Covenant Authority

First,I must apologize for missed blogs. I am having computer problems and some days there seems to be no instant resolution!

It is important to look at some of the issues Abraham faced but had to "overlook" in his obedience to sacrifice Isaac. In the time Abraham lived, the worship of the false gods and their idols demanded human sacrifice. Babies and young girls and boys were often killed in their annual "festivals". This was NOT a part of the worship of Jehovah and Abraham knew this. In Satan's desire to be like God, he apes what God does. He demands worship from mankind but his hatred and jealousy of humans is expressed in his desire to kill them. God's love for us is expressed in His protection and desire to bless us. Abraham knew this was not the normal demand of God for worship but this was a covenant demand. He did not know why God was asking for this but he knew the only way he could respond to a covenant demand was obedience. He did not know why God demanded a three-day journey to a specific mountain, but he obeyed. (With limited covenant understanding, we find such obedience hard to fathom.)

There does not seem to be any promise of resurrected life as recorded at this time. But Abraham had a vision of what God planned to do. Hebrews 11:9-10 (NLT)"9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God." Also, Abraham knew his covenant friend was eternal as was His covenant intent. Therefore, Abraham believed in the eternity God had placed in his heart. His part was to obey, the rest was up to God.

Abraham also had to trust that his training of Isaac in obedience was enough. He needed Isaac's cooperation in this. Whatever Isaac's age, Abraham was 100 years older! The lesson I have learned from this is covenant response is unquestioning obedience to God's Word. We find that lived out in the lives of those of faith all through the Bible.

We have viewed this authority of covenant from Abraham and Isaac's side but let us look also at it from God's side. While our view of this covenant is from a limited human sight, God has set deliberate limits on Himself regarding His action in this realm. Covenant controls the perimeters. God has to have covenant response to act sovereignly. In the making of a covenant with Abraham, God moved slowly and carefully to assure Abraham's response. It was now time to anchor this covenant into this realm so future plans of God could be enacted. The covenant had to be tested and the final seal put on it. Abraham had to complete his obedience. His hand holding the knife was on the downward plunge to Isaac's heart, when the angel of the Lord stopped his hand. Genesis 22:11-14 (New Living Translation)
11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” 12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” All through this process of covenant making we have seen substitutionary provision. His love for us is visible not only in His desire to provide covenants with us, but He takes the full responsibility of cutting the covenant with us. He only demands the response from us of receiving and obeying. We give to Him a covenant "YES!"

The next passage is one of my favorite "spots" in the Bible. I often go back to it just to contemplate the tremendous scope of God's intent for us. Genesis 22:15-18 (King James Version) 15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Two things are finalized. The Covenant is ratified and sealed. The purpose of God in making this covenant is assured: He can now send His Son into our realm to be our Savior. I was amazed one day when the Spirit took me from this verse to another in Matthew. A similar occasion had taken place as Jesus tested His disciples so they could know their own understanding of what God was doing at that time.
Matthew 16:13-19 (New King James Version)13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The promise to Abraham was his seed--Jesus--would possess the gates of the enemy--Satan--and this Jesus did. He took back from Satan what Adam had given up. He said to His followers He had all authority in heaven and in this realm. Matthew 28:18-20 (King James Version)18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Everything God has done in this process of creating man in His image, has been to patiently reveal His love and purpose to man while giving them the choice of receiving and responding to Him in covenant so He could travel on their response to bless, nurture and guide them into His full purpose.

There is more to be gleaned from this passage so we will continue tomorrow. Thanks for coming and if you have any comments or questions, I will be happy to answer