God's covenant with Abraham rested on divine initiative. It is God who calls us into a relationship. What is required, which Abraham did and which his descendants were expected to do, is to respond positively to God's gracious act. God's covenant with Abraham, being the first of its kind, opened a new relationship in God's revelation to mankind. Henceforth, man will be in perpetual covenant relationship with God. The Abrahamic convenant on its part was signalled by a new sign, the sign of circumcision, which, when broken, excluded one from the covenant community and hence from the promise to possess a land, to become a great nation and to be a blessing to all mankind. The Abrahamic convenant was also signalled by a new divine name: El Shaddai, (God Almighty) and a new name for those to whom the covenant was made, (Abram changed to Abraham and Sarai, changed to Sarah).
The Significance of the fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham
God fulfilled His covenant promise to Abraham as a result of his faith in Him. The promise was made when Abraham was seventy five (75) years old, and it was fulfilled when Abraham was a hundred years old. Thus, Abraham had to wait for twenty five (25) years for God to fulfill His promise to Him. Throughout the whole period, Abraham remained steadfast and firm in his faith in the Lord that a child of His promise would be born to him. Inspire of the advanced age of his wife and himself, Abraham believed and the Lord thereby fulfilled His promise with the birth of Isaac. For this remarkable faith of Abraham, he had been called the father of the faithfuls of all times. The lesson is that we must not waver in God's promise to help us solve our problems. When the fulfillment of the divine promise delays, we must not give up. We must not surrender our faith to fear and doubt. We must remain steadfast till the promise is fulfilled. In the process of waiting, we learn useful lessons about patience, perseverance and endurance.
God's convenant with Israel
The covenant between God and Israel followed from his convenant with Abraham. God's covenant promise to Abraham was that his descendants, the Israelites, would be a blessing to all mankind. This blessing consisted in the knowledge of the law, which expressed the will of God. The people before the time of Abraham did not know the law and therefore did not behave in the way that God wanted. Thus , God promised the law to be made available to all mankind through Abraham and his descendants. With the knowledge of the law, all mankind would come to do God's will, and there would be perfect harmony in the relationship between God and man, and between human beings themselves. The law was given to the Israelites during the covenant making ceremony at Mount Sinai. First, God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt and brought her to the wilderness of Sinai. The people were consecrated for the convenant ceremony. After the convenant terms (the law) had been read and the people promised to obey, there was the covenant ratification ceremony, which made the law legal and binding on the Israelites.
The Significance of the Oppression of the Israelites in Egypt
The fact that the Israelites suffered in Egypt meant that suffering is part of human experience. But God would not allow us to suffer indefinitely. He knows of our suffering and in due course. He will come and deliver us as He did to the Israelites. The lesson is that we must not despair in times of suffering. God is always at hand to save us.
Watch out for part 3
Shalom!
*MEMORIZE:* In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1
*BIBLE READING* ISAIAH 6:1-4
1. In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
*MESSAGE*
Many preachers have commonly interpreted the first verse of our Bible passage today to mean that King Uzziah was probably a
satanic force that blocked Isaiah from seeing God.
Some would even pray that everything representing Uzziah in their lives should die. This is so far from the truth.
lf you read 2 Chronicles 26:1-23, you will realise he was not a devil. Uzziah became a king at 16.
He was a humble king who depended on God. He followed the right steps of his father, Amaziah.
He invented assorted war equipment and became very popular and influential.
However, pride set in and he became full of himself.
So one day, he went into the temple to burn incense to God, a duty meant for Priests alone.
Azariah, the high priest and eighty other priests tried to stop him, all to no avail. Then God struck him with leprosy.
So he had to live in a secluded house outside the city until he died.
As you grow older, don’t develop a bad character and drop the good attributes you have developed over the years.
Learn from the story of Uzziah. Maintain your walk with God. Don’t ever take your focus away from Him.
*KEY POINT*
Uzziah started well but ended badly.
*BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR:* ISAIAH 53:1-12, ISAIAH 54:1-17, ISAIAH 55:1-13, 1 THESSALONIANS 2:1-20
