The Covenant Of The King

But how did Abraham respond in this text? When God told Abraham to walk, God’s Word says that Abram fell face down. When God told him to walk before him and be blameless, all Abraham could initially do in the presence of God was to fall face down. He was overwhelmed with such a thought of living before God! That’s when God reiterated what HE would do first. Notice what God ultimately promised Abraham then. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. Wow! Think about what God was saying about Himself - how that comes off to most people today! God was saying, “I’m going to be your God and your descendants God!” Imagine if someone came up to you today and just said, “I’m going to be your spouse!” We’d take it as arrogant! Most of us would probably be turned off at someone being so forward with us. But if we found out that person was really nice looking, rich, powerful, would give us everything we need, and promise us an eternity of happiness, that wouldn’t be so bad now would it! As a matter of fact, we’d probably say “I do” on the spot! That’s how Abraham responded. He loved to be God’s chosen one. Instead of taking his relationship with God for granted and doing nothing, he responded. When God asked him to sacrifice his only son, he was willing to do so. When God told him to send Hagar and Ishmael off into the desert, Abraham did it. When God told him and his household to be circumcised, he did. Although he wasn’t perfect, he still lived a life of faith - trusting that God would send a Savior to save him from his and his descendants sins.

When God asks us to walk before Him and be blameless, we too fall on our faces. We realize that such a task is impossible in and of ourselves. But when God says, “I’m going to be your God! I’ve sent you a King who lived and died for you! I love with a gracious love that’s based on what that King did for you!” Those messages of comfort and forgiveness - what else do they do for us but make us say - “yes, I love having you as my El Shaddai - my God over the hills who comes down to live and die for me!” When we realize all that El Shaddai has done for us, it makes us fall on our faces - not in terror - but in praise and worship of God! It naturally produces fruit in us - fruits of thankfulness and praise. It makes us want to live complete lives, remembering that everything we say and do is done as if we were walking in front of God - to the glory of his name. It makes us say, “whatever you ask of me, I’m willing to do!”

In the movie - the Return of the King - there were two separate stories going on. One of a king fighting a battle with swords and axes, and another of a seemingly powerless little hobbit carrying a powerful ring into a flaming abyss - to be destroyed forever. With a combination of the two working together, evil is destroyed.

In God’s original coming of the King, the battle was fought by only one man - Jesus Christ. He fought with His words and wisdom, brandished a cross, and defeated an enemy far more powerful than anything in creation - He had to face God’s wrath on mankind. As we went to this mighty hill called Golgotha, he also faced foes uglier than any ogre - the devil and death itself. Our King fought this war - and died a gruesome death. But in death our King won a wonderful victory. For three days later our King then returned to glory though His resurrection from the dead. We have seen His story. He now promises a complete and total victory through faith in Him. What is more, is that this King calls us on the battle fields to continue the fight against a wounded and dying enemy. Like Abraham, we are apt to fall on our faces. But God promises us He’s already come down to us and won the war. The King’s covenant to us is that through faith in Him He’ll keep us in the faith and give us the strength to fight. With that covenant in your heart, God will move you to stay in the fight - even to the death - not with swords and spears - but with the Word of God. Amen.