God's Unbreakable Covenant: Assurance and Election

 

Summary

In Genesis 15, we encounter a profound moment where God reassures Abraham of His promises through a dramatic covenant ceremony. Abraham, seeking certainty about God's promises, is instructed to prepare a sacrificial pathway. As darkness falls, a smoking oven and a burning torch, representing God, pass between the divided animals. This theophany, a visible manifestation of God, signifies God's unbreakable commitment to His covenant with Abraham. In ancient times, covenants were often ratified through cutting rites, symbolizing the seriousness of the agreement. Here, God is essentially saying, "If I fail to keep my promise, may I be torn apart like these animals."

The New Testament reflects on this event, emphasizing that God cannot lie or die, and thus, His promises are utterly reliable. God swears by Himself, the highest authority, underscoring the certainty of His covenant. This assurance is crucial for believers who struggle with faith, as it highlights the unshakeable foundation of God's promises.

The Abrahamic Covenant raises questions about its conditionality. While faith is necessary to receive its benefits, the Reformed tradition emphasizes God's sovereign grace. God's election is not based on human merit but on His will. He meets the conditions of faith for His chosen people, ensuring their salvation.

God's promises to Abraham include making him a great nation, granting him the land of Canaan, and blessing the world through him. These promises are fulfilled through God's monergistic work, not human effort. Abraham and Sarah's inability to have children underscores that the fulfillment of God's promises is solely His doing.

The covenant promise is passed from Abraham to Isaac, and then to Jacob, illustrating God's electing grace. Not all descendants of Abraham receive the promise, as seen in the distinction between Isaac and Ishmael, and later, Jacob and Esau. This pattern continues with Jacob's sons, emphasizing that God's covenant is based on divine election, not biological descent.

Circumcision, a sign of the covenant, symbolizes cleansing and regeneration. It signifies that humans are born unclean and need purification. However, the sign itself does not confer salvation; it points to the need for faith and obedience as a response to God's grace. This parallels baptism in the Christian faith, where the outward sign reflects an inward reality.

Key Takeaways:

- The theophany in Genesis 15 reveals God's unbreakable commitment to His promises. By passing through the sacrificial pathway, God assures Abraham of His faithfulness, symbolizing that His covenant is as binding as His very nature. This dramatic act underscores the certainty of God's promises, providing believers with a firm foundation for their faith. [03:41]

- God's covenant with Abraham is rooted in His sovereign grace, not human merit. The Reformed tradition emphasizes that God's election is unconditional, based solely on His will. While faith is necessary to receive the covenant's benefits, God graciously meets this condition for His chosen people, ensuring their salvation. [09:29]

- The fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham is a testament to His monergistic work. Despite Abraham and Sarah's inability to have children, God miraculously fulfills His promise, highlighting that salvation is entirely His doing. This challenges believers to trust in God's power rather than their own efforts. [15:06]

- The covenant promise is passed through God's electing grace, not biological descent. The distinction between Isaac and Ishmael, and later Jacob and Esau, illustrates that God's covenant is based on divine election. This pattern emphasizes that God's promises are not inherited by birthright but by His sovereign choice. [18:31]

- Circumcision, as a sign of the covenant, symbolizes the need for cleansing and regeneration. It points to the reality that humans are born unclean and require purification. However, the sign itself does not confer salvation; it calls for faith and obedience as a response to God's grace, paralleling the significance of baptism in the Christian faith. [22:08]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:28] - Abraham's Question and God's Response
[01:20] - Understanding Theophany
[02:07] - Manifestations of God in the Old Testament
[02:53] - The Significance of the Smoking Oven and Flaming Torch
[03:41] - The Drama of God's Covenant with Abraham
[05:16] - The Impossibility of God Lying
[06:08] - God's Oath by His Own Nature
[07:00] - The Certainty of God's Promises
[08:40] - Conditional vs. Unconditional Covenant
[09:29] - The Doctrine of Unconditional Election
[11:01] - God's Promises to Abraham
[12:32] - Monergism and God's Sovereign Work
[15:06] - The Birth of Isaac and God's Fulfillment
[18:31] - The Passing of the Covenant Promise
[22:08] - The Significance of Circumcision

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 15:17 - "It came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces."
2. Hebrews 6:13-18 - This passage reflects on God's promise to Abraham and emphasizes the impossibility of God lying, underscoring the certainty of His promises.

Observation Questions:
1. What specific actions did God instruct Abraham to take in Genesis 15, and what was their significance? [00:28]
2. How does the theophany in Genesis 15:17 serve as a reassurance to Abraham about God's promises? [03:41]
3. What does the smoking oven and burning torch represent in the context of the covenant ceremony? [02:53]
4. How does the author of Hebrews describe God's promise to Abraham, and what does it say about God's nature? [05:16]

Interpretation Questions:
1. Why is the concept of a theophany important in understanding God's covenant with Abraham, and how does it relate to God's unbreakable commitment? [03:41]
2. How does the Reformed tradition's view of unconditional election influence the understanding of God's covenant with Abraham? [09:29]
3. In what ways does the story of Abraham and Sarah's inability to have children highlight the nature of God's promises and His monergistic work? [15:06]
4. How does the distinction between Isaac and Ishmael, and later Jacob and Esau, illustrate the principle of divine election in God's covenant? [18:31]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you struggled with trusting God's promises. How can the story of Abraham's covenant encourage you to rely on God's faithfulness? [07:00]
2. How does understanding God's sovereign grace and unconditional election impact your view of salvation and your relationship with God? [09:29]
3. In what areas of your life are you tempted to rely on your own efforts rather than trusting in God's power? How can you shift your focus to God's monergistic work? [15:06]
4. Consider the role of faith in receiving God's promises. How can you cultivate a deeper faith in God's promises in your daily life? [08:40]
5. How does the symbolism of circumcision as a sign of the covenant challenge you to reflect on the significance of baptism in your own faith journey? [22:08]
6. Identify a specific promise of God that you find difficult to believe. What steps can you take to remind yourself of God's unchanging nature and His commitment to His promises? [07:00]
7. How can the understanding of God's electing grace influence the way you view others and share the message of salvation with them? [18:31]

Devotional

Day 1: God's Unbreakable Commitment to His Promises
In Genesis 15, God reassures Abraham of His promises through a dramatic covenant ceremony. Abraham, seeking certainty, is instructed to prepare a sacrificial pathway. As darkness falls, a smoking oven and a burning torch, representing God, pass between the divided animals. This theophany signifies God's unbreakable commitment to His covenant with Abraham. In ancient times, covenants were often ratified through cutting rites, symbolizing the seriousness of the agreement. Here, God is essentially saying, "If I fail to keep my promise, may I be torn apart like these animals." This dramatic act underscores the certainty of God's promises, providing believers with a firm foundation for their faith. [03:41]

Hebrews 6:17-18 (ESV): "So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us."

Reflection: Consider a promise from God that you struggle to believe. How can you remind yourself of His unbreakable commitment to His word today?


Day 2: Sovereign Grace Over Human Merit
God's covenant with Abraham is rooted in His sovereign grace, not human merit. The Reformed tradition emphasizes that God's election is unconditional, based solely on His will. While faith is necessary to receive the covenant's benefits, God graciously meets this condition for His chosen people, ensuring their salvation. This understanding challenges believers to rely on God's grace rather than their own efforts or worthiness. It is a reminder that God's love and promises are not earned but given freely according to His divine purpose. [09:29]

Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt unworthy of God's love. How can you embrace His sovereign grace and let go of striving for merit today?


Day 3: Trusting in God's Monergistic Work
The fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham is a testament to His monergistic work. Despite Abraham and Sarah's inability to have children, God miraculously fulfills His promise, highlighting that salvation is entirely His doing. This challenges believers to trust in God's power rather than their own efforts. It is a call to rest in the assurance that God is faithful to accomplish what He has promised, regardless of human limitations or circumstances. [15:06]

Romans 4:19-21 (ESV): "He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you are relying on your own strength. How can you shift your trust to God's power and promises today?


Day 4: Divine Election Over Biological Descent
The covenant promise is passed through God's electing grace, not biological descent. The distinction between Isaac and Ishmael, and later Jacob and Esau, illustrates that God's covenant is based on divine election. This pattern emphasizes that God's promises are not inherited by birthright but by His sovereign choice. It serves as a reminder that God's ways are higher than human understanding and that His purposes are fulfilled according to His will. [18:31]

Romans 9:10-12 (ESV): "And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.'"

Reflection: Think about a situation where you have felt entitled to something. How can you embrace God's sovereign choice and trust His plan today?


Day 5: The Significance of Covenant Signs
Circumcision, as a sign of the covenant, symbolizes the need for cleansing and regeneration. It signifies that humans are born unclean and need purification. However, the sign itself does not confer salvation; it points to the need for faith and obedience as a response to God's grace. This parallels baptism in the Christian faith, where the outward sign reflects an inward reality. It is a call to examine the condition of one's heart and the authenticity of one's faith. [22:08]

Colossians 2:11-12 (ESV): "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead."

Reflection: Consider the outward signs of your faith. How can you ensure they reflect an inward reality of genuine faith and obedience today?

Quotes


So often, covenants in antiquity were ratified by some kind of cutting rite. As we will see later on in the life of Abraham, when the sign of the old covenant became the sign of circumcision. And I'll talk more about that later. But the sign of the old covenant was a cutting rite, where the foreskin of the flesh was removed through cutting. [00:03:56]

But by doing this, this is what He's saying to Abram: He's saying, "Abram, if I fail to keep my promise to you, may I be ripped apart, may I be cut asunder, even as you have cut apart these animals and put them in this pathway." [00:04:36]

Now, in the New Testament, when the author of Hebrews looks back to this moment in time, he says, about God that, you know, that is impossible -- there are two things that are impossible for God. One, it's impossible for God to die because He's immutable, eternal, and all of that -- self-existing, but it's also impossible for God to lie. [00:05:02]

And so, when we struggle with the -- our faith -- our struggle with our faith rests upon our wondering if the promises of God are really trustworthy. That's why, when I struggle, that's when I am beset, that I come back to Genesis 15:17. And I say, "Lord, not only did you promise, but you sealed that promise with this vow by your own nature. [00:07:23]

And so, that raises the question over whether the Abrahamic Covenant is conditional or unconditional. We see that Abraham had already exercised a manifest faith. And so people say, "Well, the promises of God depend upon our having faith. The promises of the new covenant involve the necessity of faith to receive the benefits. [00:08:48]

But here's where the reformed faith has a distinct twist on this, where the reformed faith teaches the doctrine, not only of election, but of unconditional election, meaning that the electing grace that God gives to those whom He saves is not based upon some condition that He sees in them, but it is sovereignly based in the good pleasure of God's will. [00:09:28]

Now, these three promises are brought to pass on the basis of what we call, monergism. That is, monergism is an action or a work -- we get the word -- erg is a unit of work. We get the word energy from it. And when we talk about monergism, we're talking about a work that is preformed by a single actor. [00:12:34]

And the amazing thing is, is that even after God gives this promise to Abraham when he's already an old man, years go by and the promise isn't fulfilled, so that now, both Abraham and his wife, Sarah, are in a panic and Sarah comes with a solution to the problem. "Why don't you take my handmaiden, Hagar. She's still fertile. I'm barren. [00:13:51]

And God said, "No. No. Uh-uh. That is not the child of promise. My covenant that I've made with you is that one from your own loins and from your wife is going to be your heir. And you think you can work this out with your own schemes and plots. No. Hmm-mm." Why do you think God made the promise to two people who were past the age of childbirth? [00:14:54]

Now, we notice that, as the story progresses, Abraham has his son, Isaac, and the promise, the covenant promise that is given to Abraham is then passed on to Isaac. And it's significant that not every son of Abraham receives the promise because Ishmael is not the child of promise. [00:16:21]

Again, God didn't foresee some difference in behavior between Esau and Jacob. When you think about people who think that election's based upon foreseen actions, if God were basing His election on foreseen actions, what was there in the life of Jacob that would cause Him to choose Jacob rather than Esau? Jacob was the liar, the supplanter, the cheater from the beginning. [00:19:05]

Basically, circumcision, in the ancient near-east, because it was not restricted to Jews, was a cleansing rite -- a cleansing rite. And it had the significance that the person, by nature, who was born, was born unclean. And so, circumcision was a sign of regeneration, of purification, of sanctification. [00:21:37]

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Transcript
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