A GOD WHO KEEPS HIS WORD
1. For a little more than three hundred years we have known the science behind rainbows.
2. When raindrops and sunshine cross, a rainbow is formed.
3. In addition to what science has told us, there is information about rainbows in scripture.
4. In Gen. 9 we find that God promised to establish a “covenant” with Noah.
5. This covenant is described in verses 9-13 – READ.
THE WORD THAT IS TRANSLATED “COVENANT” IS USED 256 TIMES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
A. A quick examination of this word shows that God has made many “covenants” with man.
B. The word rendered covenant is first used in Gen. 6:18.
C. It this chapter God said that He would make a “covenant” with Noah.
D. Additional information about this covenant was just read from Gen. 9.
2. This morning I want to take a quick look at some of the covenants God has made with man.
3. We are going to, for the lack of a better expression, look at God’s track record.
4. We want to see how well He fulfilled His agreements (covenants).
A. God said that after the earth was flooded He would never again bring this same judgment on man.
B. This agreement was a covenant (a binding agreement). Has God kept His word?
C. There have been floods, but there has never been a second world-wide flood.
D. Thus, at least until the present time, God has honored His first covenant.
E. God did exactly what He promised to do.
F. If we think of a covenant as a binding agreement (a contract), God has lived up to its terms.
5. After Gen. 9 the next time we find the word translated “covenant” is in Gen. 14.
6. We will not look at this passage, but we will pay attention to Gen. 17.
7. The word rendered “covenant” is also found here.
8. By the time described in Gen. 17 Abraham was 90 years old (Gen. 17:1).
9. At this point he was about halfway through his life (he died at 175 years of age, Gen. 25:7).
10. When Abraham was 90 years old God made a covenant with him.
A. Gen. 17:2 – READ.
B. It is one thing to make a promise to someone when they are young.
C. Abraham was not young. He was at the halfway point in his life.
D. In spite of this God repeated His promise again – verse 4 – READ.
E. This covenant was a bit of a shock to Abraham – verse 17 – READ.
11. The promises made in this covenant were incredible, but they all came true.
12. Abraham was “multiplied exceedingly” (verse 2).
13. He became the father of many nations (verse 4).
14. Kings came from his family (verse 6).
15. As
long as
16. Abraham’s wife finally had a son.
A. It was one thing for God to promise that the earth would never again be flooded.
B. The covenant in Gen. 17 required miraculous intervention.
C. The agreement in this chapter required God to go outside the realm of natural law.
D. Even though promises that seemed to be impossible were made, they were fulfilled.
17. When we get to the book of Exodus (chapter 2), the word translated “covenant” appears again.
18. In
Ex.
A. The word rendered “remembered” means more than remembering an appointment or an event.
B. This word describes taking care of an obligation that is related to a covenant or a legal act.
C.
If you have found the verse let’s look at it together –
READ Ex.
19. THE
BOOK OF GENESIS SHOWS US THAT GOD HAS MADE COVENANTS WITH MANKIND AND THAT HE
FULFILLED HIM. IN EX.
A. God fulfills His covenants because He views them as a legal obligation.
B. God sees His agreements with mankind as binding agreements that He must complete.
C. Thus, when it is time for an agreement to be fulfilled, God does what He promised.
D. Sometimes people who have a legal responsibility do not do what they promise.
E. People conveniently forget their obligations or shirk their responsibilities.
F. Contracts are not always honored.
G. God is not like that. God’s word is His bond.
20. The word that we are looking at occurs a little later in the book of Exodus.
21. In
the next passage (Ex.
22. In Ex. 23 we find that God promised to cast the pagan people out of the land.
23. He
said that He would take care of
24. In return the people of God had some obligations.
25. One of their duties is found in Ex. 23:32 – READ.
A. God did not want His people to enter into agreements with false gods.
B. God understood that people could make a covenant with a false religion or a false deity.
C. God told His people that this was absolutely forbidden.
D. This point is still true.
E. When God makes a covenant with us, He expects us to be faithful to it.
F. One of our obligations is to stay away from false gods and false religions.
G. This includes forms of Christianity that are different from what the New Testament describes.
H. When the people under the Old Testament failed to this, God said they had committed adultery.
I. The covenant that God had with His people was like a marriage.
J. When people were not faithful, the word adultery was a good illustration for the unfaithfulness.
26. As we look at the word covenant we find some other things about it.
27. One of these additional points is found in the next chapter – Ex. 24:8 – READ.
A. Blood is something that normally gets people’s attention.
B. When we see blood, someone or something has probably been hurt or killed.
C. The Old Testament (covenant) was associated with blood.
D. The New Testament (covenant) is also associated with blood.
28. The references to blood tell us the kind of agreement we are dealing with.
A. In our world agreements come in many different forms.
B. We may have a verbal agreement with someone or shake hands on a deal.
C. Other agreements are more serious.
D. I know a member of the church who bought a multi-million dollar business.
E. His agreement with the owners was several pages thick and required several attorneys.
29. God’s covenants with man have often been based upon blood.
30. This implies that they are very, very serious.
31. God’s agreements with humanity are not things to be taken lightly.
32. The solemn nature of God’s covenants is further stated in Ex. 34:28.
A. This passage also has the word that is translated “covenant.”
B. Here the word is used in conjunction with the Ten Commandments – READ Ex. 34:28.
C. In life we find that some agreements are word for word.
33. Some of the agreements between man and God have also been word for word.
34. The covenant that we live under (the new covenant) is carefully recorded in the New Testament.
35. The Old Testament was carefully recorded as well.
36. The
Old covenant was so important that there was an “ark of the covenant” (Num.
37. The people were reminded on a regular basis concerning the covenant they had with God.
38. WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW THE WORD “COVENANT” WAS USED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WE HAVE SOME FOUNDATION FOR UNDERSTANDING THE WORD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
A. This understanding should fill our hearts with joy.
B. Consider the first point that we learned from the Old Testament.
C. God made promises—sometimes astounding promises—and He fulfilled them.
D. The word “covenant” shows that God has made a kind of legal agreement with people in the past.
E. The Hebrew writer says that we have a “better covenant.”
F. If God fulfilled His promises under the Old Covenant, what must be true about the new one?
G. If God was faithful under the old, what must be true of the “new and better” agreement?
H. God’s track record is perfect.
I. We can therefore expect him to do exactly what the New Covenant promises.
39. Under the Old Testament we noticed that God “remembered” His covenant.
40. That is, God treated His agreements as legal obligations and He fulfilled them.
41. In
2 Tim.
42. Why? God remembers His covenants.
43. God will not back out of an agreement or renege on His promises.
44. Tit. 1:2 says that God cannot lie.
45. When God makes an agreement He will fulfill it.
A. Whether He has promised to take people to heaven or send them to hell, He w/honor His word.
B. Sometimes people say that God can do whatever He wants.
C. Oh no. People may make and break agreements at will but this is not true of God.
D. Whatever God’s agreement with man says, this is what He will do.
E. God will not break His covenant with man.
46. Because God is true to His word, we need to be true to Him.
47. We need to make a covenant with God that we will obey Him and Him only.
48. We will be led by His word and nothing but His word.
49. We must avoid church creeds, manuals, church headquarters, boards…no type man made system.
50. Our agreement is with God and Him alone, no one else.
51. Yet, we find religious groups that operate under agreements other than the one from Jesus.
52. The word covenant reminds us of Jesus’ death on the cross.
A. When we have the Lord’s Supper each week we are reminded of an agreement.
B. This is God’s reminder to us that the terms of the covenant are true.
C. The supper says to the saved that their sins are really forgiven.
D. The elements remind us that this world is not our home and that a place has been prepared for us.
E. The supper is a continuing memorial to the fact that we are the people of God.
F. This part of the worship further reminds us that this covenant has been written in blood.
G. We have a very solemn agreement with God.
53. Because we have an agreement from God, we must have a desire to know the terms of the covenant.
54. Who enters into a serious agreement without knowing what the terms are?
55. Once we know the terms, we should be ready to study, and discuss them with others.
56. Those who are in violation of the terms described in the New Testament need to be taught.
57. Those who do not know what the terms are need to be told.
58. God has made an agreement with the world.
59. We can comply with it and be saved.
60. If we do what God’s agreement with man says, we can no beyond any doubt that we are saved.
61. We can also reject it or try to rewrite the terms of it and be lost.
62. Do we know what the terms of the covenant are, and have we obeyed them?