Tag Archives: covenant

ROMANS…AN OVERVIEW-18

Bible Study, ,

For weeks we have traversed the first 8 chapters of Paul’s letter to the Romans…his presentation of God’s righteousness…what it is and how it underpins the story of redemption. Before we move into the next major section…where the Jews and Gentiles fit into this cosmic plan…I think it would be appropriate to do a panoramic overview of what we have learned so far. 

The story is not finished. There is still more to come before we dive into the ways God’s righteousness plays out in our everyday lives, but…let’s pause and reflect…

Paul begins by presenting a very dark picture of the state of the world. Gentiles, in the main, are guilty of heinous sin. They have not only rejected the knowledge of God by trading His glory for created things, worshiping creatures instead of the Creator, but they have suppressed the truth by their wickedness.  Together with this wickedness, they worship and live in keeping with the worst of the idols they have created…indulging in perversity so bad that they reverse right and wrong. 

The result, from God’s perspective, is judgment through consequences.  God allows them to become what they have chosen…people who can no longer think straight…people with reprobate minds. 

“In the Bible, a reprobate refers to a person who is morally corrupt, rejected by God, or disqualified from the faith because of persistent sin and refusal to repent. It describes someone who has failed God’s moral test and whose conscience has become debased or worthless.” (Source: Google AI)

Reprobates! Their consciences no longer function! They have no moral compass! They are dead…worthless…fit only for Gehenna…the rubbish heap where trash is burned. 

And the Jews? Oh, they are the self-righteous ones. They think they are okay because they have God’s law…as though the mere possession of His law would protect them from God’s wrath. So sorry, Jews. It doesn’t work that way. They are as guilty of sin as the Gentiles simply because they do what the Gentiles do…they also make up their own rules and live by them. 

Now, the dilemma is that there is not one single person on earth who has made it with God…not one. God is perfectly just to condemn the whole world to death. He is righteous and acts in righteousness by punishing sin. 

So, what did God do? Did he wipe out the human race and start again? No! He sent His own Son, as a human being, to do for the guilty human race what they couldn’t do for themselves. Jesus lived the sinless life humans were supposed to live…and then He died the death humans deserved to die for failing to live in obedience to God’s righteous requirements. What a trade!

The question is…how can the life and death of Jesus save us from the consequences of our rebellion? Paul launches into the story of Abraham…the man who fathered the Jewish nation. Abraham shows us how to move from condemnation to salvation…from death to life…from hell to God…by faith! 

God told Abraham what He had planned to do, to make him the father of a nation so vast that it would be like comparing them to the stars in the sky and…Abraham believed God. It was as simple as that! From that moment, Abraham was on God’s side and then… God cut covenant with him. He had inherited God’s righteousness through a transaction by faith. This means that Abraham’s obedience to God was a confirmation that he was in covenant with God and fully accepted, even if he failed at times. 

Paul then extends his explanation of God’s righteousness by showing that Jesus…whom he called “the last Adam” in 1 Corinthians, reversed what Adam, “the first Adam”, had done when he sinned. Adam’s one act of disobedience brought death to the whole human race. Jesus’ life of obedience and death for sinners undid what Adam’s disobedience had done. He, Jesus, brought righteousness and life to the many…those who received the gift by faith. 

What Jesus did means that, through God’s grace…the unmerited favour He shows to those who believe…He gives us power to overcome sin so that we can now live righteous lives. 

Next, Paul bumps into a foolish argument. Can’t we go on sinning, then, because God’s grace always provides forgiveness? No! You don’t understand! Grace doesn’t mean we can go on sinning because we have been forgiven. Grace means that we have no more need to sin. Why? Since we died to sin when Jesus died…and we testify to our own death when we are baptised…we are no longer under sin’s power. We don’t need to sin because we are under a new master…righteousness.  

The problem is that we must constantly make choices…if we choose to sin, even if we have been freed from sin’s power, we become sin’s slaves. If we choose to do the right thing…and we can because we aren’t bound by sin any more…we are slaves of righteousness. Which is better? Righteousness, of course! Sin leads to death. Righteousness leads to life and peace. 

Then there’s another problem…the law. The law triggers the old rebellious nature in us. When God says, “No!” or “Do this, not that,” our sin nature rebels. That’s how it is! Sin’s power is so strong that we get caught in its trap even if we don’t want to sin. 

So, what can we do about it? 

Faith in Jesus is the key! Paul dedicates a long explanation to show us how, by fully trusting in Jesus, we can live these new lives of righteousness through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in us. Yes, we still have the old nature but…no, we are no longer under its power. We have a new “driver” at the wheel of our lives. Which way we go depends on to what we give our minds…simply…what we think. 

The outcome of God’s righteousness…what He did to deal with our sin in keeping with who He is…is a life free from condemnation. Empowered by the resident Holy Spirit, gaining victory over the old sin nature, we learn to keep in step with the Spirit’s leading like soldiers marching in rank. 

This new life is part of a much bigger picture. Creation, and the Spirit groan together with us in anticipation of the completion of what God has begun…restoration of everything God created as good in the beginning. 

For now, we celebrate because we can live this life of trouble and suffering in the full assurance that there is nothing on, above, or under this earth that can come between God’s love and us…and us and God’s love…because of Jesus. 

One more observation…although Paul obviously wrote what the Holy Spirit had revealed to him because this was his mandate as an apostle…we cannot escape the truth that Paul’s own experience was intricately woven into the theology of this revelation. He had lived every bit of what he had written. He had learned the truth of Jesus’ words…

“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭63‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So, he writes what is both theological and autobiographical. 

To be continued

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE COVENANT – 4b

Bible Study, ,

Jesus’ life, from birth to mature adulthood, was one of steady growth in body, mind, and spirit. Since there is no record of any breach in His upbringing or behaviour, we can safely conclude that Jesus, under the watchful eye of Joseph and Mary, safely navigated these crucial years without faltering. Had He once failed, Luke would have been under obligation to report it. Jesus Himself later testified to His own perfect obedience to Father…

“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

and His sinless life…

“Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Peter testified of his Lord, after observing the way Jesus handled the greatest test of His sinlessness, the terrible injustice of His crucifixion…

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now, let’s go back to Jesus and the Mosaic Covenant. Why was it imperative that He live in perfect obedience to the covenant? The Law of Moses was the constitution that guided Israel’s government. God’s laws were an expression of His nature and His requirements for those who lived under His rule. The kings were to rule by the laws of His covenant. Despite the fact that Israel failed and rejected God’s covenant, Jesus, as a Jew, was still obliged to keep it as their human and divine king and the representative of humanity. 

Jesus came not only to fulfil the law so that it would eventually become obsolete, but also to demonstrate to His people how to obey the law, not only in letter but also in spirit. 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In His conflict with the Pharisees, Jesus accused them of being so preoccupied with the letter of the law that they ignored its true meaning…

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus showed by His words and behaviour, that the whole law is summed up in one commandment…

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ selfless love, culminating in His death, is the perfect fulfilment of the Mosaic Covenant with all its rules and rituals. 

The other, equally important reason for Jesus to obey the law was that its picture of Him, as the tabernacle/temple worship with its priesthood and sacrifices revealed, had to be carried out to perfection. Everything about the redemption from sin that Jesus came to provide is presented to His people in the rules and rituals of worship and the sacrificial system. 

The writer to the Hebrews, in chapters 7 to 10, culminating in the declaration and invitation…

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…shows how Jesus, through His life and death, according to prophecy, perfectly fulfilled every type and shadow of Himself in the Old Testament. So, the writer could conclude…

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship…First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬, ‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The outcome of Jesus’ obedience to the Mosaic Law is the new dispensation of grace, allowing sinners to approach a holy God boldly and freely because the law has been satisfied and the sinner forgiven, cleansed, and justified. The way is open for us to come to the Father as dearly loved children. 

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On this tiny, newborn baby boy, the son of Mary and the Son of God, rested the destiny of all mankind. His life and death, accomplished under the law of Moses, were to provide salvation from sin for all who believe in His name. 

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭25‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

THINGS THAT DAVID SAID – 7

Devotion, ,

GOD’S “LOVERS”

Psalms 25:14 NKJV
[14] “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.”

Psalms 25:14 NLT
[14] “The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.”

Psalms 25:14 NLT
[14] “The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.”

Two Hebrew words in this statement…”sod”, meaning “secret” or “intimate”, and “yada” meaning “to know” as in “sexual intimacy”, are the words that imply the intimacy of a husband and wife in a marriage relationship.

It’s no wonder translators differ in the way they render this verse. Could they be afraid to be as a bold and explicit as David was when he made this riveting statement? So, they tamed it down somewhat, reducing the thought of marriage intimacy between God and His most adoring worshippers, to “friendship”!

The intimacy between two people in a marriage implies both trust and transparency… a willingness to bare one another’s hearts as well as bodies, and a joining together of two souls to become one.

Have you ever wondered why God wants intimacy with His people? Like the intimacy between two people in marriage that produces new life, God has “seed” He desires to plant in the hearts of those who share intimacy with Him. God’s seed is His Word. He shares the secrets of His Word with those who fear Him to produce new life.

Amos 3:7 NIV
[7] “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”

God delights to draw us into His plans so that we can incubate the seed in our spirits through faith, and add our “amen” to what He has spoken.

Did David deliberately choose these words to describe his own relationship with Yahweh? His words are an expression of a union with God that few knew in the dispensation of the Old Covenant. Yet, there were those who came close to the kind of intimacy God yearned to have with His people.

The secrets God shared with David are scattered throughout his psalms. These are prophetic messages about the Messiah that flesh out the word picture of Jesus so accurately fulfilled in His first coming.

First, the operative condition for an experience of closeness with God is “The fear of the Lord”. David used this phrase in many of his songs, calling God’s people to express their fear of the Lord by living lives that honoured Him.

Psalms 34:11-14 NLT
[11] “Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. [12] Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? [13] Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! [14] Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”

Psalms 25:8-10, 12 NLT
[8] “The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. [9] He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. [10] The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
[12] Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose.”

These were not only David’s words. Isaiah discovered and wrote the same truth…

Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV
[5] “The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. [6] He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

One great theme of the Bible is God’s marriage to His people, concluding, in Revelation 19, with the description of the bride and the wedding of the Lamb. Like Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, who was sent to find a bride for Isaac, so the Father sent His Son to earth to seek a bride. The Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent in His place, finds and prepares her for her marriage to the Lamb, the bride He bought with His own blood.

Revelation 19:7-8 NIV
[7] “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. [8] Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people).”

So, dear children of God, don’t be afraid to seek this intimacy with the Father, through Jesus the Son, that allows you access to the secrets of His covenant. Not everyone enjoys this privilege…only those who love Him enough to live within the boundaries of His covenant. These alone will enjoy the delights of His love… the rich bounty He provides for those who fear Him. They will receive the seed of the Word and share in the unfolding of God’s purposes.

Psalms 36:7-9 NIV
[7] “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. [8] They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. [9] For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”

THE GOSPEL IN HEBREWS – 12

Bible Study, ,

The next question in this presentation of Jesus as superior to Moses and the Old Covenant is about the terms of the covenant itself and what God required of His people in that covenant.

In what way is the new covenant superior to the old? Why was it necessary for God to introduce another covenant if the first one under Moses was sufficient to regulate the lives of His people? Why does God need to set up a covenant with His people?

What is a covenant?

Meta AI provides an excellent summary…

“In its most basic sense, a covenant is a formal agreement or promise between two or more parties. It’s a binding commitment that outlines the terms, conditions, and expectations of the relationship.

Biblical Context
In the biblical context, covenants play a central role in the relationship between God and His people. A covenant (Hebrew: ברית, brit) is a solemn agreement between God and humanity, where God promises to bless, protect, and guide His people in exchange for their loyalty, obedience, and worship.

Key Elements of a Covenant

  1. “Promises”: Covenants involve promises or commitments made by one or both parties.
  2. “Obligations”: Covenants outline the responsibilities and expectations of each party.
  3. “Consequences”: Covenants often specify the consequences of failing to uphold the agreement.
  4. “Ratification”: Covenants are typically ratified or confirmed through a formal ceremony or ritual.

Types of Covenants

  1. “Unilateral covenant”: A one-sided agreement where one party makes promises without requiring anything in return (e.g., God’s covenant with Abraham).
  2. “Bilateral covenant”: A two-sided agreement where both parties make promises and commitments (e.g., a marriage covenant).
  3. “Conditional covenant”: An agreement that depends on certain conditions being met (e.g., the Mosaic covenant).
  4. “Unconditional covenant”: An agreement that is not dependent on any conditions (e.g., God’s covenant with David)…

In summary, a covenant is a formal agreement that outlines the terms, conditions, and expectations of a relationship. It involves promises, obligations, consequences, and ratification, and can be applied in various contexts, from biblical to modern-day relationships.”

A covenant, then, legally binds God and people together in an agreement that sets BOUNDARIES, conditions, and obligations and offers promises and benefits.

There is one great difference between the Mosaic covenant and the new covenant in Christ. God cut the covenant with His people at Mt Sinai with conditions, which depended on the obedience of His people to keep it. The new covenant God promised in Jeremiah 31:31ff does not depend on people’s obedience but on Jesus because He IS the Covenant and believing people are IN Him by faith.

Now let’s follow our writer’s explanation.

Hebrews 8:3-5 NIV
[3] “Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. [4] If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. [5] They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

The Mosaic covenant had priests and sacrifices that functioned in an earthly sanctuary which was a copy of the heavenly, and depended on earthly priests to carry out their obligations faithfully.

We can already discern a weakness in this system. Its value and efficacy depended on fallible humans. The history of God’s people reveals the unfaithfulness of their priests and the failure of their worship system to satisfy God’s requirements. Their sinfulness had turned their sacrifices into an excuse for sinning.

Not only were the priests themselves unfaithful to God but they also encouraged the people to sin so that they could benefit from the sacrifices!

Hosea 4:1, 7-8 NIV
[1] “Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land…
[7] The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful. [8] They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.”

What a terrible indictment against God’s priests!

The New Covenant, by contrast, does not depend on fallible humans but on the perfect obedience of our representative, Jesus.

Hebrews 8:7-12 NIV
[7]” For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. [8] But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. [9] It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. [10] This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [11] No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. [12] For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

A new covenant? Better promises? Compare the old with the new. One supreme difference… to work, the promises of the Mosaic covenant depended in the people’s obedience.

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NIV
[1] “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. [2] All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God…”

It didn’t happen!

The new Covenant’s promises depend entirely on God’s faithfulness…and Jesus, God’s Son, fulfilled and ratified all these promises.

2 Corinthians 1:18-22 NIV
[18] “But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” [19] For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” [20] For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. [21] Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, [22] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

Wow! What a difference!

Surely then, this new covenant with its better promises is as far superior to the old as the east is from the west.

Hebrews 8:6-7, 13 NIV
[6]”But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. [7] For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another…
[13] By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”

Q. E. D!

“Quod erat demonstrandum,” often abbreviated as “Q.E.D.,” is a Latin phrase meaning “that which was to be demonstrated,” used to indicate the completion of a proof or argument.” ( Google)

Not only is the new covenant better than the old, based on better promises that Jesus Himself confirms, but it is so much better that there is no more need or use for the old.

The point of this demonstration is that those who want to return to the old system of worship are actually going back to something that no longer exists. The new covenant in Christ has wiped out, deleted in modern terms, the need for the old. So why go back to something that exists only in history? The idea is as foolish as wanting to go back from modern forms of transport to old-fashioned animal-drawn carts and chariots!

To be continued…

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH – 5

Bible Study, ,

And so, God moves on with His preparation of the man who would become the father of His chosen nation. Undaunted by Abraham’s failure, He begins the next phase of Abraham’s growth in faith and obedience. With the memory of the years of pain his unbelief had brought into his family, Abraham listens carefully to every detail of God’s instructions, determined, this time, to stick to the plan.

‭Genesis‬ ‭17:1‭-‬8‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. [2] I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” [3] At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, [4] “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! [5] What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. [6] I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! [7] “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. [8] And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

“El Shaddai” is an unusual name for God. He uses this title to cement His promises and the covenant He cut with Abraham years before. We must remember that the sequence of chapters in the Bible disguises the interval of years between God’s revelations to Abraham. Many years had passed in which Abraham had opportunity to live out the life God had revealed to him.

Oh yes! El Shaddai! The two letters of el, of course in ancient Hebrew, an ox head and a shepherd’s staff, convey the idea of the mighty one who has authority. “Shaddai” ‭is made up of two pictures, two teeth and
the curtains in the tent that hang down from a rod to form the door of the tent. What did Abraham see in his mind’s eye?

Two things that dangle. What came to mind from that mental picture? The two teats of the goat’s udder. What did the goat’s udder do? It provided nourishment for its offspring! So, what did El Shaddai mean to Abraham? “I am the powerful one who has authority and I will nourish (take care of and provide for) you.” What a revelation and what a promise!

Two requirements… serve me faithfully and live a blameless life! How did Abraham interpret those instructions? God would flesh out His teachings centuries later to Ahraham’s descendants at Mount Sinai. For now, it was enough that he stick with God and not get involved with the wicked, idolatrous Canaanites. God’s moral requirements were already written on his conscience, as with all people.

The ratification of God’s covenant was to be a physical sign, written in the bodies of every male descendant of Abraham, circumcision.

‭Genesis‬ ‭17:9‭-‬13‬ ‭NLT‬
[9]”Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. [10] This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. [11] You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. [12] From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. [13] All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.”

Despite Abraham’s attempt to rationalise the promise of a son through Sarah by offering Ismael instead, God was adamant. No, not Ishmael by Hagar. Sarah’s age and barren state was no obstacle to Him. Abraham had to ramp up his faith to believe in the birth of a baby through two barren old people!

‭Romans‬ ‭4:17‭-‬19‬ ‭NLT‬
[17] That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. [18] Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” [19] And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.”

Fortunately, God’s perspective is different from ours. We would have censured Abraham for doubting God’s promise, but not God. He saw the end and considered Abraham’s faith acceptable and secure.

‭Romans‬ ‭4:20‭-‬22‬ ‭NLT‬
[20]”Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. [21] He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. [22] And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.”

And so, Abraham takes, another leap of faith by circumcising every last male in his household.

‭Genesis‬ ‭17:26‭-‬27‬ ‭NLT‬
[26]”Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, [27] along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.”

No one escaped the knife that day!

To be continued….