1. Covenant Lesson 4

2. Passing between the Pieces • Genesis 15 • God told Abram to cut the animals in half and lay them opposite each other • God walked between the pieces of flesh and cut covenant with Abram • Circumcision: • Genesis 17:9-14 Sign of the Abrahamic Covenant • Outward expression of that covenant • Outward part of a man’s flesh closest to where his descendants come from. • No circumcision: cut off, broken God’s Covenant

3. Exodus 4:24-26 • Moses had not circumcised his son and God was about to kill him • Zipporah “cut covenant” and saved his life • God is very serious about His Covenant • I Samuel 20 Jonathan called on the Lord as his witness of the covenant between him and David • Failure to keep the covenant required the death of the one who broke it.

4. God’s Covenant with Israel • Ex. 24:1-11 Moses received the Covenant • He made sacrifices and divided the blood • Half on the altar and half on the people • Heb. 9:18-20 He sprinkled the people and the scroll • People said, “All that the Lord has said we will do” • This was a conditional covenant based on Israel’s obedience • Deut. 30:15-20 First generation of Israel out of Egypt broke Covenant: all died in the wilderness except for Joshua and Caleb • Second generation entered into Covenant of the Law

5. Jeremiah • Jeremiah 22:1-9 • King of Judah given rules to follow for blessing • Jeremiah 34:8-22 King Zedekiah and the people pledged to be obedient to Covenant: freed slaves • Then they broke it and took their slaves back • God gave them to their enemies • God’s promises regarding breaking His covenants are as binding as His promises for keeping covenant

6. Is God as serious Now? • Matt. 26:26-28 Jesus’ body was the sacrifice and His blood, the New Covenant • Parallel: broken bread and the animals’ bodies • I Cor. 11:18-34 The Lord’s Supper is to remember His death until He returns • I Cor. 11:30 Some of you are sick, weak and some have fallen asleep. This is death of the believer • This is NOT the same as condemnation for the unbeliever (Rom. 8:1)

7. Faith/Belief • Belief and faith are the same word in the Greek • Pistis meaning a firm conviction that results in a personal surrender and a conduct inspired by that surrender (Vines) • Believe is the verb form of faith • This involves more than what a person thinks: it involves that person’s behavior

8. New Testament • Acts 6:7 Priests became obedient to the faith • If one has faith, then obedience is a by-product • Romans 2:8 and 2 Thess. 1:8 • God’s wrath and indignation await those who don’t repent and obey the truth • Hebrews 3:18-19 Unbelief is disobedience

9. Application • Take your covenant seriously • Put your covenant relationship with Christ above everything else • Obedience to God is evidence of your salvation