Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / Abraham’s Belief Part 2 - 8/26/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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Abraham’s Belief Part 2 - 8/26/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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Welcome to [music] the podcast of
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Meadows Baptist Church of Walnut Cove,
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North Carolina. We're so glad [music]
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you joined us today. If you enjoy
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today's message, be sure to subscribe,
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[music] follow, and share with your
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friends. Now, let's join Pastor [music]
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Charlie Branch with a word from God.
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Genesis chapter 15. Lord willing, try to
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finish the chapter up tonight and uh be
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done with this and uh
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you pray for us that the Lord will help
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us tonight.
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Genesis 15 verse number 7.
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Let's read verse number six. And he
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believed in the Lord and he counted it
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to him for righteousness. And he said
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unto him, I am the Lord that brought
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thee out of earth the Caldes to give
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thee this land to inherit it. And he
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said, Lord God, whereby shall I know
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that I shall inherit it? And he said
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unto him, take me and heer of three
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years old, and a she goat of three years
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old, and a ram of three years old, and a
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turtle dove, and a young pigeon. And he
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took unto him all these, and divided
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them in the midst, and laid each piece
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one against another. But the birds
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divided he not. When the fowls came down
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upon the carcasses, Abram drove them
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away. When the sun was going down, a
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deep sleep fell upon Abram,
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and lo, and horror of great darkness
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fell upon him. And he said unto Abram,
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"Know of assurityity that thy seed shall
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be a stranger in a land that is not
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theirs, and shall serve them. They shall
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afflict them 400 years, and also that
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nation whom they shall serve will I
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judge, and afterward shall they come out
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with great substance. Thou shalt go to
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thy fathers in peace. Thou shalt be
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buried in a good old age, but in the
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fourth generation they they shall come
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hither again, for the iniquity of the
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Amorites is not yet full. And it came to
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pass that when the sun went down and it
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was dark, behold, a smoking furnace and
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a burning lamp that passed between those
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pieces. In the same day, the Lord made a
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covenant with Abram, saying, "Unto thy
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seed have I given this land from the
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river of Egypt under the great river,
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the river Euphrates, the Kennites, and
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the Kennesites, the Cabonites, and the
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Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the
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Raphaims, and the Amorites, and the
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Canaanites, and the Gegosites, and the
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Jebusites. Father, I ask Lord humbly
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tonight that you would help me. God, I'm
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very weak in body, but Lord, I ask you,
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God, that you would give me strength
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this evening. touch my voice, touch my
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throat. And God, I ask you that you
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would speak to us tonight. Thank you for
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your word. And Lord, the burning fire uh
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that you put in my bosom, uh Lord, those
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years ago when you called me and Lord,
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you placed me in the ministry. God, I
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thank you that you counted me faithful.
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Lord, as the Apostle Paul said, you put
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me in the ministry. And Lord, I thank
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you, God, that you've allowed me to
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serve in this church. And Lord, to serve
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these precious people. And Lord, I sure
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love them. God, I pray you bless them
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tonight for their attendance to the
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house of God and to the word of God. And
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I ask you, God, that you would help us
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all be better Christians as a result of
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this message tonight and for what you
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do. We'll thank you for it because we
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ask it in Jesus name. Amen. Genesis
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chapter 15. And I know I sound a little
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different tonight, but it'll be okay.
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And I'm going to try to give you the
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same truth I always do. The Bible's
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still the Bible. Somebody say, "Amen."
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And uh I want us to begin tonight by
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reviewing the ch the chapter. We we
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noted last time the divisions of the
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chapter. We talked about um the faith
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that is mentioned in the text. We talked
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or we talked about the shield in verse
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number one. We talked about the seed uh
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that is given in verse number five. And
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then we mention this soul. If you need
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another outline for that, I like to
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outline things several different ways
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sometimes so that I can help remember
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that there is the Lord that is mentioned
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in verse number one when he says, "I am
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thy shield and thy exceeding great
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reward." It is the Lord who is the
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shield and reward of Abram in the text.
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And then there is the lineage that is
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mentioned in verse number four. This
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shall not be thine heir, but he that he
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he that shall come forth out of thine
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own boughs shall be thine heir. And so
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there is the Lord and then there is the
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lineage and then there is the land in
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verse number seven. And that's where
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we'll look tonight as the Bible says he
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said unto him, I am the Lord that
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brought thee out of earth the cowes to
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give thee this lamb to inherit it. Now
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this has been the instru this this has
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been the instruction of the Lord all the
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way back to the time that he first
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called Abram in Genesis 12 from the
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Caldes to go unto a land that I will
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show thee. Now Abram at that time did
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not know that it was this land. But I'm
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thankful that God in his mind he knew
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exactly where he wanted Abram to be. And
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I want to say this because God just
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because God does not reveal to you in
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the moment where all you're going to go
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does not mean that he does not know
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where you're going. That's
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>> right.
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>> And the thing is your destination is is
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settled. You do know where you're
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headed. We know that we are headed to
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heaven. This world is not our home. We
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know not the path that we shall walk on
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the way there, but we do know that we'll
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make it there. And this text reveals us
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to us the land that is promised unto
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Abraham. This is the covenant. We talked
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last time about the belief of Abraham
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concerning his seed or the lineage. And
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tonight we're going to talk about the
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belief of Abraham concerning the land or
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the soul in the text. And it's mentioned
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in verse number seven. I want you to
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notice a few things by way of
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introduction. There is the deliverance
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that the Lord points out in verse 7. He
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said unto him, I am the Lord that
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brought thee out of the Ces to give thee
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this land to inherit it. So there is
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deliverance that's mentioned. He brought
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thee out. Now it is emphasized in this
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text as well as when we think about
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Israel, when we look in the book of
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Deuteronomy, it is told us that God told
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the nation of Israel through his man
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Moses, he said, "I brought you out that
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I might bring you in." And the emphasis
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is that God never saves anybody to sit.
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He doesn't save you just to get you out,
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but he saves you to bring you in. God
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didn't save you just so you could get
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out of hell, but he saved you so that
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you could serve him. And he brought you
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out that he might bring you in. And so
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this deliverance, he said, I brought
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thee out of the Caldes. That in it
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signifies the burning that paganism, the
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heathenism that is pointed out in the
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caes. It's mentioned the Tower of Babel
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was built there and their worship that
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is in in uh described there. It's
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described in the book of Joshua that
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they worshiped heathen gods. And so God
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has delivered him from idol worship to
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salvation to be the father of the nation
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of Israel. And so he is delivered in
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verse 7. He brought thee out of earth
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the cities to give thee this land to
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inherit it. And so we see the
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deliverance in verse number seven. But
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notice the desire in verse number eight.
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And he said, 'Lord God, whereby shall I
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know that I shall inherit it? And so
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when we look at this, Abram expresses
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his desire here. And I want to emphasize
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this. All right, verse number eight is
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not doubt. Okay, if it's if it was
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doubt, it would be worded in in another
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way. But it's worded there, whereby
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shall I know that I shall inherit it?
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And also, it's not doubt because of
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God's response unto him in the text.
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Anytime you see an individual doubting,
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we can go to the New Testament and look
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at an instance. Let's actually do that
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tonight. Luke chapter number one. I
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think this would be a good time to deal
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with this. Luke chapter number one.
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There's always God has a different
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response when someone is doubting. Luke
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chapter number one, we are given the
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story of a man by the name of Zacharias.
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You know this story. He would be the
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father
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of what would be John the Baptist of who
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would be John the Baptist. Verse number
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verse number 12 Zachcharias when there
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verse number 11 there appeared unto him.
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Zachcharias an angel of the Lord
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standing on the right side of the altar
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of incense. When Zacharias saw him he
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was troubled and fear fell upon him.
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Verse 13. But the angel said unto him,
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"Fear not Zacharias, for thy prayer is
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heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear
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thee a son, and thou shalt call his name
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John." And then the prophecy is given
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all the way down to verse number 18,
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where Zacharias responds. Listen to what
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he says. And Zachariah said unto the
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angel, "Whereby shall I know this? For I
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am an old man and my wife stricken in
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years." Notice the response of the
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angel. He says, "I am Gabriel, verse 19,
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that stand in the presence of God, and
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am sent to speak unto thee, and to show
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thee these glad tidings. Behold, thou
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shalt be dumb and not able to speak
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until the day that these things shall be
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performed, because thou believest not my
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words, which shall be fulfilled in thy
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season." Now, what's interesting to me
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is is the terminology that's used in
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verse number 18. Zechariah said unto the
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angel, "Whereby shall I know this?" Now
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listen to what Abram said in Genesis
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15:8.
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And he said, "Lord God, whereby shall I
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know that I shall inherit it?" Now the
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difference is in this text is is that we
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already have a defined faith from Abram.
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You say, "What do you mean?" Well,
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notice verse six. What's it say? And he
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believed in the Lord and it was counted
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unto him for righteousness. And so
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Abram's faith has already been defined
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in the text. And so what Abram is
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desiring here in the text is not doubt.
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He is desiring a further revelation of
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what God wants to do. Now you say,
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"Preacher, isn't that what God is doing
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for him in all these chapters?" That's
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exactly it. And here's the thing about
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it. The further you go along with God,
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you ought to be able to trace his next
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step. You say, "What do you mean?" Well,
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the thing is, the closer we get to God,
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the more we should know about him, the
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more we should understand how he works.
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Now, we don't always understand the way
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that he works. But the truth is, we
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should know more about him today than we
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did a year ago.
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>> That's right.
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>> Amen. And so, he's desiring to know. He
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said, "Whereby shall I know that I shall
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inherit it?" So, notice not only the
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deliverance in verse 7, and the desire
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in verse eight, but notice the demand in
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verse number nine. And he said unto him,
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take me and heer of three years old, a
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she goat of three years old, and a ram
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of three years old, and a turtle dove,
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and a young pigeon. So I want to give
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you four things in the message tonight
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and all of these have to do with this
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covenant. All right. The covenant is
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described in verse number 18. But it is
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this entire entire text verse number
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nine all the way through verse 21 that
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talks about this covenant. So if you're
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taking notes you I'll give you these
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four headings this evening. There is the
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covenant sacrifice that is described in
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verses 9 down through verse number 11 in
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the text. The covenant sacrifice verse
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number 9 through verse 11. And then in
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verse 12 there is the covenant
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subsequence. That is in verse number 12
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down through verse number 16. The
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covenant subsequence.
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Not only there is the sacrifice and the
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subsequence, but then there is the
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covenant seal in verse 17 of this
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chapter. The covenant seal in verse 17
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and then in verse 18 down through verse
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21 there is the covenant scripture here
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in this chapter. All right. So let's
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look tonight first of all at the
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covenant sacrifice. Now it is described
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here in the text the Lord requests of
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him in verse number nine take and heer
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three years old a shegoat a ram a turtle
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dove and a young pigeon. So he is
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requesting a sacrifice here in the text.
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Now in this day and time when you study
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history dating back to this time there
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was no such thing as a legal binding. It
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was not such a thing for men to enter
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into an agreement on written word. And
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so they would not um there was no
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written agreements. And I find that
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interesting. Even in this day, even in
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this day and time, the written agreement
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um doesn't mean very much. I mean, we
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have to sign all kinds of things um in
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order to make agreements, but it really
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doesn't mean anything. But this
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agreement in this text, what this text
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is here, this this covenant that is a
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covenant that men would make between
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each other. Now, this is a scriptural
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thing. I'm going to show you a verse
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about that in just a minute. But you
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notice here verse number you you see
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first of all the animals. There is the
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hepher, the shegoat, the ram, the turtle
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dove, and a young pigeon. And what is
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special about all of these animals is
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their age in verse 9. They're three
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years old. All of them are three years
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old. It's a reference to the completion
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of their maturity. So they are of full
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age. When you look at an animal that's
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three years old, they are pretty much as
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grown as they are going to be. And so
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there is the animals, there's their age,
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then there is the arrangement. Verse
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number 10. And he took unto unto him all
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these and divided them in the midst and
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laid each piece one against another, but
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the birds divided he not. So he took
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these animals and he would cut them in
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half. That is the imagery here. The word
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covenant when you look up its
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translation in the Hebrew it literally
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translates to a cut. You think about the
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the Indians and they would make the the
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blood brothers. What they would do is
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they would take those cuts and they
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would join themselves in a covenant. So
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what these this covenant represents here
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is that there is a dividing of these
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animals. And what they would do is is
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they would set these animals up in a
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line. They would cut them in half and
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leave a path just right through the
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middle of them. And for the agreement to
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be given, what would happen is is that
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both parties making the agreement would
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pass through the center of those
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animals, thus sealing their covenant.
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Notice with me Jeremiah chapter 34.
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Jeremiah chapter 34.
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Listen to what the Lord says. Jeremiah
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chapter number 34
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18
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and 19.
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Verse number 18, Jeremiah 34. Put in
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your margin. And I will give the men
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that have transgressed my covenant,
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which have not performed the words of
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the covenant which they had made before
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me, when they cut the calf and twain,
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and pass between the parts thereof, the
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princes of Judah, and the princes of
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Jerusalem, the Unix, and the priests,
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and all the people of the land, which
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pass between the parts of the calf. I
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will even give them into the hand of
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their enemies and into the hand of them
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that seek their life and their dead
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bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls
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of the heaven and to the beast of the
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earth. And so the Lord is simply
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describing in the text the
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unfaithfulness
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of the children of Israel, the priests,
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the prophets, the kings to be faithful
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to their end of the covenant. Now you
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notice here in the text the animals, the
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age, the arrangement in this covenant
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sacrifice. But notice the attention in
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verse number 11 of our text, Genesis 15.
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And when the fowls came down upon the
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carcasses, Abram drove them away. Now,
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there's a illustration here. I don't
15:56
want you to miss this. There's an
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illustration here of Christ. Now, what
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is the covenant? We we think our
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salvation. There is the it is called
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described in one place as the blood of
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the new covenant. That is the covenant
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that Christ has made with us through the
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deliverance of God the father. He is God
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the father has delivered his son. For
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God so loved the world that he gave he
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sent his son into the world to die for
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sinners. And the covenant that is made
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between sinful man and between God. What
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is that? There is one God and one
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mediator between God and man. And that
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is the man Christ Jesus. And there is
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the attention that is laid in this text.
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Notice that he when the fowls came down
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upon the carcasses, Abram drove them
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away. And so Abram was making sure that
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this covenant could not be destroyed. If
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the sacrifice would was defiled, the
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covenant would be destroyed. Let me say
16:50
this. If Jesus had been defiled, the
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covenant would be destroyed. Amen.
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>> If Jesus
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sinned, if Jesus could have sinned, if
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Jesus in any shape, form, or fashion had
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any sin in him,
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>> he's defiled. Therefore, the covenant is
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null and void. But aren't you thankful
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that Jesus did no sin. In him is no sin.
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He was made in the likeness of sinful
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flesh. He became sin who knew no sin.
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But aren't you thankful he didn't stay
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that way? Amen.
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>> And so there is the attention and uh
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there's also an illustration here and
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dad was talking to me about this this
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afternoon. He said the illustration here
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of purity this this dividing in the text
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is also a great image of marriage that
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those two parts are divided and when
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there is the passing through Abram was
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protecting this union that would be when
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the Lord would pass through that and so
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there is the protecting of the
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sacrifice. Some say this, your marriage,
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that's what it is to the Lord. It's a
17:56
sacrifice of favor unto God and those
17:59
two become one. And that joining that is
18:02
to be protected. Somebody say amen. So
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we see the covenant sacrifice verses 9
18:09
through verse number 11. Notice not only
18:12
the sacrifice, but let's consider the
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subsequence in the text. So Abram here
18:17
in the text has laid his attention on
18:20
the offering. And I'll say this tonight,
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God here in the text has brought Abram.
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He is standing against defilement in
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verse number 11 that these fowls would
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try to destroy these carcasses. One
18:32
writer literally said these these uh
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sacrifices represented the nation of
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Israel and that Abram was protecting
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them from defilement in the text. And we
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notice that he is standing against
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defilement in verse 11. But notice verse
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12, he is standing in darkness. I
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mentioned that on last week and I'm
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going to say it again tonight. Notice
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what your Bible says. When the sun was
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going down, a deep sleep fell upon
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Abram. Lo and horror of great darkness
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fell upon him. Notice the terminology
19:02
that's used in verse 12. The sun is
19:05
going down. So there is darkness again
19:08
in this text. So evidently a day has
19:10
passed because verse number five, he
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says, "Look now toward heaven and tell
19:14
the stars." Now I I believe it would it
19:17
would have been darkness. He was looking
19:19
up at the night sky. And so a day has
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evidently passed and God is speaking to
19:24
him concerning the covenant of this
19:26
land. The sun is going down on the next
19:29
day. And it says a deep sleep fell upon
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Abram. One writer literally said that
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this is this not a a sleep that Abram
19:36
has fell into, but the text literally
19:38
says it fell upon Abram. And he compared
19:41
this sleep to the sleep of Adam in the
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book of Genesis when Adam was put to
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sleep so that God could remove a rib and
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make his wife in that dark moment of
19:50
darkness. And let me say this, God does
19:52
his best work in the darkness. Amen. You
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say, "What do you mean?" Well, you think
19:57
about creation. Where did creation
19:59
begin? Began in darkness, didn't we? We
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think about Calvary. When what happened?
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When did the sacrifice of the cross,
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what did it take place in? It took place
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in darkness. The Bible says the earth
20:10
was black from the 6th to the 9inth
20:11
hour. The middle of the day, from 12 to
20:14
3:00, the brightest hours of the day,
20:16
the earth went dark. And so the darkness
20:19
brings about the glory of the Lord. And
20:21
a deep sleep falls upon Abram in verse
20:24
12. Lo, a horror of great darkness fell
20:26
upon him. And so he is also in the
20:30
darkness in verse number 12. But I I
20:32
think this is interesting as well. God
20:34
is also delayed. Now I thought about
20:37
this. When you look at the text, why is
20:39
it that when Abram lays these pieces
20:41
out, why is it that God just doesn't
20:43
immediately come and uh walk through the
20:46
midst of these? Well, I think that he is
20:48
testing Abram's devotion in this text. I
20:52
think it's the same illustration of
20:53
Christ. Why is it that Christ couldn't
20:56
some have said Christ should he could
20:58
have just been born and been perfect and
21:00
died as a little child and been the
21:02
sacrifice for sin? Well, it was his life
21:04
that proved his perfection. Amen. And so
21:08
it proved his devotion unto the Lord and
21:10
he was made perfect through suffering,
21:12
the writer of Hebrews said. And so his
21:14
sacrifice was proved effective by his
21:17
sinless life. So let's notice the
21:19
subsequence here. This horror of great
21:21
darkness comes upon him. And then notice
21:23
the vision. Verse 13. And he said unto
21:26
Abram, "Know of assurityity that thy
21:27
seed shall be a stranger in a land that
21:30
is not theirs, and shall serve them.
21:32
They shall afflict them 400 years. Now,
21:36
somebody tell me who that is.
21:40
That's Egypt, right?
21:44
This is the nation of Egypt. God is
21:46
prophesying of the bondage that the
21:48
children of Israel would be in. Now, we
21:50
know that Joseph would be sold. He would
21:52
end up there because he would be sold by
21:55
his brothers. He would be sold uh to
21:58
Potterer. And from Potterer's house, he
22:00
would end up at the prison. And then God
22:02
through his providence would use Joseph
22:04
to spare their family down in Egypt. And
22:07
they will serve in that land for 400
22:09
years. Verse 13. And this bondage will
22:12
be, notice that, that thy seed shall be
22:14
a stranger in a land that is not theirs,
22:16
and shall serve them, and they shall
22:19
afflict them 400 years. And so this is
22:22
the beginning of this bondage that is
22:26
described in verse 13. And then there is
22:28
their blessing in verse 14. Now these
22:31
are all subsequent truths to the
22:33
covenant. God is promising Abraham this
22:36
land. But before they are going to get
22:38
that land, they must first go through
22:40
bondage. And so out of that bondage,
22:42
they will leave with a blessing. In
22:44
verse 14, and also that nation whom they
22:47
shall serve will I judge, and afterward
22:49
shall they come out with great
22:51
substance. So that's talking about
22:53
Pharaoh, those 10 plagues that Moses,
22:55
God would use Moses to bring upon the
22:58
children of Egypt and he would bring
23:00
them out in victory. They will come out
23:01
with great substance in verse 14. And
23:04
it's in the midst of this that God takes
23:06
a moment to speak to Abram directly in
23:08
verse 15. And thou shalt go to thy
23:11
fathers in peace. Thou shalt be buried
23:14
in a good old age. And so Abram has
23:16
promised a life of blessing. In verse
23:18
number 15, because of his obedience, he
23:21
said, "Thou shalt go to thy fathers in
23:23
peace." He's promised that his death
23:25
will be peaceful and that he also will
23:27
live a long life. And I would say that's
23:29
a blessing of faith. And I think it's
23:32
interesting that this is before the days
23:34
of you think about the commandment God
23:36
gave those ten commandments. Honor thy
23:38
father and thy mother. That first
23:40
commandment with promise. What is it?
23:41
That thy days may be prolonged upon the
23:44
earth. And this is before that God is
23:46
promising Abram here a long life. You
23:49
say, "Preacher, how is that?" It doesn't
23:51
mention his parents. Well, we think
23:53
about Abram. If you look back the last
23:55
few chapters, it did mentions his
23:57
parents. God Abram took care of his
23:59
daddy. But I want to say this. It was
24:01
more important that Abram was attendant
24:03
to his heavenly father. I want to say
24:05
this. How attendant you are to your
24:07
heavenly father will determine how
24:09
attendant you are to your earthly
24:10
parents. Notice this. All right, I'm
24:13
moving. We'll get done. And I know this
24:14
is hard for y'all to listen to me like
24:16
this, okay? But uh this subsequence
24:19
there is the bondage, the blessing, the
24:20
burial in verse number 15. Verse 16,
24:25
[cough]
24:26
there is the bringing of the children of
24:28
Israel back into the land. Notice verse
24:31
16, but in the fourth generation they
24:33
they shall come hither again, for the
24:36
iniquity of the Amorites is not yet
24:38
full. And so this is the description of
24:41
the time when the children of Israel
24:42
would journey into the land of Canaan.
24:45
Abram is presently living there as a
24:48
stranger and pilgrim dwelling in tents.
24:50
He does not have a home of his own, but
24:52
he is dwelling there and they again he
24:54
says in a time will come. The fourth
24:57
generation they'll come hither again.
24:59
And he says for the iniquity of the
25:01
Amorites is not yet full. He is saying
25:04
that God is saying to them, I'm going to
25:06
give the nations of this land grace to
25:08
see how long they're going to go and not
25:10
serve me. And then when their iniquity
25:13
is full, then the nations will be br
25:15
then the children of Israel will be
25:17
brought back into this land. And those
25:19
nations, the Amorites will be pushed out
25:23
of the land. All right. A lot more I
25:25
could say about this, but it's not
25:26
preaching here tonight. So let's look
25:28
thirdly at the covenant seal in verse
25:30
17. Beautiful image. Verse 17. And it
25:34
came to pass that when the sun went
25:36
down, so it's now darkness and it was
25:39
dark, beholding a smoke, behold a
25:41
smoking furnace and a burning lamp that
25:45
passed between those pieces. So the
25:48
covenant seal here is seen. Abram has
25:50
laid out these sacrifices. He has put
25:53
the hepher. He has put the shegoat and
25:55
the ram in the text. He has cut them in
25:58
half. He has placed them for this
26:00
covenant. This is the desire that this
26:02
is what God has told him to do. Verse
26:05
number nine, God said unto him, take me
26:07
and heer of three years old. So this is
26:09
what God asked Abram to do. And so it
26:12
came to pass that when the sun went down
26:14
and it was dark. So remind you this,
26:16
it's still dark. The period of time this
26:19
is in the midst of darkness. And God is
26:21
going to give an image, a type here of
26:24
Christ and his sacrifice on the cross in
26:26
this text to represent the covenant
26:29
between him and the nation of Israel
26:31
concerning this land. I want to say this
26:34
before I go any further tonight. I don't
26:36
care what anybody in this world does or
26:39
says about the land of Israel and Gaza
26:42
and Iran and all of that. I don't care
26:44
what anybody says about that. There's
26:46
coming a day when Israel is going to
26:47
inherit that land. And there ain't
26:49
nothing a government. There ain't
26:50
nothing a king, a president, or anybody
26:53
else can do about. They're going to
26:55
inherit that land. All right? And notice
26:57
what's said. This period is mentioned.
26:59
It's it's the darkness that's seen.
27:02
There is the punishment that's
27:03
mentioned. You say, "How do you see
27:04
punishment?" Well, notice the image
27:06
that's described. And it was dark.
27:09
Behold, a smoking furnace. Now, you say,
27:12
"What is that?" Well, there is this
27:14
judgment that is described. This is a
27:17
smoking furnace. Now, turn over with me
27:19
just a couple of chapters
27:23
to chapter number
27:27
19.
27:35
Genesis 19 verse 28.
27:40
The Bible says, "And he looked toward
27:42
Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the
27:45
land of the plain and beheld, and lo,
27:47
what?
27:49
The smoke of the country went up as the
27:51
smoke of what?"
27:53
>> Of a furnace. This is a description of
27:56
judgment. Now, this illustration that's
28:00
given or this this picture that is seen
28:02
verse 17, Abram is seeing this
28:04
literally. But the picture that is
28:06
described here is first of all that
28:08
there is judgment that passes. It was
28:10
dark. Behold, a smoking furnace and a
28:13
burning lamp. So, there is not only
28:15
judgment, but there is illumination.
28:17
That burning lamp literally translates
28:19
to the same image of when the children
28:21
of Israel, you remember when the
28:22
children of Israel were walking uh in
28:24
the wilderness and Pharaoh was after
28:26
them. You remember the Bible says they
28:28
had that pillar of cloud and that pillar
28:30
of fire that was leading them and it
28:33
separated them from the Egyptians, but
28:35
it also led them. And so this
28:38
illustration is the presence of God was
28:41
with them. And it says, "Behold, a
28:42
smoking furnace and a burning lamp that
28:45
passed between those pieces." That that
28:48
passing. I want you I want to emphasize
28:50
that. You say, "What do you mean that
28:51
passing?" Well, I want to say this. That
28:53
passing is singular. You say, "What do
28:56
you mean?" Well, Abram doesn't pass
28:58
through those pieces.
29:00
You said, "Why? Why is that?" Well, you
29:02
can look all through this text and
29:04
you're not going to see anywhere where
29:05
Abram walks through those pieces in this
29:08
text. And you say, "Why is that?"
29:10
Because this this promise that God made
29:12
in the text was not to Abram. This was a
29:15
promise God was making to himself. You
29:18
say, "How is that?" Well, it's an
29:19
unconditional covenant. If God makes a
29:22
promise to us, that means it's a
29:23
conditions on us.
29:26
I know y'all looking at me like I'm
29:27
crazy. All right.
29:30
Your salvation's really not yours.
29:35
>> Your salvation's Jesus's.
29:37
>> That's right.
29:38
>> And so when you got saved, you got
29:40
Jesus's salvation. God made a covenant
29:42
with himself. Let me give you a
29:45
scripture. All right. Now, I know that
29:47
may sound a little bit off, all right?
29:49
But but it's it's true. Okay. Listen to
29:52
what Hebrews chapter 6.
29:55
Courage you put this in your margin.
29:56
talking about the same text.
30:00
Hebrews chapter number 6
30:03
and verse number 13.
30:07
Hebrews 6 verse number 13 verse 12. That
30:10
you be not slothful but followers of
30:12
them who through faith and patience
30:15
inherit the promises.
30:19
For when God made promise to Abraham,
30:21
verse 13, because he could swear by no
30:24
greater, he swore by himself, saying,
30:27
"Surely, blessing, I will bless thee,
30:29
and multiplying I will multiply thee."
30:32
And so, after he had patiently endured,
30:34
he obtained the promise. So, the way I
30:35
worded that before, maybe not the best
30:37
way to word that. He did make the
30:38
promise to Abraham, but the promise, the
30:41
terms of the promise were not upon
30:43
Abraham. The terms of the promise were
30:46
upon God. Abram could not walk through
30:49
the center of that
30:52
sacrifice because Abram was not capable
30:56
of completing this covenant. You say,
30:59
"What are you trying to emphasize?"
31:00
Well, there was only one person that
31:02
could go to Calvary,
31:04
>> to put it in simple terms. And only one
31:07
person could promise a land. And you
31:10
think about it, it's been some 6,000
31:13
years throughout history. And Israel has
31:15
never, not a single time in history,
31:17
inherited the entirety of the land that
31:20
God has promised to them. Not a single
31:22
time, they've never inherited all of it.
31:24
When they inherited the most of it, when
31:26
they were under Solomon's kingship, but
31:28
they've never inherited all of it. And
31:30
that promise still stands. Why is that?
31:32
Because God made that promise. And the
31:35
terms are on God's terms, not Abram or
31:38
the children of Israel's terms. Why?
31:41
because their unrighteousness would
31:43
hinder them from ever fulfill ever
31:46
seeing the fulfillment of that covenant.
31:48
Abram did not go through this covenant
31:50
with Abram is unconditional because it
31:53
is apart from merit. It is a covenant of
31:55
grace just like the covenant of our
31:58
salvation. And so I see this and I'll be
32:01
done tonight. I I don't have enough
32:03
voice left to finish this. Verse 18. In
32:06
the same day, the Lord made a covenant
32:08
with Abram, saying, "Unto thy seed have
32:10
I given this land from the river of
32:13
Egypt unto the great river, the river
32:15
Euphrates." So, we see the seal, verse
32:18
17. A lot more I could say about that.
32:21
The smoking furnace and the burning lamp
32:24
represents Calvary. That's the covenant
32:26
that God has made with his people, the
32:29
land he has promised to them. In the
32:31
same way with us, the covenant that God
32:33
has made with us, the salvation that he
32:35
has promised to us. Verse number 18, in
32:38
the same day the Lord made a covenant
32:40
with Abram, saying, "Unto thy seed have
32:42
I given this land." I think about verse
32:45
17, it represents the sacrifice. It is
32:49
the satisfaction, the propitiation.
32:51
Jesus was the propitiation for our sins,
32:54
but not for ours only, but also for the
32:56
sins of the whole world. But the
32:58
sacrifice did not stop at Calvary.
33:00
Because if Jesus only had died, the
33:02
sacrifice would have been incomplete.
33:04
>> That's right.
33:05
>> But he had to get up again. And that
33:07
same day, notice it in the text, verse
33:09
18, in the same day, the Lord made a
33:11
covenant. You know, when salvation was
33:13
sealed, it was not sealed when Jesus
33:15
died. All right? He said, "It's
33:17
finished." All right? The sacrifice was
33:19
done. But when Jesus died on Calvary,
33:21
what did he have to do after he rose
33:24
again? He had to take that blood and not
33:26
only be the sacrifice, but be the high
33:28
priest. Amen. Remember what he told
33:30
Mary? He said, "Touch me not because
33:32
I've not yet ascended to my father."
33:34
Amen. And so, you know what he was
33:36
talking about? He was talking about
33:38
sealing the deal.
33:39
>> And you know what? When Jesus got back
33:41
to heaven, you know what he did? He
33:42
sealed the deal.
33:44
>> The sacrifice was made. The seal was
33:47
given. The same day the Lord made a
33:49
covenant with Abram, saying, "Unto thy
33:52
seed have I given this land." So what's
33:56
beautiful about this is that there was
33:57
no writing agreement that was given
34:01
there. There was not a dotted line for
34:03
Abram to sign on and God to sign on.
34:05
There was no written agreement, but
34:07
there was this this this agreement
34:10
between Abram and God. And God did what
34:13
he said he was going to do. He requested
34:15
Abram to make these sacrifices. And God
34:18
walked through the middle of them. And
34:20
this covenant is made between him and
34:22
Abram with himself in the text. But it's
34:25
also recorded in verse number 18. He
34:28
said, "Unto thy seed have I given this
34:32
land." And we still have this covenant
34:34
to this day. Do you realize that verse
34:37
number 18 of your Bible is the written
34:40
covenant
34:42
between God and the nation of Israel?
34:47
more important than the document of the
34:49
Declaration of Independence,
34:51
more more important than our succession
34:54
from the European Union, more important
34:57
than any document in history when you
34:59
think about national documents is verse
35:02
18 in this chapter. God has promised the
35:07
land to the children of Israel and they
35:10
will have it. You say, "Preacher, why is
35:13
that so important?" Because if there's
35:15
ever been a a a written illustration of
35:19
gra God-giving grace to a nation, it's
35:22
right there. Israel has done absolutely
35:25
nothing to deserve that land. Absolutely
35:28
nothing.
35:29
Before you look down your nose at him,
35:31
you ain't done a thing to deserve
35:32
anything you got.
35:34
>> Amen. We just as sorry as they are in
35:37
our flesh. I want to say this. When I
35:39
look at this text, it it describes the
35:41
grace of God. You say, "How is that?"
35:43
Well, the same day the Lord made a
35:45
covenant with Abram. The fact that God
35:47
would enter into a covenant
35:50
with Abram in this text is a description
35:53
of his grace. The fact that God would
35:55
call a man out of the Caldes with with
35:58
with no desire to serve God, not even
36:01
knowing who God is, but God would call
36:03
him out and put his grace in his life
36:04
and make a covenant with him that God
36:07
would give him, notice that in verse 18,
36:09
this gift under thy seed have I given
36:11
this land. He's not even asked for
36:12
anything in return. He's placed it in
36:15
his lap and given it to him. And this
36:18
gift is described. God has sworn by
36:22
himself because he could swear by no
36:24
greater that he has promised this land.
36:27
You see the description of the nations.
36:29
Verse number 18, verse number 19 down
36:32
through verse 21. All of those nations
36:35
that are described. And I want to say it
36:37
again. And I want to say it loud and
36:39
clear cuz I don't think it's going to be
36:40
very long till we see it start
36:42
unfolding. I think that we're getting
36:44
out of here very pretty soon as the
36:46
church. I just don't think it's going to
36:47
be much longer. But for those of you
36:49
that's lost, just just listen to me. All
36:52
right? If you're here for it, you just
36:54
know that they're going to get every bit
36:55
of that.
36:57
You say, "What does all that land
36:58
represent?" Well, I could go through and
37:00
tell you all these different what they
37:02
represent in modern day, but I want to
37:04
say this. It takes up a lot of Iran, a
37:07
lot of Iraq, and a lot of the
37:08
surrounding nations of Israel, and
37:11
they're going to get every bit of that.
37:13
You say, "Well, what does that have to
37:14
do with me?" It means this. It means
37:16
that God's words will come to pass.
37:18
>> Amen.
37:19
>> Amen. And before that ever happens, he's
37:22
going to come get us.
37:24
>> Because there was a covenant one day on
37:25
a hill far away
37:27
>> that he made with me. Amen. And the
37:30
Bible says that when the sun went down
37:32
and it was dark, I'm thankful the light
37:33
was still shining on Calvary. Let me say
37:36
this, the light of the world when he
37:38
died on Calvar's cross, he said it's
37:40
finished and all of it was said and done
37:42
and the light has come to you and I
37:44
tonight so that we could be saved. And
37:46
the fact that we're not in hell,
37:49
>> the fact that we're not there burning
37:51
now, the fact that God has allowed us to
37:54
know him and to enter into a covenant
37:56
with him, we ought to rejoice tonight.
37:58
He has preserved us and his word is
38:00
true. He'll not fail his children. Amen.
38:03
Father, thank you for helping us
38:05
tonight. And Lord, I thank you for your
38:07
word. I pray you forgive my feeble
38:09
efforts tonight. Pray you would take it
38:10
and use it for your glory and your
38:13
honor. And God, I ask you would help our
38:15
church, touch our church, and bless,
38:18
God, as we go forward. We want to serve
38:20
you, Lord. We want to do more for you
38:22
than we've ever done. God, I pray you'd
38:24
help us to do so. Lord, I ask you, God,
38:26
if there's one here tonight that does
38:27
not know you, I pray they'd be saved
38:29
tonight before they leave this place.
38:31
Lord, I sure love you. Thank you for
38:33
loving us. Thank you for being so good
38:35
to us. We ask all this in Jesus' name.
38:38
Amen.
38:39
>> Thank you for joining our service today.
38:41
[music]
38:42
We'd love it if you'd join us in person
38:44
the next time you are able at Meadows
38:46
Baptist Church. Our physical address is
38:49
2988 Stewart [music] Road in Walnut
38:52
Cove, North Carolina. Our service times
38:55
are Sunday school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday
38:58
morning worship [music] at 11:00 a.m.,
39:00
Sunday evening worship at 6:00 p.m., and
39:03
Wednesday evening [music] Bible study at
39:05
700 p.m. For more information, visit us
39:08
at meadowsbaptisturch.com.
39:10
Thanks again for tuning in.
39:13
[music]