I Will Establish My Covenant
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
12/30/2012 AM
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Text:
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Genesis 17:7
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Psalters: |
134, 94, 393, 360 |
Sacrament of Baptism |
- The Idea.
- God spoke about this relationship with Noah and Abram earlier.
- Proximate blessings to Abram because of the relationship are given in 12:1-3.
- God made it clear that He establishes this relationship alone; it is not a mutual agreement.
- God declares that He, not Abram, would establish the covenant. Altogether a divine work.
- Also important to the relationship is that it is “everlasting.”.
- The heart of the covenant is the relationship of being a God to His people.
- To be a God.
- All humans have a god, even after the fall into sin.
- God regenerates, giving man to know Himself as the only One to be worshiped and thanked.
- He is a God to them so He is “their God!”
- The covenant is not a promise, nor a contract, nor a way to some higher end, nor an alliance. But it is a very definite relationship God has with Abram and his seed.
- He is their God, their sovereign King and Judge.He is the God who loves them with an eternal love.
- When Jehovah is their God, then they are God’s people.
- If we have Jehovah as our God, then we need nothing more, for He is everything.
- Amazing because God is so far above us. What an honor!!
- This relationship God will establish in the seed of Abram, i.e., in his generations.
- While this was said to Noah, this aspect is emphasized in our text because the sign of circumcision is added (10ff).
- God declares that He is pleased to use parental example and instruction (18:19) as the means to establish the same relationship with the children of believers’