COVENANTS

July 4, 1999

By Pastor Rob Fisk

We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, Among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men... and for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance upon the Protection of Divine Providence, WE MUTUALLY PLEDGE OUR LIVES, OUR FORTUNES AND OUR SACRED HONOR. - An excerpt from the Declaration of Independence.

The previous was a covenant statement . . .

“ALL THAT WE HAVE, WE PLEDGE TO THIS FLEDGLING NATION, TO THE FREEDOMS IT REPRESENTS, AND TO GOD’S PROTECTION !”

That is SIMILAR to what God says to us in our covenant with Jesus, let’s study:

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1285 beriyth (ber-eeth') COVENANT (Hebrew);

from 1262 (in the sense of cutting [like 1254]); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh): -confederacy, [con-] feder [-ate], covenant, league.

Gen 15:9-21 (NIV)

9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."

10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half.

11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.

14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.

15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.

16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.

18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates--

19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,

20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,

21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

COVENANT literally means to cut - then the word covenant implies passing between the two pieces of cut (or broken) flesh.

1 Cor 11:24 (KJV)

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is BROKEN for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Heb 10:19-25 (NIV)

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,

20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,

21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

DON’T FORGET ... a COVENANT (like marriage vows) means, “All I have I give to you ... all that YOU have now also belongs to me.”

Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood . . .”

1 Cor 11:25 (NIV)

JESUS is saying, “I broke my body (tore the veil of the temple) for you so that you could be with my Father and I. All that I have I give to you . . . all that you have is now mine also.”

The New Covenant is written out in the New Testament ... become TOTALLY familiar with your covenant ... get the New Testament on tape .. listen to it when you drive, when you are on break, whenever you can ... GET TO KNOW THIS GREAT COVENANT :)