Covenants and Promises

<p>With an understanding of how covenants worked in the ancient world, we can gain a better perspective on the application of these covenantal principles today.</p><p>God’s covenant with Abraham was to be the start of a set-apart tribal community that would eventually become the physical nation of Israel. Hundreds of years after Abraham, his physical descendants, the children of Israel, became enslaved in Egypt (as God had foretold). He raised up Moses to lead them out of their captivity and to become their own nation and representative Kingdom of God based on the covenant of the Ten Commandments.</p><p>As the nation of Israel grew, God provided an ideal example of kingship in David. The surrounding nations became subject to David’s rule and at that time the nation rose to all that had been prophesied before. This physical, national ideal became the type and foreshadowing of the spiritual kingdom which was to be realized a millennium later through the direct descendant of King David, Yeshua.</p><p>By Yeshua proclaiming that he was speaking the word of God, and by the accompanying signs done through him, the covenant God made with Israel when they were led by Moses was fulfilled. By Yeshua coming from the line of David, the covenant that God made with David was fulfilled. Since Yeshua was a true descendant of Abraham, the<i> promises </i>to Abraham were also fulfilled in Yeshua.</p><p>Now, the really good news (for us) is, because Yeshua also fulfilled the pre-covenant <strong>promises</strong> that were made to Abraham, Yeshua then also became the way to God <i>for anyone who was not part of covenantal Israel and Judah.</i> In this way, anyone from anywhere who expressed faith in Yeshua as being sent by God, whether Jew or non-Jew, could now approach the God of Creation through simple faith, just like Abraham.</p><p>---</p><p>Next time, we will review this concept of the faith of Abraham to demonstrate how believers even today can be considered “children of Abraham.”</p><p>Remember, if you have thoughts or commen