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The Making of a Covenant
The Meaning
of Covenant
The primary
root of the word covenant means, “eat bread with.”
Covenant is
Entered by Two or More Parties
One does not
make a covenant with himself!
The Covenant
Between God And Abraham
For the
first time ever, in Genesis 15:1, we read the words:
Fear Not
Abraham
needed this reassurance after his actions in chapter 14!
- He had made some powerful enemies!
In verse 2 Abraham reminds God that he
remains childless!
The Three
Great Words
In Genesis
15:6 we are introduced to the Bible’s first mention of the three great words that
established the covenant between God and Abraham.
Believed
Abraham was not the first person to believe God.
Abraham’s faith was going to be used as a pattern for
faith!
It does not
say that Abraham pleased God, or that Abraham appeased God; but that he believed in God!
Counted
This means
added to one’s account!
Righteousness
Right
Clothing
Assurance of
The Possession of The Promise
When Abraham
asked how he could know he would possess the promised land, God said…
Bring me a
Heifer
The question
comes from a program of legal advice.
The answer
comes from a broadcast of the department of agriculture.
Covenants
Were Ratified Between The Pieces of Covenant Animals
- God himself passed between the pieces!
- The covenant was announced in Genesis 12:1-4!
- The covenant was confirmed in Genesis 13:14-17; 15:1-7!
The covenant was legally ratified in
Genesis 15:8-18!
The New Covenant
The term
“new covenant” necessarily implies an “old covenant.”
Several
passages in the prophets, but most explicitly in Jeremiah, speak of a new covenant in the
messianic age.
Jeremiah
31:31, 33; 32:40; 50:5
The Promises of God Cannot Fail
Even though
Israel failed and suffered the curses of the broken covenant, the blessings of the
covenant cannot fail to come to pass!
There Must
be a Remnant
By way of
judgment and repentance, God would honor his promises!
New Covenant: Not in Essence; But in Fulfillment
Behold, I
will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my
fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause
them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will
give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them,
and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that
I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts,
that they shall not depart from me. Jeremiah 32:37-40
And they
shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have
dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their
children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant
with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the
midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their
God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify
Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. Ezekiel 37:25-28
What
is a Remnant Church?
A remnant
church consists (though not necessarily exclusively) of people who came out from under an
old new covenant in order for God to bring the blessing of that covenant to fruition!
This would
not exclude the fulfillment of prophecies that had gone before!
- A remnant church is a body of believers operating under
the new covenant!
- A remnant church prevails because of the three great
words!
- A remnant church looks to Christ as the ratifier of the
covenant!
They know they will inherit the promise
because Jesus has ascended!
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