God's Covenant with Abraham

Introduction

Have you ever found the Bible to be difficult to understand?

Do you see it as a series of 66 books that have no continuity or plot?

The Bible Is Unique

The Bible was written over a period of roughly 2,000 years by 40 different authors from three continents, who wrote in three different languages.

In this series, “Making Sense of the Bible”, we will be looking at what I believe are some of the most important passages of scripture.

I believe this series will help us make greater sense of the over–arching story of scripture and further understand God’s purposes for our lives.

Review: We’ve looked at Creation in Genesis 1-2 and the “Creation Mandate, God mandate for man to contribute to the common good and human flourishing. In this God is glorified.

We also looked at Genesis 3 and the Fall of Man. Man was tempted to rebel against God and the curse of sin entered the world. We are under the judgment of God needed to be saved. In this message, we saw God’s promise of deliverance to come from the “seed of woman”.

Today, we will see how God will move his redemptive purposes forward.

God’s Dealings With Man

From the Fall of Man in Genesis 3 until the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 we get the idea that God was dealing with man in a more “universal” way.

In Genesis 12 we see God now choosing to deal with man covenantally and in a much more exclusive way.

Quote: “God’s rule is both universal and covenantal. Since God created the heavens and the earth by his word and the first human couple in his image, it was inevitable that from that time onward God would exercise a loving and providential care over his creation. This can be described as his universal kingship.

However, in the Old Testament we also find God’s kingly rule identified with a particular people with whom he established a special covenantal relationship— the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

(Announcing the Kingdom (p. 22), Arthur Glasser, Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. )

Transition: This covenantal relationship will begin with a man named, Abram.

God’s Dealings With Abram

Genesis 12:1–3 NKJV

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Promises of the Covenant

God’s call to Abraham included incredible promises:

A Land

A Great Nation

Blessings

A Great Name

Blessing to those who bless

Curses to those who curse

Blessings to all families of the earth

This reveals the benevolence and generosity of God.

Abram would be blessed to be a blessings to all. Why?

It would be through Abraham’s seed, that the redemption of the world would come.

The long awaited “seed of woman” to “crush” the serpents head, from Genesis 3:15.

God’s plan to be glorified in his creation will continue through the people he “formed” from Abraham and his descendents.

Quote: “Abraham emerges within the structure of Genesis as the answer to the plight of all humankind. The line of disaster and of the “curse”, from Adam, through Cain, through the flood to Babel, begins to be reversed when God calls Abraham and says, “in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

NT Wright

Transition: What would God require from man in moving forward his redemptive purposes?

God’s Dealings By Faith

God’s dealings with mankind would require faith on the part of man.

Genesis 12:4 NKJV

So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Abram departed “in faith” that the Lord would be true to his promises.

Romans 4:16–22 NKJV

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Abraham believed God that he would have an heir when he was 100 years old and his wife Sarah was 80.

Abraham believed God when he was told to sacrifice his son Issac.

This will be the means by which God will now relate to his people–by faith.

God’s dealings with Abraham reveal to us how we are to be made “righteous” by God.

This is the pattern for “justification”. (being made right)

God’s Dealings With Us

God’s redemptive purpose which are fulfilled in Christ will also be received by FAITH.

Romans 4:23–5:2 NKJV

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

This faith involves an unwavering trust in what Christ accomplished on our behalf.

We choose to believe God’s arrangement to be justified and saved.

Romans 3:21–26 NKJV

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

It is by grace through faith we are made right with God and reconciled to his purposes for our lives!

God always does the “heaviest lifting”!

Our response is to believe!

Final Thoughts

God Moves to Covenant

With Abraham God moves from dealing with man universally to covenantally.

God Moves Forward

It is through Abraham that God will continue moving his redemptive purposes forward.

Through Abraham and the Jewish people, the “seed of woman”, Jesus Christ will come.

It is by Faith

God reveals in his dealings with Abraham that it will be by faith that man will be “credited righteous”.

Action Points

Be thankful God’s purposes will never be delayed or thwarted.

God will have his way!

Have faith in God!