What made them Heroes?

El Hombre viejo · Oct 19, 2010

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Did you ever wonder what made those bible heroes different from you and I? Were they stronger in body or mind? Was it their diet? Could it be their breakfast cereal? Or Diet Coke! Nope.
I sincerely believe what made them stronger is the fact that they believed God.
Ok but what did they believe?
God cut covenant with Abraham. Remember the talk of that? God promised Abraham that his seed would be as the dust of the Earth.
Genesis 13:16
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

As born again believers we are Abraham's seed. If we are anointed ones then we are Abraham's seed.
Galatians 3:29
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

What promise is it? What did God promise Abraham and through him us? What is that covenant? What’s in it? Have you ever heard it taught?
Andrew Murray writes that...
"Covenant was above all to give man a hold upon God as the Covenant-keeping God, to link him to God Himself in expectation and hope, to bring him to make God Himself Alone the portion and the strength of His soul."
He goes on to add
"I feel confident that if I can lead any to listen to what God has to say to them of His Covenant, and to deal with Him as a Covenant God, it will bring them strength and joy."
How is a covenant cut and why?

Step One
Basis of the Covenant
A. Both parties will sit and arrange the terms of the covenant
1. Based on needs, strengths, and weaknesses.
Step Two
IV. The Cutting of the (Innocent) Animals
3 or more large animals are cut in half, lengthwise, and the pieces are placed lengthwise up against each other.
Step Three
Coat Exchange
Coats are exchanged by the representatives.
A. Meaning
The coat is or contains the symbols of all the authority of family, tribe, or individual. (Ex: Today's military dress uniform—from the coat, one can discern authority and position)
Step Four
Weapon Exchange
Weapon belts are exchanged by the participants, while saying: "I shall teach you and protect you."
Step Five
'Way' or 'Walk' of Blood
Both representatives walk between the cut pieces of the animals, in a figure-8, twice. Then both reps. stop and swear to the death while standing in the midst of the blood, swearing by G-d (thus making G-d their 3rd party) to kill the covenant breaker and his family after him if the terms of the covenant are broken.
Step Six
Covenant Cut
The right hands of both participants (or some other part of the body) are cut, the right hands are bound together (so that their blood is mixed together), and raised, and swearing by the blood of both families or tribes is made, followed by the statement, "I will never leave you or forsake you, so help me G-d." (Note the similarity to the raised hand when swearing in for court testimony). The cut is then treated so that it won't infect, but mostly so that a scar will well up, never to go away (a symbol, token, or sign of the covenant, born in the flesh).
Step Seven
Name Exchange
The names of the representatives and the represented are changed or merged to reflect the new covenant relationship (To have one's name is to operate in his authority).
Step Eight
Covenant Feast The entire households, tribes, or families come together to share a meal or feast (further making them one, because the same food becomes part of the bodies of both sides). The elders first feed one another saying, "This is my body, take, eat." (Meaning: I'll die and let you eat my flesh before I'll let you starve). Then, the elders feed each other wine representing blood (life). (Meaning: everything that I have is yours, even daughters, sons, food, possessions (cf. Gen. 34:23), everything. Then, the rest of the families feed each other bread and wine. Thus entering the covenant relationship, never to leave or forsake, ever.
Conclusion
A. Covenant Language
"I will hold you forever in my heart, as if I were standing here in the blood of the covenant."
B. Our Relationship with G-d
Our relationship with the L-rd is a covenant, therefore:

You may surely stand on the covenant promises.
You must honor your covenant responsibilities:
- Love the L-rd your G-d with all that you are.
- Love your neighbor as yourself.
- Rest in the faithfulness of G-d.

C. The Serious Nature of Covenants
Covenants are not to be entered into lightly, for G-d will require them of you. To swear an oath, or enter into a covenant, is to bring HaShem in as a witness and judge. He will protect His name and we should do the same.

So…What do we possess under our Abrahamic Covenant?
God came to us from a position of strength. We were definitely in a position of weakness. We had nothing at all to offer God. Roughly two hundred years after the flood Abraham came along and God made friends with him. He led Abraham out of Ur his hometown and taught him and Abraham got to know God. God blew him away one day by suggesting the cutting of a covenant between them. “You want to what?! Cut covenant?” Abraham stuttered. “Yup” God said nodding. “What kind of covenant? I have nothing to offer that would benefit you.” And so it went. They sat down and hammered out the term. We were to get Gods name, His armor, His authority, His protection, in fact we were to get all that God has. And God? What was He to get? He was to get our love as fickle as that can be, and our obedience. What kind of covenant is that? Hardly fair in my books but that’s what God wanted. We come out looking like kings and He gets us. What a God!!

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What made them Heroes?

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