Abraham - pt 4 Cutting of the Covenant Recap: - Abraham's faith was not perfect, but God kept his promises to Abraham. - Abraham did not receive everything that God promised him in his life, but Hebrews: he received those things from a distance, believed God kept his word. - Abraham believed God's promises and God counted his faith as righteousness He shows how we come into right relationship with God: by believing in his promises - specifically his promise that if you believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and was raised to life as God accepted Jesus' sacrifice, You are forgiven for your sin and are in right standing with God.
God's Covenant with Abraham Two parties would come to an agreement. Certain practices were common. Foreign to us, but not to the patriarchs. It was like a treaty between two nations.
Genesis 15:7-10 7. I brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans - God saved Abram from godless (Babylon). We are rescued from godless life, empty of meaning, empty of direction, empty of purpose. We are rescued from empty promises of money, success, sexual immorality. We are rescued from God's judgment on godlessness.
Genesis 15:11-16 11. Birds of prey appear, an evil omen. They represent opposition to the covenant. Probably represent Egypt who will oppose the covenant and try to keep God's promise from being fulfilled. But nothing can stop God from doing what He intends
Isaiah 14:27 - For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?
Romans 8:31b - If God is for us who can be against us?
Romans 8:35, 36-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God's promises to us will persevere through trouble, suffering, our sin. Not even death can keep God from fulfilling his promises to us.
Great darkness, smoke and fire (v. 17). Foreshadowing of God coming to Israel at Mount Sinai in glory to give the Law and led Israel in the desert by a pillar of smoke by day and fire by night.
400 years as slaves.
Abram will live a good life
Iniquity of the Amorites is not complete. In the book of Judges, God will give Israel the land of the Canaan. He will use Israel to judge them and take their land. But in his patience, God waits. He gives Canaanites time, to repent, but he knows they won't.
2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God is patient, but we know that the time for his patience will run out. He is just and he will not leave the world to plunge deeper and deeper into darkness. His patience will give way to his justice one day. Be ready.
Genesis 15:17-21 17. Smoke, fire - represent God - his holiness, zeal for righteousness, his judgment "Passed between the pieces" in a covenant, parties might walk between the cut sacrifices as a curse for not keeping to the promises: "if I do not keep this covenant, may this be done to me." If the smoking pot and torch represent God on this covenant walk, where is Abram? What does it mean that God alone walked the covenant? God intended to keep the whole covenant. Foreshadow of Jesus, who we broke the covenant, he bore the curse and was slaughtered for us.