Sermon #1422 Miscellaneous
Sermons
Title: El-shaddai – The God Of The Covenant
Text: Genesis
17:1-27
Subject: God’s Covenant With Abraham
Date: Sunday
Morning – September 17, 2000
Tape # V-100b
Reading: Genesis 17:1-27
Introduction:
The God of Glory appeared to Abraham when he was yet in Ur
of the Chaldees. There, the Lord God promised to make of him a great nation.
After the death of his father, Terah, in Haran, the Lord appeared to Abram
again, and renewed his promise.
Though
he was a seventy-five year old man, Abram believed God and left Haran with his
wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and Lot’s wife, and came into the Land of Canaan.
There, at Beth-el, the Lord appeared to him again and, again, renewed his
promise.
A Son and A Savior
In Genesis 15, after his lapse in Egypt, after the strife
between his herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen, after the slaughter of the kings,
after the appearance of Melchizedek, the Lord graciously appeared to Abram
again, this time more fully than before, and again renewed his promise. Abram
asked and God specifically promised to give him a Son, a Son who would be his
Savior, a Son through whom he would be made righteous, a Son in whom all the
world would be blessed. Then, we are told, “Abraham
believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
The Arm of the Flesh
Still, Sarah was barren. After ten long years in the land
of Canaan, Sarah devised a plan. She gave her servant, Hagar, to Abram. She
seems to have thought, “The Lord has not fulfilled his promise. He must intend
for us to do something. So,” she reasoned, “it only makes sense that if we are
to have children, if God is going to fulfill his promise, it will have to be by
means of a surrogate.” Therefore, she said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go
in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her.” And “Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai”
(Gen. 16:2).
What folly! What presumption! God does not need something
from us to accomplish his purposes. We can never do good by evil means. The arm
of the flesh can never accomplish the work of the Spirit.
Yet, despite Sarai and Abram’s unbelief, presumption, and
sin, God proved himself gracious, wise, and faithful. As we have seen already
(Genesis 13), our God even over rules evil for good, making all things work
together for the salvation and everlasting good of his elect. The Lord used
these events to reveal himself to Hagar. Though the Lord over ruled the evil
for good, Sarah and Abraham had to live with the consequences of their actions
for many years. The fruit of their unbelief and sin was Ishmael. Abraham loved
Ishmael, as any father loves his son; but Ishmael was the source of great and
constant pain to him and, at last, had to be put out of the house.[1]
Deliberate Delay
When we come to Genesis 17, it has been thirteen years
since the Lord last appeared to Abram. We have no record of God speaking to his
servant in any way for thirteen long years. Spiritual barrenness is always the
result of disobedience and unbelief. But we must never imagine that the man’s
unbelief nullifies the purposes and promises of God.
It often appears that the Lord God is not working, that his
purpose is being hindered, that his promise has fallen to the ground; but that
is never the case. God’s delays are always deliberate. Not only is it true that
God always knows best and does best, he always does it at precisely the best
time. He always fulfills his promise in “the
fulness of time.” He is never late; and he is never early. God is always on
time.
Why did Abraham
have to wait so long for God to fulfill his promise? It was twenty-five
years from the time the Lord first appeared to Abram and promised him a Son, a
Seed in whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed, until the birth of
Isaac. Why? The reason is simple. Abraham had to be brought to the end of
himself. He must be brought to his wits end. He must be made to know that God’s
work is in no way dependent upon or determined by him. The simple fact is, God never acts in grace until he
convinces us that our only hope is for him to act in grace.
·
God does not show us his power until he shows us our impotence.
·
Only when Israel is in utter desperation does the Lord speak, and say,
“Stand still and see the salvation of the
Lord.”
·
It was not until Abraham saw the deadness of his own body as well as
the deadness of Sarah’s womb that God gave him a son.
Now, I want us to look at Genesis 17. The title of my
message this morning is El-shaddai
– The God Of The Covenant.
(Genesis 17:1-3)
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to
Abram, and said unto him, I am (EL-SHADDAI) the Almighty God; walk before me, and
be thou perfect. {2} And I will make
my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. {3} And Abram fell on his face: and God
talked with him."
Proposition:
In this chapter the Holy Spirit has recorded for us the covenant God made with
Abraham and shows us that the basis upon which the covenant promises were made
to Abraham and the basis upon which he believed those promises was the
omnipotence and all-sufficiency of God our Savior.
As we look at this chapter together, I want everyone here
to understand that this passage is as applicable to believing sinners today as
it was to Abraham. The promises made to Abraham are the promises of God to all
who, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, are the children of Abraham. With
those things in mind, I want to show you four things in this chapter. May God
the Holy Spirit, whose Word we hold before us, inscribe the lessons of this
chapter upon our hearts by his grace.
I.
God’s Character
(Genesis 17:1)
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to
Abram, and said unto him, I am the
Almighty God."
Here the Lord God reveals himself to Abram as El-shaddai, “the Almighty God.” This is the first
time God made himself known by this great name. None but the Almighty God could
perform for Abram the things he here promises. This was a ninety-nine year old
man. His wife was ninety. Yet, El-shaddai promised him a Son; and what he promises
he can and will perform, because he is “the
Almighty God”. “With God all things
are possible.”
This great attribute of God’s being, his absolute
omnipotence, strikes terror in the hearts of the wicked; but to the believer
nothing is more consoling.
(Proverbs 18:10)
"The name of the LORD is a
strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe."
A.
Since our Savior is the Lord
Almighty, we can confidently forsake all and follow him (2 Cor. 6:17-18).
(2 Corinthians 6:17-18) "Wherefore come out from among them, and
be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
{18} And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty."
B.
Because our Savior is
El-shaddai, “He is able to succor them
that are tempted.”
C.
Because he who loves us with
an everlasting love is the Almighty, nothing can ever separate us from his love
(Rom. 8:39).
D.
Because our God is the
Almighty God, he “is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
E.
Because he is God Almighty,
the Lord Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, is able to keep his sheep in his
omnipotent hand (John 10:28).
F.
Because he is the Almighty
God, our Savior is able to raise our bodies from the grave in resurrection
glory (Phil. 3:21).
(Philippians 3:21)
"Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto
his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue
all things unto himself."
G.
Because
he is El-shaddai, the Lord Jesus is able to keep you from falling and present
you, and me, and all his own faultless before the presence of his glory in the
end (Jude 24-25).
(Jude 1:24-25)
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present
you faultless before the presence of
his glory with exceeding joy, {25} To
the only wise God our Saviour, be glory
and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen."
As I said, everything in this passage is for us. He who
appeared to Abraham and said, “I am the
Almighty God,” is the Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. Let believing
sinners rejoice! He who is our God is El-shaddai -- “the Almighty God”.
II.
God’s Command
Look at verse one again.
(Genesis 17:1)
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to
Abram, and said unto him, I am the
Almighty God; walk before me, and be
thou perfect."
Our translators have, in the marginal reference, told us
that this word “perfect” means
“upright” or “sincere”. But God cannot and will not accept our sincerity or
uprightness. The holy Lord God requires and demands perfection. It is written,
“It shall be perfect to be accepted”
(Lev. 22:21).
There is only one way in which we can walk before the Lord
God in perfection. If we would walk before the holy Lord God, if we would be
accepted before his august, majestic holiness, we must do so by faith in
Christ, like Enoch of old (Heb. 11:5-6).
(Hebrews 11:5-6)
"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and
was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he
had this testimony, that he pleased God.
{6} But without faith it is impossible
to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
A.
Perfection is what God requires of sinners and what
he gives to sinners in Christ (Matt. 5:20).
(Matthew 5:20)
"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and
Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."
B.
Perfection, absolute, perfect holiness in thought,
word and deed, is the standard every believers seeks, though we know it is
unattainable in this life (Phil. 3:12-14).
(Philippians 3:12-14) "Not as though I had already attained,
either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that
for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. {13} Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth
unto those things which are before, {14} I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus."
C.
Perfection, absolute perfection of character and
conduct, is what every child of God shall have in heaven’s glory (Ps. 17:15).
(Psalms 17:15)
"As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be
satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."
III.
God’s
Covenant
(Genesis 17:2-16)
"And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply
thee exceedingly. {3} And Abram fell
on his face: and God talked with him, saying, {4} As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. {5} Neither shall thy name any more be
called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have
I made thee. {6} And I will make thee
exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out
of thee. {7} And I will establish my
covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for
an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. {8} And I will give unto thee, and to
thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of
Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. {9} And God said unto Abraham, Thou
shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their
generations. {10} This is my covenant, which ye shall keep,
between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be
circumcised. {11} And ye shall
circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant
betwixt me and you. {12} And he that
is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your
generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any
stranger, which is not of thy seed. {13} He that is born in thy house, and
he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant
shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. {14} And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin
is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken
my covenant. {15} And God said unto
Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. {16} And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her:
yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a
mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her."
Abraham fell on his face in utter awe before the Lord God,
the Almighty God, who stood before him, “And God talked with him.” I
am interested in what God said to this man. Aren’t you? We do not have to guess
about it. The Holy Spirit tells us that the Lord God, the Almighty God,
El-shaddai here talked to him about a covenant.
In these fifteen verses of Inspiration, the Lord God tells
us six things about his covenant with Abraham. But, again, I remind you, these
things are recorded for us. They speak to us. They speak about God’s covenant,
“ordered in all things and sure,” for
us.
A.
First,
understand this. – As it is revealed here, God’s covenant with Abraham was a
covenant made with one man for the benefit of many.
The promised blessings of the covenant extended to all
Abraham’s descendants. The blessedness promised reach to the four corners of
the earth. Andrew Fuller wrote,
“Surely these things were
designed to familiarize us with the great principle on which our salvation
should rest. It was the purpose of God to save perishing sinners. Yet, his
covenant is not originally with them, but with Christ. With him it stands fast;
and for his sake they are accepted and blessed. Even the blessedness of Abram
himself, and all the rewards conferred on him, were for his sake. He was
justified, as we have seen, not by his own righteousness, but by faith in the
promised Messiah.”
God’s covenant of grace and salvation, that covenant of
which David said, “this is all my
salvation and all my desire,” was made for us (his elect) with Christ our
Surety before the world began. It is this covenant of which Paul speaks in
Ephesians 1:3-7.
(Ephesians 1:3-7)
"Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in
Christ: {4} According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love: {5} Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will,
{6} To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved. {7} In whom
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of his grace."
B.
Second,
God’s covenant is a covenant of righteousness.
Let it be understood that God always, first and foremost,
deals with sinners upon the ground of strict, unwavering, inflexible
righteousness, justice, and truth. God’s promised blessings of grace and
everlasting salvation cannot be bestowed upon any, except those who stand
perfect before him.
(Leviticus 20:7)
"Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God."
(1 Peter 1:15-16)
"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all
manner of conversation; {16} Because
it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
The blessings of grace and salvation come to chosen sinners
by the merits of a perfect Surety, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant. These covenant blessings come to us upon the grounds of…
1.
Righteousness established
and brought in by the perfect obedience of Christ in his life. He is “THE
LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
2.
Justice satisfied by the
sin-atoning death of God’s own dear Son as our Substitute (Rom. 3:24-26).
(Romans 3:24-26)
"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus: {25} Whom God hath
set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of
sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; {26} To declare, I say, at
this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him
which believeth in Jesus."
C.
Third, God’s covenant with Abraham, and his covenant with Christ as our
Surety, is a covenant of grace.
In verse nineteen, the Lord God told Abraham plainly that
his covenant would be established not with Ishmael (the child of works), but
with Isaac (the child of promise and of grace). We know that this is the
meaning of the Lord’s words to Abraham because the Holy Spirit tells us so in
Galatians 4:22-31.
D.
Fourth, God’s covenant is a covenant of circumcision.
(Acts 7:8)
"And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him
the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob;
and Jacob begat the twelve
patriarchs."
Circumcision was here instituted by God as the outward,
ceremonial sign and seal of God’s covenant with Abraham. This Old Testament
rite of circumcision was a picture of that circumcision made without hands in
the hearts of God’s elect by the Holy Spirit in regeneration (Rom. 2:29; Phil.
3:3; Col. 2:10-15).[2]
(Romans 2:29)
"But he is a Jew, which
is one inwardly; and circumcision is that
of the heart, in the spirit, and not
in the letter; whose praise is not of
men, but of God."
(Philippians 3:3)
"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and
rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
(Colossians 2:10-15)
"And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality
and power: {11} In whom also ye are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: {12} Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation
of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
{13} And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of
ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to his cross; {15}
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them
openly, triumphing over them in it."
Circumcision in the flesh meant exactly the
same thing to Abraham and his descendants that the new birth means to us.
1. It was a mark by which God’s
covenant was sealed to his people (Eph. 1:14; 4:30).
2. It was a mark distinguishing
God’s people from the rest of the world.
3. It was a painful mark. – The
experience of grace is painful to the flesh.
4. It was a purifying mark.
5. It was a permanent mark.
E.
Fifth, God’s covenant is a covenant immutable and sure.
When the Almighty God says, “I will,” he shall. Nothing can
prevent him from doing what he says he will do. All power is his. He is
El-shaddai, the Almighty, all-sufficient God. Seven times in this chapter he
says, “I will.” Hear his word of
promise and rejoice.
(Genesis 17:6-8)
"And I will make thee exceeding
fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and
kings shall come out of thee. {7} And
I will
establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their
generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed
after thee. {8} And I will
give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a
stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I
will be their God."
(Genesis 17:19)
"And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and
thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant
with him for an everlasting covenant, and
with his seed after him."
(Genesis 17:21)
"But my covenant will I establish with Isaac,
which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year."
God’s shalls and wills make his covenant immutable and
sure.
(2 Samuel 23:5)
"Although my house be not
so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow."
F.
Sixth,
we are told that God’s covenant is a covenant kept by his people.
Without question, all the terms, stipulations, and
conditions of the covenant were kept for us by Christ our God and Savior, the
Surety of the covenant. He fulfilled all for us. We could never have fulfilled
God'’ requirements. Yet, the Lord God demands in verse nine that we keep his
covenant.
(Genesis 17:9)
"And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore,
thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations."
The word “keep”
does not mean to keep by fulfilling, but to keep by guarding, by holding fast.
The reprobate and unbelieving despise God’s covenant. Needy sinners take hold
of it and hold it fast (Isa. 56:4-6).
(Isaiah 56:1-8)
"Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my
salvation is near to come, and my
righteousness to be revealed. {2} Blessed
is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it,
and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
{3} Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the
LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people:
neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a
dry tree. {4} For thus saith the LORD
unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; {5} Even unto them will I give in mine
house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of
daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. {6} Also the sons of the stranger, that
join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to
be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and
taketh hold of my covenant; {7} Even
them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of
prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called
an house of prayer for all people. {8} The
Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are
gathered unto him."
IV.
God’s
Child
In verses 17-27, Abraham displays the character of one who
is indeed God’s child.
A.
Abraham believed God (v. 17).
(Genesis 17:17)
"Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his
heart, Shall a child be born unto him
that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old,
bear?"
B.
Abraham prayed for his son, Ishmael (v. 18).
(Genesis 17:18)
"And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before
thee!"
C.
Abraham bowed to the will of God (vv. 20-22).
(Genesis 17:20-22)
"And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him,
and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes
shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. {21} But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah
shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. {22} And he left off talking with him, and God went up from
Abraham."
Though Ishmael was his firstborn son, though he loved him
dearly, though he prayed for him earnestly, Abraham recognized that Ishmael had
no claim upon God’s grace. Humbly, he bows to his God, even regarding his
beloved son, Ishmael. Like Eli, he seems to have said in his heart, “It is the Lord,
let him do what seemeth him good.”
D.
Abraham obeyed the Lord (vv. 23-27).
What an example of obedience this old, old man sets before
us. What the Lord commanded he did. In his old age, Abraham continued to walk
before his God as an obedient child. Old men commonly talk about the things
they have done, while finding excuses to justify the neglect of present
responsibilities. Not Abraham. Unto his dying day, in the tenor of his life, he
readily received instruction from his God, and yielded implicit obedience to
him, leaving the consequences of his obedience to God whose will he sought to
obey and for whose glory he lived.
What a shining example he was. This man was justified by
faith alone, without works. But he justified his faith by his works.
1.
His obedience was prompt. –
He consulted not with flesh and blood.
2.
His obedience was precise.
3.
His obedience was painful.
Conclusion:
1.
Here is God’s Character – “The Almighty God.”
2.
Here is God’s Command – “Walk before me and be thou perfect.”
3.
Here is God’s Covenant – “I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed
after thee.”
4.
Here is God’s Child – Believing, Obedient and Blessed.
[1] We must never endeavor to accomplish the purpose of God by the arm of the flesh. This is a lesson for God’s servants in every age. We long for seed, spiritual seed, God’s promised seed. We long to see chosen sinners born into the kingdom of God. Far too often, men who themselves believe God (as did Sarah and Abraham), employ carnal means to accomplish what God alone can accomplish. The result is always trouble. Let us rather wait on him who is “the Almighty God” to perform his work. The best our efforts can produce is Ishmael. The fruit of grace is Isaac.
[2] The Old Testament rite of circumcision has absolutely nothing to do with the New Testament ordinance of believer’s baptism. There is not a single passage of Scripture in which the two are connected. Circumcision, as it is explained in the New Testament, pointed to the work of God the Holy Spirit in the hearts of chosen redeemed sinners. It was a picture of the new birth. As circumcision was the seal of God’s covenant with Abraham to his children, so the coming of the Holy Spirit in his saving operations of grace is the seal of the new covenant to God’s elect, Abraham’s true children (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30).