to “expose with a view to correction.”
Chasten does not mean to punish. It means to “discipline because the subject’s amendment is in mind.” An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages (9 - The Laodicean Church Age)
Herein is now set forth the love of God. He desired in love a family of His own, a family of sons — sons like Himself. There before Him lies all mankind as ONE lump of clay. Out of that same lump He will now make vessels unto honor and unto dishonor.
The CHOOSING will be His own choosing. Then those chosen ones, born of His Spirit will be trained to conform to His image in their walk. He REPROVES with all long-suffering and gentleness and mercy. He CHASTENS with nail scarred hands.
Sometimes this Potter must take the vessel He is working on and thoroughly break it down in order that He may rebuild it exactly as He desires it. BUT IT IS LOVE.
THAT IS HIS LOVE. ANOTHER WAY OF HIS LOVE THERE IS NOT. THERE CANNOT BE. An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages (9 - The Laodicean Church Age)
An unconditional covenant founded on overwhelming love.
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The most difficult thing about being a father is seeing your children make bad decisions and not being able to do anything about it. Especially once they become adults. But Abraham’s father said “I will” because He could.
When Paul writes Abraham’s biography under inspiration of the Holy Ghost, he never mentions Abraham’s many mistakes. Why? The Father’s reputation was at stake.
He was not disappointed in Abraham. In the end, He will never be disappointed in His children. If He could lose them He wouldn’t be God. His reputation is at stake, and we will fulfill all of His attributes.
