God’s covenants are timeless. Though Noah, Abraham, and Moses, and others have passed away, the fulfillment of God’s promises still goes on. His promise of salvation is still extended to us if we choose to open our hearts to Him.
Part II: Commentary
When Yahweh announced that He was Abram’s Shield (Gen. 15:1), this meant that He would be Abram’s Protector. The term shield pointed to Yahweh’s protective guarantee to Abram. In spite of his idea that Eliezer would become the son of his inheritance, a special son would spring from Sarai’s womb. This son would produce an Abrahamic bloodline, and they would be as myriad as “the stars.”
Thy Shield
“After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not fear, Abram; I am your shield, your reward will increase greatly.’ ”—Jay Green, ed., The Interlinear Hebrew/Greek English Bible, vol. 1, p. 32; emphasis supplied. (See Gen. 15:1.)
“The ‘shield’ or protection spoken of here does not refer to physical protection in war or physical protection from misfortune. Rather, it refers to protection from the possibility that the covenant promise would not be fulfilled through Abraham and his future seed. . . . If we are Abraham’s seed (and all who have the faith of Abraham are Abraham’s seed), then we also have the assurance that God will be our shield.”—Gerhard M. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, p. 44.
The Messianic Promise: Part 1
Having been denied entrance to the Promised Land, Moses stood on the palatial mountaintop of his odyssey’s end and was given a vision of the coming Messiah: “He was permitted to look down the stream of time and behold the first advent of our Saviour. . . . He beheld Christ’s humble life in Nazareth, His ministry of love and sympathy and healing, His rejection by a proud, unbelieving nation. . . . He saw Jesus upon Olivet as with weeping He bade farewell to the city of His love. . . .
“He saw that . . . God had not cast off the seed of Abraham; the glorious purposes which He had undertaken to accomplish through Israel were to be fulfilled. All who through Christ should become the children of faith were to be counted as Abraham’s seed.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 475, 476.
The Messianic Promise: Part 2
In Genesis 3:15, the preincarnate Christ predicted the Messianic advent, which was to provide atonement for the human race; to prove to sinless realms that there was no excuse for Adam’s failure and to validate the immortal blending of the law and the gospel by means of Calvary.
The Adamic fall produced in humankind a new paradigm of evil. Adam’s posterity became diseased with a natural mental proclivity to rebel against divine sovereignty. Hence, since sin cannot be mere wrongdoing, it should be described as a spiritual psychotic condition that rages against divine sovereignty. In Matthew 1:21, the promise was given of a coming Christ who would heal us from the disease of spiritual schizophrenia. Born outside of Christ, the human race is in a condition of spiritual psychopathology. Christ came that we might become healed through a “blood transfusion” on the basis of His death at Calvary.
Thus, Christ became the Monogenes, or only begotten Son (John 3:16), in that Christ entered the cosmos as the only One of His kind, without any competition. In Nazareth, the Second Adam started His humble ministry in a fallen, corrupt world, in contrast to the perfection of Paradise, wherein the original Adam failed. This God-man, who was tempted in all things, successfully evaded the hellhounds of sin. (See Gen. 3:15; 1 Cor. 10:13; 15:21, 22; and Heb. 4:15, 16.) Read Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, page 700.
“Make Your Name Great”
In scorching contrast to those stellar, though presumptuous, empire builders on the plains of Shinar, Abraham avoided self-deification, even though God had promised to make his name great. “If Nimrod is the archetypical secular political leader of the post-Flood world, Abraham is its spiritual leader. Abraham is . . . Yahweh’s instrument for the fulfillment of His vision for humanity. . . .
“With Abraham, world history takes a different tack; God establishes a new pattern. Abraham is the wave of the future for human beings and for all nations. Yahweh indicates here His indifference to bloodlines. . . .
“A new line of believers in the one God is begun. Abraham, an AfroAsiatic who lived in Nimrod’s area of influence, is chosen by Yahweh to be His servant for the blessing of his brothers through his seed. . . .
“One man now is to act on behalf of God and humanity. . . . The plan and inclusion in it are based, not on ethnicity, but on covenant relationship.”—Charles E. Bradford, Sabbath Roots: The African Connection, pp. 77–79.
####Part III: Life Application
For Reflection: A rabbinic tale of the Red Sea crossing goes like this: just as the sea began to drown the Egyptians, the angels in heaven began to clap and dance and celebrate. Then God’s sorrowful voice intervened, saying, “The work of My hand, My creation, has sunk in the sea!” God’s love is so great that He takes no pleasure in the destruction of even the most wicked.
1. God’s love extends to everyone, even the person who breaks His law and His heart. How is this love manifested in the covenant relationship that He seeks to establish with every individual? How does this love continue to manifest itself when one rejects God’s offer? What is Satan’s defense when God exhibits such love?
2. Because they were oppressed by a foreign power, the Jewish people wanted a messiah who would free them. Jesus, however, journeyed into this world to take up a cross, not to occupy a throne. How did His mission fit into God’s covenant offer to us?
3. God had many plans for Israel, but the people often failed Him. Do you suppose God wants to use us as He meant to use Israel? Explain. What must we do individually and as a church so that we may “hear” His voice and be His vessels?
4. With the coming of the Messiah, the people expected signs and wonders, miracles and mysticism. In what ways are we like that today? How is it possible for us to miss the subtle signs of the Second Coming? As a corporate body, how can the church make positive strides toward being a prepared and waiting people?
5. When you accept God’s salvation, you begin the journey of becoming more and more like Christ with every passing day. What barometer do you use to measure your progress? What do you think God uses to measure your progress? Charles Swindoll describes the struggle of one’s spiritual growth as three steps forward, one step backward. If such is the case, how does one press forward without getting discouraged? In Genesis 15:1, God tells Abram that He is his “exceeding great reward.” In what sense is God and our relationship with Him not just a means to an end but the end in itself?
6. God tells Jacob in Genesis 28:14 that his blessing would lead to the entire world being blessed. Can a blessing really be a blessing if it is not somehow shared? Explain.
7. God’s original covenant with Abram seemed to suggest that He had Abram’s lineal descendants in mind. But later on, it becomes clear that God had in mind diverse groups and individuals united by common faith. Did God change His mind? Discuss.
8. The fact that God chose Abram, an obscure nomad, suggests that what God values in human beings is quite different from what we value about ourselves and others. What might God have seen in Abraham?
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Study Focus: Matthew 28:20
Part I: Overview
God’s covenants are timeless. Though Noah, Abraham, and Moses, and others have passed away, the fulfillment of God’s promises still goes on. His promise of salvation is still extended to us if we choose to open our hearts to Him.
Part II: Commentary
When Yahweh announced that He was Abram’s Shield (Gen. 15:1), this meant that He would be Abram’s Protector. The term shield pointed to Yahweh’s protective guarantee to Abram. In spite of his idea that Eliezer would become the son of his inheritance, a special son would spring from Sarai’s womb. This son would produce an Abrahamic bloodline, and they would be as myriad as “the stars.”
Thy Shield
“After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not fear, Abram; I am your shield, your reward will increase greatly.’ ”—Jay Green, ed., The Interlinear Hebrew/Greek English Bible, vol. 1, p. 32; emphasis supplied. (See Gen. 15:1.)
“The ‘shield’ or protection spoken of here does not refer to physical protection in war or physical protection from misfortune. Rather, it refers to protection from the possibility that the covenant promise would not be fulfilled through Abraham and his future seed. . . . If we are Abraham’s seed (and all who have the faith of Abraham are Abraham’s seed), then we also have the assurance that God will be our shield.”—Gerhard M. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, p. 44.
The Messianic Promise: Part 1
Having been denied entrance to the Promised Land, Moses stood on the palatial mountaintop of his odyssey’s end and was given a vision of the coming Messiah: “He was permitted to look down the stream of time and behold the first advent of our Saviour. . . . He beheld Christ’s humble life in Nazareth, His ministry of love and sympathy and healing, His rejection by a proud, unbelieving nation. . . . He saw Jesus upon Olivet as with weeping He bade farewell to the city of His love. . . .
“He saw that . . . God had not cast off the seed of Abraham; the glorious purposes which He had undertaken to accomplish through Israel were to be fulfilled. All who through Christ should become the children of faith were to be counted as Abraham’s seed.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 475, 476.
The Messianic Promise: Part 2
In Genesis 3:15, the preincarnate Christ predicted the Messianic advent, which was to provide atonement for the human race; to prove to sinless realms that there was no excuse for Adam’s failure and to validate the immortal blending of the law and the gospel by means of Calvary.
The Adamic fall produced in humankind a new paradigm of evil. Adam’s posterity became diseased with a natural mental proclivity to rebel against divine sovereignty. Hence, since sin cannot be mere wrongdoing, it should be described as a spiritual psychotic condition that rages against divine sovereignty. In Matthew 1:21, the promise was given of a coming Christ who would heal us from the disease of spiritual schizophrenia. Born outside of Christ, the human race is in a condition of spiritual psychopathology. Christ came that we might become healed through a “blood transfusion” on the basis of His death at Calvary.
Thus, Christ became the Monogenes, or only begotten Son (John 3:16), in that Christ entered the cosmos as the only One of His kind, without any competition. In Nazareth, the Second Adam started His humble ministry in a fallen, corrupt world, in contrast to the perfection of Paradise, wherein the original Adam failed. This God-man, who was tempted in all things, successfully evaded the hellhounds of sin. (See Gen. 3:15; 1 Cor. 10:13; 15:21, 22; and Heb. 4:15, 16.) Read Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, page 700.
“Make Your Name Great”
In scorching contrast to those stellar, though presumptuous, empire builders on the plains of Shinar, Abraham avoided self-deification, even though God had promised to make his name great. “If Nimrod is the archetypical secular political leader of the post-Flood world, Abraham is its spiritual leader. Abraham is . . . Yahweh’s instrument for the fulfillment of His vision for humanity. . . .
“With Abraham, world history takes a different tack; God establishes a new pattern. Abraham is the wave of the future for human beings and for all nations. Yahweh indicates here His indifference to bloodlines. . . .
“A new line of believers in the one God is begun. Abraham, an AfroAsiatic who lived in Nimrod’s area of influence, is chosen by Yahweh to be His servant for the blessing of his brothers through his seed. . . .
“One man now is to act on behalf of God and humanity. . . . The plan and inclusion in it are based, not on ethnicity, but on covenant relationship.”—Charles E. Bradford, Sabbath Roots: The African Connection, pp. 77–79.
####Part III: Life Application
For Reflection: A rabbinic tale of the Red Sea crossing goes like this: just as the sea began to drown the Egyptians, the angels in heaven began to clap and dance and celebrate. Then God’s sorrowful voice intervened, saying, “The work of My hand, My creation, has sunk in the sea!” God’s love is so great that He takes no pleasure in the destruction of even the most wicked.
1. God’s love extends to everyone, even the person who breaks His law and His heart. How is this love manifested in the covenant relationship that He seeks to establish with every individual? How does this love continue to manifest itself when one rejects God’s offer? What is Satan’s defense when God exhibits such love?2. Because they were oppressed by a foreign power, the Jewish people wanted a messiah who would free them. Jesus, however, journeyed into this world to take up a cross, not to occupy a throne. How did His mission fit into God’s covenant offer to us?3. God had many plans for Israel, but the people often failed Him. Do you suppose God wants to use us as He meant to use Israel? Explain. What must we do individually and as a church so that we may “hear” His voice and be His vessels?4. With the coming of the Messiah, the people expected signs and wonders, miracles and mysticism. In what ways are we like that today? How is it possible for us to miss the subtle signs of the Second Coming? As a corporate body, how can the church make positive strides toward being a prepared and waiting people?5. When you accept God’s salvation, you begin the journey of becoming more and more like Christ with every passing day. What barometer do you use to measure your progress? What do you think God uses to measure your progress? Charles Swindoll describes the struggle of one’s spiritual growth as three steps forward, one step backward. If such is the case, how does one press forward without getting discouraged? In Genesis 15:1, God tells Abram that He is his “exceeding great reward.” In what sense is God and our relationship with Him not just a means to an end but the end in itself?6. God tells Jacob in Genesis 28:14 that his blessing would lead to the entire world being blessed. Can a blessing really be a blessing if it is not somehow shared? Explain.7. God’s original covenant with Abram seemed to suggest that He had Abram’s lineal descendants in mind. But later on, it becomes clear that God had in mind diverse groups and individuals united by common faith. Did God change His mind? Discuss.8. The fact that God chose Abram, an obscure nomad, suggests that what God values in human beings is quite different from what we value about ourselves and others. What might God have seen in Abraham?