TEACHING NOTES ‌ Introduction Last week we talked about the words sin and sins. We learned that sin is a spiritual power that wants to enslave us to commit sins and lead us to destruction. Today, we’re going to talk about what God is doing about sin and sins. Specifically, we’re going to talk about God making covenants with people in order to accomplish His will in the world. ‌ What is a Covenant? ‌ Covenant = Heb. בְּרִית (berit) used 290x in the OT - An agreement to partnership between two parties involving mutual obligations toward a common goal. ‌ Usually a covenant involved a sacrifice indicating that if one party breaks the agreement, they agree to end up like the sacrificed animal. This sacrificial act was called “to cut a covenant” because an animal would be cut as a sign of the covenant. This may seem strange to us, but this was the common practice in the ancient world (believers and pagans). ‌ God chooses one from the many to bless the many. ‌ God’s Covenant with Adam: ‌ Genesis 1:26 ESV 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ‌ Genesis 2:15–17 ESV 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” ‌ As the story continues, we find that Adam and Eve break their end of the covenant and sin begins to enslave the world to violence and destruction. Eventually, humanity has become so violent and evil that their extinction is imminent. In utter grief, God cleanses the earth with a flood and restarts humanity with Noah and his family. After the flood, Noah builds an altar and makes an offering to God and God makes a covenant with Noah. ‌ God’s Covenant with Noah: ‌ Genesis 8:20–21 ESV 20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. ‌ Genesis 9:7–10 ESV 7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.” 8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. ‌ Genesis 9:11 ESV 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” ‌ Genesis 9:12–13 ESV 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ‌ After the flood, humanity strays from God to the point that everyone had began to worship other gods. This leads to the Tower of Babel where God disperses humanity and gives them what they want—other gods. Then God picks one human out of the many to bless the many. ‌ God’s Covenant with Abram/Abraham: ‌ Genesis 12:1–3 ESV 1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” ‌ Genesis 15:17–18 ESV 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, ‌ God keeps His promises to Abraham and his descendants become a great nation. However, Israel becomes enslaved in Egypt where they had formerly been honored as God’s people. But God keeps His promises and comes to rescue Israel from slavery. On the other side of the Red Sea, God makes a covenant with Israel. ‌ God’s Covenant with Israel: ‌ Exodus 19:5–6 ESV 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” ‌ Exodus 24:3 ESV 3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” ‌ Exodus 24:7–8 ESV 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” ‌ The covenant was confirmed by the blood of the sacrifice. ‌ As we know, Israel did not do all that God commanded. Eventually, they rejected God as their King and demanded a human king instead. God allows this rebellion and continues to work with Israel. After king Saul fails, God brings Israel a new king who seeks God’s own heart—a former shepherd named David. ‌ God’s Covenant with David: ‌ 2 Samuel 7:12–13 ESV 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ‌ While this promise to “build a house for my name” specifically refers to David’s son Solomon, we know that Solomon ultimately failed to stay faithful to God. This led to Israel being divided into two kingdoms. Israel never recovered from Solomon’s failure. There must be another descendant of David who will fulfill God’s promise of an everlasting kingdom. ‌ How the Old Testament Era Ends The Old Testament story ends with a huge cliffhanger. Israel has failed numerous times to keep the covenant. David’s descendants have failed to be the faithful leaders of the kingdom. But God’s promise to David still stands, because God is always faithful to keep His promises. The writer of Psalm 89 (Ethan the Ezrahite) wonders when God will fulfill His promise to David. ‌ Psalm 89:3–4 ESV 3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah ‌ Psalm 89:28 ESV 28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. ‌ Psalm 89:34–36 ESV 34 I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. 35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. ‌ Psalm 89:49 ESV 49 Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? ‌ So, the Old Testament era ends with a longing for God to bring a descendant of Abraham who will bless all nations and a descendant of David to bring God’s kingdom to rule the earth. ‌ Matthew 1:1 ESV 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. ‌ Book of the genealogy = In Greek, “Biblos genesis” or book of the beginning. ‌Son of David = Jesus is the descendant of the king. Son of Abraham = Jesus is the descendant who will bless all nations. ‌ Jesus came to fulfill the God’s covenant with Abraham and with David. ‌ This Jesus, a Son of David, travels all around the land promised to Abraham’s sons declaring that the kingdom of God has come and the new King has arrived. This Jesus, a faithful Israelite, declares that He has come to fulfill the covenant at Sinai and provide the ultimate sacrifice to confirm a new covenant. ‌ Matthew 26:26–28 ESV 26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ‌ Hebrews 9:11–12 ESV 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. ‌ Conclusion ‌Today we worship Jesus as our King who has given His own blood to purify us, to forgive us, to give us power over sin, and to redeem us into an eternal covenant. In this new covenant Jesus promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. This is certainly a reason to celebrate and worship.