The Covenant Family Series

INTRODUCTION:

American Domestics: Husband and father largely preoccupied, passive at home. Largely a spectator, rather than a leader. Wife does bulk of the work and works outside of the home. Mother that takes the duties. Children as unprincipled worldlings

Think of the late 20th/early 21st century lexicon of the family:

Workaholic dads

Latchkey kids

Stay at home mom

Career women

Mr. Mom

Dual income family

Broken home

D-I-V-O-R-C-E

Full costody

These all point to a desparately sick society at the core of society, the family.

To get a grasp of the Biblical view, we must understand:

The Covenantal Foundations of the Family

The Contextual Foundations of these Family Commands

The Covenantal Responsibilities of the Family

THE COVENANTAL FOUNDATIONS OF FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. The created order exists because of God’s “natural covenant.” Jer 33:25 “Thus says the LORD, ‘If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, 26 then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them. ‘”

2. The world is not destroyed because of God’s covenant faithfulness. Genesis 6:18 “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark-- you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

3. God is a covenant-keeping God. He, therefore, brings about His promises.Neh 9:32 “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who dost keep covenant and lovingkindness, Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before Thee, Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and on all Thy people, From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.

4. God made a covenant with Adam, who represented mankind. Hos 6:7 But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously against Me. 1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

5. The Godhead freely “counseled” together to save a people from fallen mankind. The redemptive plan which unfolds in the biblical revelation is called a covenant. Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord,

6. Christ came, then, in fulfillment of these covenant promises, specifically the outworking of the covenant of grace. Luke 1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant-- 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old-- 71 Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; 72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant,

7. The nation of Israel was in covenant with God because of the Abrahamic promises. Exodus 2:24 So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

8. Therefore, as in the past era the people God redeems are placed in a covenantal entity, the church, and are commanded to therefore “keep covenant.” [Keeping covenant is simply a single concept-term for the relationship of faith and works that the Bible presents in both testaments. Faith is the horse and works are the cart. In the Old Testament Abraham was justified by faith and that justification was “justified” (vindicated) by works.9 When Abraham “believed God” (Rom 4:2), he believed God’s covenant promise. When the Israelites in the wilderness “broke the covenant” they did so because they did not “believe” the Lord.]

9. The purpose of God in converting the nations (in missions) is covenantal. Acts 3:25 “It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’

10. Service to Christ is ministering a “covenant gospel” which fulfills a covenant promise. 2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

11. Apostasy is therefore, covenant breaking. Hebrews 10:29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

12. The family is a covenantal entity and must therefore keep covenant by faith (which produces works).