The Abrahamic Covenants

by J. Miller | Category: The Abrahamic Covenants | Aug 1953

Genesis 17. begins with the words: "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be thou perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee" (verses 1 and 2). This covenant is explained as to its meaning in verse 7: "And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.". The outward mark of this covenant which they were to keep is indicated in verse 10 : " This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee; every male among you shall be circumcised."

There is no walk, no worship, which is involved in Abraham and his seed having a God, and no circumcision, which put them under a covenant of obedience, in Genesis 15. That covenant may be summed up in " I will," but that of Genesis 17. in " Thou shalt."

Many have confused "faith" with "walk," and the A.V. reading of Romans 8.1 has helped this confusion. The A.V. reads :-" There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." The R.V. very properly leaves out the words-" who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." This is confusing faith and works. The word" walk" is used figuratively and covers the whole life and conduct of a person. Freedom from condemnation is not by walk but by faith, and that, one act of faith in Christ. By one Man, Christ Jesus, by one act of righteousness, in His death upon the cross, and by one act of faith in Christ on the sinner's part he is freed for ever from condemnation.

Abraham in his walk was to be a perfect man. The word perfect does not mean either sinless or faultless, for that were impossible for him or any other mere man, but to be a man of integrity, wholehearted, upright and sincere. Such was the man whom God chose to be His worshipper, and such were his seed to be after him, a race and nation of men who would be devoted to their God, who would walk before Him, as Paul indicated in his day, soberly, righteously and godly in this evil age.

Though most, if not all, of God's children rejoice and are glad to think of God as their Father, few ever learn of what it is to have and what is involved in having God as their God. Many are glad to think of themselves as delivered by Christ their Passover from servitude to sin, as Israel was delivered from Egyptian bondage, and, like Israel, have a land of glory and rest in front. But how few think of that other phase of God's purpose in Israel's deliverance, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness" (Exodus 7.16). The place of the commencement of their service was mount Sinai, as God said to Moses, "When thou hast brought the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain" (Exodus 8. 12). There, upon Israel's confessed obedience to the words of the covenant these other words bad fulfilment, "I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God (Exodus 6.7; see also Exodus 19.4-8; 24.3-8). Then when Moses in Deuteronomy 26.16-19 had placed before Israel on the plains of Moab, before they entered the promised land, God's statutes and judgements, he said,-" Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and that thou shouldest walk in His ways, and keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgements, and hearken unto His voice: and the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be a peculiar people unto Himself."

This same line of truth is clearly seen in 2 Corinthians 6.14-7.1. Here we have the call of God to believers to be separate, for a mixed communion of believers and unbelievers is not contemplated in the New Testament Scriptures. God says to those who have obeyed His voice and have separated themselves at His bidding,-" I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

It is because of the promise of God as to His presence among His people, and to be their God, that the call of God is for ever ringing out,

"Wherefore, Come ye out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And I will receive you, And I will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to Me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

The same truth emerges in the terms of the New Covenant in Hebrews 8.

"I will put My laws into their mind,

And on their heart also will I write them:

And I will be to them a God,

And they shall be to Me a people" (verse 10).

While this was spoken by Jeremiah concerning Israel in a future day when they will be restored to the Lord, the same truth is applicable to us, as see Hebrews 10.15-18, "the Holy Spirit also beareth witness to us." The terms of the New Covenant are applicable now.

God would have all the males of His worshipping people in the past marked in their flesh with the covenant of circumcision. Paul explains what was involved in circumcision, "I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law" (Galatians 5.3). This he further explains in Romans 2. 25, 26."For circumcision indeed profiteth, if thou be a doer of the law: but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is become uncircumcision. If therefore the uncircumcision keep the ordinances of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be reckoned for circumcision?"

To-day it is not circumcision in the flesh made by hands, but it is what is called the circumcision of Christ, which means the putting off of the body of the flesh (Colossians 2.11). Christ has circumcised every one of His own, the body of the flesh has been completely cut away by the truth of the cross, so that we are no longer in the flesh, in which state of corruption we once were, but we are now in the Spirit (Romans 8.9).

We being no longer in the flesh, can now please God, for it is said, "They that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8.8). But while we are not in the flesh, the flesh is still in our flesh, as Paul said, "In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." "Sin dwelleth in me," he said (Romans 7.17, 18).

As circumcised with the circumcision of Christ we are under the obligation of keeping His commandments and of walking before our God, thus and thus only shall the worship of God be open to us, for divine service by such as are disobedient is not acceptable to Him.

J. Miller | Aug 1953
The Abrahamic Covenants