Covenant: Promises Made, Part 4 - Abraham

Now we recognize that there are challenges in our lives that are universal.

That being a Christian doesn't spare us from struggles with health, employment issues,

issues to do with relationships or loss.

There are things that we all experience as people.

But there is a unique Christian struggle that I want us to think about this evening.

And it's this.

It's looking at our circumstances and wrestling with the reality that God is sovereign,

that he is in control, and trying sometimes to marry that up with our understanding of God's goodness.

Perhaps we find ourselves wrestling in that spot.

I know God is good, and I know he's in control, but my life feels like a mess.

How long, O Lord, is one of the cries that we hear time and again in the Psalms.

And so I want us to look at this part of Abraham's story as that of a man of faith living in the gap

between the great promises that God had given to him and the reality that he is experiencing at this time.

And I want us to appreciate that here we find not a skeptic wrestling,

but a man of faith wrestling and seeking assurance of the promises of God.

One hope I have for tonight is that we'll be able to see that asking questions of God,

singing or voicing lament to God,

protesting even about our circumstances to God,

in the Christian life, reveal faith, not unbelief.

Because we understand that God has made covenant promises,

and so there will be times when we find ourselves asking,

well, why is it like this and not like that?

And one of the things that we understand from the Bible is that it's good to be honest with God,

to take our frustration and our tears to God,

to speak to him about our confusion.

Abraham, the father of faith, shows that to us.

He had received these great promises from God.

He knew God to be loving and faithful.

God had promised to be his rock and his shield.

But still there's the question, where's my child and where's the land?

So lamenting, questioning reveals faith, not unbelief.

But our main aim this evening is to see how, within this covenant,

God connects his word of promise with signs.

Word and signs going together in order to give us assurance of faith.

It was a pattern that was true for Abraham then,

and it's a pattern that remains true for God's people today.

So let's look very briefly, first of all, at Genesis 12,

to think about the story of God's grace in Abraham's life,

and then to see his response to that.

So the Lord, in verse 1, called Abraham.

The last time we were thinking about the covenants,

we were thinking about the Lord calling Noah.

And again, here's another example of a pagan,

unbelieving man being chosen and saved by the grace of God.

It's really important for us to remember that reality.

That's true of every story of a person coming to faith in the Lord Jesus.

It begins with God's grace.

I've been reading the Reformed documents known as the Canons of Dort,

written in 1618, 1619.

I want to read just one short paragraph that helps us think about this.

It says in there,

the good pleasure of God is the sole cause of this gracious election.

He was pleased out of the common mass of sinners

to adopt some as a special people to himself.

That's the story of salvation.

It's God's grace.

It's God's good pleasure to save some,

not because we're better, but because of his grace.

And having called him,

we see then that Abraham receives three great promises from God.

Go to the land I will show you.

I will make you into a great nation.

I will make your name great and you will be a blessing.

And ultimately, all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

So he's promised a seed, a family, a great nation.

He's promised the lands that we know of as the promised lands, Canaan.

And he's promised that all peoples on earth will be blessed.

There'll be blessing to the nations through Abraham and his family line.

So Abraham has received grace and he's received wonderful promises.

And Abraham, we see in verse four, shows faith.

There is obedience.

God says, go.

And Abraham left as the Lord had told him.

Now, at this point,

John Piper talks about Abraham's call being a mustard seed sized action of God.

When you think about how God could have worked,

it is surprising in a sense that God chooses this elderly couple to be the vehicle for God's plan of salvation to continue.

Not calling a nation immediately to himself, calling this elderly couple.

Small, obscure beginnings.

But as we look through the storyline of the Bible, it's used to bring that blessing to the nations.

Ultimately bringing the blessing of the Lord Jesus himself.

A mustard seed sized action though.

Boys and girls, I wonder, have you ever planted seeds?

Maybe had a wee garden box in your kitchen.

If you're anything like me, I'm always a little bit doubtful that those tiny seeds will become anything at all.

Perhaps because I'm not very good at gardening.

But it seems like something so small, how could that become a flower or a plant or a tree or something that could even give us food?

Now, so this is a mustard seed sized action of God.

Seems small, but in God's hands proves huge.

God often works this way for his own glory.

I like the example in history of the conversion of Spurgeon.

Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher in London.

Well, in a winter snowstorm, way back in 1850,

Spurgeon, the teenager, decided to go to a different church, to his usual church.

And the regular preacher wasn't able to get there because of the weather.

So there was a substitute.

A lay preacher was there.

A man who didn't have any training.

A man who largely spent the sermon repeating the words of Isaiah 45, 22.

Look to me and be saved, for I am God and there is no one else.

Not a spectacular sermon, but used by God to save Spurgeon,

who then went on to preach the gospel to tens of thousands of people who came to faith.

A mustard seed sized action used by God for his glory.

So as we begin, I just want to encourage all of us to recognize that our small acts of faith

in God's hands can be used to do great kingdom work.

When we pray for someone, when we seek to share the gospel,

even when we don't do it perfectly, perhaps,

in those acts of kindness that we seek to do in Jesus' name,

God can use that to bless, to encourage, to bring to faith other people.

Perhaps when we look back on our own stories,

we recognize that we became a Christian because

somebody invited us to a Bible study or to church.

Somebody took the time to introduce us to Jesus.

Or perhaps a parent or a grandparent were praying for us.

Small actions, big consequences in God's kingdom.

So that's God's grace to Abraham,

as seen in his call and in his promises.

Now turn with me to chapter 15.

And I want us to recognize the tension and the struggle in Abraham's life.

Abraham's struggle of faith.

So these huge promises have been made,

but time is passing and there is still no sign of fulfillment.

Ian Duggett, the Old Testament scholar,

wrote a book on the life of Abraham called

Living in the Gap Between Promise and Reality,

which I think really helpfully captures a lot of Abraham's experience.

So in chapter 15 in verse 1,

the word of the Lord comes to Abraham in a vision.

Do not be afraid, Abraham.

I am your shield, your very great reward,

or your reward will be very great.

How does Abraham respond to that wonderful message from God?

Can we hear the sting in Abraham's voice?

What can you give me?

Since I remain childless,

you have given me no children.

In fact, he believes that he's going to have to adopt a slave to be his heir.

So we need to remember,

here is Abraham and he's struggling with the fact that he is childless,

and that's a difficult situation for anybody to experience

when they long to have children.

But even more intense for Abraham is the fact that all of God's promises

are tied up with God sending a child as he promised.

And so there is this struggle of faith going on with Abraham.

You said I would be a great nation,

but I don't have a son.

I have no child.

So there is struggle,

there is questioning,

there is wrestling.

And we see that too,

not just with the promise of family,

we see it too as God reminds him of his promise

to give him the land.

Verse 7,

God also said to him,

I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans

to give you this land to take possession of it.

Great promise from God.

But again,

how does Abraham respond?

Verse 8,

O sovereign Lord,

so he knows God's in charge,

how can I know

that I shall gain possession of it?

Here is a man who is struggling.

His faith needs reassurance.

Remember at this stage,

he owns nothing.

He's a small tribe,

if you would call it that,

him and his household.

There are nations all around.

Ultimately in Abraham's life,

all he will possess land-wise

is a family burial plot.

So again,

there is this struggle of faith.

How can I know?

You've made this promise.

Time has passed.

I still don't have a child.

I still don't have the land.

How can I know?

I wonder,

can you identify

with Abraham's struggle of faith?

You know,

our faith rests on

the grace of God.

It rests on the promises of God.

But sometimes God feels distant.

Sometimes God seems silent.

Sometimes life just really hurts.

And what do we do

in that situation?

I have found a theologian

by the name of J. Todd Billings

to be extremely helpful

on this subject.

He is a theologian in the States.

Same age as me,

but diagnosed three years ago,

I think,

with terminal cancer.

And he's written a book,

a really helpful book

called Rejoicing with Lament.

And he says that

as the people of God,

we need vocabulary

for our pain,

for our confusion,

for our tears,

for our protest.

That for him,

he found that in the Psalms,

those Psalms of lament.

And Billings says

that when we bring

our sorrows

and our fears to God

as Christians,

that is an act of trust.

When we recognize

God is sovereign,

that we're wrestling

with our circumstances.

And we need in the church

to have the language of lament.

Because we all struggle,

lament,

and there's no point

pretending that life

is all joy and happiness.

Lament,

Billings goes on to argue,

is a sign of faith

in a dark age.

We know the world

is not the way

it should be.

We know that the world

is fallen and broken,

and we await its renewal.

Yes, there is perfection coming,

but in the moment,

we're living in those last days,

and they are dark days,

as we thought about this morning.

So groaning and waiting

is part of our experience

as Christians.

Actually, it's part of the gospel,

because we have been saved,

and we've got all these

rich promises to come,

but they haven't come yet.

And so here we find Abraham

in that space

where he's struggling.

He's got questions.

Maybe you find yourself

in that position this evening.

How does God respond

to his questioning?

Well, God confirms

his promised grace.

When life hasn't worked out

as Abraham planned,

when Abraham needs assurance,

God comes again

with his words

of covenant promises,

and he gives him signs

to confirm those promises.

So look at verse 4.

After Abraham said,

you've given me no children,

here is the word of promise

from the sovereign Lord.

This man will not be your heir.

Your servant will not be your heir,

but a son coming from your own body

will be your heir.

So there's the great word of promise.

And then to assure him,

he gives him a sign.

He took him outside

and said,

look up at the heavens

and count the stars.

If indeed you can count them,

so shall your offspring be

to look up.

Without a telescope,

they reckon,

away from light pollution,

we can see perhaps

anywhere between

5,000 and 10,000 stars

on a clear night.

But imagine trying to count them.

Here is God saying,

look up,

remember me,

your creator.

Look at all of those stars

and recognize

my promise to you is great.

Your family is going to be great.

And you have that wonderful response

of Abraham having received the word,

having received the sign,

Abraham believed the Lord

and he credited it to him

as righteousness.

He is counted in this

right covenant relationship

with God

because of his faith.

So he has questions

about where is his family

going to come from

and God brings reassurance.

But there's the second combination

of word and sign too.

And this is truly staggering.

There was the word of promise

in verse 7

that Abraham would be given

the land to take possession of it.

And Abraham is struggling.

How can I know?

And in verse 13 to 16,

God gives him a timeline.

So he's told there will be a time

when his descendants

will be slaves.

But he promises

that that nation

that had them as slaves

would be punished

and they would come

and they would take possession

of the land.

So he's saying,

yes, you're going to have to wait,

but you can wait

with a certainty

that there is a time coming

for your family

when that end will be over,

when you will enjoy

glorious freedom

in the promised land.

And he doesn't just

give him a word.

He also gives him again

a sign

to assure him

that his faith in God

is well placed.

This takes us

to a covenant ceremony.

In verse 9,

we find the beginning

of the details.

So here is a covenant ceremony

that the Lord enters into

with Abraham.

So the Lord said to Abraham,

bring me a heifer,

a goat and a ram,

each three years old,

along with a dove

and a young pigeon.

Abraham 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.

So in the ancient Near East,

there was this

covenant-making ceremony

where animals

would be slaughtered,

a path would be established

between these cut-up animals

and the parties

entering into

an agreement together

would walk through

declaring a self-curse

on themselves

if they were to break

the terms of the agreement.

I swear by my life

if I break the terms

of the agreement,

let me become

as these animals.

But in the ancient Near East,

it was always

an unequal covenant.

There was always

a superpower

making a covenant

with a nation

that they had conquered.

And so the terms

always favored

the strong.

Essentially,

it was a way

for the strong to say,

well, if you decide

that you're going

to enter into an alliance

with this country

over here,

if you break faith,

we're going to come

and we're going

to crush you.

So it very much favored

the strong.

But when we think

about this covenant

that God makes

with Abraham,

it's very,

very different indeed.

Look at verse 17.

Here is how the covenant

comes to be.

When the sun had set

and darkness had fallen,

a smoking brazier

with a blazing torch

appeared and passed

between the pieces.

On that day,

the Lord made a covenant

with Abraham,

promising him the land.

This brazier,

this smoking torch,

is a vision

of God himself.

Here is God

entering into

a covenant agreement

with a person.

And notice,

only the Lord

passes through

the pieces

of the animals.

Here is the Lord God,

the sovereign Lord,

swearing

to his servant.

And even more amazing

than that,

we know whenever

a covenant is entered into,

there's always two parties.

So in a wedding covenant,

there's a husband

and a wife.

In a contract

of an employment,

there is a boss

and there is an employer.

There is always two parties

in a covenant.

But here,

there's just the torch

that passes through.

What's that saying to us?

It's saying to us

that the Lord

is also

the servant.

The Lord

is becoming

the servant

for the assurance

of his servant Abraham.

Abraham.

This is a message

of grace

to Abraham

and to the world.

That the penalty

for covenant breaking

will be carried

by the Lord

who is also

the servant.

If we know

the Old Testament,

we perhaps think

about the book

of Isaiah,

the servant

of the Lord,

the one who comes

to bear the curse

of the covenant

for his people.

This is promising

the coming

of Jesus.

Jesus,

who is the Lord,

who also becomes

our suffering

servant.

Jesus,

the one who secures

our promised

blessing

as he takes

the curse

of the covenant.

What we deserve

because of our

law breaking,

Jesus takes it

and instead

we receive

all the rich

blessings

of life

in covenant

relationship

with God.

Stories like this,

passages like this

are so important

when we

wrestle,

when our life

is in a mess

and we wonder

what God

is doing.

We need

the word

of God.

We need

the promises

of God

to be our

guide

in those

moments.

Just like

Abraham,

we need to

hear God's

word of

grace.

How do we

hear God's

word of

grace?

Well,

we hear it

in the message

of the cross

where we see

so clearly

God's love,

God's goodness,

God's faithfulness

to those

he has

established

a covenant

with.

blessing

for us

comes through

the cursing

of his

one and

only son.

Just like

Abraham,

we need to

hear the

word of

hope,

to remember

that God

said,

remember

Abraham,

from your

seed will

come blessing

to the

nations.

The same

blessing

that Abraham

enjoyed

is ours

by faith

in the

Lord Jesus.

Abraham

was justified

because of

his faith,

so too,

by faith

in Jesus

we are

justified,

we are

declared

to be

in right

standing

with God

when our

faith is

in him.

Just as

Abraham

knew that

God is

for us,

so by

faith God

is for

us.

He will

always be

God

to us.

He will

use his

power

for us

to work

out his

purposes

for his

people's

good.

So we

need to

hear those

words of

grace and

hope and

we also

need to

receive for

our assurance

the sign

of the

covenant.

What's the

sign of the

covenant for

us to

receive?

What's the

Lord's Supper

as we

celebrated

last week?

Remember

Jesus

at the

Last Supper

established the

new covenant

he said in

his body

and his

blood.

Jesus'

blood is

poured out

for the

forgiveness of

our sins

to remove

the curse

for us,

to bring

us into

a life of

blessing,

to invite

us into

the covenant.

And so we

have word

and sign

as the

Christian

church to

give us

assurance.

How can

I trust

God when

my life

is in

a mess?

How can

I trust

God when

I expected

it to

look like

this,

when I

read in

the Bible

and I

hear this

and actually

I'm

struggling

right now?

Like Abraham,

our hope

comes in

God's covenant

promise to

us,

comes in

that word

of grace

to us,

and we

can find

assurance

in the

covenant

sign of

the Lord's

Supper

Edge

in the

Ryan.

He gives

to us.

He gives

to us.

He gives

us.

He gives

us.

He wears

attention to

us.

He gives

me

towards

us.

He �

over us.

He gives

other people

that He gives

to us and

move.