At the very beginning of the New Testament, the two most miraculous events, the birth of John the Baptist, and the birth of Jesus, are tied to the promises that God made to Abraham many generations before. Mary, pregnant with her child, declared regarding the fulfillment of God's salvation work:
"...My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour...his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation...He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, (as he spake to our fathers), to Abraham, and to his seed for ever." Lk. 1:46-55 (excerpt)
After the birth of John the Baptist, his father, Zacharias, exalted the Lord saying:
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people...To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life." Lk. 1:68-79 (excerpt)
Abram's great journey of faith began in a heathen nation, in Ur of the Chaldees. The inhabitants of this city were known for pagan moon worship and their practice of astrology. His father and family left that city and began their westerly travel until they came to Haran. After his father died, the LORD spoke to Abram saying:
"...Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land which I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing...and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Gen. 12:1-2
As Abram obediently journeyed into the land that God showed him, the LORD promised him:
"...unto thy seed will I give this land..." Gen. 12:7
Abram, who came out of a pagan people, built altars to the LORD, and called upon His name in his new land.
When Abram was 99 years old, God appeared to him and again spoke to him:
"I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly." Gen. 17:1-2
Up to this point in his and his wife's old age, Abram and Sarai had no children, though Abram had a son, Ishmael, with his wife's Egyptian maid, Hagar. How could Abram and Sarai be multiplied? How could a great nation come from them, as God promised? How could all of the families of the earth be blessed by this nomad, removed from his original homeland? God showed Abram the depth of His covenant with him:
"As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name anymore be called Abram (exalted father), but thy name shall be called Abraham (father of a multitude); for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 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." Gen. 17:4-7
As a token of this covenant, God commanded that Abraham's whole household be circumcised, and Abraham obeyed. As God told Abraham, the covenant was a personal one between Himself and Abraham, and would be the same for all of Abraham's future generations. While God promised Abraham to bless his son, Ishmael, greatly, He made clear to Abraham that His covenant would be with his future son, Isaac, who was to be born miraculously to the barren Sarai (Gen. 17:21). In accordance with the promise of God, Abraham did indeed have a child in his old age with Sarai, who was renamed Sarah by God. Abraham had several additional sons, including six sons by his second wife, Keturah.
The future generations of Abraham, were continually reminded of the everlasting covenant which the LORD had made to their father. God identified Himself to Moses, upon his calling as the deliverer for the enslaved Israelites, as the same covenant God of Abraham Isaac, and Jacob, as He called the Israelites "My people" (Ex. 3:6-7). God's promise of the miraculous deliverance of a whole nation from foreign slavery and into a land of their own, is directly tied to His everlasting covenant relationship with Abraham and his seed (v. 7-8).
The prophet Isaiah brought the word of the LORD concerning the promise of His righteousness forever, and His salvation from generation to generation:
"For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody...for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people." Isa. 51:3-4
Where should the people look to find the origin and seal of this promise from God? The LORD tells us to "Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him." (v. 2).
According to the word to Isaiah, those generations of Abraham, to whom the promise of the LORD is given, are "ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law."
John the Baptist said the same thing when confronted by religious Pharisees who came to him to be baptized, but had not accepted his word of repentance. They rejected his call to repentance because they relied on the assurance they believed they had with Abraham as their father, and therefore they were in covenant with and acceptable before God. John called them, not a generation of Abraham, but a generation of vipers. He told them to bring forth fruit showing repentance (Mt. 3:1-8). John warned that God was able to raise up children of Abraham from the stones. God did not need them in order to provide descendants of Abraham. John rebuked their sureness in their own righteousness based upon a physical relationship to Abraham, warning that an axe is at the root of the trees. Those trees not bearing good fruit would be hewn down and thrown into the fire (v. 9-10). This is a warning to be taken seriously by all of us.
The scriptures declare that all are sinners, that there are non righteous. The generations of Abraham are not defined by the flesh, but by the law of God and His righteousness in their hearts, as Isaiah wrote. They are not those who are circumcised in the flesh, but those circumcised in the heart.
In view of the tragedies we see daily in the headlines, why haven't we repented? Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is its reproach. The word of God speaks to God's people, who are called by His name, to pray and repent, and to turn away from our wickedness (2 Chron. 7:14).
Considering these things, are you a child of our father, Abraham?
*The above is based upon the 6/2/19 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.
To Contact/Submit prayer requests/Support the ministry/Order the book, "NAZAH":
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
http://endtimeschool.com/
Dr. Stevenson's newest book is now available:
Abram's great journey of faith began in a heathen nation, in Ur of the Chaldees. The inhabitants of this city were known for pagan moon worship and their practice of astrology. His father and family left that city and began their westerly travel until they came to Haran. After his father died, the LORD spoke to Abram saying:
"...Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land which I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing...and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Gen. 12:1-2
As Abram obediently journeyed into the land that God showed him, the LORD promised him:
"...unto thy seed will I give this land..." Gen. 12:7
Abram, who came out of a pagan people, built altars to the LORD, and called upon His name in his new land.
When Abram was 99 years old, God appeared to him and again spoke to him:
"I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly." Gen. 17:1-2
Up to this point in his and his wife's old age, Abram and Sarai had no children, though Abram had a son, Ishmael, with his wife's Egyptian maid, Hagar. How could Abram and Sarai be multiplied? How could a great nation come from them, as God promised? How could all of the families of the earth be blessed by this nomad, removed from his original homeland? God showed Abram the depth of His covenant with him:
"As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name anymore be called Abram (exalted father), but thy name shall be called Abraham (father of a multitude); for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 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." Gen. 17:4-7
As a token of this covenant, God commanded that Abraham's whole household be circumcised, and Abraham obeyed. As God told Abraham, the covenant was a personal one between Himself and Abraham, and would be the same for all of Abraham's future generations. While God promised Abraham to bless his son, Ishmael, greatly, He made clear to Abraham that His covenant would be with his future son, Isaac, who was to be born miraculously to the barren Sarai (Gen. 17:21). In accordance with the promise of God, Abraham did indeed have a child in his old age with Sarai, who was renamed Sarah by God. Abraham had several additional sons, including six sons by his second wife, Keturah.
The future generations of Abraham, were continually reminded of the everlasting covenant which the LORD had made to their father. God identified Himself to Moses, upon his calling as the deliverer for the enslaved Israelites, as the same covenant God of Abraham Isaac, and Jacob, as He called the Israelites "My people" (Ex. 3:6-7). God's promise of the miraculous deliverance of a whole nation from foreign slavery and into a land of their own, is directly tied to His everlasting covenant relationship with Abraham and his seed (v. 7-8).
The prophet Isaiah brought the word of the LORD concerning the promise of His righteousness forever, and His salvation from generation to generation:
"For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody...for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people." Isa. 51:3-4
Where should the people look to find the origin and seal of this promise from God? The LORD tells us to "Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him." (v. 2).
According to the word to Isaiah, those generations of Abraham, to whom the promise of the LORD is given, are "ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law."
John the Baptist said the same thing when confronted by religious Pharisees who came to him to be baptized, but had not accepted his word of repentance. They rejected his call to repentance because they relied on the assurance they believed they had with Abraham as their father, and therefore they were in covenant with and acceptable before God. John called them, not a generation of Abraham, but a generation of vipers. He told them to bring forth fruit showing repentance (Mt. 3:1-8). John warned that God was able to raise up children of Abraham from the stones. God did not need them in order to provide descendants of Abraham. John rebuked their sureness in their own righteousness based upon a physical relationship to Abraham, warning that an axe is at the root of the trees. Those trees not bearing good fruit would be hewn down and thrown into the fire (v. 9-10). This is a warning to be taken seriously by all of us.
The scriptures declare that all are sinners, that there are non righteous. The generations of Abraham are not defined by the flesh, but by the law of God and His righteousness in their hearts, as Isaiah wrote. They are not those who are circumcised in the flesh, but those circumcised in the heart.
In view of the tragedies we see daily in the headlines, why haven't we repented? Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is its reproach. The word of God speaks to God's people, who are called by His name, to pray and repent, and to turn away from our wickedness (2 Chron. 7:14).
Considering these things, are you a child of our father, Abraham?
*The above is based upon the 6/2/19 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
http://endtimeschool.com/
To watch/hear Dr. Stevenson's complete message:
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
To order "NAZAH": https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8 http://endtimeschool.com/
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