Unconditional – What does this mean, to you

Unconditional Covenant – what does this mean, to you

Unconditional in nature; that is, regardless of Israel’s obedience or disobedience, God still will fulfill these covenants with Israel

There are 5-8 covenants God made, Eden; Adam; Noah; Abraham; Moses; Land; David; and the New Covenant; with different names.  We are going to cover the Abraham Covenant in the next 3 sessions. 

Important to understand.  Abraham Unconditional Covenant has nothing to do with the Start of the Church of God at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to start the New Testament Church, the Body of Jesus. 

Abraham Covenant is only for the physical descendants of Abraham throughout the many years until Our Lord and King, Jesus, returns to the Earth to set up His Kingdom.  Then Jesus will bring the physical descendants back to the Land that was given to Abraham at the start of the Millennium.

Who did receive the Blessing and Inheritance? And how did it affect Israel and the nations around.

Religious groups and individuals have a misunderstanding about which son of Jacob did receive the Birthright, which is the Inheritance and / or Birthright and Blessings that a father in Israel gives to his first born son.

What do we mean by inheritance?

Inheritance or Birthright:  refers to actual property or goods received after a family member’s death. The Scriptures concept of inheritance to include the spiritual blessings and promises from God, but also includes physical property, land.

The Inheritance of Israel

Each family in Israel was given their own land inheritance as a possession for them and their family to occupy and take of the land.

Joshua 13:7-8 Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”  (8)  With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses had given them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD had given them:   {this is a covenant with Israel}

When we look into the history of the Nation of Israel, they were promise to inherit land as an everlasting possession.

Psalms 2:8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

Isaiah 54:3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited.

So, the inheritance is a physical land to his descendants, Abraham.

In ancient Israel possessions were passed on to the living sons of a father, but the eldest son received a double portion.

Deuteronomy 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Blessings: “the act or words of one that blesses,” or “a thing conducive to happiness or welfare.  praise, congratulate, or salute

God called Abram to go to the Promised Land and promised to bless him, make his name great, and through him, to bless all the families of the earth. The blessings here are plainly associated with happiness and welfare, both for Abram and others.

This is the Abraham Covenant – one way from God to Abraham

Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.  (2)  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.  (3)  I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Notice, it is God who says, “I will” do it.

Notice, 7 Promise Jesus gave to Abram, without requiring Abram to do anything, He was 75 years old when he left Haran. Jesus said I will.

1. Make you a great nation, {become the father of a great nation}
2. Will bless you {God will bless you}
3. Make your name great {make your name famous}
4. You will be a Blessing, {a blessing to many others}
5. Bless those who bless you {God will do this}
6. Curse those who curses you {God will do this}
7. All families will be blessed because of you. {entire world be blessed} 

The focus of the inheritance concept in the Old Testament is God’s promise to Abraham. The land of Canaan was given to him and his descendants as an eternal possession.

Genesis 12:7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Let’s look at some examples on how the Blessings and inheritance are passed on from the father to the first born son, which is the most important thing a father can do for his first born son.

The Lord God made this promise to Abraham that includes blessings and inheritance.

The LORD had said to Abraham,

Genesis 13:15-16 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.  (16)  And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.

Notice:  unnumbered descendants forever will have the land

Genesis 15:18 That very day the LORD made this covenant with Abram: “I’m giving this land to your descendants, from the river of Egypt to the great Euphrates River-–

Normally a covenant has 2 parties, I do something, you do something.  But this is a one way party covenant, the party making the covenant is God Himself.

If we read the passage carefully, you will not be able to find any “condition” or if placed upon the covenant. In fact, the Abram was asleep when the covenant was made {Gen 15:12}. 

This was an unconditional covenant.  One way only.

Genesis 15:12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him.

Genesis 17:6-7 I’m going to cause you to have many descendants, and I’ll bring nations from you. Kings will come from you. (7) I’m establishing my covenant between me and you, and with your descendants who come after you, generation after generation, as an eternal covenant, to be your God and your descendants‘ God after you.

Genesis 17:8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Genesis 17:9-10 God continued to speak to Abraham, “You and your descendants who are born in the future are to keep my covenant–that is, you and your descendants, generation after generation. (10) Here is my covenant that you are to observe, between me and you and your descendants: Every male among you is to be circumcised.

God wanted a outward sign from the people showing this covenant Abram

Genesis 17:11 “You are all to be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and this is to be the sign of the covenant between me and you.    {circumcise is the sign of Abraham Covenant}

The Lord God did pass on to Isaac the Inheritance and Blessings from Abraham.  Abraham Blessing Isaac.

Genesis 17:19 Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

Genesis 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I’ve heard you. I’ll bless him, and he’ll have many descendants. I will multiply him greatly, he’ll father twelve tribal leaders, and I’ll cause his descendants to become a great nation.

Genesis 17:21 Now as to Isaac, I’ll confirm my covenant with him, to whom Sarah will give birth as your son at this time next year.” 

Genesis 17:26-27 Both Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on that very day. (27) Every man born in his household, as well as those who had been purchased with money from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.  {important to remember} 

Genesis 22:15-18 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven (16) and said, “I have taken an oath to swear by myself,” declares the LORD, “that since you have carried this out and have not withheld your only unique son, (17) I will certainly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in heaven and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the gates of their enemies. (18) Furthermore, through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my command.”

Descendants will take possession of the gates of their enemies

What are gates

Notice again, it is God who says, “I will” do it.

Because what Abram obeyed God’s voice, God said He would do 4 things:

1. Blessing I will bless you
2. Multiply your descendants as the stars and as the sand
3. Descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies
4. All the nations of the earth shall be blessed

“possess the gate of his enemies.” A gate is a narrow passage of entrance or exit. When speaking nationally, a “gate” would be such a pass as the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar. This promise is repeated again.

Genesis 24:58-60 (Isaac) Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”  (59)  So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 

(60)  And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: “Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them.”  Important info.

Notice again God promise Isaac your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them.”

Genesis 25:5 Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac. 

Genesis 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who continued to live near Beer-lahai-roi. 

Genesis 26:2-5 Then the LORD appeared to him (Isaac) and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.  (3)  Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 

(4)  And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;  (5)  because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

Isaac said as he blesses his son, Jacob.  This is the important one for us.

Esau surrendered his birthright to Jacob 

Genesis 25:29-34  Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary.  (30)  And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.  (31)  But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”  (32)  And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” 

(33)  Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.  (34)  And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. 

First, what is birthright:  The birthright is emphasized in the Bible because it honored the rights or privileges of the family’s firstborn son. After the father dies, or in the father’s absence, the firstborn son assumed the father’s authority and responsibilities 

Hebrews 12:16-17 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.  (17)  For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

The promise, as confirmed to Jacob, heathen nations shall be ruled by the birthright nations of Israel.

Isaac blessed Jacob.

Genesis 27:27 So Jacob drew closer to kiss him. When Isaac smelled the scent of his son’s clothes, he blessed him and said, “How my son’s scent is the fragrance of the field, that the LORD has blessed. 

Genesis 27:28-29  Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine.  (29)  Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!”

What 9 blessings were given to Jacob by God through Isaac. 

1. Dew of heaven
2. Fatness of the earth
3. Plenty of grain and wine
4. Peoples serve you
5. Nations bow down to you
6. Master over your brethren
7. Your mother’s sons bow down to you
8. Cursed be everyone who curses you
9. Blessed be those who bless you!”

Genesis 27:40 By your sword you’ll live; but you’ll serve your brother. But when you’ve become restless, you’ll break off his yoke from your neck.”

Genesis 27:39-40 At this, his father Isaac replied to him, “Look! Away from the fertile land will be your dwellings; away from the dew of the skies above. (40) By your sword you’ll live; but you’ll serve your brother. But when you’ve become restless, you’ll break off his yoke from your neck.”

Esau family became the Edomites – 2 Kings 8:20

2 Kings 8:20 During Jehoram’s lifetime, Edom rebelled from Judah’s hegemony and appointed a king to rule over themselves.

The nations of Israel shall eventually spread around the world

Genesis 28:12-16 when he {Jacob} had a dream! He saw a raised highway that had been built with its ending point on earth and its beginning point in heaven. God’s angels were ascending and descending on it. (13) And there was the LORD, standing above it and telling Jacob, “I am the LORD God of your grandfather Abraham. I’m Isaac’s God, too. I’m giving you and your descendants the ground on which you’re sleeping.

(14) Your descendants are going to become like the dust of the earth and spread out to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. (15) Now pay attention! I’m here with you, and I’m going to be watching over you wherever you go. I’m going to bring you back to this land, because I won’t ever leave you until I’ve accomplished what I’ve promised about you.” (16) Then Jacob woke up during the night and told himself, “Surely, the LORD is in this place and I never knew it!”

Genesis 28:18 When Jacob got up early the next morning, he took the stone that he had used for his pillow, set it up as a pillar, drenched it with oil,   {known today as Jacob Pillar Stone}

Have any nation ever filled this prophecy?  No. 

Jacob name was changed to Israel. 

Genesis 32:26-28 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”  (27)  So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.”  (28)  And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.“

God reaffirms Jacob name changed to Israel 

Genesis 35:9-12 Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him.  (10)  And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. 

(11)  Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.  (12)  The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” 

When did Israel became a nation and a company of nations? 

What 7 things did God say when He appeared to Jacob 

1. Not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.”
2. Be fruitful and multiply
3. A nation shall proceed from you
4. A company of nations shall proceed from you
5. Kings shall come from your body
6. Land which I gave Abraham I give to you
7. Land which I gave Abraham I give to your descendants 

A nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you.

Have this ever happen in mankind history, a great Nation, and a Company of Nation with Kings.  No, not in the Biblical History or through current, today

This promise or vow by the God of all Creation has never has been fulfilled in the Jews or Jewish people.

Yet this amazing promise must be fulfilled.

We found in this study that the Lord God gave the inheritance and blessings from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob.

We will continue the story with Jacob