Abraham:THE GOD OF THE EVERLASTING COVENANT

THE GOD OF THE EVERLASTING COVENANT

Date August 10, 2014

Scripture Reference Genesis 17:1-27

from the series Abraham

Scripture Reading

Let us rise to our feet and together read Genesis 17:1-27

17 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

² And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

³ And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

⁴ As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

⁵ Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

⁶ And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

⁷ And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

⁸ And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

⁹ And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

¹⁰ This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

¹¹ And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

¹² And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

¹³ He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

¹⁴ And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

¹⁵ And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

¹⁶ And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

¹⁷ Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

¹⁸ And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

¹⁹ And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

²¹ But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

²² And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

²³ And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

²⁴ And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

²⁵ And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

²⁶ In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

²⁷ And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

This is the word of the Lord. 

Thanks be to God. 

May the sweet Holy Spirit add blessings to our text this morning.... Amen! 

You may be seated in God's Presence. 

Introduction

Some fourteen years had past since God last spoke to Abraham. Not since his disobedience in the matter of Hagar had Abraham heard the voice of God. The times of His silence are most devastating when they come our way. We need to learn that our disobedience almost always brings His silence.

In this passage, the Lord speaks again. When He does it is to reveal even more of the details of His covenant with Abram. Here we have the opportunity to learn more about the faithfulness and work of God in the lives of His people. This passage allows us to catch a glimpse of The God Of The Everlasting Covenant. 

Sermon

As we look into the details of this passage, may take this opportunity to learn more about the God we serve. May we be reminded that He is a God Who keeps His Word and works out His will "according to the counsel of His own will.",(Eph. 1:11).

I. V. 1-5 THIS GOD'S NEW REVELATION

A. V. 1 A Revelation Of His Person

For the first time, God reveals Himself as "the Almighty God". This name is from the Hebrew name "El-Shaddai". It carries the idea of "Nourisher; Strengthener; Satisfier." It identifies God as being the "All-sufficient One". There is a tenderness in this name because the word "Shaddai" comes from the Hebrew word for "breast". Just as a baby receives strength and nourishment from its mother's breast, so the children of God receive all they need from the hand of the "Almighty God".

(Note: Because God is "the Almighty God" He demands that His people walk before Him in "perfection". This is a command to walk in righteousness and holiness before Him, 1 Pet. 1:16.)

B. V. 2-4 A Revelation Of His Promise

God simply reminds Abram of the promises He has made to him in the past. God will make of him a great nation and He will bless Abram.

(Note: God's revelation and reminder cause Abram to fall at His feet in worship! Would to God the Lord's people would see His blessings as a catalyst to worship and praise.)

(Note: v. 4 "As for me" indicates that this covenant is one-sided. God will bless Abram because He wants to! In other words, the covenant is good because it depends on God and not man! Thank God, our salvation is in His hands and not ours, 1 Pet. 1:5.)

C. V. 5 A Revelation Of His Plan 

Here, Abram receives a name change. His name is changed from "Abram", which means "Exalted Father", to "Abraham" which means "Father Of A Multitude". The reason for this lies in the fact that God has made Abraham the father of a numberless multitude. Of course, to Abraham it does not appear that this is the case. However from God's perspective, it is a done deal! Notice the words "I have made thee." Even though Abraham couldn't see it, God had already completed His plan through Abraham.

(Note: Life is never like we think it is! All we can see are the obstacles and the trials that we face in life. However, God sees our present as well as the future that He has already accomplished. The essence of faith is merely walking in the present, holding in your hands the things God has placed in the future, Heb. 11:1! Whatever you may be facing this evening, God has already taken care of it for you. You merely have to be patient until you arrive at that time where His provision is manifested. Ill. Elijah - at the dry brook and the widow's house - 1 Kings 17.)

(Note: No wonder Abraham worshiped the Lord! If we ever got a grip on all that He has done for us, we too would glorify Him in praise, adoration and worship!)

I. THIS GOD'S NEW REVELATION

II. V. 6-8; 15-22 THIS GOD'S NEW REASSURANCE

A. V. 6 Concerning His Fruitfulness 

God promises Abraham Children, Crowds and Crowns. God promised him things that, at that moment in his life, he couldn't even imagine!

(Note: Sounds like us doesn't it? Think of where He found you, what He has done in your life and where you are headed. Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? The farther I travel down this road, the sweeter His promises become to me! I am thankful that every single one is true! By the way, He will make your life fruitful for His glory if you will abide in Him, John 15:5.)

B. V. 7-8 Concerning His Faithfulness 

God promises not only to bless Abraham, but his children and all the generations of Abraham's seed as well. This is a covenant that is as good as the Name of God and that will endure as long as God endures.

(Note: Thank God that we can count on His faithfulness! Ill. Lam. 3:22-23. Thank God that He is faithful and true. He will not renege on His promises. He will not fail us. We may fall short, but He never will! He is ever faithful!)

(Note: God promises to be a personal God to the seed of Abraham. Friend, it is a blessing to serve a God that desires a personal relationship with the likes of you and me! I praise His name that my walk with Him does not hinge on what you do! It is personal and it is everlasting! What a blessing!)

C. V. 15-22 Concerning His Future 

God's promise to Abraham is extended to Sarai also. She is to have this child of promise and she is to be the mother of multitudes. Her name is also changed from "Sarai", which means "My Princess" to "Sarah", which means "Princess". When Abraham hears this he laughs. It is not a laugh of doubt, but of joy at what the Lord is about to do in his life. He is so excited thinking about the power of God that he prayers for God to bless Ishmael also. This prayer is heard and answered by the Lord!

(Note: Here is a man who was looking at a bleak future when the day began. Now he is thrilled by the possibilities. I just want to remind us this evening that no cause of hopeless when it involves the Lord. Your future is as bright as the size of your faith! When we involve God in the situations of our lives, the impossible becomes immediately possibly, John 6:1-13. Remember the God we serve holds today and tomorrow in His hands, and He is greater than both!)

I. THIS GOD'S NEW REVELATION

II. THIS GOD'S NEW REASSURANCE

III. V. 9-14; 23-27 THIS GOD'S NEW REQUIREMENT

A. V. 9-11 The Nature Of This Requirement 

Here, Abraham and all his descendants are required to be circumcised. They were to be identified as followers of the Lord by a mark in their bodies. Submitting to circumcision was a statement that "this person is part of the Abrahamic covenant, and the promises of God are his." This mark was both painful and private. Whether anyone else knew of it or not, the person circumcised and the Lord knew about it.

(Note: You and I are not required to do this to be followers of the Lord today. However, the New Testament speaks of a "circumcision of the heart" that must be performed before a person can enter in to a personal relationship with Almighty God, Rom. 2:28-29; Gal. 5:6; Col. 2:11; Gal. 6:15.)

B. V. 12-13 The Nationality Of This Requirement

Every male in the nation of Israel, whether they were young or old, bond or free were required to observe this rite, if they were to be allowed to be part of this covenant of promise. Without it, they were left out.

(Note: While physical circumcision is not required for a relationship with the Lord, spiritual circumcision is! Without it, not person can ever hope to enter the presence of God, or go to Heaven when they die, John 3:3; John 14:6. Ill. God's perfect, precious plan of salvation!)

C. V. 14; 23-27 The Necessity Of This Requirement

Without being circumcised, no one could enter into this covenant relationship with the Lord. They were to be cut off from the people. They were out of the covenant.

(Note: As has already been said, spiritual circumcision is necessary for a relationship with God. This is accomplished only through coming to Jesus Christ by faith.)

(Note: Many in our day think that rituals are still how one approaches God. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Works can never save the soul, Eph. 2:8-9! It takes faith to please God, always has and always will, Heb. 11:6! It took faith to follow God and carry out this command, which Abraham did without hesitation, v. 23-27!)

(Note: Have you experienced that spiritual circumcision that forever changes your life and your destination?)

Invitation and Final Challenge

I am thankful this Morning that we serve a God Who is interested in His people. I am thankful that when we exercise minute faith in His Word, that He honors that with blessings which cannot be calculated for value. I wonder, what are you trusting Him for this evening? Is there a dark spot on your today or on your future? Let me just remind you that we serve a God Who keeps His Word! What He has promised that will He do! Bring it to Him, fall down before Him and worship Him like Abraham did and He will bless your life!