ALMIGHTY GOD AND THE EVERLASTING COVENANT

GENESIS 17 ALMIGHTY GOD AND THE EVERLASTING COVENANT.

When a person enters into a covenant relationship with God, there are certain things that give evidence of that being a fact. Our conscience is at rest when we are confident our sins are forgiven. A helpless soul has put full and complete trust in the Savior. Guilt and fear are lifted from our burdened souls because we know that Jesus died for us. Those four words are not mere words to us but are a reality by which we live. We grieve when we sin, and are concerned even when there is an inclination to do what we know is wrong. We have been crucified with Christ and have been raised to walk in the newness of life. Sin no longer reigns over us or in us. Resurrection life gives us a whole new life in which the Spirit of new life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death. The Great God, the Almighty Creator is our Covenant-keeping God. He is our Father, our Savior, our Lord.

The Bible is our charter of the covenant in which we have been made partakers of the heavenly calling. We have been sanctified by the Spirit, adopted into God’s family, given a new nature, and are pardoned eternally. All this has happened because of the covenant relationship we have with God since we were born again. His law is in our hearts, His word is our spiritual food, and His light lifts our eyes of faith above the darkness of this age to the light of His glory.

Abraham was born in sin and laden with sin the same as we are. But God established His covenant with Abraham and his seed because Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. David also was a man born with a sinful nature and he failed to always keep the terms of the everlasting covenant into which he was joined with God, but a covenant was formed with him that continues today. From his seed a King shall reign over the nation of Israel and all the world will be blessed by Him.

The covenant into which believers in Christ are brought today is not based on works. The word of God assures us this covenant is sure, because it is based on the solid rock of the word and commands of God. God has committed Himself to fulfill His promises. Our cleansing from sin and being clothed in the righteousness of Christ, has been made and ratified in Him. That establishes our place in this new covenant. When we received Him as our own Savior, the covenant blessings became ours. To reject Him means that person has no claim on any of the mercies of God.

To respond to the grace of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone as our Savior, established the terms of the covenant for us. That is all we can do. “By so much, Jesus was made a Surety of a better testament (covenant).” Believers who have humbled themselves in repentance to God and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, “live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Our Lord Jesus is the Mediator of this new covenant. He made it possible to connect us with God. Separation between us and God is gone. We are united to God through Christ. We are alive in Christ and in fellowship with God.

The wonder of the new covenant that Abraham entered with God, is that those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today, are part of the “multitude of nations” who share in the faith of Abraham. Instead of being the “exalted father” of a few when he was called Abram; when this covenant was established, he became Abraham, “the father of many (nations).” He had a whole new role that extended world wide and down through the generations of people of faith who put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Abraham learned the way of fruitfulness is up to God, not necessarily what he had expected. When we are “on our face” before the holy God, many things become clear to us. We learn there our own weakness and experience the blessings of God’s mighty strength. “I am God Almighty, walk before Me and be perfect and I will multiply thee exceedingly.” None of the promises of God are speculations Seven times God said, “I will.” When faith is truly in God alone, He will use the vessel He chooses, no matter who they are in the eyes of people. The aged, barren, free, spiritual woman was miraculously used by God to bring the desired blessing to her, her husband and to all who believe in Him. Faith learns God’s way to blessing so the praise will be of God and to God, not of man and to man.

One letter added to Abraham’s and Sarah’s names, gave a new character trait to both of them. The letter H, is a special part of the name of God. H, is the “out-breathing,” and those who are in the covenant relationship with God, are made fruitful by the out-breathing of the Holy Spirit who is in each child of faith in God. The new name brings in a new character as a result of the indwelling Spirit who forms us and uses us to carry out the plans and pleasure of God. When we are given power by the Spirit of God, we can go and bring forth “much fruit” that will remain.

In the forming of the covenant, there is one more matter to be attended to. The flesh must be judged. We are saved “from our sins,” not in or with our sins. Self-judgment has nothing to do with our salvation, but it is revealed to those who are saved, that what we once were and did, is cut off. One said, “What I once loved, now I hate, and what I once hated, now I love.” God clearly stated all of His “I will’s.” Now it is our turn: “thou shall circumcise;” “come out from among them;” “glorify God in your body and spirit;” “mortify your members.”

Fruitfulness in life is not an accident. We make choices and commitments that are fulfilled in the covenant. Obedience to God, renouncing of self-will, personal discipline are all evidences of our response to the terms of the covenant with God that we make on our part. Grace has certain demands in order to be enjoyed.

The Fresh Revelation, v.1-8. An emphasis is placed on God’s power. New knowledge always has new responsibilities that go with it. New claims on us keep us from settling down. Such times are serious because we are conscious of the privileges, we are given by God to do those things that are extraordinary. That is reason to be alert and active. Abraham himself was a changed man as “the father of many.” The land was to be an “everlasting possession, and he is to be the father of many nations. The Necessary Requirements, v.9-14. All Abraham had to do to fulfill his part of the covenant, was to obey God’s word. God was the Giver; man was the receiver – not an equal. Circumcision was to designate to Abraham and his seed they were different. They belonged to God, they were separated to God and purified before God. Separation from the world to God is the mark of the covenant of grace in which we have a part. The Further Revelation, v.15-16. Sarah’s name was changed and she was announced to be the mother of the promised seed. The Immediate Response, v.17-18. Reverence and astonishment, but full trust was Abraham’s response. He laughed in faith, not in unbelief as the news was almost too good to be true. The Full Revelation, v.19-22. God’s covenant will be established through Isaac, and that will be an everlasting covenant. Ishmael was not forgotten and was promised to be a great nation. The Loyal Response, v.23-27. Abraham immediately acted that day on God’s command. He had a new view of the character and purposes of God’s will and God’s grace.

Gen.17.

GENESIS 18 and 19 BLESSINGS AND PRIVILEGES As a person goes farther on the path of faith, it leads one farther away from the things of the world and the ways of the world, to increasing separation unto God. The nation, the community, friends and family may move away from us when we “come out from among them” and are separated to the Lord Jesus and follow the Bible. If we long for union with that which is worldly like Sodom, we will soon be seen no more among the people of God. We will be at a distance, like Lot, and those who love fellowship with the Lord and His people will not come to where we have chosen to be.

Inwardly, Lot had a mind toward what was right, but outwardly he compromised by gradual stages of departure. Self-love and the life of faith don’t go together. When the spirit of faith in Christ fades, for a time there may be evidence of faith on occasion, but soon only a glimmer of light will be seen. Then it won’t be too much longer and the light is so dim, it is forgotten that there is even any life there. The inward sense may be evident for a while, but the outward actions will be more obvious and soon that will be how one is identified. “He is just like us, so why do we need to be saved?”

Abraham was sitting in his tent door in the heat of the day. Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom in the evening. Abraham had three visitors he ran to meet, one of whom was the Lord. Lot had two angels come to him, not the Lord, and he rose to meet them and bowed low. “If any man love Me, he will keep My words and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Communion with the Lord is not possible in the sin-defiled places of the world which those away from God have chosen. Like Lot, we cannot correct or reform the world. It actually happens the opposite way, until a believer is “saved so as by fire.” All they can do with the world is “Get out!” with nothing.

We are not here to clean up the world but to save some out of the world. It is our place to dwell apart and be separated unto God. To show the life of faith is the best way we have to show light to those in darkness. Abraham dwelt apart on the heights of Mamre. Lot was in the gate of Sodom calling those who lived there “brethren.” Abraham desired communion with the Lord and the two who were with Him and it was granted. The two angels who came to Lot at Sodom, first denied the invitation of Lot. Even then they were disturbed by the men of Sodom in the darkness of the night.

Those who live in the world, pass judgment on it for the evil going on, instead of judging themselves for even being there. Abraham had One Master, only One Lord. Lot tried to serve two masters and could not satisfy either. Abraham ran out to meet the three who came to him. Lot just rose up and bowed. Abraham prepared a calf and added a fine meal, calling it “a morsel of bread.” He stood by them as a servant while they ate. Lot made them a “feast” and fed them unleavened bread. Abraham’s wife Sarah was “in the tent.” Lot’s wife was in the house, settled down and planning to stay in Sodom. Abraham stood by his guests in quiet communion. Lot went out in anxiety for his children.

When we live like the world, do the things they do in the world and talk like those in the world, we can say what we want, but people of the world will pay little attention to what we say. Even if we are a little bit different, but still linger in the ways of the world, what we preach will not bear the fire of truth. Truth from worldly lips has no power. Spiritual words from carnal lips have no weight to them. We can’t always speak to those who profess to be Christians, as if they are spiritual people. Words of assurance, of the Gospel and exhorting the life of faith, fall on deaf ears when they come from those who are like the worldly system around them.

We cannot claim grace gives us license to be self-indulgent, pleasure-seeking, materialistic people because we are Christians who have been forgiven. True Christians belong to Christ and follow Him. To claim a “little city” is a safe place, is a compromise. A Christian cannot stay in the place of compromise. When we choose to go to “the mountain” at our convenience, is far different than acting on the command and guidance of God. It is possible to fall into sin on the mountain when we act in self-will. It is hard to live on high ground when our hearts are set on “low ground” living.

A righteous man out of the mind and will of God, does damage to a lot more people than themselves. Lot’s daughters, and then the Moabites and Ammonites after them, were a corrupted people. Their seed lived in shame and grief in the wilderness beyond Jordan. It is a sad day when a person who professes to have faith in Christ, turns away from the life of faith in God to follow the ways of the world.

Genesis 18. FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD Our life with God when we are believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, involves the daily experience of “sonship” as the sons and daughters of the Living God who is now our Father. We “worship” God as our Father in spirit and in truth, and the Lord Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and living Lord. We have been given a holy “stewardship” that makes our life not only worth living now as servants of God, but makes it possible for us to lay up treasure in heaven. We have “fellowship” with God in personal life and united assembly life. We are able to share all parts of our lives with our God.

The friend of God.

The divine appearance, 1-8: as a guest of Abraham, the Lord could have fellowship and experience friendship that was visible as the Lord appeared in human form with two created angels with Him. Abraham was courteous and hospitable as he actively served the Lord and stood by as a respectful servant. The divine assurance, 9-15: God knows our names and the name of every person in Sodom as well as in Mamre. The promise of a son to Abraham and Sarah was repeated and the nearness of its fulfillment was stated. Sarah and Abraham were reminded that nothing is too hard for the Lord. She was made aware of God’s knowledge of everything, of God’s character and consequently she was afraid. The divine announcement, 16-21: a revelation was made to the friend of God. Abraham was going to be a blessing to all nations, so he needed to know why two city/states were going to be destroyed. Solemn lessons seen in things that happen to others, influence us and command our obedience. Sin has its consequences. Fellowship involved union and communion in both good and bad things. Intimacy, revelation and association are all part of fellowship.

Genesis 19. FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD. Intercession for others. Privileged position: a spiritual relationship with God is real. A sense of the presence of God is felt. Respect for God is obvious. Openness before God is normal. Accepting God’s will without question is expected. Earnest spirit: the intercessor’s compassion is obvious. Definiteness in requests is expected. Humbleness is the appropriate attitude. Confidence in God is without question. Boldness in prayer is sincere and grateful. Urgent plea: Must the unrighteous perish with the wicked? Is grace sufficient for those in the wrong place? Is there any salt at all that can prevent complete corruption? Can one believer’s influence hold back judgment on many? A believer who prays is sure “the Judge of all the earth” will do right! Divine encouragement: God does answer prayer. God will spare many for the sake of a few who believe in Him. There is power and influence in even those whose faith is weak. Deep humility: friendship with God is not a casual matter. We must never speak to God as if we were on equal footing or in a manner unbefitting to the Monarch of the universe. We must always be conscious of God’s holiness and our sinfulness; God’s greatness and our nothingness. Earnest persistence: Six times Abraham interceded for the wicked cities. Six times God answered. Abraham was concerned for Lot no doubt but Lot was where he should not have been. Natural limitation: believers can never know the extent and effect of sin. Only God knows the awfulness of sin and how it must be dealt with. God’s mercy and longsuffering in the face of human wickedness is beyond our comprehension.

A Sad Story The course of Lot’s life is a lesson for everyone who professes to be a child of God. As long as he was closely associated with a mature believer who was a man of true faith, he did pretty well as far as living as a believer himself. When it was necessary to separate because of their possessions increasing, Lot had to take responsibility for his own life and decision making.

When he pitched his tent toward Sodom, he placed himself where the temptations of city living and ungodly people were in front of him every day. Consequently, it wasn’t long before he entered the city, left tent living and settled in among the worldly people who lived all around him until it was hard to tell any difference. When the people of the city were taken captive, so was Lot and his family. When Abram rescued him, it didn’t change his mind about the world system in which he had lived. He returned to it without a hesitation and lived there the same as he did before. The whole story of Lot is full of solemn, seriously sad events that provide a warning and instruction for every believer today. The visitors, v.1-3. The two angels who accompanied the Lord to where Abraham dwelt, went on without the Lord to Sodom and found Lot in a place of importance in that wicked city. That was no place for one who is a believer in the Lord. Their first reply to his invitation to go to his place was to decline the invitation. They were there for judgment, not fellowship. The depravity, v.4-11. Human depravity seemingly knows no depths to which people are willing to go to seek satisfaction for their lust. For a believer to be willing to sacrifice his children to save his own life or that of his friends, shows how far away from the Lord a person can go. The warning, v.12-14. “Get out” of the city was the message to Lot and his family. The warning was plain. “The Lord sent us to destroy it.” Lot believed the message because he knew what Sodom was like in the eyes of a righteous person. His soul was “vexed” but his family was so used to the sins of Sodom they were tolerant of all that went on. They paid no attention to him because he had lived like the people of Sodom far too long. The deliverance, v.15-22. Lot’s urging of his wife and daughters to leave, didn’t create a sense of urgency in them. Deliverance came when the messengers of God laid hold of them and pulled them out of the city. Even when God’s servants told them to “escape to the mountain,” Lot himself was not willing to go that far. The patience and longsuffering of God is always a wonder of mercy and grace, but these have their limits. The judgment, v.23-26. Lot and those with him just got to Zoar, when the judgment of God fell on Sodom and Gomorrah. Even then, Lot’s wife was still attracted to Sodom to the extent that she did what the servants of the Lord told them not to do. She died there on the spot, even though she was outside the city. When parents are weak and yield to the world, there should be no surprise when their children do the same. The intercession, v.27-29. A man standing alone before the Lord at the break of day, had prayed the prayers of an intercessor. God answered his prayer and went even farther to save four.