Progress of Redemption #08 — David Shirley

The Abrahamic Covenant and Humanity’s Alienation from God

The Abrahamic covenant is so important because of the need for why God was speaking at the time he revealed himself to Abraham. Man is alienated from God. The Bible is clear in the first 11 chapters about man's nature and man's choice alienated him from God.

And so the need at this time is to know that God has a plan for man. Amos said in chapter 3 verse 7,. Surely the Lord does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants, the prophets. Jeremiah said I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord.

Plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and the hope and expected end. And so we see that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. God came and spoke to Abraham as a friend and clearly revealed to him promises things that God intends to do for his friend.

Faith, Grace, and the Futility of Self-Effort

Now the wrong response which Abraham involved himself in was trying to do for himself what God said that he would do as his friend. In the New Testament we call this works but when God says he'll do something he does it and God doing it is what we call grace.

And the right response that God expects is for us to wait for God to do what he said he would do and to expect God to do it. Walking by faith is trusting God to do what he said he would do. We may say I can't do it.

God never said you could do it. He said he would do it. I can't live the Christian life. No one can but Christ within can. Christ in us. The hope of glory. Well back to the importance of the Abrahamic covenant.

The Abrahamic Covenant and Salvation by Faith

The covenant is important because of its bearing on the doctrine of salvation. We as believers enter into the blessing that was promised to Abraham in Galatians chapter 3 beginning in verse 13 it says Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written curse it is everyone who hangs on a tree in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith.

Brethren I speak in terms of human relations even though it's only a man's covenant yet when it has been ratified no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.

He does not say into seeds as referring to many but rather to one and to your seed that is Christ. What I'm saying is this the law which came 430 years later does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God.

Now we know from what Jesus said in John 8 58 it was ratified in eternity for Jesus said before Abraham was I am and so it was previously ratified by God in eternity. So as to nullify the promise for if the inheritance is based on law it's no longer based on a promise but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.

You see God spoke to Abraham as his friend this is what God's going to do for Abraham as his friend. Why the law then? It was added because of transgressions having been ordained through angels by the agency of the mediator until the seed that is Christ should come to whom the promise had been made for the promise was made to Christ.

Now a mediator is not for one part only whereas God is only one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be for if the law had not been given which was able to impart life then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.

But the scripture has shut up all men under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came we were kept in custody under the law being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed therefore the law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ that we may be justified by faith.

But now that faith has come we are no longer under a tutor. We've graduated the pedagogue that taught the children the moral code watched over them until they were mature. Well Christ has come with a mature and most wonderful moral code grace and truth and that love of Christ constrains us to love God and to love man.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus for all of you who are baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There's neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free man.

There is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus and if you belong to Christ then you are Abraham's offspring heirs according to the promise. And so we see here how important the Abrahamic covenant is to South Asia and Paul continues his argument based on the same covenant promise that's made with Abraham in chapter 4 in verse 22 he says for it is written that Abraham had two sons one by the bondwoman one by the free woman.

Hagar, Sarah, and the Contrast Between Works and Promise

But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh and the son by the free woman through the promise. In other words God did it. It was a supernatural birth the birth of Isaac. It was the promise that God said he would do and God did do.

This is allegorically speaking for these women are two covenants one proceeding from Mount Sinai that is the law burying children who are to be slaves. She's Hagar. She pictures the covenant at Mount Sinai where the mountain was quaking and it was so obvious that God's holiness had been offended that our sin had alienated and separated us from God.

Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia corresponds to the present Jerusalem for she is in slavery with her children but the Jerusalem above is free she is our mother. In other words the one according to the promise that is Sarah.

For it is written rejoice therein woman because Sarah was who does not bear break forth and shout you who are not in labor for more are the children of the desolate than of the one who has a husband and you brethren like Isaac are children of promise.

But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the spirit so it is now also. But what does the scripture say? Cast out the bondwoman and her son that is cast out the self-effort the works of man that hate grace and hate receiving by faith what God has done.

Those attempts to help God they caused more problems than they did for Sarah caused more problems for her and her son than anything else. And that's the whole reason for Israel's trouble today is that they're seeking the blessing after the flesh and still not seeking it after the spirit.

And so it is now also cast out the bondwoman and her son for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman. So then brethren we're not children of a bondwoman but of the free woman.

Christ as the End of the Law and Giver of the Spirit

Christ is the end of the law for us and for everyone that believes he makes us righteous. Paul stated that so clearly in Romans 10 4. And so we can exercise our freedom it's governed by our relationship to God through Christ and our relationship to men through Christ.

And the world desperately needs to see the life that we have in. And so the Abrahamic covenant is extremely important because it is the basis upon which we receive the promise of the spirit and are able to live that promised life the life of God in Christ.

The Resurrection and God’s Covenant Promises

But it's also important in reference to the doctrine of the resurrection when God revealed himself in Exodus chapter 3 verse 14 and 15 notice how he reveals himself. And God said to Moses I am who I am.

He said thus shall you say to the sons of Israel I am has sent me to you. And God furthermore said to Moses thus you shall say to the sons of Israel the Lord the God that is the Yahweh the Elohim of your fathers the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob has sent me to you.

This is my name forever and this is my memorial name to all generations. God had entered into a relationship and was going to fulfill these promises no doubt to the seed of Abraham through Christ but also God was in relationship with all of Abraham's seed and Isaac's seed and Jacob's seed and you know from Abel to Enoch to Abraham to Sarah to all of them and so many others that died in faith and so we read that all these died in faith without receiving the promises but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth and so many people throughout the old testament who desired a better country a heavenly one and God's not ashamed to be called their God for he's prepared a city for them and he's talking about old testament saints as he marches through history these who have desired the city and God has prepared it for them but they didn't receive the promise during their time.

So isn't it necessary for God to raise these people from the dead in order to fulfill the promise that he made to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob and to all these old testament saints. Well of course it is Jesus the day that the Sadducees came to him.

Jesus and the Sadducees on the Resurrection

In Matthew 22 it says on that day some Sadducees who say there is no resurrection came to him and questioned him. They only accepted the Pentateuch the first five books and they said you couldn't prove the resurrection from the law.

They were wealthy aristocrats the governing class. And they said to Jesus teacher Moses said if a man dies having no children his brother is next to kin shall marry his wife raise up an offering or an offspring to his brothers.

Now there were seven brothers with us and the first married and died and having no offspring left his wife to his brothers who also the second and the third and the seventh and last of all the woman died in the resurrection.

Therefore whose wife of the seven shall she be. For they all had her. But Jesus answered and said to them you're mistaken. You're you're misinformed uh not understanding the scriptures or the power of God in the resurrection.

They neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the resurrection of the dead have you not read that which was spoken to you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

God is not the God of the dead referring to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all those who been from their loins. God is not the God of the dead but of the living. And when the multitudes heard this they were astonished at his teaching.

And that's what Jesus could say in John 8 58 before Abraham was I am and Abraham was still alive and the promises will still be fulfilled to him and to his seed Christ. And uh no doubt uh we see why later in the New Testament uh in Acts chapter 26 Paul ties together the promise of the fathers with the resurrection of the dead.

Paul’s Defense and the Hope of Resurrection

And he says in Acts 26 beginning verse 6 he says. And now and he's standing before Adripa given his defense. And he says I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. Now which promise is he talking about he's standing on trial.

Paul says for the hope of the promise made by God to the fathers the promise to which our 12 tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope oh king I am being accused by Jews.

But why is it considered incredible among you if God does raise the dead. And so Paul is tying together the promise that was made to Abraham and to the fathers. And he says it's a hope that all the tribes the 12 tribes are hoping to attain to and God will fulfill his covenant promise concerning this so that the Abrahamic covenant is extremely important in terms of salvation and thus receiving the promise of the spirit.

It's also important in terms of the resurrection because the resurrection is based on the promise made to Abraham. And we saw that clearly when Abraham because of his relationship to God it says he had received the promises and he offered up Isaac and that was indicative of his total trust and the relationship that he had with God believing that if God needed to God would raise Isaac from the dead.

The Abrahamic Covenant and Eschatology

The Abrahamic covenant has a lot to do with eschatology and the future in terms of God's program and God's plan. Because in Genesis 12 1 and in chapter 13 14 and 15 and verse 17 God promises a national homeland to Abraham this and to his seed that is to Christ.

So the the Palestinian covenant that we looked at which has to do with the restoration to the land found in Deuteronomy 30 and Ezekiel 20 is a promise really made to Christ the seed of Abraham that belongs to Christ and it will be fulfilled.

The promise to Abraham will be fulfilled in the Palestinian covenant it will be fulfilled and made to Christ the seed of Abraham. And also the blessing that was promised to Abraham in Genesis 12 and verse 3 is fulfilled there.

And the new covenant will bring about a spiritual blessing and a redemption. We read in Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews chapter 8 how that in the new covenant particularly with reference to Israel there will be a complete new heart and a redemption because of the promise that was made to Abraham that promise will be through Jesus Christ.

Abraham had many descendants numerous descendants were promised to him like the stars of heaven specifically the seed would be his. And the Davidic covenant that we looked at has to do with promises of the theocracy the throne this dynasty that develops from the Davidic covenant goes all the way back to the promise made to Abraham in chapter 12 verse 2 chapter 13 verse 16 chapter 17 2 through 6.

And so the Davidic covenant will help fulfill those promises made to Abraham. You can read it in 2nd Samuel 7 in Jeremiah 33 and 31. And so the Abrahamic covenant is extremely important. Think of the provisions that God has promised to Abraham.

The Provisions of God’s Promise to Abraham

The word provision means to see beforehand things that the alpha and the omega the one who knows the beginning and the end looked forward and with provision saw what was needed and he's provided it. And so the provision to Abraham that his name would be great in all the earth that a tremendous and great nation would come from him that he would be the father of it that the blessing would be so great that all the families of the earth would be blessed.

And he says this is to thee to you Abraham and to his seed he would give this promised land that he might inherit it forever and that the number and the count of his seed would be as the dust of the earth would be a multitude of people and whoever blesses him would be blessed and whoever curses him would be cursed.

And as the father of many nations kings would come from him and he'd have a great line of kings from his loins. And the covenant that God is making with him God says is an everlasting covenant. And this land of canyon will be an everlasting possession and God will be a God to him and to his seed after him and his seed shall possess the gate of his enemies and in his seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

Tremendous promises made to Abraham. Now many of the debates about Abraham have to do with whether this covenant is a conditional covenant or whether it's an unconditional covenant. There is a conditional element in the covenant.

Abraham’s Obedience and the Unconditional Covenant

Um when Abraham was living in the home of Terah who was an idolater according to Joshua 24 2 God spoke to him and commanded him to leave that land the land of Ur even though it was he didn't know where he was going.

He was going to go to a strange land. Hebrews 11 8 says that Abraham accepted that challenge and he stepped out and in obedience he followed the voice of God. Genesis 11 and verse 31 says that he journeyed to Haran.

Of course he did take some of his family with him. And when we read we don't see anything about him receiving or realizing any of the promises there while he was in Haran. It wasn't until later in Genesis 11 32 it tells us that after his father died after Terah died Abraham begins to realize the promise of God.

And so after Terah dies God takes Abraham into the land. And that's where we see it in Genesis 12 and verse 4. And God reaffirms the promise that he made to Abraham in verse 7. And so it's important to recognize the relationship here between Abraham and God.

And what's going on in terms of the covenant God would institute God would put into effect this covenant but it depended on Abraham doing this one act of obedience and leaving the land and following him.

And so Abraham did that and God made this covenant that's irrevocable and unconditional with Abraham. And so this obedience of leaving and following the voice of the Lord. And it's what's really referred back to when we get to Genesis 22 18 and we see Abraham offering Isaac.

That is evidence that Abraham's attitude and relationship toward God is that God will fulfill this covenant even if he has to raise Isaac from the dead. And so the whole covenant made to Abraham hinges on this one condition.

Abraham must leave his homeland because he's going to another land the land of promise and he's not going to get any revelation until he's obedient to that command that happens after the death of his father.

And when he enters into the land of Canaan then the Lord immediately gives Abraham the promise of possessing the land in Genesis 12 7. So now that Abraham has met that condition then we don't find God asking Abraham for any further conditions God is going to do the rest.

Genesis 15, Circumcision, and the Certainty of the Covenant

In Genesis 15 and verses 7 through 21 we read about how God ordered Abraham to do this ritual of the shedding of blood and killing these heifers and passing between the parts of the sacrifice and God did this in order to give Abraham an assurance so that Abraham would know for certain that his seed would inherit the land and specifically the boundaries that God had given there in verses 18 through 21 when it says that on that day when Abraham walked through these pieces and this was Solomonized God made a covenant with Abraham saying to your descendants I've given this land that is from the river of Egypt as far as the great river the river Euphrates the Kenite the Kenazite, the Kadmonite, the Hittite, the Pterzite and the Rethium and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Gergesite and the Jebusite.

And so if you go back and study a little bit of the history and geography you can find out that this is the land that is promised to Abraham and to his seed. Then we see that God gives the visible sign of circumcision in Genesis 17.

Now this is given after the promises are made and circumcision is not what gives him to the land it's just a sign a distinguishing mark that you're one of the ones that's looking for the promise of God to be fulfilled.

And of course God is faithful even when we remain faithless. But the covenant promises made to Abraham were then in chapter 17 verse 19 reiterated to Isaac and then again later to Jacob in chapter 28 verses 12 through 13 he confirmed these promises again.

And so it's important to note that God keeps reiterating the covenant promise and that's in spite of several acts of disobedience along the way even Abraham himself had strayed away from the perfect will of God.

So now that Abraham has obeyed and left the land and he has that unconditional promise God is going to do it. And even if Abraham himself is not quite totally faithful in every way God is still going to do it.

I mean we get in Jeremiah 31 and verse 36 there are confirmations of the covenant given in the midst of terrible apostasy. And again if we go to the New Testament and we read Hebrews chapter 6 verses 13 through 18 we'll see that it concurs with Genesis 15 8 through 21 that this covenant given to Abraham is an immutable covenant.

It has been confirmed by the oath of God. In Hebrews 6 13 it says. For when God made the promise to Abraham since he could swear by no one greater he swore by himself saying I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.

And thus having patiently waited he obtained the promise. And that's how you obtain it waiting patiently until the fruit appears for men swear by one greater than themselves and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.

Well in the same way God desired even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his purpose interposed with an oath in order that by two unchangeable things in which it's impossible for God to lie we may have strong encouragement.

We who have fled for refuge and laying hold of the hope set before us. And so this promise and this hope this oath that's unchangeable and immutable and unconditional to Abraham is now also received by us.

God Alone Confirms the Covenant

The promise is received by faith in Christ who is the seed of Abraham. And so we see. This is really why Genesis 15 talks about Abraham entering and preparing these animals for sacrifice because God was willing to condescend to come down to the level of man.

And as the custom of the Chaldeans was uh God in this solemn manner of confirming an oath in swearing and even passing through these pieces of sacrifice God made it a sure solemn strong encouragement that what he promised to Abraham he would perform.

Now we know that the way this covenant relationship worked um is that they would be bound by blood to fulfill the relationship. And if someone breaks the covenant then they would be required to pour out their blood.

And even as the blood of the animals that bound them in the covenant had been poured out their blood would be poured out if they broke the covenant. But notice that when it comes time to enter into the covenant God puts Abraham to sleep so that Abraham can't even really be participating in the covenant he can only wake up and be a recipient of the covenant to which he brought nothing in the way of any obligation.

It's something that God is going to do. And this is the nature of the covenant that God made with Abraham. God alone walked through the pieces of sacrifice and that was a symbol it was a representation of himself and not Abraham.

For it was the seed of Abraham Christ the very son the beloved son of God who would die and shed his blood. And God walked through that oh God condescended to man. No wonder in the new testament of Philippians 2 we read that although Christ was in the form of God he emptied himself and he humbled himself became obedient to the point of death even death on the cross.

These promises that God solemnly made to Abraham and to his seed to Christ will all come to pass because God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow for those in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Faith, Obedience, and the Fulfillment of Promise

Isn't it good to know that God has blessed us. Not because we're worthy or because we're faithful but because he is worthy and he is faithful he has done for us what we could not do. He is the only promise keeper there is no other.

And so imagine having such exceeding great and precious promises that are made to us. But then you can't really enjoy them. Unless you do enter into faith and obedience. God's going to do his part regardless.

But um for us to enjoy what God has promised us we must act in faith. We must obey God. That's why Jude says keep yourselves in the love of God. It's not like that God's love runs out somewhere. God's love is unconditional it's unlimited it's eternal.

We can't quench the of God. But we must keep ourselves in that place and position where we can receive the love that God wants to pour out. If God or your father promised you something some special gift and at a certain time and they promised to do it and they said they'd keep their word and do it.

When you turn 18 years old they're going to do it. And yet a day before your 18th birthday you do something horrible and illegal and you get thrown into jail. Well they still go and do what they promise to do because they gave their oath and they gave their word they do it.

But what goods it do you. In the sense that if you're in jail and if you're held captive and so we should keep ourselves in the love of God and we should have faith and we should have obedience because by this we're going to enjoy the promises that God has made to us.

The Literal Death and Resurrection of Christ

We need to consider the fact that the death of the Messiah Jesus Christ was literally fulfilled. Jesus actually died he actually came a man he actually shed his blood he actually was buried he he was he raised from the dead the third day.

And so if he really did die then that which flows from his death and resurrection will be literally fulfilled also and as we look at all the different sections and portions of the Abrahamic covenant and see that they've all been fulfilled and done so literally then those parts that are left to be filled will be fulfilled the same way literally Jesus was speaking to the descendants of Abraham even according to the flesh in Matthew 21 43 when he said therefore I say to you the kingdom of God shall be taken away from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

And what's going to be taken away from them is the kingdom of God that is the true faith in God. And so because they had rejected the Messiah when he came they couldn't enter into the kingdom of God. Jesus had told Nicodemus in John 3 except a man be born again he can't even see the kingdom of God.

And so the kingdom of God was taken from this generation to whom the Lord was speaking. And yet it's going to be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And yes that could be in a sense any generation turn into Christ.

But ultimately we know that there will be a generation in the future among the nation of Israel a generation who will turn to the Lord and they will fulfill this in the strict sense. You just wonder why and what explanation is there for the phenomena of the continuance in existence of the nation Israel it should have been wiped out a long time ago.

They've been through what no other nation has been through many times again uprooted and planted taken from their land and planted into other cultures. And they still keep coming back. And I think that's what Paul refers to in Romans chapter 11 and verse 26 and 27 when he says.

And thus all Israel will be saved just as it's written the deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. Now Paul's writing this after Jesus Christ has died risen gone to heaven sent the Holy Spirit.

And worldwide evangelism is taking place because there's nothing too difficult for the Lord and God is going to come and take away their sins. And that generation along with every other generation that produces the fruit will see the kingdom of God.

Justification by Faith in Romans 4

When God says he'll do something he does it. In Romans 4 we read. What shall we then say that Abraham our forefather according to the flesh has found. For if Abraham was justified by works he has something to boast about but not before God.

For what does the scripture say. And Abraham believed God and it that is his faith in God was reckoned to him as righteousness. Now to the one who works his wage is not reckoned as a favor but what is due.

But to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly his faith is reckoned as righteousness. Just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works.

And then he quotes Psalm 32 that goes with Psalm 51. Because of David's adultery and because of his murder David found forgiveness. And so that was apart from works. And David said blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered.

Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account. The blessed man here is not the one who has great works but the one who's been covered by faith because of the promise of Jesus Christ.

This is the work of God that you believe. That you rejoice that your name is written because of Jesus Christ. Is this blessing then upon the circumcised or upon the uncircumcised. Also for we say faith was reckoned Abraham as righteousness.

How then was it reckoned while he was circumcised or uncircumcised. Not while circumcised but while uncircumcised. See it really happened about 14 years later and he received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised that righteousness might be reckoned to them.

And the father of circumcision to those who not only are circumcision but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

400 years before the law Abraham was promised to be heir of the world and not only Abraham. It says here to Abraham or his descendants plural. And so he's not referring just to the seed singular that seed of Christ but to the whole lineage of Abraham plural.

Here they were promised the world through the righteousness of faith the faith of Abraham. For if those who are of the law heirs faith is made void and the promise is nullified for the law brings about wrath but where there's no law neither is there violation.

For this reason it's by faith that it might be in accordance with grace in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants. And he's been talking about whom the descendants of Abraham the plural descendants and not just the singular.

There's one sure way and no other way is certain except this faith way because circumcision was just a seal of the faith relationship. It's sort of like baptism today. Baptism doesn't save you but it's a sign and it's a seal of the relationship that you have.

And so it's by grace in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants 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 a father of many nations have i made you in the sight of him whom he believed even god who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

And so i mean these are things that god had determined way back when he covenanted with his son in eternity that they would come to pass and they will come to pass because god can call into being that which even does not exist.

Abraham’s Faith Against Human Impossibility

And so in hope against hope he believed that is without evidence he still believed in order that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken so shall your descendants be.

And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old. And he contemplated the deadness of sarah's womb. And so he looked at the situation he faced the facts that existed and they were some pretty difficult facts to try to deal with.

And i can't imagine there could be any way he could try in his head to figure out how god would do this thing. And it says. Yet in spite of that with respect to the promise of god he did not waver in unbelief but he grew strong in faith giving glory to god.