PROMISE TO ABRAHAM – PART SEVEN
Friday – November 24, 2017
Wow, what a Covenant, what a wonderful account, thank you LORD, thank you Abraham. Scripture tells us that Abraham is the father of us all for demonstrating the way of faith. As we will see, Abram/Abraham was for a season imperfect much like us. Please review our primary text with me with a focus on the thirteenth verse.
Hebrews 6:12-15 (KJV)
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Now I will move along in this account of The Blood Covenant. Unfortunately, we find that patience is not Sarai’s long suit and Abram is all too eager to follow her lead, so enter Hagar and Ishmael. Abram is eighty-six when Ishmael is born. Remember this story started at Haran when Abram is seventy-five. This particular disobedience results in a thirteen-year hiatus before the LORD speaks to Abram again. Again, we see the number thirteen meaning rebellion and depravity. I think we can all appreciate that Abram had some pretty rough middle years on the way to the fulfilment of the child of promise. His faith was touch and go. Now Abram is ninety and nine years of age and the LORD speaks to him. As we will see, Abram is mighty glad to hear from God concerning the covenant.
Genesis 17:1-5 (KJV)
1 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.
Right then and there they covenanted, agreed together that the covenant is between them and the LORD affirms that He will multiply Abram exceedingly. This of course is contingent on verse one where the LORD tells Abram to “walk before me, and be thou perfect”. His focus is to be on the LORD and not his or others reasonings. The LORD repeats that Abram will be the father of many nations. Those nations would be Israel, the Church, and the nations formed from the progeny of Ishmael. Then the LORD gives Abram a new name, you know we all have a new name (Revelation 2:17) as well. The LORD names Abram, Abraham. Abram means “high father” and Abraham means “father of a multitude”. Every time Abraham tells someone his name or someone calls his name he is hearing and he is confessing the promise of the LORD that he is the father of a multitude.
Genesis 17:6-10 (KJV)
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.
This just gets better and better! The LORD says that kings are coming out of Abraham. Brother and sister those kings are you and me not just the kings of Israel. The LORD is reiterating various elements of The Blood Covenant not just to Abraham but in the presence of the Word (Jesus the seed) and the Holy Spirit. That the Jews get the land the LORD wants them to have is a big deal especially to the LORD and it will happen immediately after the judgment of Israel (The Tribulation). The word “seed” in verse nine is masculine and singular, talking about Jesus keeping this Blood Covenant. The LORD then starts talking about the circumcision of each male at eight days. The Apostle Paul tells us that the circumcision was a seal of the righteousness Abraham obtained by faith. The eighth day after the birth of a child is when the clotting mechanism is fully in place which the people could not have known at that time but the LORD did. Eight is the number of new beginnings which is what happens when we are dead to self and alive to Him.
Romans 4:11-13 (ESV)
11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
Now we come to Abraham’s wonderful proclamation of faith in the promises of God in addition to accepting the new name. Let us all carefully read, study the following passage.
Genesis 17:15-17 (KJV)
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?
Verses fifteen and sixteen have to do with Sarai’s new name, Sarah. Sarai means to be dominative according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. Apparently, Sarai was the boss, dominated Abram, gives us a little more insight into the events that have unfolded. The name Sarah means “princess” or “woman of nobility” according to The Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament. We are in chapter seventeen and verse seventeen, victory times two the number of Christ. In the KJV of the Bible any words in italics are added by the translators for smoothness of reading or clarification of context as they saw it. Notice that the words “a child” are italicized and there is a question mark at the end of the sentence when it is a statement of fact, of the promise of God. This is how it should read: Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, shall be born unto him that is a hundred years and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old bear! He is laughing satisfied this is the Truth and making a positive and affirmative confession, decree. I will pick up here next week Lord willing.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (GW)
24 The LORD will bless you and watch over you.
25 The LORD will smile on you and be kind to you.
26 The LORD will look on you with favor and give you peace.’
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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