Covenant Relationships Covenant Foundations. After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your

Covenant RelationshipsCovenant RelationshipsCovenant FoundationsCovenant Foundations

Covenant FoundationsCovenant Foundations

After this, the word of the LORD came to After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward…”I am your shield, your very great reward…”


But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir"- Genesis 15:1-3household will be my heir"- Genesis 15:1-3

Covenant Foundations

• Abram realizes that having Abram realizes that having material possessions is not material possessions is not enoughenough

• We were made for family We were made for family relationshipsrelationships


Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir…”from your own body will be your heir…”


……He took him outside and said, "Look up at the He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be…”shall your offspring be…”


……Abram Abram believedbelieved the LORD, and he the LORD, and he creditedcredited it it to him as righteousness- vs. 4-6to him as righteousness- vs. 4-6


• What did Abraham do to become What did Abraham do to become righteous?righteous?


He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." give you this land to take possession of it." But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can how can I knowI know that I will gain possession of it?"- vs. that I will gain possession of it?"- vs. 7-87-8


• Where are we going in this Where are we going in this relationship?relationship?

• How can I know…???How can I know…???


So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." Abram with a dove and a young pigeon." Abram brought all these to him, brought all these to him, cut them in two cut them in two and and arranged the halves opposite each otherarranged the halves opposite each other; the ; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away…but Abram drove them away…


• CovenantCovenant:: Berit= Berit= often used with often used with karatkarat to denote “cutting a to denote “cutting a covenant”covenant”

– ““May this happen to me if I break May this happen to me if I break this covenant”this covenant”


… …As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years…mistreated four hundred years…


• NOTENOTE: It won’t always go well for : It won’t always go well for God’s people. That God’s people. That doesn’tdoesn’t mean mean God’s not in itGod’s not in it

• How does this apply to Marriage???How does this apply to Marriage???


……But I will punish the nation they serve as But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age…old age…


……In the fourth generation your descendants In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites Amorites has not yethas not yet reached its full reached its full measure"- vs. 9-16measure"- vs. 9-16

In Response to “How Can I Know?”(What does it tell me about God?)(What does it tell me about God?)

• God knows the future in exact detailGod knows the future in exact detail

• God doesn’t promise comfort or easeGod doesn’t promise comfort or ease

• God does promise justiceGod does promise justice


When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a a smoking firepotsmoking firepot with a with a blazing torchblazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a that day the LORD made a covenant with covenant with AbramAbram and said, "To your descendants I give and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates"- vs. 17-19river, the Euphrates"- vs. 17-19


• Did Abram promise anything in Did Abram promise anything in this covenant?this covenant?


• God’s covenant is not conditioned God’s covenant is not conditioned upon Abraham’s aupon Abraham’s actionsctions

• God’s covenant is one of action, God’s covenant is one of action, not expectationnot expectation

Contract vs. CovenantContract vs. Covenant

Contract Covenant

End dateEnd date PermanentPermanent

ConditionalConditional UnconditionalUnconditional

Involves PART of Involves PART of a Persona Person

Whole BeingWhole Being

Covenants of God:Covenants of God:

Adamic: Adamic: ConditionalConditionalNoahic: Noahic: UnconditionalUnconditionalAbrahamic: Abrahamic: UnconditionalUnconditionalPalestinian: Palestinian: Semi-conditionalSemi-conditionalMosaic: Mosaic: ConditionalConditionalDavidic: Davidic: UnconditionalUnconditionalNew:New: UnconditionalUnconditional


• Covenants need to be reCovenants need to be reconfirmedconfirmed, , but not rebut not renegotiatednegotiated

Covenant Foundations• Abram and Sarai- nAbram and Sarai- namesames change change

due to covenantdue to covenant

• Abram- “exalted father” Abram- “exalted father” Abraham- “father of multitudes”Abraham- “father of multitudes”

• Sarai- “my princess” Sarai- “my princess” Sarah- “mother of nations”Sarah- “mother of nations”


• We don’t meet, know or marry We don’t meet, know or marry static individualsstatic individuals

Genesis 15-24Genesis 15-24• Abraham’s fAbraham’s faithaith in the Covenant is in the Covenant is

tested in every conceivable waytested in every conceivable way

– No kids for No kids for 15 years15 years or so or so– God God rejectsrejects Abraham’s attempts to Abraham’s attempts to

fulfill the promise on his ownfulfill the promise on his own– His wife is His wife is laughinglaughing at God at God– He is called to He is called to slaughter his sonslaughter his son

Genesis 15-24Genesis 15-24• Abraham’s fAbraham’s faithaith in the Covenant is in the Covenant is

tested in every conceivable waytested in every conceivable way

– God’s covenant remains intactGod’s covenant remains intact


By calling this covenant "new," he has made By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one the first one obsoleteobsolete; and what is obsolete ; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear- Hebrews 8:13and aging will soon disappear- Hebrews 8:13


• Every other relationship of Every other relationship of commitment is commitment is oobsoletebsolete compared compared to marriageto marriage

Takeaways:

• It’s good and natural to want family It’s good and natural to want family relationships. The place I start is relationships. The place I start is God…God…

Takeaways:

• It won’t always go well in the It won’t always go well in the marriage covenant. But that marriage covenant. But that doesn’t mean God’s not in itdoesn’t mean God’s not in it

• Don’t short-circuit what God may Don’t short-circuit what God may want to dowant to do

Takeaways:

• Have I allowed for change within Have I allowed for change within the other person, whether I like the the other person, whether I like the change or not? Is my love change or not? Is my love conditional or covenant?conditional or covenant?

Takeaways:

• Do I regularly reconfirm my Do I regularly reconfirm my covenant?covenant?

• Which relationships have Which relationships have precedence over my marriage precedence over my marriage relationship? Am I willing to relationship? Am I willing to confess that as sin and repent?confess that as sin and repent?

Documents

Covenant Relationships Covenant Foundations. After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your