ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

NOAH, BABEL, AND ABRAM

• Noah is found by his son naked
• Noah then curses Hams son Canaan
• People of Babel build a tower to be like God
• In each case we have a widespread rebellion of humanity against God
• This leads us to Abram

THE BEGINNING

• Abraham is chosen so that he can bless the rest of the human family
• "You will be a blessing" "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed"
• Abraham was chose by God to bring blessing to everyone
• Genesis 12:1-3
• This has always been Hods mission for Abrams descendents

THREE BLESSINGS TO ABRAM

• A great nation
• A great name
• A blessing to everyone
• Genesis 12:1-3
• God later works each promise into a formal covenant

GOD MAKES A COVENANT WITH ABRAM

• Abram is angry because he still doesnt have children
• God instructs him to bring a bunch of animals and cut them in half
• A torch and firepot appear and move between the animals
• This was a covenant making ceremony
• The strange parts of the ceremony had meaning

WHAT DOES THE COVENANT MEAN

• Animals: "if i do not keep my covenant, may I be killed like these animals"
• Torch and firepot: represent Gods presence
• This coming down to a human level is called divine condescension
• God came down to a human level to take part in a ceremony Abram sould understand
• God promises: lots of descendents who will posses lots of land

THE FALL OF ABRAM

• Sarah begins to doubt God will give them a child
• Sarah suggest Abram having a child with Sarah's maid Hagar
• Hagar's choldren sould then belong to Sarah
• Ishmael is born
• God is angry because Ishmael is not the heir God intended

THE COVENANT RENEWED

• God repeats the promise of a great nation and adds to it
• He adds Abram will be the father of many nations
• The promise to Abram would be fulfilled in his descendents
• God changes Abrams name to Abraham
• Covenant is marked in circumcision of Abraham and his family

THE FINAL COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM

• Genesis 22
• God tells Abraham to take Isaac up to Moriah and sacrafice him
• Abraham and Isaac travel up the mountain fornthe sacrafice
• Isaac freely accepted his death (foreshadows Jesus death)
• Jesus is the new Isaac (only begotten son; freely accepts death)

CONTINUED

• An angel of God stops Abraham from killing Isaac
• A ram is substituted for the sacrafice
• Deeper sense: Jesus lamb of God
• Abraham is called a prophet because he is the first to predict Jesus sacrafice
• Sacrafice on mountain is another Jesus, Isaac connection

CONTINUED

• God is moved by Abraham and Isaacs willingness
• God promises Abraham many descendants
• "By your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed"
• This line tells of Jesus Christ
• Promise of universal blessing for all nations is finally included

SACRAFICE OF ANIMALS

• Why did animal sacrafice cause God to forgive sins
• The killing of animals did not mean much to God
• Animal sacrafices were re-presentation of Isaacs sacrifice
• Kind of like in Mass with the eucharist
• Isaacs sacrafice had meaning in Gods eyes