The Abrahamic Covenant In Christ

Throughout this series, we are practicing a New Covenant Hermeneutic. We are looking for the Gospel revealed in the Old Testament, and fulfilled in the New Testament (2 Cor. 1:20). We must read the Bible carefully to see implication along with application:

• Application--who does the passage apply to in its context?

• Implication--what is the implied truth for the reader today?

Three Promises

The Abrahamic Covenant involved three promises:

1. A Covenant of Preference or Blessing (Gen. 12:1-3) - This is Kindness

2. A Covenant of Place or Belonging (Gen. 12:7-9) - This is Kingdom

3. A Covenant of People or Begetting (Gen. 13:14-18) - This is Kindred

If you study your history, nearly every nation in Europe has seen it’s own version of the Holocaust, including of course Hitler’s Nazi Germany. The Nazi’s justified the Holocaust religiously through writings such as Martin Luther’s book On The Jews and Their Lies (1543) in which he encouraged Christians to burn synagogues, destroy jewish houses and take their money. For me, this is a cautionary tale of the dangers of erasing God’s loyalty to Israel for the sake of the church. God has faithfully preserved Israel through exiles, holocausts and attacks right up to today, and we are still witnessing the Satanic attacks on their people. The Bible, when read correctly, does encourage us to see the Church in Israel, yet distinct from Israel as well. Paul reminded the church that God still has a plan for Israel! We read in Romans 11:1-2,

"I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?" (ESV)

Paul reminded the church that Israel’s rejection of Jesus was part of the plan for the Gentiles to be grafted in in Romans 11:17-21:

"But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, 'Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.' That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you." (ESV)

Finally, Paul reminded the church that a great harvest of Israelite souls awaits in verses 25-28:

"Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob'; and 'this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.' As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers." (ESV)

Fulfilled In Christ

We have to remember that Jesus is the fulfillment of every covenant, including the Abrahamic Covenant! How does Jesus fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant to All Nations through the Church?

• Kindness = God’s Favor through Christ (Rom. 2:4, Rom. 9:22-25)

  Kindness is loving one’s own kind or kin. Jesus Christ came to rescue and redeem his kind/kindred/kin

• Kingdom = A Spiritual place of Belonging (John 18:36, Mark 1:14-15, Matthew 6:33, 1 Cor. 15:50)

  Jesus was much more concerned with the spiritual than the physical.

• Kindred = A Spiritual body of Belonging (Phil. 2:20, Rom. 10:10-13)

  Jesus led the way in creating a familial belonging.

Kindness Is A Flame

What is the implication for us as the Gathered church?

• We must seek to practice kindness for one another and the world.

• We must view the spiritual kingdom as more important than earthly kingdoms.

• We must pursue love for one another as family (kindred) in a spirit of oneness.

Every year about this time of year we begin to light backyard campfires which culminate in the tradition around Sacandaga Reservoir that we call the ring of fire. Usually around a campfire, one person is the fire person, and they build and tend to that fire, feed it, watch it and keep track of it. As the day gets darker, colder or more buggy, more and more people gather around that fire and are blessed by it’s light and heat. What a wonderful illustration of this idea of kindness that impacts both kindred and kingdom. In a family, when someone lights that fire — maybe through a kind word, a helping hand, or patient listening — the whole family feels its warmth. Even if just one person starts it, everyone benefits. It’s not about grand gestures; it’s about the steady, intentional tending of the fire. Now zoom out: the Kingdom of God is like a neighborhood of houses. Every time a believer lights the fire of kindness in their own yard, that glow can be seen by anyone passing by. Neighbors see it. Some come closer just to feel it. Others are inspired to light their own fires. Kindness in a family creates trust, peace, and belonging — it teaches us how to love well. And that same kindness, when lived out beyond our front doors, becomes a powerful witness of the Kingdom — showing the world what God’s love looks like in action. So whether you're tending the fire in your back yard or shining light out into the world, kindness is the flame that warms both the family and the Kingdom.

God’s covenant with Abraham was always to bring forth the light of the Gospel through Jesus. Our purpose in this world is to bring the light and heat of the Gospel in how we represent Jesus.