In last week’s editorial, we read a devotion on the Noahic Covenant, learning more about it meant, and reflected on how it helps us appreciate God’s love for mankind more richly. In this week’s sermon, we will be introduced to a man called Abram, and to the promises God made to him, which will go on to shape the storyline of salvation.
May this devotional (1) deepen both our understanding of the Abrahamic Covenant as well as our trust in our promise-keeping God.
~ Pastor Luwin Wong
(1) Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)
Our Creator would have been entirely just to pass all of us by and leave us in our sin when Adam broke the covenant of works in Eden. We did not fulfill the terms of our probation even though we had every advantage in the garden, and we rejected His rightful authority as Lord when we sought to make ourselves the final determiner of right and wrong. Of course, this sin was not without consequences, for we were all cut off from God's blessed presence when we sinned in Adam (Genesis 3:24). Yet the Lord decided to show grace to some, which means that for the elect, this estrangement would not be eternal. Not everyone would feel His just wrath. Some would benefit from the covenant of grace that God enacted to destroy sin and Satan (v. 15). However, all of the benefits of this covenant of grace would not come at once, for they would be progressively revealed and unfolded
through several other covenants, the first of which was the covenant of Noah that established a reliable environment in which God could do His work for His people (8:20-22).
The next covenant under the umbrella of the covenant of grace is God's covenant with Abraham. In the Abrahamic covenant, the Lord reveals His grace in a manner that is particularly clear, for unlike Noah, Abraham started out as a pagan. He was called out of paganism (Genesis 12:1; Joshua 24:2) and given promises of a good land, a great nation, a great name, and tremendous blessing for him and, ultimately, for all of the families of the world (Genesis 12:1-3). And all of this was promised before God officially ratified the covenant, changed Abram's name to Abraham, and ordained the visible covenant sign and seal (15; 17).
In Genesis 15, we find the unmistakable revelation that although Abram and his descendants would have covenant obligations, God alone would ultimately ensure the success of His promises. Verse 1 records the point at which the Lord reminded Abram that He was going to give the patriarch a great reward. Abram did not understand how this could be because he had no heir and no one to whom the reward could be passed on (vv. 2-3). But the Lord graciously responded to this doubt, reiterating His promise to give the patriarch descendants that no one would be able to number (vv. 4-5). All that Abram had was God's word of promise, but that was enough. He trusted our Creator, and on account of his faith alone, God declared him righteous (v. 6). As we have seen in our study of Paul's letter to the Romans, it is by faith alone that the Lord declares us righteous today (Galatians 2:15-16).
Reflection
Faith demonstrates that justification is the work of God to which we contribute nothing. Justifying faith receives and rests in the Lord's promises through Jesus Christ and nothing else. Abraham was declared righteous because He recognized that the Lord justifies us apart from our efforts. We are justified when we recognize this, that only He can ensure the success of His covenant promises, which He has kept in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Article originally published in Tabletalk Magazine, extracted from https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/abrahamic-covenant