Monday, September 25, 2017

God’s Covenant with Abraham

October 1, 2017 Background Scripture: Genesis 15 Lesson Passage: Genesis 15:1 – 6, 17 – 21 The lessons this month will examine some covenants that God established between Himself and others. Some of the covenant relationships established by God involved individuals and some involved groups. All of the covenants are of interest to us because they teach us something about God as well as the characteristics of holy living. Today’s lesson highlights the covenant God established with Abraham. This covenant is of particular interest because the Bible speaks of Abraham as the father of the faithful. That is to suggest that all who come to saving grace by faith are considered the spiritual children of Abraham. That means that we are joint-heirs with Abraham pertaining to spiritual things. This lesson details the third occasion of the Lord speaking to Abram about a covenant. After the first two occasions, Abram’s actions are recorded that indicate that he believed God’s statement concerning blessing him. In today’s lesson, God told Abram that He was going to do something that seemed physically impossible. It is here that we see Abram’s faith. The scriptures state that Abram believed in the Lord and the Lord reckoned Abram’s belief in Him as righteousness. Abram’s faith in the Lord’s ability and willingness to do the impossible for his sake brought him into right standing with the Lord. On that day, Abram’s right standing (righteousness) with the Lord was based solely on his belief and trust in the Lord and with that he became the spiritual father of all who are made right with God through faith. However, unlike the other occasions when God spoke to Abram, this time God went a step further. God instructed Abram to prepare the ground around him so that the covenant could be sealed or established in blood. Abram was instructed by God to bring five types of animals that God specified. Abram divided the large animals in half and arranged them so that the covenant partners could travel between the pieces and seal the covenant. Abram had to fight off the scavengers to keep them from the sacrifices. While Abram protected the sacrifices and waited, he fell asleep. Abram awoke to see a smoking pot and a flaming torch passing between the pieces of the sacrifices. The covenant had been sealed and God, alone, had passed between the pieces of the sacrifices indicating that He, alone, was the guarantor of the covenant. Abram and his heirs would be beneficiaries of the covenant but Abram did not have to do anything else to secure the agreement. Abram’s faith in the Lord was all he was required to have and that’s all he brought to this covenant. Everything else required to uphold this covenant was dependent on God and God had endorsed it by passing between the sacrifice pieces as a symbolic statement that He would be even as those sacrifices if He failed to uphold the covenant. What’s better than a covenant agreement with God? A one-sided agreement that God has pledged to uphold and He is the only one accountable for upholding is the ultimate covenant! Robert C. Hudson September 11, 2017

Monday, September 18, 2017

Spirit-Filled Heart

September 24, 2017 Background Scripture: Ezekiel 36, 37; Titus 3:1 – 11 Lesson Passage: Ezekiel 36:22 – 32 Today’s lesson is an abrupt change from the pass three lessons. The previous lessons focused on outward physical signs that were synonymous with three covenants God made with mankind. The rainbow is God’s reminder to Himself of His covenant to never again destroy all living flesh with a flood. Circumcision and the Sabbath observance were physical requirements God gave to Israel to practice/observe as an acknowledgement of the covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our lesson today focuses on the sign of the new covenant God promised to make with Israel. This sign would not be a physical sign nor would it be based on physical practices Israel would be required to observe. The sign of the new covenant is the inward change of a person who is in right relationship with God. This inward change makes it clear that salvation is personal and not a corporate experience. Eternal salvation does not depend on group activity. All males in Israel could be circumcised from the age of eight days old and older and yet it is possible that none of them would be inclined to worship or have faith in God. In fact, the eight-day old boy has not yet developed a God-consciousness but he becomes part of the covenant when his parents have him circumcised. At that point in his life, it is not his decision but it is the decision of his parents based on the instructions God gave to Abraham and then encoded in the Law He gave through Moses. Likewise, every person in Israel could religiously observe the Sabbath day and yet still not be in right relationship with God. However, mere physical observances and activities would not matter with the new covenant. The new covenant would come with a changed heart because of the indwelling Spirit of God. This inward condition cannot be earned by a person but will be provided by the gracious act of God because of their faith in Him. God would not do this in exchange for anything from man. God would perform this for His name’s sake. Israel had tarnished the reputation of God among the nations because of their open rebellion against God and His ways. They preferred to be like the nations around them rather than become the peculiar people God had called them to be. Israel’s desire to be like the other nations led her further from God’s ways and His presence. God’s holiness was essentially despised by Israel as clearly shown by her actions. The other nations took note of this and soon found that God no longer protected His covenant people from their attacks. The other nations preyed on Israel and even took her into captivity because God’s covering was no longer protecting Israel. God had not left Israel but Israel had strayed from the covenant God made with her forefathers. They continued to go through the motions of physical activities and observances but their hearts were far from God. God’s new covenant would not be a repeat of the old covenants. The new covenant would include a new heart and a new spirit to bring Israel into right relationship with God. God would place in them both the desire and the ability to do His pleasure. And they would do it with Spirit-filled hearts. Robert C. Hudson September 6, 2017

Monday, September 11, 2017

Sabbath Observance

September 17, 2017 Background Scripture: Genesis 2:1 – 3; Exodus 31:12 – 18; Isaiah 56:1 – 8 Lesson Passage: Exodus 31:12 – 18 It should be noted that the Jews were in Egyptian bondage for over four hundred years prior to receiving the laws God delivered to them through Moses. Many of those laws outlined how a nation of free people should live and care for themselves and each other. This was much needed instructions for a people who only knew slavery and taskmasters. It follows that they did not know much about the need for periodic physical rest to allow their bodies to heal and be revived. Before their deliverance from slavery, they worked when they were told to work and stopped when they were told to stop. Therefore, it was necessary that God command Moses to speak to the elders of Israel and inform them that He was establishing the Sabbath as a sign between Him and their generations perpetually. They could work for six days but on the seventh day, they had to cease all work and observe a day of rest. As former slaves, they would not be accustomed to this and therefore it was to be enforced by the threat of death for all who disobeyed the observance. Again, God emphasized that it was to be a sign between Him and the descendants of Israel forever. God used the creation timeline as the model. God created everything in six days and on the seventh day He rested (ceased) from His work. God later emphasized this covenant sign He made with the Jews through the prophet Isaiah by declaring that He would extend the same blessings to the eunuchs and gentiles that He extended to Israel. They were seen as joining Israel in offering sacrifices on God’s altar. The sign of the Sabbath observance was an integral part of the covenant God made with Israel and it included the eunuchs and gentiles who were previously excluded from the congregation of Israel. All who worshiped God under the covenant of Judaism were required to observe the Sabbath. All of this was encoded in the Law of Moses which governed all of the rituals of Judaism. Everyone who kept the Law as a process to achieve righteousness, or right standing before God, was indebted to keep all of the Law and not just portions of it. Under the Law of Moses, the Sabbath observance was not optional. It is still a wise thing today to periodically rest our bodies to allow ourselves to be refreshed physically, emotionally, and mentally. Our bodies were not created to work continuously without some downtime. We need refreshing. Our periodic rest should not be confused with the requirement of the Law to observe the Sabbath. The Sabbath was established as a sign between God and the descendants of Israel and it was extended to include all who accept Judaism as their religious commitment to God. Christians are not indebted to the Law and its rituals because Jesus Christ fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law for all who place their faith in him and the saving power of his blood. Paul clearly declared this to the apostles at Jerusalem to which they gave their consent. The apostles sent letters to the churches assuring them that they did not have to fulfill the rituals of the Law. Paul admonished the church at Colossae to let no one judge them based on them not observing the rituals of Judaism—and he included the Sabbath in that list of rituals. Robert C. Hudson August 9, 2017

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Circumcision

September 10, 2017 Background Scripture: Genesis 17 Lesson Passage: Genesis 17:1 – 14 The sign of circumcision is the focus of today’s lesson. There are historical records of circumcision being used as a medical procedure over four thousand years ago. In fact, circumcision as a medical procedure predates Abraham by over two thousand years. Because the procedure has been noted in historical documents all over the world, circumcision is believed to have originated in Africa (the cradle of humanity) prior to the dispersion of mankind to the various regions around the globe. Although the medical procedure is clearly documented, the original purpose for circumcision is not. It appears to have been used in some cultures as a transition time from youth to adulthood for young males. It is thought that uncircumcised males had greater difficulty reproducing and they were left like that until they were mature enough to provide for a family. Some cultures also circumcised females. A number of religions adopted circumcision as a ritual over the course of time. These include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—which all originated from the descendants of Abraham. The scriptures do not divulge the physical purpose of such a painful procedure. What the scriptures do make clear is that circumcision is an act of obedience that God required of Abraham, his male descendants, and the male servants in his household. This was a covenant sign that God established with Abraham. All families that were included in the covenant blessings were required to have all of their males circumcised. Any uncircumcised male descendant of Abraham or his servants who were not circumcised was left out of the covenant God made with Abraham to bless them. Going forward from God’s encounter with Abraham, newborn males were required to be circumcised on the eight day. At the time Abraham received this covenant from God, he was ninety-nine years old and his son, Ishmael was thirteen years old. His servants were probably of various ages with many of them identified by number as old enough to go to war. All of them were circumcised on the same day God established the covenant. However, before they were circumcised, God had a couple of other surprises (blessings) for Abraham. God gave Abram and his wife Sarai new names. This was in celebration of the blessings God was about to bestow on them. The new names signified that nations would descend from them. From that point on, they would be known as Abraham and Sarah. Sarah, who was eighty-nine at the time, would give birth to a son for Abraham who would inherit the covenant. Because of this, Sarah would become a mother of nations. Apparently this was too much for Abraham all at one time. He started laughing at the thought of being one hundred years old and fathering a child and Sarah giving birth at the age of ninety years after she had been barren all of her life. God assured Abraham that He would cause Sarah to conceive and bear a child in her advanced years. Abraham ratified the covenant by circumcising all as God commanded him. Robert C. Hudson August 23, 2017