God's Covenant with Abraham - Genesis Part 32

Al Jazeera Maggie.

Here's what they said about quote they said the most dangerous myth today is the myth that Israel is a chosen nation and has the right to the land of Jerusalem and Palestine, which they say the Jewish God promised them.

In fact, according to this myth, the Jewish God promised Israel and even larger land grant that it has today, and Israel insists that these rights are not on the negotiable end of quote. Now, as we returned to our verse by verse study of the book of Genesis this is what we want to talk about today we want to talk about the land. The good God promised the Jewish people. Therefore, we call it the promise to land. But before we do that, let's do a tiny bit of review were in Genesis chapter 15 let's just everybody catch up in the beginning of this chapter, God promises Abraham a son, and then through this on. God promises to give him Abraham a multitude of descendents all verse five of Genesis 15, then God brought Abraham outside and said, looking out towards the heaven, and count the stars if you are able. So shall your descendents be that Abraham believed God, and God credited it to Abraham's account. God imputed it to him as righteousness that we just finished a five-part series entitled our salvation in Jesus Christ where we talked about imputed righteousness and we talked about eternal security. And we talked about our glorification in heaven and a lot of other things that if you missed some of that series. I urge you to get the CD out in the lobby or go on our website and download or podcast it were ready to move on now in Genesis 15. So here we go. And the Lord said to Abraham verse seven. I am the Lord who brought you from or of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit. Now, here in Genesis 15 God actually is reiterating what is already promised Abraham in Genesis 12 that was 10 years earlier. Let's go back Genesis 12 verse five that Abraham came to the land of Canaan and the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to your descendents I will give this land, God repeated this promise to Abraham in Genesis 13 verse 14.

After allotment, Abraham is separated.

The Lord said to Abraham, lift up your eyes and from where you are now standing in the land of Canaan.

Look northward southward eastward and westward for all the lands you see I give to you and your descendents say the last word forever and you know God promises Abraham again in Genesis 17 verse one when Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said. As for me, behold, my covenant is with you and with your descendents after you and it shall be an everlasting covenant. I give you and your descendents after you the land in which you are now living as a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession point my friends is that any person who reads the Bible in a straightforward, unbiased, literal way, which is exactly how the Bible is supposed to be read cannot come up with any conclusion except that God promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham's descendents for ever and then God goes on to tell Abraham and us borders that are included in this land that he's giving them look Genesis 15, verse 18. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying to your descendents I have given this land, from the river of Egypt with rivers that the Nile yet is only one there. That's it.

The Nile to the great river Euphrates, which is in modern-day Iraq to include the land of the cannot and the cam asides in the cabin lights the hip size the parasites, the Amorites, Canaanites.

The girder sides and the Jebusite you start lawn I got blessed on the Arab peoples aunt. They also Abraham's descendents will yeah so you say will.

So then how do we know for sure that this promise. God's making was to the Jewish people and not to the Arab people.

One, that's a great question. So let's answer.

Remember the Jewish people are descendents of Abraham's son Isaac, while the error peoples are descendents of Abraham's gone, Ishmael.

So watch Genesis 17 verse 18 and Abraham said to God, all that Ishmael may live before you.

Ishmael was already born at this point Isaac wasn't then God said no. Sarah your wife shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Isaac and I will establish my covenant with him with Isaac for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendents after him. God says.

As for Ishmael, I have heard you Abraham behold, I will bless you and I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply his descendents exceedingly and I will make him a great nation also pay hasn't got done that with the error peoples of today. Yes, God kept that promise. Watch God goes on to say, but my covenant I will establish with who Isaac writes, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year. Friends may surprise you to know that. Actually, the Bible tells us Abraham fathered eight songs not just to but God makes it clear in the book of Genesis that he is covenant regarding the promised land is limited to only one of those songs and that is Isaac, but there's more because God further limited the covenant regarding the promised land to just one of Isaac songs Isaac had two sons, Jacob.

Esau only one of those sons got the covenant regarding the promised land and that was Jacob. Genesis 28 verse 13 then God appeared to Jacob in a dream and said I am the God of Abraham, your father and Isaac the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendents.

Genesis 3512 God said to Jacob, the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac. I give to you and to your descendents after you. I give this land and Jacobs are descendents are the Jewish people of today so what have we seen so far what we've seen that God promised the land of Canaan from the Nile to the Euphrates to one specific line of Abraham's descendents and that line was through his son Isaac, and then to Isaac son, Jacob, and therefore to the people we know today as the Jewish people.

Now, after God makes this promise.

This covenant with Abraham. The next thing he does is he ratifies so let's look back in Genesis 15 here we go say that Abraham settled Lord God, how shall I know for certain that I will inherit the land so God said to him, bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old grandmother turtledove, and a picture to Abraham brought these animals and cut them into down the middle and placed each half of the animal, opposite the other.

So there was like a little aisle in between any Bible says that now when the sun was going down a deep sleep well upon Abraham and it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a burning torch that passed between the pieces down the aisle between these halves of the animals on each side and on this day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying to your descendents I have given this land, the folks back in Genesis chapter 9 we were talking about Nola you may remember that we talked about covenant and the kinds of covenants that God makes with the human race. And we said that there are two different kinds. There are conditional covenants.

First of all, these are covenants based on the word is God says if you do such and such.

I will then do so and so the point is that this kind of covenant is conditioned upon. It is valid only if we keep our end of the deal. The other kind of covenants are unconditional covenants. These are covenants that are not based on the word is God says I am going to do so and so, regardless of what you do. You don't have to do a thing.

This covenant is completely valid regardless of any human action of any kind, because it is based 100% on the faithfulness and the promise of God know what, covenant did God make with Abraham right here with friends he made an unconditional covenant and you say what how do you know that all I'm going to show you this good is really good with celestial you, you know here, not in America today we have on certain ceremonies that are scattered standard for ratifying covenants different kinds of covenants. For example, how about the marriage covenant.

We have a ceremony this fairly standard. The ride Doug buys a special dress and she comes down and I'll usually in a church, escorted by her father or someone standing in for her father and then she stands next to the groom at the front and they say I do an exchange rings and they give each other at his and then they join arms and they walked back up the aisle standard procedure. Yes okay will we know from archaeology that in the time of Abraham.

There was a standard procedure that was followed when two people made a covenant in order to ratify that covenant and what they did is they would take several animals they would cut these animals and have they would place them across from each other, making an island between just like Abraham did.

And then the two of them together would walk between the pieces would walk down this aisle.

The implication being the symbolism being that the two of us are making this deal, and if either one of us breaks it may the other person make the one who broke the covenant like these hacked up animal pieces on both sides. You got you got this is the implication okay and this is why in the Hebrew language.

The expression is never you make a covenant that expression doesn't exist. Nor does the expression in Hebrew exist to sign a covenant nor does the expression exist that you shake on a covenant in the Hebrew language.

The expression that's always used is that you caught a covenant you understand why now. It's always we caught a covenant now by cutting up these animals and walking through the pieces God's covenant with Abraham was now ratify it was now completed, but here's the great part is what I want you to see. Remember were still trying to decide was a conditional or unconditional. Look at verse 12 it says now when the sun was going down a deep sleep fell on Abraham and it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a burning torch that passed between the pieces. This smoking fire pot and burning torch, representing God went down the aisle through the pieces, but Abraham didn't go with it. Where was Abraham. He was fast asleep. That's exactly right. God went through the pieces, but Abraham didn't go with you and you know why it's because this covenant was not to people to equal partners each having to keep their end of the bargain for the covenant to work. That's not what was going on here. This was an unconditional covenant based solely on God's faithfulness and God's promise, and that's why God went through the pieces and ratified the covenant. Abraham did not go with the because none of this depended on Abraham and the promise coming true about the promise land and depend on Abraham's descendents either, which is why Abraham didn't go through the pieces with God only God went through your goddess Menachem Begin prime minister of Israel said this land is ours, not ours. By permission, but all hours by entitlement from God. And when he said that he was referring to Genesis 15 and to the fact that God promises land to the Jewish people and ratified the covenant and its unconditional and it's all based on God doing what he said he's going to do. They sill along even in the biggest days of the Jewish empires. King David's time.

King Solomon's time. The Jewish people never controlled all that land that you had in the square that you showed well, you're right.

They never have. You say will so what's up with that. Well I believe that they're going to control that land that's going to be there kingdom in the millennial kingdom when Christ rules and reigns here on earth but friends, whether it's in the millennial kingdom whether it's in our lifetime. The Jewish people will one day own every square inch of the land that God promised them right here in Genesis 15, and brother, you can bet your 401(k) on that whatever is left of it. Praise the Lord okay now disabled long.

I still got a question. My question is, you know, what about the fact the Jewish people rejected their Messiah of 2000 years ago and most of them still rejecting today. I mean, did this. It did this caused them to forfeit these covenants they have with God to the church inherit the promises in the covenants that God made with the Jewish people because they rejected Christ, my friends, that is such an excellent question, and we're going to answer it just went next time you are so smart. I love you people you so smart but we do have another question that were going to answer right now, and we all know what it is. So all of your Loudoun and Prince William in Bethesda and Ed and around the world on the Internet and here at Tyson's already over a come on now, here we go to, you say so just a lawn. This gray I'm so happy for the Jewish people want there is any does make me well will talk about your one of my very favorite verses in all the Bible is Revelation chapter 3 verse seven. Here's what the verse is Jesus speaking. He says what God opens. No man can shut and would God shots. No man can open. I love this verse. You know why because this verse assures me that when God opens a door. There is nothing and no one alive who can shut that door for us.

When God opens it for us over, God opens it for anyone you know, for example, I think of the establishment of a of the modern state of Israel.

There was never perhaps in all of history. A more improbable, unlikely, impossible looking event than the rebirth of the modern state of Israel before World War II, the Jewish people were scattered all over the globe, mostly in ghettos. They had no centralized leadership. They had no financial power they had no political power, they had no military power. They had no diplomatic power they had no legislative power and then to make matters worse during World War II over 6 million of them were killed.

Almost half the population of the world of Jewish people was were killed but then in 1948 God opened a door for his people and the United Nations passed a resolution supporting a homeland for the Jews in Palestine and immediately after that.

David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel declared the independence of the modern state of Israel and immediately 300 million Arabs said all know you go.

We're going to close that door. Each of said no were close and that door and Syria said no and Lebanon said no and Iraq said no and Saudi Arabia said no and Jordan said no and Yemen said no and Livia said no and Sudan said no and Morocco said no and Tunisia said no but God said yes and friends. Don't you worry about Iran get dangerous weapons and don't you worry about Hezbollah in Lebanon, having all these rockets on here to tell you that God has opened the door for his people and the nation of Israel is Stadion right where it is, is not going anywhere. Praise God for that event.

And you know what I think of God opening the door I think of the resin God phenomenal open the door for Jesus to rise from the dead and the Jewish rabbis and the Romans soldiers and pilot with all their wax seals in all their nasties said will will just see about that.

We know how this ended right. In fact, Psalm two tells us that the very fact that all these people thought they could close the door for Jesus rising from the dead, the Godhead open that that idea was so ludicrous and so ridiculous.

Psalm two verse four, that he who sits in heaven laughed at them.

He said are you serious you really think you can close the door I've open. That's funny God laughed at them. Check it out and then I think of Pharaoh God said to him you Domino open a door for the Israelites to leave Egypt and he said will will just see about that.

I'm close and that door pay friends. By the time the dust is settled you'll Brenner was sorry he never met an Israelite. Let me just say that that and then I think I Heyman and I think of Goliath, and I think of Jezebel, and I think of Nebuchadnezzar, and I think of the Nazis, and I think of Mussolini and audit on the list goes all these people over there hands on her if and set on closing that door well hello it didn't end well for them and friends.

The point is, our world is full of people who believe that they are the immovable object in this universe. Maybe you have a boss who sees themselves this way or or professor or relative, or neighbor or coworker and there determine with their hands on their hips to keep shot whatever door it is that you desperately need open or maybe it's just the situation that looks so impossible that an open door seems hopeless. In that situation, my Christian, don't you worry what you worry King Nebuchadnezzar tried to shut a door God open and he learned a very important lesson.

Here's what he said. Daniel four verse 35. He said God is the one God is the one who does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth and no one no one can hold back his hand friends. God is the irresistible force in this universe and when God decides to open a door for us. Listen to me. No stone, no seal, no soldier, no boss, no coworker, no relative, no Pharaoh, no Jezebel, no.

300 million Arabs and no impossible looking situation. I don't care what it is not very is going to shut that door when God says I'm opening that door a man a man and listen.

We as followers of Christ, we should ask for this kind of power to be shown in our life and we should rely on God showing this kind of power in our life. God has the last word in this universe friends and so often we bang our heads and bang our heads and bang our heads trying to get things done, endorsed, open when if we just backup and say Lord open a door for me, no man can shut and let God do it, friends, doors open and little shot when God is, you know, my wife and I had scheduled way back, a trip that we were going to take outside the United States, we decided we could still go to we really cancel it and go with the ticket I had was on American Airlines but it was in the way it worked out, we are was a one-way ticket to fly back from this country that we were going to back to the United States so I thought what this is simple. I'll call American up cancel the ticket I'll pay my you know, change fee and then I'll use the residual value to fly somewhere near the United States are called up American Airlines a formal want to do and the agent said I'm sorry sir she looked at his I'm sorry we can't do that to someone. She said were not allowed to change the country of origin for the ticket and this ticket is originating outsideand I said whoa yeah I understand that but I said all of her to do was turn around and use the same ticket to buy another ticket on American him you can get your money. I don't understand the problem. She said I'm sorry sir, this is a hard and fast rule that we cannot do not break I spoke could I talk to supervisors. She said while talk to them for you. She came back on and she said the supervisor said this is a hard and fast rule and we do not break so I okay thank you very much hung up, called right back. I thought I get a different age and I did so I had went to the thing with the agent and agent said I'm sorry this hard and fast rule. We never break this rule.

I said okay. Would you ask supervisors. She startled on. She came back and said the supervisor said to tell you she already told you know why. How about closing all negative advisor. I said all right okay I'll wait call back tomorrow when the supervisors of change they you know a note so idea I call back the next day I got an agent when she said you know this. I said I know I know it's a hard and fast rule you never break.

I know that which asked the supervisor supervisor came back and said no I'm sorry it's a hard in the new union union so I hung up and I'm sitting there and I was going to call back and it was like the Holy Spirit tapping on the shoulder and said hey hey Ron, you keep doing this if you want, just banging your head up against these people. Or, you know, which could you could stop and ask need to open a door that they can't shut said, Lord, that's a really good idea. So I did.

I pray that I said Lord Jesus, I just need you to open in the heart of some reviser adore that they can't shut to want to reissue this ticket for me. Amen. And so I called back the next day and I got an agent and agent said this is Isaiah is a hard and fast rule that you understand that ISA cannot talk to supervisors so they said hold on so I'm holding on for the supervisor on prayer Lord Jesus open the door. No man can shut in this person's heart open the door, no make shut this person's heart more number I'm relying on you so supervisor came on and she gave me her name and I said ma'am I sorry are you having a good day and she said well so far, why, and I need to ask you first shall save and I went to the whole thing with her and she said hold on a second and she came got off the phone came back she came back on and she said sir she said I'm sorry I cannot reissue this ticket for you. It is a hard and fast rule.

We never break, and I went on and she said, but she said what is I just cancel the ticket altogether and send you a travel voucher for the value that you can use it anywhere you want in any country you want anytime you want us rule that would be wonderful, and she said you know I just need to tell you serve.

She said I don't even know why I'm doing this for you and I civil man that's okay I just want to assure you, you were doing the right thing and so today I whole in my sweaty little Paul a voucher from American Airlines anywhere I want to go anytime I want to go there friends was, how often do you and I sit there and bang our head bang her head tying our head trying to get doors open instead of turning to the Lord and say Lord here's a door really need open. Can you open the store. No man can shut and not tell your friends there and possible looking situations and some of us are facing that we cannot get the door open.

I'm here to tell you there's another way to go at this. Why don't you let the living Christ of the universe open the door for you and there are people standing right in the doorway like Pharaoh liked up the like pilot you know with their hands on their hips said on no just was never opening for you with. We know somebody bigger than them, don't we. We know somebody who says when I open the door on Academy people standing in front of it with her hands on her hips if I open it it's open for you when we use this great power that the Lords granted us use this access when we go to the Lord and stop depending on ourselves and depend on him. You will be shocked the doors God will open for you if you'll just give him the chance.

I hope you will spray for Jesus, thanks for talking to us today about real-life problem. We've all got doors sitting here today we need open some desperately. We've tried everything we can think of.

And we fail so glad Lord Jesus.

That's not the end of the story. I'm so glad that those of us who know Christ can turn to you and as you said when you open the door. Nobody shuts the door. So Lord Jesus teach us not to depend on ourselves but to depend on the living Christ, for whom there's never been a door that he can hope if you could do it for the state of Israel.

If you could do it for the Jewish people coming out of Egypt, Lord, if he could do it for Christ in the two you can do it for us and so change our whole strategy this coming week regarding closed doors and for the rest of our life. Thank you that the last word in this universe does not belong to our friends, our coworkers are relatives or friends. The last word belongs to you were grateful for that help us to depend on that power in our everyday lives. We pray these things in Jesus name God's people said what and