Bible-in OneYear- Day 9 (January 9)

Genesis 25-27           THE FLOW OF COVENANT

In our last two discussions, we talked about;

1. The Church of Ishmael
2. Covenant and Oath

The most important of our discussion so far is covenant. Covenant is the route of God’s plan to achieve His goal. Truly, we have talked about many characters in the chapters we have read. Adam is the most important because he was created to dominate the earth and keep it. He was not created to die or to live in heaven. Adam was not created to have fellowship with Satan or any other spirit of the like. He was created to have the earth as his kingdom. If this had been as it was, there wouldn’t have been the need for any covenant.

When man fell, he had his mind severed from purpose of creation. He got his mind divided, knowing good and evil (left to choose between two options). For God to relate with man, He needed his consent and be in agreement with man in order to use man in getting somethings done. As we discussed before now, no spirit could do anything on earth without an earthy body; even God needed a man to do His work. Satan negotiated for the serpent’s body to intrude the earth and, consequently, entered into agreeing with man to carry out his havoc. This is the reason evil spirits appear as abominable animals in dreams most times.

God’s plan of redemption started with agreeing with Abraham. He started by promising Abraham His blessing which was sealed up in covenant. He had covenants with some characters before Abraham, but that of Abraham was for the redemption of man from the grip of Satan and restore man in His goal; to dominate the earth. We shall all come back to reign on earth in the new Jerusalem, a new earth, with Christ since man was not created to live in heaven.

Though Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are important figures in the scripture, covenant is what made them important. God defended His covenant with them through which His redemption plan would be actualized. Abraham wouldn’t have died if it was him that had to live. But it was the plan that had to live and that was the reason the covenant had to be sustained.

Abraham had many children after Isaac, particularly, after the death of Sarah through Keturah and concubines. These children would have been problems to the flow of covenant through Isaac. He took a step to preserve and protect that flow before he died.

Genesis 25:5-6 “And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.”

The servant of Abraham who searched for Rebekah even testified to this whilst negotiating for Rebekah’s hand in marriage before Laban and Bethuel.

Genesis 24:34-36 “And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. 35 And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.”

Isaac became the channel for the flow of the covenant, the vision bearer. He inherited the covenant from Abraham, his father.

1. The blessing, Genesis 25: 11
2. Abraham’s experience, Genesis 25:21, just like Sarai.
3. He inherited the same vow given to his father, Abraham, Genesis 26: 1-5, 24
4. His father experienced famine in his time. He experienced it, Genesis 26:1
5. He went through same trying moment as his father with temptation that made him deny Rebekah was his wife, Genesis 26:7.
6. He inherited all the wells of his father.
7. He suffered grief of mind over Esau just as his father suffered over his son, Ishmael.

The covenant was under serious test of attacks.

Peculiar to covenant is the fact that each bearer goes through his own trying time; a pruning that makes the bearer perfectly fit to bear it. The delay in Rebekah was to preserve her for the flow of the covenant. Though, in the time of Abraham, two women bore two children (nations) for him. The junior (Isaac) was preferred to the senior (Ishmael). In the time of Isaac, the same thing happened. Only that one woman bore the children (nations), but the junior (Jacob) was preferred to the senior (Esau).

As Abraham passed everything he had to Isaac, so Isaac passed the custody of the covenant to Jacob.

Genesis 27:37 “And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?”

I wondered why Isaac did not rebuke Jacob even after he realized he was tricked. Rather, he blessed Jacob’s flee to Laban’s place. Isaac still lived for years after transferring the custody of the covenant to Jacob.

Covenants will face many trials but will always prevail. Covenant is stronger than gifts. It is the father of oaths. Gifts has a survival life span of the receiver. But covenant grows stronger as it ages and mostly lives for generations.

Churches established based on gifts lives for the moment the strength of the bearer could sustain. Many expire before their death. But for those under covenant, their angels follow them and supervises their transfer. Gifts were given to the sons of Abraham, but the custody of covenant was handed over to Isaac. Gifts are not what generations inherit. It ends with the receiver. God choses the route of His covenant and not the custodian. Abraham tried to present Ishmael as the person to inherit the covenant, but God insisted that it is His own route and not Abraham’s. Founders who are struggling to enthrone their own seed on the flock as the next leader don’t really have the encounter. The church will not last.

Just as Abraham gave all to Isaac, God also gave all to His dear Son, Jesus Christ. As Abraham committed all into Isaac’s custody, so has God the Father committed all to Jesus’ custody.

Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came, and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.”

John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son:”

Children of covenant are those who are born of the spirit. They have gifts just as much as they enjoy the splendor the covenant. They may face trying times of life, it does not mean that the covenant is not there. Despite the covenant, Abraham and Isaac experienced their various famines. Jesus Christ faced the troubles of this world and He said, if he could go through such times, we should expect it. The scripture says He came with grace and truth. The grace to be steadfast in trying times and the truth to remain in faith.

John 20:21 “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be to you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”

May the Lord grant us more of the grace and the Truth in the name of Jesus Christ AMEN.

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA