God Covenants with Abram

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 103

Psalm 103 ESV

Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Scripture Memorization: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Scripture Reading (Gideon)

Acts 7:1–8 ESV

And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

Sermon:

Good Morning Church!

I was Glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord!

I'll be honest. It's going to take a little while getting used to. The new setup here of of seats, but you know when the fire department says you got to do something you got to do something so? A little feeling a little weird, but that's okay.

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We will plow on together. This morning we are covering. A longer portion, an entire chapter of the Book of Genesis, and I'm starting to feel a bit like a broken record. When I say things like this may be one of the most important passages in all of Genesis, if not the Bible, that as we deal here with another chapter in Genesis that is the foundation.

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For all, we believe for our entire lives. In many ways, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the foundation for eternity for many of us. For all who trust in Christ for certain? For all people. The foundations of Eternity are are shown here, though they were set before the foundations of the earth.

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Here we see God's plan coming into full view. This is an important passage, a critical passage, wherein God will come in. And he will Covenant. With Abram. Genesis chapter 15 is our text for this morning. If you are using the Pew Bibles this morning, page 12 still. You know, we don't go super fast around here, but we will cover all of Genesis God willing before he returns, or he calls me home.

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Genesis chapter 15 is our text. I'm going to read the whole thing again. It's a little long. That's okay. It's important. And as we read what I want us to picture? Is in Abram's life, the the unfolding of God's plan that he has seen Abram. If we remember was called from ER of the Chaldeans.

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There he lived, God said. Go to the land. I will show you. You didn't show him yet, he said, go, and I'll show you. And so he goes. And after journeying and taking some camps, he ends up in the promised land, and God does promise the land to him.

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This will be yours. Then Abram goes down to Egypt. And God protects him there, even from his own Folly, him, and his wife and God's promise. And April comes back in God's blessings are overflowing, and so we gotta we gotta kick lot out. Lot's got to find somewhere to live and law finds himself in trouble.

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Abram once again goes, he saves lot. God protects Abram. And then, last week, we looked at two kings. They come, and they approach Abram. One king, the king of Sodom, sought to bless Abram and only Abram for a selfish means. The other king. The priest King, the high king of Salem Melchizedek, blessed Abram by blessing God and and Melchizedek proclaimed.

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Blessed Be Abram. This is Genesis 14, 19. Blessed be Abram by God, most high, the possessor of Heaven and Earth, and blessed be God most high, who has delivered your enemies into your hands. This blessing caused Abram to tithe. Abram, thus saying Melchizedek God has blessed you Abram, saying God has blessed me now.

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God will enter the scene and let's see what God will say to Abram Genesis chapter 15, starting in verse 1.

Genesis 15 ESV

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

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So the words of the Lord for us this morning? Let's begin our time together with a word of prayer.

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Oh Lord, Our Lord, how Majestic is your name and all the Earth? You've been so good to us. You have given us. New Life! You've given us promises. You have through the work of your son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, given to us manifold blessings. You who gave who did not who did not spare your own son.

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Will you not with him graciously give us all things, and so we are grateful? That you would look upon us your creation with Grace and kindness that you would see fit to enter into Covenant relationship with your people. May we rest in your promises and rest in this truth?

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As we look to you. Our Lord God and King forever. It's in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. And amen.

As we walk our way through this text, there's. There's one story going on. This is for certain this is God coming to Abram and making a covenant. In context, I think, is important.

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This comes off the heel of Melchizedek's blessing and Abram, agreeing with Melchizedek's blessing. And now, God himself enters into the scene. That's how we open in verse one these things after these things. What are these things? Well, it's the rescuing of lot, but most importantly, it's the it's the working and the interaction between Melchizedek and Abram Melchizedek's blessing.

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Abrams accepting of that blessing and his offering of a tithe after these things. After Melchizedek has said God's the one who will deliver, and Abram said, I agree, God's the one who will deliver God comes on the scene. And God tells Abram. In what? Especially in the Old Testament, God's favorite words, he says this.

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He has his angels say this to his people, even the New Testament. We fear not, God comes to Abram and says, fear not. I am your Shield. Abram, there's no need to fear. I will protect you. I will guard you, you. You will hide under the shelter of my wings.

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He's saying all of this Abram, I am your Shield. In more modern language, I got you. Don't worry. Fear not. Your award shall be great. After Abram has already had great reward after his time in Egypt. When God blessed him, even though Abram was sinning, and now we come in Abram with his 318 men, comes and defeats King kettleer and his armies, and he's coming back with all these possessions.

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And he's blessed. And he's blessed. And he's blessed. God comes to Abram and says, once again, you will be blessed. Your reward will be very. great. In this first section here versus verses one through six. Highlight for us. Abrams.

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Abram's Faith. And the faith we see in Abram. I I've said before. Our lesson should not be “do better than Abram”, and our lessons shouldn't be “be as good as Abram” always. I think we can get caught in traps if we think that way all the time. Instead. When we look at this, what I want us to see is not be like or don't be like or do or don't do, but rather.

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See and understand. Abram's faith and how much this is, like our faith. This will be the subject of our Grace point, so I don't want to belabor the point a lot, but I think this is important. Because in this Grand story of Genesis 15, God is going to do something incredible, something amazing.

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God is going to come into and enter into a covenantal relationship with Abram, and by extension, all of those who come from the house, the sons of Abram God, will enter into a covenant relationship with them. And the basis of this. This is built upon Abram's faith. And Abram's faith is imperfect.

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What does Abram say in this text in everything we read? What does Abram say? He doubts. He wonders. He Ponders. He struggles. Abrams opening lock, God says, don't be afraid. And Abram's opening line is God, you say, you're going to bless me? I don't even have kids Eleazar of Damascus.

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That's my Heir. Who is he? I don't know. He's one of the dudes in my house. That's who's gonna get all my stuff.

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The second thing, Abram says. Hello, kids! You promised Nations? You promise? Go out, and if anyone could even try to count the Sands on the beaches, that's how many you're offspring will be. God, I know, I don't know the number of sand on the beach. I know it's bigger than zero.

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That's how many kids I have.

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Abram is struggling. God says. Go outside.

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Just take a peek. At the stars in the sky. Start count. Not sand this time, then I'll go. Go count some Stars. If you would be able to count the Stars? And Abram was doing this. Let's just note. Pre-Light pollution. When the Stars shine even brighter. If you've ever been in the middle of the like, Wilderness on a night where the Moon is not on a new moon, maybe?

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And you just see the glory and beauty of all the stars. That's what Abram's looking at here.

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You go count?

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And when you can't realize that's how many kids you had. So, God's come. He's, he said. I'll be your Shield. He's, like, well, wait, I don't have any kids God. I still don't have any kids. God says, go count the Stars. That's how many kids you'll have. And then Abram's faith for us is sund up in verse six.

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This, this may be, I think the writer of Hebrews would agree. I think a lot of sort of Apostles would agree. And I know that I'm one for hyperbole and over exact at over exaggerating. This is how God Saves. This is how our life works. This is how Abram's life work.

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This is how salvation works. So here, clearly the words of the Lord. And he Abram believed the Lord.

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So? God's. He's, like, I don't have any kids. And God says, don't worry, you'll have them. Anyone still has his doubts, and he still has his fears, and he still has his troubles, and he still has this issue that he doesn't have a kid. But he believed the Lord.

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As he's facing trial as he's facing trouble as the things he sees with his eyes. Don't match the things he hopes and Longs for in his heart. Instead of trusting his eyes and his feelings and his emotions and the situation and the circumstances and all these other things, he believed the Lord.

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So, what did the Lord do and he believed the Lord? And the Lord. Counted it to Abram. As righteousness. What does God count towards Abram's account for his righteousness? Does God count Abram's Good Deeds? Does God count the tithe he gave to Melchizedek? Does God count? His good works, his ability to conquer King kettleermer.

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Does God count anything he did as righteousness on Abram's account? The answer is no. It's. A question that we we start to think through, and it's important to Think Through questions. How were people saved before Jesus, right? Jesus came. So, how are you saved? Let me help us all out here and just make explicit what I'm saying here.

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After the Advent of Jesus, everyone is saved by putting their faith, hope, and trust in him. If anyone confessed with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

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Repent and be baptized all of you. You'll be saved. We look to Jesus in all of this. How are we saved it's through Jesus? Jesus isn't on the scene when Abram's here. How is Abram saved? The short answer is. Same way we are. By faith. Now, our faith is more crystallized and clear. We know exactly the object of our faith. It's Jesus Christ. Abram's Faith was in God, and what he had said that God had promised and those promises would come to fulfillment. But watch this. This is what gets really cool about this. Where do all of God's promises find their fulfillment?

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A little verse. It says the promises of God are yes, and amen. In Jesus Christ. So, if Abram had faith that the promises of God would come true, he put his faith in the promises. Abram's Faith was in Jesus. All who come to heaven come through Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. No one, no one comes to the father, except through him. Abram's faith. Was his righteousness, his faith. Ultimately, I would argue, was in Jesus. So, to ours, our faith is our righteousness. Our faith is in Jesus. Our faith doesn't have to be perfect. It can struggle.

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It's difficult. Abram will continue to struggle. God comes in verse 7, not just your kids will outnumber. I brought you from the ER of the Chaldeans, and I will give you this land. Not only will you have kids. I'm doubling down on children and land. On descendants and land. Verse 8 Abram still? After we've read, he believed the Lord encounted Abram. Still, struggling faith is not perfect. It is not the. It is not the force, the strength, or the Perfection of your faith. It is only and always the object of your faith. Put your faith in the promises of God, specifically, in Jesus Christ Abram's still struggling. He still trusts God, but here's what, he said, oh, Lord, how am I going to know this?

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Because you're making promises. How? Will I know? And it's here that we've sort of shift looking from looking at Abram's faith. And now, we look at. God's promise.

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God's promise. Is given to Abram. What is the promise? Well, on the surface level, it's what we've seen. It's, it's. Descendants and land. It's it's seed. That's really the literal Hebrew word for descendants here. It's it's seed and Lance. It's that you'll possess this land, and you'll you'll have your descendants. Your descendants will possess this land. That's God's promise. Ultimately. But there's something deeper going on here. And so, as we look at God's promise, I just want to watch it unfold. We start. With a sign. This is ultimately what Abram is asking for. God, how am I gonna know this?

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The easiest sign might be. Okay, God. Just brainstorming here. You said descendants, you said land? What's the easiest sign that we could do here? I got it, a kid. And some land. Give me those things.

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Maybe that's what Abram had in mind when he asked for a sign? What Abram gets?

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Infinitely better. Than just a kid in a plottled.

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What does Abram get? God says. Go get some animals. In particular. A three-year-old heifer. A feat. Three-year-old goat three-year-old Ram. A turtle dove and a pigeon.

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A cow. A goat. A ram. And two birds. Go get some animals.

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Okay.

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At the beginning of this sign. These animals. Are torn into. It's important we understand. This is not a sacrifice. It's not. What's happening here?

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There's something else going on. God is making a sign. Of his promise.

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These animals. The big ones, the cow, the goat, and the ram are torn into. It's a big deal. Like cutting a cow into? He cut them in half. Now is this with way their length place? I don't know he cut him in half. Three animals. This is a bloody mess. Gory graphic mess. As these animals are rendered into.

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So graphic of a mess? The the birds that are attracted to death are attracted to this. All the vultures. The birds of prey. The the the carrion feeding birds are like, hey. It's been a long time since we had cow, and this was actually a young cow. Usually, the cows that are dying are diseased, kind of sickly ones probably. Those are the ones. Usually, these birds get to eat. This is a buffet for them. But Abram shoes the birds away. You don't mess with God's sign. Don't get out of here. Birds, this is not for you. Something else is going on here.

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God is making a sign of his promise. God pauses.

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And God gives a prophecy. I'm studying my my class, my next to the last class in seminary guys. I'm so close to finishing seminary. Is the prophets, and so we've been studying biblical prophecy.

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There's a lot in biblical prophecy. That's sort of a big genre. But one thing? So, profits came, and they speak God's work. That's that's what made you a prophet. You, you spoke the very words of God, right? If a priest was sort of. The people's liaison to God, they bring offering. They do that sort of stuff. A prophet in function brings God's words to the people. That's very simplistic and not the whole picture, but it's a good place to start. The profit brings God's words to the people. To Abram, there is no mediator. There is no Prophet. God himself speaks the prophecy to Abram, and what is the prophecy? It's actually not a great one.

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From one point of view. Okay, God. Okay, Abram. God comes Abram. I'm gonna make a promise to you. Your your decisions will outnumber the Stars, so we got your descendants out numbering the sand and your descendants out normally the stars. And we've said already look to the north, the South, the East, the West look. Every direction this land is yours. Abram God has doubled down on both of these already. And Abram says, how will I know? And guys just bring some animals. And they're ripped in half. That's like just one sec, and I want you to know exactly what's going to go down here.

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And God prophesies. What does he say? Hey, you will die in peace Abram, and this is out of order, but these are the these are the core pet tenets of what God says to Abram. Well, you will. You'll die in peace verse 15. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace. You'll get peace. It'll be fine. Going to your fathers. This is dying. So, even in the time of Abram, we they knew of an afterlife that God would even take care of you there. You're going to go to the land of your fathers. You're gonna go die.

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In peace. It'll be good. You'll be fine.

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Your descendants. We're gonna go be slaves for. Years. Verse 13 know for certain? As certain as you are Abram, that I will bless you and keep you right, you believe me. I will counter for you as righteousness as certain as you are. That I will. Bless you and keep you multiply. You give you this land to your descent, as sure as you are of that know this. It's going to take a while 400 years. No, for certain your Offspring will soldiers a land that is not theirs and only servants there, and they will be afflicted for 400 years.

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And I will bring judgment. I, I will judge Egypt and God does read the book of Exodus. And then they'll come. Why? Verse 16, this is interesting. They shall come back here in the fourth generation for the iniquity. The amorites is not yet complete.

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You see the people who are living in God's lands? Wicked, sinful people.

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They're going to fill up their wickedness. And then you and your descendants. This is what God's saying him. Anyways, your descendants will be. The vessel of my wrath poured out upon them. So, it's going to be hard, and your people will be your. Your descendants will be in slavery. I will know that I have ordained this. I will care for them. This is all part of my plan and all part of my promise. Don't worry Abram. I got this. You'll die in peace. Your children will be slaves for 400 years.

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And.

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God does. What do you call? He, he's he solemizes. He, he cuts a covenant. Truly, this whole section is God making a covenant? And, and there's a lot going into this. I encourage you. I think I got one more copy of Palmer Robertson's the Christ of the covenants book that'll walk through some of these details for you and help you see the picture pretty clearly here. This whole thing is a covenant ceremony, but there's one thing in particular I want to zoom in on. Verse 17 of Genesis chapter 15 is is a very puzzling, very important.

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Passage of scripture. What happens? Well, Abram has come. God's made this promise, he said. I want to sign God says, got it. Get some animals, rip them in half. And then. The the scene is. These animals have been been ripped in half, and now the sun's going down and the sun goes down. Abram falls asleep, and this God is speaking to Abram in a vision here.

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And now, somehow, we bridge in verse 17. Abram's dream in reality are sort of bridged together. So, in verse 12, the sun is going down. A deep sleep fell on Abram verse 17 when the son had gone down. It was dark. Not even wake up not. I don't know exactly how this all worked out. I can't give you answers on exactly how this is exactly working out. This is what I can tell you spiritually, theologically, and for our Salvation. What is happening here? God. Symbolized here by. A smoking fire pot in a flaming torch.

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Through. The dead animals. The vision here. The picture we need to have, how helpful that we had to switch from three rows to two. Right? So this group? You're half of, you know, you're half of the dead animals, not like? You get this animal and this animal. You're the left half of all the dead animals. You guys are the right half of all the dead animals and right down the middle walks goes through here. A a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch. This is God walking through the dead animals. What does this mean? God is saying to Abram. This is the point of a covenant here.

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If I do not do what I promised?

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May. What was done to these animals be done to me?

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By walking through. The gory bloody? Mess of these dead sought into animals. God is saying, you know, I will do all that I promised. Because I will bear the reproach. If I do not?

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God's promise. Is in fact a covenant. Where he is saying, this is what I will do. This is the relationship I will enter into with you. I will be your God and I will do this. I will take care of it. Abram, you want to sign. How's this? I will walk through these animals. In ancient Covenant cutting ceremonies, you would do this, but it wouldn't be the king who walked through. It'd be the servant, and he would say to the king if I don't do what I promise you King, then this you can do. To me, God's saying, I got this. I got both sides of this promise. I'll take care of you. I'll bless you. I'll keep you. I got this.

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Just like God started when he said, fear not, I am your Shield here. At the end, he's saying, fear not, Abram. I will walk through these animals.

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I got this. You get the land. Don't worry about. The Canaanites, the kenazides, the cadbonites, the Hittites, the parasites, the refining, the ammonites, the canines and gurgocytes genocide. Don't worry about anyone in the land. Don't worry. I will do this. Tell Covenant from God works. God does it?

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The Covenant got interested with Abram. Is completely one-sided. Abram gets all the blessings. All the goodness, all the promise God gets all the work.

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God doesn't. He enters into a covenant relationship with Abram. This Covenant is an everlasting Covenant.

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For those of us who are bound to the family of God in Christ Jesus, these promises still apply to us.

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This is the joy and. Of being of the people of God. And how do we access it? Let's go back. How do we start Faith? Because by Grace, you've been saved through faith. Trust in God's precious promises. Abram wanted a sign. Okay, I'll give you a sign of some animals in too. No, it'll be difficult. There'll be some props. God prophesied. So that you knew when God's prophecy came true. The rest of everything God said will come true. And then God himself sealed the Covenant.

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When the fullness of time had come. Jesus was born. Born under the curse the law to redeem us from the curse of the law. Jesus was long prophesied. Isaiah Jeremiah limitation, Ezekiel Daniel, Jose Joel, Amos Obadai, Jonah Micah, nahum habakkuk, all the minor prophets, the entire book of The Twelve, all of them point to Jesus here in. In Genesis, we point to Jesus, every Jesus walking with the disciples, showed them in the law and the prophets in all of it, how it all pointed to him, Jesus long prophesied, and Jesus sealed the Covenant. That is Our Hope. The way God worked with Abram is the way he works with us.

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We read this story from everyone, like how incredible how amazing would it be to have God do this to have this Vision to see the animals torn into to see this? The New Testament says that that what we get to see is far, far greater than anything Abram saw for. We have seen Jesus. Look to Him, the author and Perfecter of our faith. May he save us and Deliver Us Evermore. Let's pray.