<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com
ffice:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> Gods covenant
<o> </o>
In Genesis.15 we have the fifth appearance of our Lord to Abraham, when the lord appeared to Abraham in order to test his faith.
In “the whole armour of God” we are given a shield of faith (Ephe.6.16): for it is only by strong living faith that we can defeat the enemy. In mark.11.11 the Lord himself calls it the faith of God, as we can see in the margin. In Galatians 2.20 it is described as faith of Son of God. It is only as we are in dwelt by God himself that we can have strong faith. God said to Abraham in his vision Genesis 15; “Abraham, believe Me and My word”.
God Said further: “Iam thy shield and thy exceeding great reward”. In psalms 84.11 God is described as “sun and shield”. The reward depends faith. Without real active faith, we cannot receive a reward. The Lord uses sufferings and trials to give us faith (1 peter 1.7).God had spoken so clearly to Abraham, yet it was hard for him to to believe (Gen.15.2,3).
Abraham waited for many years an finding that he was childless he went about to make his will leaving his property to his chief steward. God appeared to him to save him from making a mistake. Because of our limitations we often have many doubts. Sometimes we may have strong faith but doubts return to trouble us, and God in his love and mercy intervenes again and again.
At last God himself appeared to Abraham at the right time. He called him outside and said to him; Look heavenward Abraham.Dont look at yourself or your wife, or your intentions.Dont look at circumstances but look upward, and then your faith will become strong. Look heavenward and count the number of stars. So shall your seed be”.
Till today nobody knows the number of stars. They are so many and so far away. God knew he could not count the stars, but he purposed to strengthen his faith, and it is only by looking upwards we can have faith. The enemy will make us look downward, upon our limitations, our shortcomings and our failures. Our eyes should be constantly on Him, and we must take hold of his promises by faith.(vs5-8)
Jeremiah 34.18 throws some light on this passage. In those days when two parties had to make an agreement, they would take an animal and slay it and divided it into two parts. Both the parties would pass between the parts of animal, thus making a promise that could not be broken. In the same way God was making covenant with Abraham;
He told him to take three animals and two birds (vs.10, 15, 17) and slay them. Cut them into two parts. Then the Lord caused the lamp to pass between those pieces, thus making an unbreakable covenant with Abraham (vs.13-17).
Abraham was listening to God, and God was able to tell him beforehand how his seed as a nation would be in <st1:country-region><st1lace>Egypt</st1lace></st1:country-region> for four hundred years and would return to the land in the fourth generation. God was thus giving the Amorites and Hittites, the people of the land, four centuries in which to repent of their sins. If they would not repent of their sins, they would be judged. Leviticus 18.23-25 is a description of the defilement of the land. When the children of <st1:country-region><st1lace>Israel</st1lace></st1:country-region> returned to it out of the <st1lace><st1lacetype>land</st1lacetype> of <st1lacename>Egypt</st1lacename></st1lace>. God had waited for four centuries for the nations living there to repent, but because they did not repent they had to be judged. God told the children of <st1:country-region><st1lace>Israel</st1lace></st1:country-region> to destroy all the cities utterly and their inhabitants.
The Lord Jesus Christ has made a covenant with us through His own blood, and by that covenant we posses His inheritance. At the same time we will be used by him to judge other powers (1 Corinth.6.2,3).For such a privilege we must be given a strong active faith, a faith that overcomes doubts, and listens and obeys when He speaks to us.
<o> </o>
<o> -taken from the studies from the life of Abraham by Bro.Bakth singh.</o>
<o>Jerusha.
</o>
<o>
</o>
ffice:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> Gods covenant<o
> </o>In Genesis.15 we have the fifth appearance of our Lord to Abraham, when the lord appeared to Abraham in order to test his faith.
In “the whole armour of God” we are given a shield of faith (Ephe.6.16): for it is only by strong living faith that we can defeat the enemy. In mark.11.11 the Lord himself calls it the faith of God, as we can see in the margin. In Galatians 2.20 it is described as faith of Son of God. It is only as we are in dwelt by God himself that we can have strong faith. God said to Abraham in his vision Genesis 15; “Abraham, believe Me and My word”.
God Said further: “Iam thy shield and thy exceeding great reward”. In psalms 84.11 God is described as “sun and shield”. The reward depends faith. Without real active faith, we cannot receive a reward. The Lord uses sufferings and trials to give us faith (1 peter 1.7).God had spoken so clearly to Abraham, yet it was hard for him to to believe (Gen.15.2,3).
Abraham waited for many years an finding that he was childless he went about to make his will leaving his property to his chief steward. God appeared to him to save him from making a mistake. Because of our limitations we often have many doubts. Sometimes we may have strong faith but doubts return to trouble us, and God in his love and mercy intervenes again and again.
At last God himself appeared to Abraham at the right time. He called him outside and said to him; Look heavenward Abraham.Dont look at yourself or your wife, or your intentions.Dont look at circumstances but look upward, and then your faith will become strong. Look heavenward and count the number of stars. So shall your seed be”.
Till today nobody knows the number of stars. They are so many and so far away. God knew he could not count the stars, but he purposed to strengthen his faith, and it is only by looking upwards we can have faith. The enemy will make us look downward, upon our limitations, our shortcomings and our failures. Our eyes should be constantly on Him, and we must take hold of his promises by faith.(vs5-8)
Jeremiah 34.18 throws some light on this passage. In those days when two parties had to make an agreement, they would take an animal and slay it and divided it into two parts. Both the parties would pass between the parts of animal, thus making a promise that could not be broken. In the same way God was making covenant with Abraham;
He told him to take three animals and two birds (vs.10, 15, 17) and slay them. Cut them into two parts. Then the Lord caused the lamp to pass between those pieces, thus making an unbreakable covenant with Abraham (vs.13-17).
Abraham was listening to God, and God was able to tell him beforehand how his seed as a nation would be in <st1:country-region><st1
lace>Egypt</st1lace></st1:country-region> for four hundred years and would return to the land in the fourth generation. God was thus giving the Amorites and Hittites, the people of the land, four centuries in which to repent of their sins. If they would not repent of their sins, they would be judged. Leviticus 18.23-25 is a description of the defilement of the land. When the children of <st1:country-region><st1lace>Israel</st1lace></st1:country-region> returned to it out of the <st1lace><st1lacetype>land</st1lacetype> of <st1lacename>Egypt</st1lacename></st1lace>. God had waited for four centuries for the nations living there to repent, but because they did not repent they had to be judged. God told the children of <st1:country-region><st1lace>Israel</st1lace></st1:country-region> to destroy all the cities utterly and their inhabitants.The Lord Jesus Christ has made a covenant with us through His own blood, and by that covenant we posses His inheritance. At the same time we will be used by him to judge other powers (1 Corinth.6.2,3).For such a privilege we must be given a strong active faith, a faith that overcomes doubts, and listens and obeys when He speaks to us.
<o
> </o><o
> -taken from the studies from the life of Abraham by Bro.Bakth singh.</o><o
>Jerusha.</o
><o
></o
>
Last edited by a moderator:
