The Eight Covenants of the Bible-Abrahamic-Part 2


This week, (5/23/10), we continued exploring the three areas of the Covenant:

1. To Abraham-we learned through Scripture that he was to be the father of a great nation, Israel and possess all of the Promised Land. Even the Arab states descended, (and have been blessed), from Abraham. In fact, his name was to become great with Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

2. To the Seed- Israel. Besides possessing all of the Promised Land, it was to become innumerable and have victory over its enemies. Obviously this is still yet future.

3. To the Gentiles-There would be blessings for blessing Israel and cursings for cursing Israel. The Gentiles would receive spiritual blessings and would ultimately come through the Messiah, (also Abraham's seed). As Dr. Fruchtenbaum states: "While the physical blessings were limited to the Jews only, the spiritual blessings were to extend to the Gentiles, but only through the Messiah."



Dr. Fruchtenbaum points out that when the Abrahamic Covenant is boiled down, it contains three aspects as the basis for the development of other covenants: The land aspect which yielded the Land Covenant. The seed aspect which yielded the Davidic Covenant and the blessing aspect which yielded the New Covenant.



Next, we discussed the confirmation of the covenant through Isaac, which can be found in Genesis 26:2-5 and 26:24.

It was also confirmed through Jacob in Genesis 28:13-15 and through Jacobs' sons in chapter 49 of Genesis.



We finished up with a quote from Dr. Fruchtenbaum: "The Abrahamic Covenant is a good example of what was stated earlier: that a covenant could be signed and sealed at a specific point of time, but not every provision goes immediately into effect, but rather, three different things happen. Some went into effect right away such as the change of names and circumcision. Some went into effect in the near future, for there was a twenty five year wait for the birth of Isaac and a four hundred year wait before the conquest of the Land. Some provisions go into effect in the prophetic distant future such as the settlement of all of the Promised Land, which has not been fulfilled to this day."

Fruchtenbaum, A. G. (1983). Vol. 21: The Messianic Bible Study Collection (17). Tustin, Calif.: Ariel Ministries.



Have a blessed week and always be a blessing to others.



Your Chrbrotherist

George

Eight Covenants-Abrahamic-Part 1

The next covenant we studied was the Abrahamic on 05/02/10. This is an unconditional covenant made with Israel. In fact, Abraham couldn't nullify it if he tried! God went through the cut pieces of animals while Abraham was watching in a dream-state, therefore, God alone is responsible for its fulfillment. We can add this attribute to Him as we study Scripture and especially the covenants: God is a covenant-keeping God!
The Scriptural references are:
Genesis 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-21; and 22:15-18.
The participants were God and Abraham, whereas Abraham stood as the representative head of the Jewish nation, but not for all humanity, (as we saw with Adam and Noah as representative head for all mankind).
There are fourteen provisions concerning this covenant:

1. A great nation would come out of Abraham-Gen. 12:2; 13:16; 15:5.
2. He was promised a Land; the land of Canaan-Gen. 12:1, 7; 13:14-15, 17.
3. Abraham personally would be greatly blessed-Gen. 12:2b.
4. Abraham's name would be great-Gen. 12:2c, (we see this today with the major religions of the world).
5. Abraham would be a blessing to others-Gen. 12:2d.
6. Those who bless Israel would be blessed-Gen. 12:3a.
7. Those who curse Israel would be cursed-Gen. 12:3b.
8. Through Abraham all would be ultimately be blessed-Gen. 12:3c; 22:18.
9. Abraham would receive a son through his wife Sarah-Gen. 15:1-4; 17:16-21.
10. Abraham's descendants would undergo the Egyptian bondage-Gen. 15:13-14.
11. Other nations, (for example the Arab states), besides Israel, would come forth from Abraham-Gen. 17:3-4, 6.
12. His name would be changed from Abram, (exalted father), to Abraham, (father of a multitude)-Gen. 17:5.
13. Sarai's name, (my princess), would changed to Sarah, (the princess)-Gen. 17:15.
14. Circumcision would be a token/sign of the covenant-Gen. 17:9-14. We noted that other ancient cultures also circumcised there males, but the uniqueness of Jewish circumcision was that it was done on the eighth day, (a time when the baby's clotting is properly developed).

So we see that these provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant can be put into three categories:

1. Abraham
2. To the Seed, Israel
3. To the Gentiles

Next time we'll look more closely at these three categories and also their influence for the development of subsequent covenants.
Be blessed,
Your chrbrotherist,
George

The Eight Covenants of the Bible-Noahic

Last week, (04/25/10), we looked at the 3rd of the 8 Covenants: the Noahic Covenant.
The Scriptural text of the Covenant was read and is found in Genesis 9:1-17, with the participants being God and Noah. Noah, here, stood as the representative head for all of the human race, as Adam did.
There were seven provisions of the Covenant:

1. Man, again, was to repopulate the earth, with only 8 survivors after the flood.
2. The fear of man was put into animals, giving them a sense of self-preservation, (see #3 below).
3. Man's diet changed from vegetarian to every moving thing and the green herb.
4. Man was forbidden to eat blood. We see this reiterated in the Book of Acts 15:29 through a different covenant.
5. Capital punishment was introduced, (all murderers were to be executed).
6. God promised never again to destroy the earth by flood.
7. The sign or token of the covenant was the rainbow.

The status of the covenant is that it's still in effect. As  Arnold mentions: "The judgments of the Tribulation against the Gentiles will come because of violations of the Noahic Covenant. According to Isaiah 24:5–6, the judgment comes because humanity has violated the everlasting covenant, a name given to the Noahic Covenant in Genesis 9:16. For that reason, the prophet used the Noahic Flood motif, the windows on high and foundations of the earth in Isaiah 24:18. But next time, God will destroy the masses of humanity by fire."


Fruchtenbaum, A. G. (1983). Vol. 21: The Messianic Bible Study Collection (13). Tustin, Calif.: Ariel Ministries.
We also discussed the different dispensations associated with the previously mentioned covenants.
The Edenic Covenant was the basis for the Dispensation of Innocence.
The Adamic Covenant; the Dispensation of Conscience.
The Noahic Covenant; the Dispensation of Human Government.
Hope you have a great week and give Him the praise in all things.
Be blessed,
Your Chrbrotherist
George