NOVEMBER 1, 2020 SUNDAY MESSAGE
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I had a friend growing up who was close...like a brother. We were always hanging out together and, no matter what,
• Always there when times that were rough and times that were good.
• Always present even when we were mad at each other, there was not turning on each other
• Always honest whether we wanted to hear it or not
This friendship didn’t happen by accident, we actually looked around the environments and neighborhoods we lived in and made a conscious decision that we were going to have each others backs no matter what.
• Early in our senior year, his family moved away, he crashed on my floor in our trailer to finish out
I broke the agreement when I didn’t stay in touch during prison. We are good now - We are not as close today as we used to be, but he is still a brother to me and, even if we haven’t talked in months, we can pick up where things left off.
I want to point out that we tend to do this, right? As a people, we kind of “tribe up” and create (formal/informal) alliances and strong friendships -bringing people into our fold -like family.
• Today, we even use the term “chosen family.”
• This idea is actually how gangs began in the first place. Not for crime like the stereotype but as a type of “chosen family” that looks out for each other.
• Maybe a little more familiar to you is the show FRIENDS, it’s known as the show that redefined family! Why? They moved away from their families and chose a new group to act as their support system.
• As biological families have separated for financial opportunities, relational disintegrated (whatever push/pull factors you can name), we are CHOOSING certain people to play significant familial-type roles in our lives
Now, if you were to transport yourself to the earliest biblical timetables, in the Ancient Near East, it was a much more rugged environment and you
• Needed strong families as a support system
• needed familial networks you could trust for regular commerce and market needs
• Needed civil alliances to help protect you from invading people groups
• YOU NEEDED PEOPLE you could trust LIKE FAMILY with you for protection, provision, and survival!
So, the tribal setting of the Ancient Near East had a social device that operated as a means of COMMITTING family and groups together which was both relational but also had a sense of legal commitment. It was called a COVENANT!
• This FICTIVE KINSHIP grafted families and people groups together...
• Building families into tribes. Tribes into villages/clans and cities into nations.
BUT WHAT WOULD YOU DO, if you were told to remove yourself from the stability of your home and move into the unknown!
• This is what Abram is asked to do in Genesis 12
Genesis 12 starting with verse 1
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
So, what is God asking Abram to do? “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household”
He is being told to:
• Walk away from your established means of provision,
• uproot from your network of commerce, AND
• Leave your social-protective alliances
• WHY WOULD GOD DO THIS?
God explains...
2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
With this statement, God begins two things! A PROMISE TO Abram & A PLAN THROUGH Abram:
• The PROMISE to Abram is to BLESS, his name great, into nation
• The PLAN (and pay attention to how this connects with the overall Gospel Story) is to bless others through him - to enact a RECREATION of EDEN and what was lost in Genesis 3. Through the blessing of Abram, all nations will be blessed...if they OPT IN!
• So, all of our little sayings: “blessed to be a blessing” “reconciled for reconciliation” all
come from this moment in Abe’s life.
• ...because “with great power comes great responsibility” - I didn’t mean to go Spiderman
on you but it’s true!!
• This is a clear example of the two threads, Covenant & Kingdom, displayed. There is a
RELATIONSHIP aspect and a RESPONSIBILITY aspect to being a Christian.
Leaving your home has RISKS but the REWARD is great also! The question is...CAN Abram - WILL Abram - TRUST YAHWEH? Let’s keep reading in verse 4...
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set
out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. (Beverly Hillbillies?) 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the
Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
(Commemorating what God had told Him) 8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord (Another commemoration) and called on the name of the Lord.
Now, I don’t like to overplay or romanticize the Bible characters (not “heroes” bc they are all deeply flawed people who God uses anyways - good news to us bc we are deeply flawed and God can still use us) but this is an area where Abe gets it correct...he was faithful!
He LISTENED to God and DID what God told him at great risk to himself:
• He stepped out on the promise that God would fill the gap of provision/protection as God is
points him to a land that has ENEMY OCCUPATION,
• and Abe steps out into a hope that can’t possibly be completed in His lifetime!
• He will never see the fullness of a nation because it will take longer than he is alive to complete it but he is content in knowing what it WILL, one day, become!
One other thing you HAVE to see: Geographically, this land is important because it is strategically placed between the two greatest geo-political superpowers of the time: MESOPOTAMIA and EGYPT
• The land God is moving Abram to is directly between them - in their trade routes - and positions them for peak influence to “be a blessing to the nations!” If they do this well, they will saturate the entire world with the promise of YHWH!!
• Even here we see a tiny group of marginalized people chosen by God to have a uniquely powerful influence on the entire world. Why not choose Pharaoh or a King? That’s just not how God works...
Now, to really understand what’s happening, we need a quick explanation of what a covenant is
and the stipulations of them!
Two kinds that were common during this era (since they are also agreements between nations you’ll hear political/relational language used interchangeably throughout):
Parity Treaty & Suzerain/Vassal Covenants.
• 1. A “Parity Treaty” is a covenant made between two equal parties, families, or nations.
• Brother/Brother Fictive Kinship.
• Free passage into each other's territories and open trade policies were created.
• Military alliance against an outsider. If an enemy attacks they are met with an “all for one, one for all” response.
• 2. A “suzerain/vassal” is a covenant made between one party who is clearly greater in stature, power, wealth, land, etc and another who is lesser
• Fictive Kinship is more like Father/Son and requires submission on the part of his weaker ally.
• Suzerain is the Father
• Vassal is the Son
• The suzerain has authority over the land and people of the vassal nation.
• Suzerain typically allowed vassal to continue ruling their people, maintain their government & traditions BUT
• legally the suzerain owned all of the vassal’s land & production
• The responsibilities of a suzerain involved military protection. If the vassal was threatened by outsiders, the suzerain was expected to step in and defend.
• It was also common for a suzerain to initiate this relationship by GIFTING the vassal with land. A highly effective means of ensuring loyalty...if the vassal broke covenant, he forfeited the land!
• In return, the vassal was expected to pay a percentage of his production.
• They owed military assistance when requested.
• A critical component was the vassal’s loyalty...a vassal could have only ONE suzerain.... anything else would be considered treason or marital unfaithfulness.
So, in the case of YHWH and Abram which kind of COVENANT are we dealing with??
• Suzerain/Vassal!
• God is clearly greater in stature, power, wealth, land, etc.
• Abe is the Vassal representing God’s people as the covenant moves from heir to heir generation to generation.
• THIS IS WHY God uses “marital unfaithfulness” to describe when we turn away from him
toward idols or other Gods.
• This concept is also behind the Hebrew for God’s love, “ḥesed.” Which is translated over and
over again in the Old Testament as “love, loving kindness, mercy, steadfast love, faithfulness,
etc.” Loyal Covenant love.
To ensure the proper installation of a covenant, BLOOD MUST BE SHED...WHY? Well, flip over to Chapter 15!
Moving to Genesis 15
15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield, your very great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”
In the storyline, Abram has just said goodbye to Lot, his nephew, which is a great loss to him - family is everything, it’s life and death, during this period - and God begins to console Abram. The formal address shows a bit of respect to YHWH but a shift takes place in the next verse..
3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Abram repeats himself and there seems to be a little more grit to it this time. Abe seems to be getting more frustrated or worried!
The Hebrew gives us a little better understanding as to what’s happening...
• The last two verses identify who is talking TWICE which is a way for Hebrew writers - who are not using punctuation - to signal a break in the thought.
• The reader is meant to assume there has been a time lapse between verse 2 and 3.
• AND, as time goes on, his doubt and struggle to believe God increases. Let’s keep reading...
4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
GOD is saying: I haven’t forgotten. The promise is still intact. The massive scope of the PROMISE has not overwhelmed me!! God’s saying,
“I’m not going back on this!” Verse 6...
6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” 8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” 9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was
setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.
God’s request for the animals would not have been unfamiliar to Abram!
• ...right? God doesn’t even tell him what to do but we see Abe preparing the animals according to a common covenantal ritual for betrothal in that time...
• God is using the language of the culture and offering to make a covenant oath with Him to put
him at ease!
• ...just like ALL OF US, Abram needed physical/material evidence of the spiritual truths in order to keep faith.
• The covenant had to be ratified (and represented in the external, physical world) by shedding blood due to the life and death severity to which it symbolized.
Taking a closer look at the covenant ceremony:
• The person would cut the animals in an open field
• Lay the halves out on two sides creating a walkway in the middle
• Dig a trench down the middle
• The blood would then fill the center aisle which was called the “corridor of blood.”
This probably seems a little gruesome for our modern sensibilities so I want to highlight four reasons for it!
1. FIRST, the ritual was INTENDED to symbolized death in 2 ways...
• 1) to their individual existence (no longer friends or neighbors but one-blood and family) AND
• 2) it was considered a “self- curse” meaning those walking between the pieces will be dead,
like the animals, if they violate the covenant (this rite is found both in the Bible and in Mesopotamia). So, this agreement is to be taken VERY seriously & putting your life on it.
NOW, since this is a Suzerain/Vassal covenant, the lesser party is supposed to walk through first as an act of LOYALTY! So, again, who is the lesser party?? Good ole ABE!!
• There are two indicators that we realize Abe is hesitating to walk through!!
•“Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses” AND “the sun was setting”
• Abram, in his angst, challenged God to give proof of the promise and God says, “alright then, let’s do this right and put our LIVES on it!”
• The image that comes to mind is: Abe sitting in the midst of the field with the animals,
• knowing that he CAN’T keep up his end of the covenant
• and, if he steps into the blood, he is a dead man!!
• After driving the birds away and “as the sun was setting, Abram
fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.” And GOD steps into
the rescue...
It says....
13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.
18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates....”
In this darkness, God spoke of their future, of trial and difficulty and consequences BUT of ultimate victory and freedom.
2. So, the SECOND aspect of the covenant ritual is that:
• In this case, remarkably, it is GOD, who walks through symbolized by 2 things - the “smoking fireboat” and a “blazing torch!” THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!
• GOD - the greater party - and the ultimate definition, in every sense of the word “greater” steps in first.
• This was considered a “covenantal grant”, which is a reward for past loyalty. God is saying “I have seen your faith”
• You will also notice that God is represented TWICE indicating to Abram: “I’m stepping in for
you too. I know you’re not gonna be able to keep your end of this covenant so I’m representing both of us!”
• EVEN FROM THE BEGINNING of the redemptive story, God KNOWS Jesus is going to step
in for our failure and atone for our sins and for our inability to remain faithful for our end of the
covenant.
3. A THIRD aspect of COVENANT, is that there is another symbolic representation in the “corridor of blood” which serves to crystalize the unity of the two parties.
• While in one sense this is a symbol of death it is also meant to represent NEW BIRTH as an image of a BIRTH CANAL!
• A new life identity emerges through new life on the other side (echoed in baptism which is
another form of covenant). This finalizes that the two separate entities have become one now!
4. The FOURTH and FINAL aspect of the covenant I want you to note is that there are still consequences for the actions. You may have noticed that God in the middle of the last section gave a prophecy of 400 years of slavery. This is in reference to the Egyptian Captivity in Exodus.
There is an old saying that “getting God’s people out of EGYPT is easier than getting EGYPT out of God’s people.”
• Abe trusted the empire strength of Egypt when the famine occurred -
• he acted in a shameful way with His wife - AND
• He picked up good, riches, camels, and servants.
While God is always faithful, always preserves a remnant to maintain the covenant promise, and he will NEVER LEAVE HIS PEOPLE, there are real life consequences to our actions, our sins, and our inability to remain faithful with our end of the covenant!
Whatever season you are walking through:
• You have felt God is DISTANT or not present in your situation but God never breaks his covenant fidelity.
• Doesn't matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, God makes sure to be present, to fight your battles with you.
• Even when you mess up, God has paid the price in Christ for your nearness to him!
• Maybe you’ve had doubts about God like Abraham...
• God is still the restorer of your soul. He can walk with you in the doubt, He NEVER leaves!
• It’s possible too that you are holding on to your old identity before Christ and you haven’t fully surrendered to Him. It’s time to put that OLD SELF to death so you could become one with God. He is ready!!
Because, look, when we are walking in the fullness of our identity with God, knowing He will never leave, we walk in a new confidence with HIM and take bold steps of faith WITH HIM, and even when the risk is High, the reward is worth it and you are able to share the blessing and
promise to your neighbor, to your friends, and to the nations.
COMMUNION:
(1 COR. 11:23B-26)
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SAVE THE DATE: The 2020 Marriage Retreat is scheduled to be Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and November 8!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
We are hosting prayer team meetings for both the congregation at large and individuals to sign up for individual prayer.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WORSHIP:
Coty Miller’s own “Praise & Worship” Spotify playlist and “Praise & Worship” YouTube playlist (slightly different from each other), both of diverse music that are being constantly updated!
Bethel Music :
Bethel Music’s hours of live music YouTube Playlist, also being constantly updated
Bethel provides chords to most (if not all) of their songs here (just have to register email, but free!)
Live worship moments from the Upper Room YouTube Playlist
Journal writing! (I’m a writer too, so sometimes creative writing and writing my thoughts to God is my form of worship.)
Declare and worship with truth by singing and praying scriptures.
WORSHIP NIGHT! Dedicate a night to worship with friends and family, your house church or neighbors, those who need prayer, love worship, or just enjoy music through a video chat platform like Zoom. You can have one person leading at a time (switching off to whoever else wants to lead) while others sing along, pray, or prophesy, etc.
Serving your community, both online, in person, or both, is a great way to worship God, from spreading encouragement and God’s Word online to physically serving food to others. If you are able to go out and serve, click here for opportunities.
COMMISSIONING:
As Jesus said in John 20:21,
"Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Go, be the Church!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.