1. The Kingdom of Covenants
Abrahamic Covenant
Israel: Love for the OT, 2/3 of the Bible.
Oftentimes we don‘t know what to do with it. Today, we talk about Abraham… why is he important?

2. Reasons for Covenants
Gods Original intent: A perfect man in the image of God ruling over a perfect world as God’s representative.
Man’s rebellion: corrupted mankind & the world, both spiritually and physically.
God’s Goal in History: Restoration of man and world to a perfect state.
Gods means: To create a perfect instrument to restore the blessing to the whole world.
Review:
Seed of Eve – singular/plural. More going on than just hatred between snake and women.
In Advanced class – we will trace the seed of woman/serpant through the first 11 chapters. I want to create a love for studying the Scripture.

3. Structure of Book of Genesis
Genesis 1-11: Downward progression
Genesis 12-50: God's Perfect Plan--God intervenes in order to begin process of restoration to His original ideal: a perfect people in a perfect world.
Genesis 1-11
Genesis 12-50
Whole world
One family
Sin with ocasional faithfulness
Faithfulness & Sin
Judgment
Blessing
Emphasis on death
Emphasis on life & preservation
2000+ years
300 years
Genesis 12 till the end of Scripture is the outworking of God’s covenant

4. ILL: God asks us to jump down a cliff without telling us what will happen. He just says: Trust me. We respond: „But God, how can you make sure nothing will happen?“
Example: Me going to park in Israel
- Shane – missionary - Not only call for pastors

5. “Faith does not eliminate questions
“Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them”
Elizabeth Elliot
Orig: „Gott ist so groß, dass er auch den kleinsten Dingen, die um seinetwillen getan werden, Größe verleiht.“
Transl: „God is so great, that he bestows greatness upon the smallest of things which are done for his sake“ John Wesley

6. Giving of Promise (12:1-3) Blessing to Abraham
LAND
SEED, cf. Verse 7
Blessing through Abraham
BLESSING, reaffirmed many times later
Land: A place where God will once again dwell with his people
Seed: Many children through Sarai was childless
Seed of the woman
Blessing:
Reason for blessing Abraham, is that he would be a blessing to the nations
Just as Adam was blessed – Now Abraham
Seed of woman will triumph over the seed of the serpant
Foundation for God’s plan of world redemption is in Genesis 12:1-3

7. Cutting of the Covenant (15:1-21)
Restatement of covenant aspects (1-8)
V4-6: Seed
V7-8: Land
Covenant blessings delayed (12-16)
Three types of Ancient Covenants (9-17)
Shoe covenant
Salt covenant
Blood covenant
V3: Abraham reminds God that he has no Children
In ANE one thought to live on in children: Children are very important, to carry on the name. See verse 2, the response of Abraham to God.
He asks for a token… which is really common in the ANE: God does not get mad.
Covenants: Handshake

8. Shoe covenant (Ruth and Boaz)

9. Salt Covenant (2. Chr 13:5)
In ANE it was custom to make a deal and confirm it with a covenant of salt, i.e. eating together.
Num. 18:19; II Chr. 13:5

10. Blood Covenant (Jer 34:12-20)
Token is totally irreversible
In conditional covenants, both parties pass between parts
Both parties had to pass through this path. The one who doesn’t do their part of the covenant shall be like the animals, who might be eaten by the birds. This very thing is exemplified in Jeremiah 34.
God alone, symbolized by objects, passes between them. (cf. Ex. 13:21f).
Therefore, God alone is bound; covenant is unconditional. Promise of Gen. 12 is now confirmed by an “oath” (cf. Heb. 6:17f).

11. Cutting of the Covenant (15:1-21)
Cutting of Covenant
God is the one who passes through (Ex. 13:21)
Promise now confirmed through oath
Demarcation of Covenant (18-21)
Demonstration of Covenant: God‘s guarantee that he is going to do what he promised.

13. Sign of the covenant (Gen 17)
God expects response – „walk with God“
New detail: The nature of the blessing is spiritual – a personal & national relationship with God
„God of Israel“
V9-11: Circumcision is the Sign
Expression of faith
Father‘s responsibility (cf. Ex. 4:24-26)
God confirms his covenant.
Walk with God – theme in book of genesis: Adam (3:8), Enoch (5:24), Noah (6:9).
Now, after cutting it, God also expects response from Abraham.
Spiritual blessing:
- Also in the garden Adam and Eve enjoyed physical AND spiritual blessings.
Circumcision
- God gave them an act: so they can show that do desire to be in relationship!
- Father lives on in child
- A child is circumcised without being able to decide. So the act of the covenant does not particularly show something about the child but about the father (“your flesh” vs. “his flesh” in 13).

14. Sharers of the covenant (Gen 17)
Two aspects of covenant
Physical descendents
Spiritual aspect: Desire to participate in the covenant, demonstrated through circumcision
Jeremiah 9:25-26
Two things that those who want to share in the covenant have: being a physical descendent – spiritual aspect: circumcision.
The spiritual aspect of circumcision can also be seen in his judgment proclamation later (Jer. 9:25-26, cf. Rom 2:28).
He wants them not only to do it as a tradition but as something that is a heartfelt decision (“circumcision of the heart”). Cf. Jer. 4:4, Deut. 10:16. Not everyone in Israel is part of Israel.
APP: God is interested in your heart and not just your blind actions!
Catholic country… dead tradition
John the Baptist – called for repentance & baptism because they were only circumcised in flesh… not heart.

15. Continuity of the Covenant (Gen 17:22-27)
The Covenant confirmed to Isaac (Gen. 26:3-4)
Not Ishmael - the traditional father of the Arab peoples. Cf. Rom. 9:6-8.
The Covenant confirmed to Jacob (Gen. 35:9-12)
Not Esau (Edom, cf. Ezek )
The Covenant confirmed to the nation of Israel (Exod. 6:2-3,7-8)
Exod. 6:2-8; cf. Num. 24:9)

16. Abrahamic Covenant Question: What? Gen 3:15 References: Gen 12: 1-3,
3 Emphases
Blessing
Land
Seed
Review:
God desires to establish a mediatorial kingdom on earth through a perfect man ruling over a perfect world as God’s representatives.
God provided solution for the problem of sin: Immediate and ultimately.
Abrahamic Covenant: What exactly the covenant encompasses: Spiritual and national blessings
Abrahamic Covenant
References: Gen 12: 1-3,
15:1-21, 17:1-22
Question:
What?
Gen 3:15

17. Conclusion
God's Original Intent: A perfect man ruling as God's representative over a perfect world.
God's Means: To create a perfect instrument to restore the blessing to the whole world: Israel.
Characteristics of the Abrahamic Covenant:
An Unconditional Covenant
A Spiritual Covenant
A National Covenant
Spiritual Covenant: The key to the blessing on Israel is the spiritual relationship between God and Israel. A perfect relationship is part of the promise!
They did not get saved through works, but once they enter into the covenant relationship they are expected to respond with works (Eph. 2:9-10)

18. Discussion questions
Abraham asked God for a token/sign of his promise. Can we ask the same from God today?
Does God’s treatment with Moses disobedience (Ex. 4:24-26) of not circumcising his son reveal us anything about the way God views baptism?
God expected Abraham to have a response to his unconditional covenant (Gen. 17:1) and he expects us to respond to the message of the cross (Eph. 2:8-10). In what ways has God recently challenged you to “walk with him”?
Explain howto do reading
Print it out
Bible next to it
Make notes/questions/highlight difficult words
Read it with somebody else
You dont have to agree with everything
Paper
Short summary of article – which will be read at beginning
Discussion questions: Things you don‘ understand, etc.