“The Covenant”

1. “The Covenant”

2. Man “Breaks With God & God “Breaks With Most Men” • Gen 6:6-7 The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended. 7 So the Lord said, "I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth - everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them." ( New English Translation )

3. God discusses “His Covenant” • Gen 6:18-19 but I will confirm my covenant with you. You will enter the ark - you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. • Gen 7:1 The Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, for I consider you godly among this generation. • Gen 7:23 So the Lord destroyed every living thing that was on the surface of the ground, including people, animals, creatures that creep along the ground, and birds of the sky. They were wiped off the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark survived.

4. God “Confirms His Covenant” with Noah • Gen 9:8-11 God said to Noah and his sons, 9 "Look! I now confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that is with you, including the birds, the domestic animals, and every living creature of the earth with you, all those that came out of the ark with you - every living creature of the earth. 11 I confirm my covenant with you: Never again will all living things be wiped out by the waters of a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth."

5. Gen 9:13-16 I will place my rainbow in the clouds, and it will become a guarantee of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 then I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures of all kinds. Never again will the waters become a flood and destroy all living things. 16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth."

6. God’s covenant with Abram • Gen 15:6 Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord considered his response of faith as proof of genuine loyalty. • Gen 15:18-21 That day the Lord made a covenant with Abram: "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River - 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites." • Gen 17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants."

7. God Makes His Covenant Perpetual • Gen 17:7-8 I will confirm my covenant as a perpetual covenant between me and you. It will extend to your descendants after you throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 I will give the whole land of Canaan - the land where you are now residing - to you and your descendants after you as a permanent possession. I will be their God."

8. This Covenant Had Requirements • Gen 17:9-14 Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep the covenantal requirement I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. 11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder of the covenant between me and you. 12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants. 13 They must indeed be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant will be visible in your flesh as a permanent reminder. 14 Any uncircumcised male who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off from his people - he has failed to carry out my requirement."

9. Today we receive blessing from this same covenant God made • Acts 3:25-26 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, 'And in your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.' 26 God raised up his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each one of you from your iniquities."

10. Covenant continues in Christ • Rom 11:27-31 And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." 28 In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience,

11. The covenant points to Christ • Gal 3:13-17 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree") 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith. 15 Brothers and sisters, I offer an example from everyday life: When a covenant has been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, "and to the descendants," referring to many, but "and to your descendant," referring to one, who is Christ.

12. The Law of Moses does not effect the original promise to Abram • Gal 3:17-18 What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise • 19 Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made.

13. First law was not perfect • Heb 8:6-7 But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one

14. This is the new covenant • Heb 8:10 "For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be my people

15. Take heed to listen & obey • Heb 12:25 Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven?

16. Remember our covenant • Heb 12:28-29 So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. 29 For our God is indeed a devouring fire.

17. This is an eternal covenant • Heb 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.