Read Genesis 12:1-3. Pray. They say April showers bring May flowers, but what do May flowers bring? That’s right, Pilgrims.
I got to thinking about the Pilgrims because William Bradford, their first governor, had written that the Pilgrims came to the New World to escape the persecution and corruption they had encountered in England and Holland. They wanted to create a community to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and were willing to risk the many perils for the hope offered by a New World.
Originally, they planned to join the Virginia Colony, but a series of mishaps and a shortage of rations placed them in MA. Some of the nonreligious passengers, whom the Pilgrims referred to as Strangers, declared that since they didn’t reach their intended destination, nobody could tell them what they were going to do, they were going to live by anarchy.
While they were waiting to disembark, the Pilgrims negotiated a social covenant to which the settlers consented in which they agreed to a set of rules and regulations that would enable the community to maintain order and survive together. This is how the Mayflower Compact came into being.
Now, what is a covenant? It’s an agreement between parties to establish a relationship, whereas a contract is more transaction-based. There are four components to a biblical covenant. 1- It’s a legally and morally binding agreement between the parties. 2- The greater of the two parties establishes the terms and conditions of the covenant. 3- It spells out the rewards for keeping the covenant and punishment should they fail. 4- It is often ratified by a blood sacrifice, showing just how serious this commitment is.
The Old Testament depicts seven different times that God makes a covenant with His creation. In Genesis 1, God makes a covenant with Adam to have dominion over the earth. In Genesis 9, God promises to never again destroy the world by flood. In Genesis 12, 15, and 17, God’s covenant with Abraham includes land, nation, and blessing (this will be today’s focus). In Exodus 19, God makes a covenant with Moses that Israel will be His people and He will be their God. In Deuteronomy 30, God’s covenant for Israel is an affirmation that the land of Canaan will be theirs. In 2 Samuel 7, God promises David an everlasting kingdom. In Jeremiah 31, God promises a new covenant in which He’ll forgive sin and the whole world will know Him.
Let’s look deeper into the covenant God made with Abram. To set the stage, let’s talk about what happened in Genesis 11. In that chapter, we see mankind attempt to build the Tower of Babel but God comes down and mixes up their languages, so the people disperse.
Some time after that, Terah, who is Abram’s father decides he’s going to relocate his family to Canaan, but for an undisclosed reason, stops short and takes up residence in Haran. This is where we find Abram.
God pays a visit to Abram as Genesis 12 opens and tells him to pack up his bags, go from this country he’s known for some time, leave his kindred behind, and keep going until God tells him to stop.
God offers Abram three things for doing this: the land where He tells Abram to stop, that his descendants would become a great nation (never mind that at age 75 he has no children), and he would be blessed. Abram’s name would be great (Father Abraham had many sons…) and those who bless him will be blessed and those who curse him will be cursed. Abram obeys God, takes his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, and they moved to the land of Canaan.
About 10 years go by and God visits Abram for a second time, this time in a vision. When God repeats His promise of becoming a great nation, Abram questions God. “I’m still childless, I’m 85, my servant is my only heir, how is this going to work out?”
God takes Abram outside to look at the starry sky and tells him to number the stars. So shall your descendants be- too many to count (read Genesis 15:6). I’m sure that Abram didn’t know how God was going to do it, but he took Him at His word and God counted that as righteousness on the part of Abram. You want to be considered righteous before God? It starts by believing His word.
God goes on to remind Abram of the promise of land. God springs into action to establish the covenant. Now Jeff pointed out at lunch that while we read making a covenant in the English translations, the Hebrew phrase is actually cutting a covenant. We see that in action in what happens next (read Genesis 15:9-11). Here we have the covenantal sacrifice. Animals would be cut in half with the two halves laid across from each other. The parties of the covenant would pass between the animal halves, effectively stating that if I don’t fulfill my part of the covenant, may I be like these dead animals (read Genesis 15:17).
I want you to notice something here. We’re told that after dark a smoking fire pot and flaming torch passed between the animal halves. These items represent God. He passed through to declare that He would be faithful to the covenant. Notice that He is the only party passing through, taking full responsibility for ensuring that the covenant is kept.
Another 14 years go by, Abram is now 99 years old, and God comes to reiterate His covenant with Abram. One problem, Abram still doesn’t have a child through Sarai. Now mind you, shortly after God’s second visit, Sarai tried to help God out by giving Abram her servant girl Hagar to have a child. A bitter rivalry forms, first because Sarai is jealous that Hagar had a child, then because Sarai didn’t want Hagar’s son Ishmael to receive any part of Isaac’s inheritance. The rivalry between Muslims and Jews continues even today.
So here comes God and He repeats the promise of numerous descendants, many nations even. To prove it, He gives Abram a new name, Abraham, which means father of a multitude, and Sarah. This time, God requires that Abraham does something to show he will keep the covenant. Abraham and all the males in his camp were to take the mark of circumcision to show that they belonged to God. From then on, all males were to be circumcised at the age of 8 days. If someone didn’t take on the mark, they were to be exiled because they didn’t belong to God’s people.
Abraham is struggling to figure out how it’s possible for him to have a son with Sarah. After all, he’s nearly 100 and she’s around 90 years old. He suggests that Ishmael could be the promised child of the covenant. God says no, Sarah is going to have a child and you will name him Isaac. He will bless Ishmael, but the covenant will be carried out through Isaac.
This is what Paul is talking about in Galatians 4:22-26 (read). Abraham had two sons. One was the child of a slave woman- Ishmael by Hagar. The other was the child of a free woman- Isaac by Sarah. Paul goes on to say that this is an allegory for all of us today. Many in the world will choose to live as Hagar’s offspring, represented by the present Jerusalem, and be caught up in slavery to this world and sin. Those who choose to live as Sarah’s offspring will find freedom and the new Jerusalem- heaven.
These three chapters in Genesis help us understand the covenant between God and Abraham, but they point to something more that we haven’t touched on yet. In fact, all the Old Testament covenants I mentioned earlier do this. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Israel, David, and the New Covenants all point to Jesus.
Two weeks from now, we celebrate Pentecost. It’s a celebration that began with Israel, but was given new meaning as the church was born at Pentecost. In Acts 2, we’re told that the crowds gathered because they were trying to figure out how these apostles from Galilee were able to declare the gospel message in many different languages they had never learned, but the crowd was able to hear and understand the message.
When Peter got up to explain what they were witnessing, he concluded his sermon by telling them in Acts 2:36 (read). God made His sacrifice to cut the covenant by allowing the people to crucify Jesus. He has now glorified Him as Lord and Christ. As we know, the people were cut to the heart and cried out, “What must we do to be saved?”
Peter answered and gave the terms for us to sign the covenant in verses 38-39 (read). We often focus on verse 38. Repent and be baptized, every one of you. You will be forgiven. You will receive the Holy Spirit. But I love who Peter declares this promise to be for- you, your children, all who are far off, whomever God has called to Himself. We are the far-off ones that God is calling.
Paul confirms the idea that baptism is our signature of the covenant in Colossians 2:11-14 (read). You see, just as circumcision marked the Jew in keeping Abraham’s covenant and showing they belonged to God, Baptism marks the Christian, indwelling us with the Holy Spirit to show that we belong to Christ for eternity.
Invitation.
