Covenant – Seed of Abraham – Part 1

What’s holding the seed of Abraham back?

Genesis 17:7 – And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.Let’s take a moment to consider what it means to be the “seed of Abraham.”  That is no small consideration.  In order to simply begin to grasp that concept, we must first learn about who Abraham was, with whom Abraham was connected, and what Abraham possessed.  To that end, I encourage you to begin reading in Genesis 12, and continue reading, even beyond the point of Abraham’s death, so you can clearly see the results of Abrahamic covenant.  He came from Ur of the Chaldees, being known at that time as Abram.  Abram had many encounters with the Lord before his name became Abraham in Genesis 17.  Because he followed the leading of the Lord, God was already blessing him in great measure, making him a man of great substance.  But when the Lord changed his name to Abraham, it seems that everything changed.  He was 99-years old, and Sarai was 90.  But when his name was changed, so did the aging process in his body (and Sarah’s).  Isaac was born to them when Abraham was 100-years old.  So, let’s consider the power in the name change

Abram is a Hebrew name meaning exalted father.  Abraham is a Hebrew name meaning father of many nations.  Abram, Exalted Father, had one son by Hagar (Ishmael), but none the Sarai.  So, the name Abram was fitting.  But God changed all that when He called him Abraham, changing his name to Father of Nations.  Making that change when Abraham was 99-years old put the Lord in a position of having to exercise miracle-power in the bodies of Abraham and Sarah.  That alone would have been worth of covenant establishment between God and Abraham.  But let us not forget, for nearly a quarter of a century before God changed Abraham’s name, renewing his strength and youth, and increasing him in every way possible, He had already been enriching him (while known as Abram).  What I would desire you to understand is that God wants those who covenant with Him to prosper.  I remind you again that in Joshua and 3 John, the Lord specifically addresses the prosperity issue in stating His desire to prosper His covenant partners, and in both cases, He puts prosperity at the head of the list.  He said He would “make your prosperous, and have good success,” and that He wishes above all else that His covenant partners “proper and be in health, even as your (their) soul prospers.”  And allow me to add one more wonderful note to that Biblical harmony.  It is found in Isaiah 55:11.  There we read, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”  The point here, God’s Word is God’s Covenant.

Manna for Today – Genesis 17; Galatians 3:13-29; Hebrews 1:3; Joshua 1:6-9; 3 John 2