The Book Of Galatians – Chapter 3:15-20 - Message 9 – God Makes Covenants That Are Everlasting. Promises And The Law Of Moses In Context Series

THE BOOK OF GALATIANS – CHAPTER 3:15-20 - MESSAGE 9 – GOD MAKES COVENANTS THAT ARE EVERLASTING. PROMISES AND THE LAW OF MOSES IN CONTEXT

[A]. PAUL LOOKS AT MAN MADE COVENANTS

{{Galatians 3:15 “Brethren, I SPEAK IN TERMS OF HUMAN RELATIONS: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, NO ONE SETS IT ASIDE OR ADDS CONDITIONS TO IT.”}}

The next 8 verses are fairly difficult for Paul begins drawing evidence out of events and using his logic to explain this. We will proceed slowly and see what we get. The verse above is the Apostle stepping into human activity, not spiritual matters. That is why he terms it as, “I speak in terms of human relations.”

He takes up the matter of covenant. These covenants drawn up between two people, or companies or nations are to be taken seriously. Once these legal agreements have been ratified, the parties are bound by the clauses in the covenant. As Paul states the simple facts all lawyers know, then that covenant in the domain of men, can’t be set aside or added clauses inserted into it. It becomes an agreement that is fixed and can’t be altered.

There is a very special covenant that will be drawn up soon that will NOT be kept. The Church is ready to go home, for the Lord will soon come to rapture us away, but not long after that there comes a wicked man who will seem to solve the world’s problems. He puts his finger on the Middle East and brings in peace. This man is known as the Antichrist or man of lawlessness, or son of perdition, or the beast of Revelation 13.

Look at the covenant he draws up with Israel to stop the fighting in the Middle East and bring peace to Israel – {{Daniel 9:26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come, will destroy the city and the sanctuary, and its end will come with a flood - even to the end there will be war. Desolations are determined,” Daniel 9:27 “and HE WILL MAKE A FIRM COVENANT WITH THE MANY FOR ONE WEEK, BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK HE WILL PUT A STOP TO SACRIFICE AND GRAIN OFFERING, and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”}}

We can’t expound this today as it is long but suffice to say that in verse 26 “Messiah cut off” is the crucifixion. The “prince who is to come” is Antichrist. The “people of the prince who is to come” are Romans (the revived Roman alliance – it will be European). “Will destroy the city” is the Roman army in AD 70.

In verse 27, “he will make a firm covenant” is the 7 year peace treaty/covenant with Israel Antichrist makes, but in the middle (3.5 years) he breaks that covenant. Antichrist breaks his own covenant and no one prevents it for he is world dictator.

[B]. CHRIST IS THE PROMISED SEED AND THE COVENANTS ARE EVERLASTING

{{Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham AND TO HIS SEED. He does not say, “and to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “AND TO YOUR SEED,” that is, Christ.”}}

Paul seems to be referring to these verses specifically – {{Genesis 22:17-18 “indeed, I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly MULTIPLY YOUR SEED as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore, and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies, and IN YOUR SEED all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed My voice.”}}

Paul is saying that the promises were to be “in your seed” that is, in Christ, for Jesus Christ is the seed of Abraham. It is not talking about seeds, for Christ is one, and also in Abraham’s seed who is Isaac. It is one.

God gave great promises to Abraham, and no matter what the delusional Muslims think, God’s promises stand firm. Israel is confirmed by covenants stretching back 4 000 years. And what is Islam? 600 A.D.

(a). THE PROMISE OF A GREAT NATION – {{Genesis 12:1-2 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country and from your relatives and from your father’s house to the land which I will show you, AND I WILL MAKE YOU A GREAT NATION AND I WILL BLESS YOU AND MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT, and so you shall be a blessing.”}}

That nation is Israel stretching back to 4 000 BC. Israel may not seem to be a great nation today but in the future when God takes it up again, it will be the chief nation on earth when King Messiah reigns there.