Devotional - 98-11-28 - The Covenant God made with Abraham

Genesis Chapter 12:1-3

This is a devotional I wish I could spend more time on as I know if I do not cover it accurately and include enough cross references it will not convey the full import to the world that it is intended. Now I know the whole world does not read CF devotionals (not yet anyway but David and Mike are working on it) but if this passage is not understood correctly I know it can adversely affect the understanding we have of other portions of the Bible. Anyway I am short of time and I must confess no study will go into this devotional I will just be using my notes from the margin of my Bible to guide me in this composition and copying and pasting extensive references from my online Bible. As always all scripture will be from the 1901 ASV unless otherwise noted.

God blesses in accordance with His plans so that He may pass on to His people to pass on to others the material and spiritual blessings whenever it will advance the divine purpose of aid and assist the needy. I would ask that the reader please try their best to look at these Scriptures and keep in mind they were primarily written to Jewish people for the Lord's purposes in directing their lives in accord with His plans.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember Jehovah thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth; that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as at this day.

Malachi 3:6 For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Psalm 135:1-7 Praise ye Jehovah. Praise ye the name of Jehovah; Praise him, O ye servants of Jehovah, Ye that stand in the house of Jehovah, In the courts of the house of our God. Praise ye Jehovah; For Jehovah is good: Sing praises unto his name; For it is pleasant. For Jehovah hath chosen Jacob unto himself, And Israel for his own possession. For I know that Jehovah is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever Jehovah pleased, that hath he done, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps;

ISaiah 56:7-8 even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. The Lord Jehovah, who gathereth the outcasts of Israel, saith, Yet will I gather others to him, besides his own that are gathered.

Genesis 12:1-3 Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make they name great; and be thou a blessing; and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

The 7 Points of the Covenant

1. Abraham would be made into a great Nation
2. The Nation would be blessed starting with Abraham
3. Abrahams name and / nation would be made great
4. The Nation would be a blessing
5. God WILL bless those who bless this nation
6. God WILL curse those who curse this nation
7. All the People on earth will be blessed through this nation ( Jesus was a Jew)

Before getting into the text of Genesis chapter 12 I'd like to say that God always keeps His promise. A glance at history and the punishment and often doom of nations that persecuted Israel will show irrefutable evidence that God will punish all anti-semitism and persecution of the Jews. If you have ever read through your Bible, do you recall the fate of certain nations? Look at Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Rome. And in more modern times we can glance at nations such as Spain and Germany. History bristles with persecution and pogroms against the Jews some by dictators others by entire modern nations. God watches over His Word to perform it. To fulfill every threat!

Jeremiah 1:11-12 Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree. Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it.

Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, and giveth seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Most people who have been in church a few years have heard something taught on this passage of Scripture. Something I would like to point out about this passage of Scripture is that it is the cornerstone of all Bible prophecy. Within it's seven points or provisions you will find a peculiar promise to Israel (and everyone else) that God will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. When we look into the messages of the prophets about Israel especially during the Time of Jacob's Trouble (The Great Tribulation Period) we see that Israels enemies will be completely destroyed. we see this foretold in the Law in

Deuteronomy 32:39-43 See now that I, even I, am he, And there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; And there is none that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven, And say, As I live for ever, If I whet my glittering sword, And my hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine adversaries, And will recompense them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, And my sword shall devour flesh; With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the head of the leaders of the enemy. Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: For he will avenge the blood of his servants, And will render vengeance to his adversaries, And will make expiation for his land, for his people.

We see an even larger detailed picture of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ with in Relation to the Salvation of the Jewish people from the messages of the prophets in

Habbakuk 3:1-15 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to Shigionoth. Jehovah, I have heard the report of thee, and am afraid: O Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the years; In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, And the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light; He had rays coming forth from his hand; And there was the hiding of his power. Before him went the pestilence, And fiery bolts went forth at his feet. He stood, and measured the earth; He beheld, and drove asunder the nations; And the eternal mountains were scattered; The everlasting hills did bow; His goings were as of old. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; The curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. Was Jehovah displeased with the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers, Or thy wrath against the sea, That thou didst ride upon thy horses, Upon thy chariots of salvation? Thy bow was made quite bare; The oaths to the tribes were a sure word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. The mountains saw thee, and were afraid; The tempest of waters passed by; The deep uttered its voice, And lifted up its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation, At the light of thine arrows as they went, At the shining of thy glittering spear. Thou didst march though the land in indignation; Thou didst thresh the nations in anger. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, For the salvation of thine anointed; Thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked man, Laying bare the foundation even unto the neck. Selah. Thou didst pierce with his own staves the head of his warriors: They came as a whirlwind to scatter me; Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly. Thou didst tread the sea with thy horses, The heap of mighty waters.

Isaiah 59:15b - 60:3 And Jehovah saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it upheld him. And he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. So shall they fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah driveth. And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith Jehovah. And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Isaiah 63:1-6 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my wrath, it upheld me. And I trod down the peoples in mine anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.

All these passages and many others reveal much in relation to God's plans and purposes and it all winds its way back to a foundational fundamental truth that is imbedded in Genesis chapter 12. That truth is God WILL bless those who bless the Jewish people and God WILL  curse those who curse them! You see He still has plans for Israel and all the more as the day approaches we can also cooperate with God if we would just pray for the peace of Jerusalem something that is very important to our Lord. It was a mocking gesture hung upon our Lords cross that read " Jesus King of the Jews" -Yet He was King of them and IS King of them and when He comes back He will be welcomed by them in that Title. Though no one understood and still today many still do not understand the relation our Lord has with Israel. Someday everyone will understand!

The last thing I would like to point out is that many believe that the seed mentioned in Genesis 12:1-3 only pertains to Jesus. It is true that Jesus is a Jew and that He was and is referred to in this passage. But the seed referred to is not just in the singular but in the plural and we can be absolutely certain that this Covenant was made to Abraham inclusive of the Jewish people also by the following passages.

Genesis 12:7 And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto Jehovah, who appeared unto him.

Genesis 13: 14-16 And Jehovah said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: So that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then may thy seed also be numbered.

Genesis 15:1-21 After these things the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir; But he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. And he said, O Lord Jehovah, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? And he said unto him, Take me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other: but the birds divided he not. And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full. And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces. In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.

Genesis 17: 1-8 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of 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 throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Genesis 22:1-18 And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah. And offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. And he clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. And they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father. And he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for a burnt-offering? And Abraham said, God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son. So they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of. And Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of Jehovah called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here I am. And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh. As it is said to this day, In the mount of Jehovah it shall be provided. And the angel of Jehovah called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Because thou hast obeyed my voice.

The punch line of this devotional people is that we can cooperate with God by praying for Israel. Pray for the day when Israel will have peace for the Messiah to return and for God to fulfill all He has in store for that nation. Because when their is peace in Israel there will be peace eveywhere and all people will be blessed by the Jewish people like never before in accord with the summation of Gods covenant made with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3.

If you desire to learn more about Israel in Gods plans and purposes I recommend the following Jewish Missionary groups Websites. I have either been involved with them in some capacity or prayerfully supported them.

Arial Ministries - http://www.ariel.org/index.html
Chosen people Ministries - http://www.chosen-people.com/
The Christian Jew Foundation - http://www.cjf.org/
Jews for Jesus - http://www.jews-for-jesus.org/
Yashanet - http://www.yashanet.com/index.htm

In His Service,
liv4yeshua@cfdevotionals.org
liv4yeshua@cfdevotionals.org

http://www.cfdevotionals.org/