-by Belo Alvaran

We were discussing the three (3) main provisions of the COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND THE ISRAELITES, which are 1) COMMANDMENTS, 2) JUDGMENTS and 3) STATUTES. 

For a brief review, the main provison in God’s covenant with the Israelites was:

Exod 6:7 (KJV) And I WILL TAKE YOU TO ME FOR A PEOPLE, and I WILL BE TO YOU A GOD: and you shall know (meaning they should exert efforts) that I [am] the LORD your God, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

And that the Israelites’ main task was:

Exod 19:6 (KJV) And you shall be unto me a kingdom of (royal) priests, and an holy nation.

Then God gave them the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20.  They were supposed to be “a light to the Gentiles”.

Acts 13:47 (KJV, Paul speaking to the Jews) For so had the Lord commanded us, [saying], I have set you to be a LIGHT (i.e., guide, teacher) of the GENTILES, that you should be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

The Israelites, however, LOOKED TO OTHER GODS and broke the main proviso of God’s covenant:

Judg 2:11 (KJV) And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And THEY FORSOOK THE LORD GOD OF THEIR FATHERS, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

Hose 3:1 (KJV) Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of [her] friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, WHO LOOK TO OTHER GODS, and love flagons of wine.

Jere 7:11 (KJV) Is this house (the house of Israel), which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen [it], said the LORD.

…13 And now, because you have done all these (wicked) works, said the LORD, and I spoke unto you, rising up early and speaking, but you heard not; AND I CALLED YOU, BUT YOU ANSWERED NOT;

14 Therefore will I do unto [this] house, which is called by my name,…15…I will cast you out of my sight…

Jere 31:32 (KJV) …my covenant (to be their God) they broke …said the LORD:

When Christ came, he gave the Israelites a SECOND CHANCE:

Matt 15:22 (KJV) And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, [you] Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. …24 But he answered and said, I AM NOT SENT BUT UNTO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.

Christ won only one hundred twenty Israelite converts:

Acts 1:15 (KJV) And in those days (after Christ had gone to heaven) Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names TOGETHER were about A HUNDRED AND TWENTY,)

Before he left them, Christ instructed his apostles to “teach all nations”, thus extending the calling to the Gentiles.

Matt 28:19 (KJV) Go you therefore, and teach all nations…

This was the assignment of all Christian converts, both Israelites and Gentiles:

1Pet 2:9 (KJV, Peter speaking to Gentile converts) But you [are] a chosen generation, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth (teach others) the praises (Godly attributes) of him (i.e., God the Father) who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

As we have already established in previous chapters, PRIESTS are TEACHERS of the law.  God initially appointed the Levitical priests TO TEACH the law, but the priests, being humans, had many imperfections so that they failed to teach neither by word, nor by example.

Mala 2:1 (KJV) And now, O you (Levitical) priests, this commandment [is] for you…7 …the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LAW AT HIS MOUTH: for he [is] the Ambassadorof the LORD of hosts. 8 But you are departed out of the way; you have caused many (Israelites) to stumble at the law; you have corrupted the Covenant of Levi (on priesthood), said the LORD of hosts.

God is now training a new set of priests under the Order of Melchisedec to be made of spirit and therefore perfect.  We are among those priest-trainees and our training is still on-going:

Hebr 7:11 (KJV) If therefore perfection were by the LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD,… what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the Order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the Order of Aaron?

1Sam 2:35 (KJV, the LORD reprimanding Eli the Levitical High Priest)…I WILL RAISE ME UP A FAITHFUL PRIEST (who was to be Christ himself), [that] shall do according to [that] which [is] in my heart and in my mind: …

God had already raised up his new priest:

Psal 110:4 (KJV, David describing the appointment of the new High Priest) The LORD had sworn (i.e., the appointment was under oath. This is the New Covenant of the Priesthood), and will not repent (i.e., this covenant was irrevocable), YOU ([ARE] A PRIEST FOR EVER AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.

Paul confirmed that the newly appointed High Priest was Christ:

Hebr 6:20 (KJV) 20 Whither (within the veil) the forerunner is for us entered, [even] JESUS, made a High Priest forever after the ORDER OF MELCHISEDEC.

We, Christian converts, are those “us” mentioned above. The Commandments, as well as the Judgments and Statutes were, and still are, the CODE OF CONDUCT for royal priests. 

As priest-trainees, we need to get ourselves ready for the task of teaching other priests-trainees as soon as our High Priest comes down. 

2Tim 2:2 (KJV, Paul speaking to one of his underlings) And the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit you to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

As time is of the essence, let’s make every session count. We were discussing the Ten Commandments and we were on Commandment No. 5.

COMMANDMENT NO. 5

Exod 20:12  Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Comments:  This is the only commandment with a promise of blessing.  Dishonoring ones’ parents removes the blessing.  Anyone who tells people how that his father is a bungler, or a womanizer, or spreads any derogatory description about him, is dishonoring his father.  Honor means don’t put to shame, cover his sins!

Prov 10:12 (KJV) …LOVE COVERS all sins.

The fifth commandment is also an INDIRECT COMMAND to the fathers and mothers to make themselves honorable. 

Ephe 6:2 (KJV) Honor your father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth…4 And, you FATHERS (the mother is being addressed too because the husband and his wife are one), provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (That would make them honorable parents)

God is our Father, and we are in effect commanded to practice honoring him by honoring our human father. 

John 20:17 (KJV) Jesus said unto Mary Magdalene, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto MY FATHER, and YOUR FATHER; and [to] MY GOD, and YOUR GOD.

GOD THE FATHER LOVES BEING HONORED BY HIS CHILDREN:

Mala 1:6 (KJV) A son honors [his] father, and a servant his master: IF THEN I [BE] A FATHER, WHERE [IS] MY HONOR?

Let’s see.  How does God want to be honored?

Prov 3:9 (KJV) HONOR THE LORD with your SUBSTANCE (offerings), AND with the firstfruits (tithes) of ALL your INCREASE: 10 So shall your barns be filled with PLENTY, and your presses shall BURST out with new wine.

Tithing is listed under Statutes.  So, why are we discussing tithing?  Because it is a BIBLE-PRESCRIBED way of honoring God the Father!  Here we can see that the provisions in the covenant are intertwined.

God has a claim on one tenth of our incomes, called increase, plus offerings of a reasonable percentage.  We are also expected to give offerings of reasonable amount on our acquisitions.  A lot and house and car are acquisitions and it is a token of gratitude to give God an offering on any of it.  To state very briefly, giving offerings and tithing are the formula to live longer without much worries.

Prov 10:22 (KJV) The blessing of the LORD, it makes rich, and he adds NO SORROW with it.

The tithe-paying Jews in Diaspora are mostly millionaires.  Obviously God is blessing them. Of course they send their tithes and offerings to the State of Israel.

This will show how blessed some Jews are:

Gene 49:11 (KJV, Jacob making prophetic pronouncements for Judah) Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; HE WASHES HIS GARMENTS IN WINE (this is super luxury!), and (washes) his clothes in the blood of grapes:

12 His eyes [shall be] red with wine, and his teeth white with milk (indicating abundant living)

OFFERINGS OF LOW QUALITY OFFEND GOD THE FATHER:

Mala 1:8 (KJV, the LORD speaking) …if you OFFER the blind (animals) for sacrifice, [is it] not evil? and if you OFFER the lame and sick (animals), [is it] not evil? offer it now unto your governor; will he be pleased with you, or accept your person? said the LORD of hosts.

…13 …you (the Levitical priests) brought [that which was] torn, and the lame, and the sick…SHOULD I ACCEPT THIS OF YOUR HAND? said the LORD.

14 …cursed [be] the deceiver, which…sacrifices unto the LORD a CORRUPT THING: for I [AM] A GREAT KING, said the LORD of hosts, and my name [is] dreadful among the heathen.

For this reason, the WCG in 1983 under HWA issued an advisory that holyday offerings should be PLANNED IN ADVANCE, not done at the spur of the moment. 

Here are excerpts from Why Holyday Offering, an article by Mr. Leroy Neff, WCG Treasurer, printed in the September 1983 issue of The Good News magazine:

“The amount we give should be ACCORDING to the amount we have been blessed by God. When God blesses someone in a special or generous way, the person should respond PROPORTIONATELY with a generous offering. If God has not blessed the individual, then God does not expect as large an offering. God does not expect as much from the poor and needy as from those who are comparatively well off. 

   “But remember, after God blesses us, He watches to see how much we believe He has blessed us, by observing the kind of appreciation we show in the size of our offering…

   “Another important aspect about giving is the attitude of the giver: “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (verse 7)… 

   “The end result of giving in a right attitude and as God has blessed us is described in the next verses: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, HAVING ALL THAT YOU NEED, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’” (End of quotes)

The main idea of the article seemed to be: “give offerings to God so that you will be blessed”.  That was our motivation during our ELEMENTARY SCHOOL days.  As priest-trainees, our focus NOW should be to keep the 5^th commandment, i.e., to honor God as our Father.  The important thing is the offering must be planned.

Prov 3:9 (KJV) HONOR THE LORD WITH YOUR SUBSTANCE (offerings), AND with the firstfruits (tithes) of ALL your INCREASE:

Offering LOOSE COINS and SMALL BILLS during holydays dishonors God and offends him.  Any small bill is nowadays only fit as tip to a parking attendant.  Like God said through Malachi, he is a Great King.  He does not deserve a small bill, neither loose coins.  There are beggars who do not accept loose coins. 

Another thing we should know is: there are “REQUIRED” and “UNREQUIRED” offerings

These are the REQUIRED offerings:

Deut 16:16 (KJV) Three times in a year shall all your MALES appear before the LORD your God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they SHALL NOT appear before the LORD EMPTY:

The word “EMPTY” means “EMPTY-HANDED” or WITHOUT AN OFFERING, as the next verse indicates.  That means we, males, us SHOULD NOT attend the feast if we have no offering.  

17 Every man [shall give] as he is able, ACCORDING TO (or PROPORTIONATE with, such as a certain percentage of) the blessing of the LORD your God which he has given you (indicating the offering must be planned well in advance of the holyday, not while attending the actual holyday service!)

OFFERINGS can be in “kind,” i.e., something of value.  Today, it can be in cash.

Exod 35:4 (KJV) And Moses spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This [is] the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,

5 Take you from among you an OFFERING unto the LORD: whosoever [is] of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,

6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen (these were textiles for drapes), and goats’ [hair],

7 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,

8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,

9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.

LABOR is OFFERING:

10 And every wise hearted among you shall come, and MAKE all that the LORD had commanded;

11 The tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its taches, and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets, etc.

These are the “UNREQUIRED” offerings which God regards as “vain”, i.e., USELESS, without value to him:

1Kin 12:32 (KJV) And Jeroboam ordained a feast (of Tabernacles) in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast (of tabernacles) that [is] in Judah (which was, and still is, in the seventh month), and he OFFERED upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the CALVES that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made (from the lowest of the people, 1Kings 12:31).  33 So he OFFERED upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, [even] in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ORDAINED A FEAST UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: and he OFFERED upon the altar, and burnt incense.

God was angered by their “unrequired” offerings:

2Kin 17:20 (KJV) And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

21 …he rent (took away the House of) Israel from the House of David;…Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.

22 For the children of Israel walked in all the SINS OF JEROBOAM which he did; they departed not from them;

Isai 1:11 (KJV, the LORD rebuking the House of Israel long after Jeroboam was gone, but still observing unprescribed feast days) To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices unto me?…12 When you come to appear before me, who had REQUIRED this at your hand, to tread my courts (during holy convocation but on the wrong date)?

13 Bring no more VAIN OBLATIONS (oblations are OFFERINGS); incense (symbolic of prayers) is an abomination unto me;…14 YOUR  NEW MOONS (not God’s) and YOUR APPOINTED FEASTS (not God’s) my soul hates: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear [them].

Clearly, giving OFFERINGS, IF REQUIRED, is one way of honoring God who is our Father.  That is why we should not meddle with the task of Levites by re-computing God’s holydays because we might end up keeping them on the wrong dates.  Then our offerings will be “vain”.

Tithing is a PRESCRIBED way of honoring God.  Let’s review just the basics:

Deut 14:22 (KJV) You shall truly tithe ALL the INCREASE OF YOUR SEED, that the FIELD brings forth year by year.

The word “seed”, Heb zera, means offspring, both of plants and animals.  Farmers, small and corporate, INVEST money, time and efforts in the propagation of plants and animals. FARMING therefore IS A BUSINESS ACTIVITY.  Returns from investments of any kind are “INCREASE OF YOUR SEED”.

The word “field”, Heb sadeh, item 7704 in Strong’s, means “to SPREAD OUT”.  It encompasses everything, such as country, LAND, wild, ground, soil.  There are probably very few human activities, if any, that are not LAND-BASED or GROUND-BASED or EARTH-BASED.

The land or field or earth belongs to God and he has not given up his ownership to anybody.  Humans are only ADMINISTRATORS, not owners or even co-owners.

Levi 25:23 (KJV) The land shall not be sold for ever: for the LAND [is] MINE; for you [are] STRANGERS and SOJOURNERS (NOT CO-OWNERS) with me. 

Exod 19:5 (KJV) Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant (to be their God), then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for ALL the EARTH [is] mine:

We have heard such expressions as “BUSINESS FIELD” or “MEDICAL FIELD” or “RESEARCH FIELD”. The general term is “FIELDS OF ENDEAVOR”.  One’s FIELD therefore is his LINE OF WORK or MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD.  From these indications, all incomes derived from any FIELD OF WORK are subject to tithes.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS DEFRAY OPERATING COSTS OF HOME CHURCHES

In these times of prolonged lockdowns to contain infections, WCG brethren might opt to organize their own “home church” as stop-gap substitute for cancelled services.  In home churches, there are no salaried ministers to collect the tithes.  So, how do we apportion God’s money?  Since the church’s inception, tithes and offerings had been used to defray its OPERATING COSTS. They were used to pay for office rentals, salaries and travel expenses of personnel, provide assistance to indigents, defray cultural shows and even used for sports events. In home churches, we can certainly receive tithes and offerings from those with incomes to defray our basic OPERATING COSTS.  Our examples are the Jewish synagogues which sprung up after the Temple destruction.  Their history was written for OUR admonition.

We will discuss more details on tithing and offerings when we get to the STATUTES. 

<p class="<a href="https://www.w3schools.com">Visit W3Schools.com!NEXT:  PART 15 – Commandment No. 6

• The Covenants, Part 25: Miscellaneous Topics, Are you a stinking sacrifice?
• The Covenants, Part 24: Old and New Covenants Revisited
• The Covenants, Part 23: God’s Berith for Abraham, Accession by the Israelites – Provision No. 3 Continued
• The Covenants, Part 22: God’s Berith for Abraham, Accession by the Israelites – Provision No. 3 Continued
• The Covenants, Part 21: God’s Berith for Abraham, Accession by the Israelites – Provision No. 3 Continued

by Belo Alvaran

For a brief review of our past discussions, we have established that God was, and still is, pursuing his two-phased plan in Genesis 1:26:

Gene 1:26 (KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our IMAGE (Phase I), after our LIKENESS (Phase II):…

God has finished Phase I:

Gene 1:27 (KJV) So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

To kick start Phase II, God chose Abraham and his descendants as materials to launch his project of making men after his own likeness.

Winning the heart and soul of the three patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, went quite easy for God. After God dictated his terms, he found Abraham, aged 99, very compliant. His main proposition was:

Gene 17:1 (KJV) And when Abram was ninety years old and nine (99), the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before me, and be you perfect. …7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and you seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU, AND TO YOUR SEED AFTER YOU.

To Isaac, God simply introduced himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac followed the footsteps of his father.

Gene 26:17 (KJV) And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.…23 And (when the Philistines gave him troubles) he went up from thence to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I [am] the God of Abraham your father: fear not, for I [am] with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.

To Jacob, God introduced himself as the God of Abraham and of Isaac and Jacob accepted God as his God:

Gene 28:13 (KJV) And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I [am] the LORD God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed;

To Moses, God introduced himself as the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob:

Exod 3:6 (KJV) Moreover he said, I [am] the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

God appointed Moses to be his interlocutor to the Israelites:

…15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, had sent me unto you: THIS [IS] MY NAME FOR EVER, and this [is] my memorial unto all generations.

Here is the main feature of God’s offer:

Exod 6:7 (KJV) And I WILL TAKE YOU TO ME FOR A PEOPLE, and I WILL BE TO YOU A GOD: and you shall know that I [am] the LORD your God, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

God also instructed Moses to appoint Aaron and his sons as priests:

Numb 3:10 (KJV) And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office:…

However, God’s efforts to make himself known to the people hit some snags along the way. First, Moses failed in his task as interlocutor. Second, the Levitical priests misused their office for personal gain and caused people to turn away from God. Third, the Israelites looked to other gods (Judg 2:12). Consequently, God put his project ON HOLD.

Jere 11:9 (KJV) And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10 THEY ARE TURNED BACK TO THE INIQUITIES OF THEIR FOREFATHERS, which refused to hear my words; and they went after OTHER GODS to serve them: the HOUSE OF ISRAEL and the HOUSE OF JUDAH have broken MY COVENANT (to be their God, and they to be his people) which I made with their fathers.
11 Therefore thus said the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.

Hebr 8:8 (KJV) For finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come, said the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the HOUSE OF ISRAEL and with the HOUSE OF JUDAH (exclusively);
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; BECAUSE THEY CONTINUED NOT IN MY COVENANT (to be their God), and I regarded them not (as his people), said the Lord.

Today, modern Israelites have forgotten their God.

Jere 2:32 (KJV, the LORD speaking) Can a maid forget her ornaments, [or] a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

But God is not giving up. He has plans to make HIS NAME known to the entire House of Israel:

Ezek 36:22 (KJV) Therefore say unto the HOUSE OF ISRAEL, Thus said the Lord GOD; I do not [this] for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the heathen, whither you went.
23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which you have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, said the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified IN YOU (first) before their eyes.
24 For I WILL TAKE YOU FROM AMONG THE HEATHEN, AND GATHER YOU OUT OF ALL COUNTRIES, AND WILL BRING YOU INTO YOUR OWN LAND.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you (the word of God is water), and you shall be clean (God will need TEACHERS OF THE WORD to cleanse them): from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my SPIRIT within you, and cause you to walk in my STATUTES, and you shall keep my JUDGMENTS, and do [them].

The words of God are spirit:

John 6:63 (KJV, Jesus Christ speaking) It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are SPIRIT, and [they] are life. (This therefore is the spirit that God will pour – his words – to be taught by spirit teachers!)

28 And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and YOU SHALL BE MY PEOPLE, AND I WILL BE YOUR GOD.

In preparation for this SECOND ATTEMPT to be the God of the Israelites, God changed the priesthood from the Order of Aaron (composed of human priests) to the Order of Melchisedec (to be composed of spirit priests) and ordained his own son Jesus Christ as High Priest. Then he called select individuals to train in priesthood to assist Christ. As Mr. Armstrong had told us, the Church of God is a school for teachers who are priests.

Mala 2:7 (KJV) For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he [is] the messenger (Heb Malak, AMBASSADOR) of the LORD of hosts.

Apostles and ministers, the equivalent of priests, are God’s ambassadors:

2Cor 5:20 (KJV, Paul speaking) Now then WE (Paul and his fellow ministers) are AMBASSADORS for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ’s stead, be you reconciled to God.

And there is where we come in. We are among those individuals training in priesthood.

1Pet 2:9 (KJV, Peter speaking to Gentile converts) But you [are] a chosen generation, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth (declare, make known, introduce) the praises of him (God the Father) who had called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
10 Which in time past [were] not a people (of God), but [are] NOW THE PEOPLE OF GOD: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

We are royal-priests-to-be because our Father, who is God the Father, is King. We are even better than Prince William and Prince Harry who shall remain humans when Christ comes back.

Isai 32:1 (KJV) Behold, a KING shall reign in righteousness, and PRINCES shall rule in judgment.

Those PRINCES are us. And we shall be royal priests. Christ, our High Priest is coming soon and we don’t want to be caught unprepared. Now therefore is the time to be serious in our calling.

One of the main shortcomings of the Levitical priests was – they did not know God.

1Sam 2:12 (KJV) Now the sons of Eli [were] sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

The WCG under the tutelage of Mr. Armstrong gave us only a glimpse of what God’s government is like. Our task at hand therefore is to refine our knowledge about God so that we can be integrated smoothly into his Kingdom.

To begin with, there were three (3) main provisions in the covenant between God and the Israelites that we ought to be familiar with, namely: COMMANDMENTS, JUDGMENTS and STATUTES. They contain most of the words of God that man should live by.

Deut 6:1 (KJV) Now these [are] the COMMANDMENTS, the STATUTES, and the JUDGMENTS, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that you might do [them] in the land whither you go to possess it:
…3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do them; that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as the LORD God of you fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey.

Luke 4:4 (KJV) And Jesus answered the devil, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Therefore these COMMANDMENTS, STATUTES and JUDGMENTS are the guidelines that we must learn by heart today, because these are the same guidelines that WE WILL TEACH the Israelites when God resumes his project with them.

Let’s define some terms:

Section V. Definition of Terms:

• COMMANDMENTS: They are the Code of Conduct on how to become ROYAL PRIESTS, foremost of which were the Ten Commandments;
• JUDGMENTS: They are laws governing inter-personal relationships such as Parents and Children, Husbands and Wives, Neighbors and Neighbors, Enemies and Friends, Masters and Servants, etc.;
• STATUTES: also called Ordinances, refer to God’s Festivals, Health and Food Laws, Taxation, Personnel Appointments, etc.,

Note: the laws on animal sacrifices belonged to the Covenant of the Priesthood. We will discuss them in detail when we get to the topic of priesthood.

Let us now discuss the COMMANDMENTS to see HOW WE CAN TEACH THEM.

Section VI. THE COMMANDMENTS

EXODUS 20:1 (KJV) And God spoke all these WORDS, saying, 2 I [am] the LORD your God, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Note: The word “WORDS”, Heb dabar, means, inter alia, PROVISIONS.

COMMANDMENT NO. 1

Exod 20:3 YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.

In God’s Order of Precedence, he is number one. This command therefore is a RULE OF PROTOCOL. We are not allowed to place anyone or anything before God. This is consistent with the main proviso in the covenant to make God the God of the people.

Exod 6:7 (KJV) And I will take you to me for a people, and I WILL BE TO YOU A GOD: and YOU SHALL KNOW (i.e., they should exert efforts to get to know him) that I [am] the LORD your God, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Why were the Pharisees rejected by God as teachers? Because “they say (the commandments) and do them not. They did not know God:

Matt 23:1 (KJV) Then spoke Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you OBSERVE, [that] observe and do; but do not you after their works: for THEY SAY, AND DO NOT.

“Observe” means ATTEND TO carefully. To be teachers of God, we are required to “do first, and say later on”.

1Joh 2:4 (KJV, Christ speaking) He that says, I know him (God), and keeps not his commandments, is a LIAR, and the truth is not in him.

Liars will be meted with death:

Reve 21:8 (KJV) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all LIARS (those who say they know God and keep not his commandments), shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

We can see that knowing God is a difficult task. It entails keeping the commandments. So, how do we ensure that we are keeping the first commandment?

Deut 12:29 (KJV) When the LORD your God shall cut off the nations from before you, whither you go to possess them, and you succeed them, and dwell in their land; 30 Take heed to yourself that you are not snared by following them, after that they were destroyed from before you; and that YOU ENQUIRE NOT AFTER THEIR GODS, SAYING, HOW DID THESE NATIONS SERVE THEIR GODS? EVEN SO WILL I DO LIKEWISE.

Ancient Israelites enquired after other gods:

Numb 25:1 (KJV) And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they (the daughters of Moab) called the (Israelite) people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

Even priests can worship other gods as Eli the High Priest did:

1Sam 2:22 Now Eli (the Levitical High Priest) was very old, and heard all that his SONS (who were priests) did unto all Israel (they took from the people’s offerings more than what God prescribed, thus offending the people and turning their hearts away from God); AND how THEY LAY WITH THE WOMEN that assembled [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
…27 And there came a MAN OF GOD unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus said the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of your father (Aaron), when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?…29 Wherefore kick you at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded [in my] habitation; and HONOUR YOUR SONS ABOVE ME, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

By allowing his sons to commit sins, Eli made his sons his god:

Roma 6:16 (KJV) Know you not, that TO WHOM YOU YIELD YOURSELVES SERVANTS TO OBEY, his servants you are to whom you obey (i.e., no longer God’s servants); whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
…22 But now being made free from sin, and become SERVANTS TO GOD, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

1Sam 2:30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel said (to Eli), I said indeed [that] your house, and the HOUSE OF YOUR FATHER, should walk before me forever; but NOW, the LORD said, BE IT FAR FROM ME (God here revoked, or disannulled, the Covenant of the Priesthood under the Order of Aaron); for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

The LORD revoked his covenant of the priesthood for the Levites because of Eli’s sin. We cannot afford to make the same mistake that Eli did.

Acquiescing to our colleagues at work, or to our family members at home, or to anyone for that matter, even yielding to our own desires, to do anything forbidden by the LORD, has the same effect of honoring someone more than God. That is tantamount to “having other god” in violation of the first commandment.

Because it is so easy to have other gods, obedience to the first commandment is – difficult – but doable. We just need to be always on the alert to check our decisions and actions.

So, what else is forbidden by the LORD that we shall teach the Israelites?

COMMANDMENT NO. 2

Exod 20:4 You shall not make unto you any graven image, or any likeness [of anything] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth: 5 You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God [am] a JEALOUS God, visiting (punishing) the iniquity (lawlessness) of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me; 6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Comments taken from https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/exodus/20.htm

“Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children.—It is a fact that, under God’s natural government of the world, the iniquity of fathers is visited upon their children. Diseases caused by vicious courses are transmitted. The parents’ extravagance leaves their children beggars. To be the son of a felon is to be heavily handicapped in the race of life (because he is stigmatized).

Stigma: a mark made by a branding iron on the skin of a criminal or slave; a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one’s reputation.

“…We all inherit countless disadvantages on account of our first parents’ sin. We each individually inherit special tendencies to this or that form of evil from the misconduct of our several progenitors.

(And, according to God’s pronouncement above, it could take 3 or 4 generations to eradicate those evil tendencies)

“…Still, the penalty upon the children is not final or irreversible. Under whatever disadvantages they are born, they may struggle against them, and lead good lives, and place themselves, even in this world, on a level with those who were born under every favorable circumstance.

(Overcoming therefore is important. Those who follow their parents’ footsteps to sin will also be meted punishment.)

“…It is needless to say that, (if they overcome), their parents’ iniquities will not be visited on them. “Each man will bear his own burden (Gala 6:5).” The soul that sinned, it shall die. “The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ezek 18:20).” (End of quote)

Comments taken from https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/exodus/20.htm

Idols are not solely made of wood or stone. One can create an idol in his heart, i.e., in the mind:

Ezek 14:1 (KJV) Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 3 Son of man, these men have set up their IDOLS IN THEIR HEART (i.e., in their minds), and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity (lawlessness) before their face (by refusing to obey God): should I be enquired of at all by them? (Shall I attend to their inquiries?)…6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn [yourselves] from your idols (within their heart);…7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourns in Israel, which…PUTS THE STUMBLINGBLOCK OF HIS INIQUITY before his face, and comes to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself: 8 And I will set my face against that man…and I will CUT HIM OFF from the midst of my people… (these are the words of a jealous God!).

Stubbornness, a rebellious attitude that exists in the mind, is idolatry:

1Sam 15:23 (KJV) For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity (lawlessness) and idolatry.

Idolatry is among the works of the flesh, but it exists in the mind.

Gala 5:19 (KJV) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Covetousness is idolatry in the sense that one worships the things that he covets:

Colo 3:5 (KJV) Mortify (suppress) therefore your members (your habits and practices) which are upon the earth (earthly behavior); fornication, uncleanness, inordinate (unreasonable) affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

1Cor 10:14 (KJV) Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry (by not thinking about earthly things).

We need to cleanse our minds to get rid of idols:

Phil 4:8 (KJV) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, THINK ON THESE THINGS.
9 Those things, which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and SEEN IN ME, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Note that Paul taught by example. We are training to become teachers. Teachers “do” and “say”, not “say” and “do not”. We shall also teach by example.

Our study is getting difficult.

Remember the second commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” These gods exist in the mind, so let us cleanse our minds by suppressing evil thoughts and replacing them with good thoughts.

COMMANDMENT NO. 3

Exod 20:7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain.

How shall we teach this commandment? Well, we carry God’s name because God is our Father. Every time we sin, we take the name of God our Father in vain.

Gala 3:26 (KJV) For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Mala 2:2 (KJV) If you will not hear, and if you will not lay [it] to heart, TO GIVE GLORY UNTO MY NAME, said the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings:…

2Chr 7:14 (KJV) If my people, which are CALLED BY MY NAME, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The LORD is very protective of his name. He maintains a good reputation. His credibility is tied with his name.

Numb 14:11 (KJV, after the spies that Moses sent gave a false report) And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them?
12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of YOU (Moses) a greater nation and mightier than they.

Moses’ arguments focused on God’s NAME, his credibility:

13 And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear [it], (for you brought up this people in your might from among them;)
14 And they will tell [it] to the inhabitants of this land: [for] they have heard that you LORD [are] among this people, that you LORD are seen face to face, and [that] your cloud stands over them, and [that] you go before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 Now [if] you shall kill [all] this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,
16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore unto them, therefore he had slain them in the wilderness. (That would destroy God’s credibility and tarnish his name)
17 And now, I beseech you, let the power of my LORD be great, according as you have spoken, saying,
18 The LORD [is] longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation].
19 Pardon, I beseech you, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of your mercy, and as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to your word:

Isai 48:9 (KJV, the LORD speaking) For my NAME’S sake will I defer my anger, and for my praise (Heb tehillah, or modern spelling – tequila, renown, indicating credibility) will I refrain for you, that I cut you not off.

God’s name therefore, was the only reason the Israelites are still alive.

God reserves special blessing for those who fear his name:

Mala 4:2 (KJV) But unto you that fear my NAME shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and you shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do [this], said the LORD of hosts.

NEXT: Part 13 – Commandment No. 4

by Belo Alvaran

FOREWORD

The LORD was unknown to the Israelites, so he appointed Moses to be his interlocutor. His assignment was:

Exod 6:6 (KJV, the LORD speaking to Moses) Wherefore SAY UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, I [am] the LORD…

GOD WANTS HIMSELF TO BE KNOWN TO THE ISRAELITES

7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I WILL BE TO YOU A GOD: and YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I [AM] THE LORD YOUR GOD, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

The way he phrased verse 7, “You shall know that I am the LORD your God,” it sounded more of a command than a statement. In essence, he made it the people’s task to get to know him.

Getting to know someone, let alone God, is not easy, to say the least. Numerous dissertations have been posted on the web on how to go about it. Here is a quote from one of the more authoritative sources:

“Terri Orbuch, PhD, author of 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage from Good to Great, says “…if you really want to get to know someone beyond the surface level, you’ve got to dig deeper…Topics that get at the other person’s inner world—their THOUGHTS, GOALS and DREAMS—will strengthen and increase bonding between two people…Just like in a romantic relationship, sharing personal information strengthens the relationship—deeper questions focus on that personal self-disclosure.”(End of quote)

Source: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a22500573/questions-to-ask-to-get-to-know-someone

Note that knowing each other’s thoughts strengthens bonding between two people. Similarly, we should strive to know God’s thoughts if we want to get to know him.

God knows man’s thoughts, but does man know his thoughts? Do we in the Church of God know his thoughts?

Psal 94:11 (KJV) The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they [are] vanity.

God’s thoughts can be known through his written words. Here is his goal:

Isai 14:24 (KJV) The LORD of hosts had sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, [so] shall it stand:

Here is what he had thought about man:

Gene 1:26 (KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:..
The LORD has a complaint against his people and that is, they refuse to know him:
Jere 9:2 (KJV, the LORD expressing his frustrations) Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go (away) from them! …6 …THEY REFUSE TO KNOW ME, said the LORD.

But the LORD is not giving up. He is bound by his promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, which he made under oath, to make the Israelites his people and him their God. However, his initial interlocutors, the Levitical priests, proved incompetent:

Levi 10:8 (KJV) And the LORD spoke unto Aaron (the High Priest), saying, 9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, you, nor your sons (the priests) with you, when you go into the tabernacle of the congregation…11 And that you may TEACH THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL all the statutes which the LORD had spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

The Levitical priests, however, appointed on the spot and untrained, were unskillful in introducing the LORD to the people. They always had some failings along the way. It will take spirit priests, trained and disciplined, to bring the people close to God.

Isai 43:27 (KJV) Your first father (Adam) had sinned, and YOUR TEACHERS (the Levitical Priests) HAVE TRANSGRESSED AGAINST ME.

And there is where we, Christian converts, shall come in: God is training us to be teachers in his coming Kingdom:

Isai 30:20 (KJV, addressing the Israelites) And [though] the Lord gives you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not your TEACHERS be removed into a corner any more, but your eyes shall see your teachers: 21 And YOUR EARS SHALL HEAR A WORD BEHIND YOU (coming from spirit teachers who are priests), saying, This [is] the way, walk you in it, when you turn to the right hand (away from God), and when you turn to the left.

We are those spirit-priests-to-be. We were called, not to complement the Levites, but to replace them!

1Sam 2:35 (KJV, the LORD chastising Eli, the Levitical High Priest whose sons corrupted the priesthood) …I WILL RAISE ME UP A FAITHFUL PRIEST, [that] shall do according to [that] which [is] in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed FOREVER (this must be a spirit priest because he will live forever).

The LORD subsequently appointed Jesus Christ High Priest after the Order of Melchisedec, a spirit being:

Psal 110:4 (KJV) The LORD had sworn (this is a berith under oath), and will not repent (irrevocable), You [Jesus are] a priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek.

Hebr 7:21 (KJS) For those (Levitical) priests were made without an oath (meaning their employment was temporary); but this (priest, who was Jesus, was made) with an oath by (God the Father) that said unto him, The LORD swore and will not repent, You [are] a priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec (i.e., spirit priest).
22 By so much (i.e., on the strength of that appointment) was Jesus made a surety of a better testament (berith, also translated covenant, on priesthood).
23 And they truly were many (Levitical) priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death (either by natural cause or resulting from sin): 24 But this [man Jesus], because he continues (to live) ever, has an unchangeable priesthood.

We are the “body of Jesus Christ” hence we shall be spirit priests like him under the same Order. He is the High Priest, and we are the priests

1Cor 12:27 (KJV) Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Hebr 3:1 (KJV) Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and HIGH PRIEST of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Our profession is priesthood:

1Pet 2:9 (KJV) But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth (exhibit and teach) the praises (virtues) of him (God the Father) who had called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

Priests are teachers of God:

Mala 2:7 (KJV) For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he [is] the messenger (Heb. Malak, AMBASSADOR) of the LORD of hosts.

For this reason, we need to know the LORD our God so that we could re-introduce him to the Israelites.

For a start, let’s look at Isai 33:22:

Isai 33:22 (KJV) For the LORD [is] our JUDGE, the LORD [is] our LAWGIVER, the LORD [is] our KING; he will save us.

As our judge, we shall teach his judgments; as our lawgiver we shall teach his laws, both the letter and the intent, and the weightier matters such as judgment, mercy and faith; as our KING we shall teach his management principles and practices. God is a covenanting God, so we also need to know his negotiating techniques, the “art of the deal” in President Donald Trump’s lingo.

Here was an instance wherein God gave a sample of his negotiating techniques:

Exod 3:1 (KJV) Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, [even] to Horeb (a part of Mt. Sinai).
2 And the ANGEL (Heb Malak, AMBASSADOR) of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush [was] not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

From here we can see God in action: God speaks through a SPOKESMAN, an AMBASSADOR. Apostles are ambassadors.

Ephe 6:20 (KJV, Paul speaking about the gospel) For which (gospel) I am an AMBASSADOR in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

2Cor 5:20 (KJV) Now then we (Paul and his fellow ministers) are AMBASSADORS for Christ, as though GOD did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ’s stead, be you reconciled to God.

However, God’s Ambassador in Exod 3:2 was different in that he had “full powers” from God so that he was allowed to speak like he was God. He did that with the Israelites:

Exod 23:20 (KJV) Behold, I send an ANGEL (Heb Malak, AMBASSADOR) before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for MY NAME IS IN HIM.
22 But if you shall indeed obey HIS VOICE, and do all that I SPEAK; then I will be an enemy unto your enemies, and an adversary unto your adversaries.

Note further that this AMBASSADOR’s voice was God’s voice.

Exod 3:4 And when the LORD (i.e., the AMBASADOR) saw that (Moses) turned aside to see, GOD (i.e., the AMBASSADOR) called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here [am] I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place whereon you stand [is] holy ground.

Clearly, this was not an ordinary ANGEL. This was a person highly trusted by the LORD, his right hand man. This must be the one who made everything for God. This must be the SPOKESMAN who became the Son of God:

John 1:1 (KJV) In the beginning was the Word (Spokesman), and the Spokesman was with God, and THE SPOKESMAN WAS GOD. …3 ALL THINGS (including man and the covenants) WERE MADE BY THE SPOKESMAN…14 And the SPOKESMAN was made flesh, and dwelt among us (in the person of JESUS CHRIST) and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only BEGOTTEN of the Father, full of grace and truth (God’s word is truth – spoken by the Spokesman!).

Ephe 3:8 (KJV) Unto me (Paul), who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of CHRIST; 9 And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world had been hid in GOD WHO CREATED ALL THINGS BY JESUS CHRIST (clearly, the Spokesman was Jesus Christ!):

Let the LORD’s SPOKESMAN / AMBASSADOR continue in presenting to Moses God’s covenant (berith) with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob which was open to accession by the Israelites:

Exod 6:2 (KJV) And God (i.e., the SPOKESMAN) spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I [am] the LORD. 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] (or by the authority of) God Almighty 4 And I have also ratified my COVENANT with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

It was God’s decision to open his BERITH to accession by Abraham’s descendants:

Gene 17:7 (KJV, the LORD speaking to Abraham) And I will RATIFY my COVENANT between me and you AND (through ACCESSION) YOUR SEED AFTER YOU in their generations for an everlasting COVENANT, TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU, and to your SEED after you.

It will be recalled that God’s berith was under oath because it was executed with the ritual of passing between the pieces of slaughtered animals, Gene 15:17. The ritual was the ancient equivalent to the present-day practice of raising one’s right hand in executing an oath before a public notary or a judge.

The oath was “self-maledictory” in the sense that it implies “may I be slaughtered like this animals if I abide not by this COVENANT”.

Gene 15:17 (KJV) And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold (this was really happening, not in Abraham’s dream) a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp (a torch – representing the LORD) that passed between those pieces (of animals slaughtered by Abram). 18 In the same day the LORD made a COVENANT with Abram, saying, Unto your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

GOD “NOTARIZED” HIS OWN BERITH

After making his promises to Abraham under oath, God also “NOTARIZED” his own oath. An oath-taking ceremony consists of two parties: the one making the oath, and the one administering the oath, normally a person of authority. Since there was no one higher in authority than God, he had to administer his own oath, thus ratifying or “notarizing” the berith.

Here was the RATIFICATION, called jurat in sworn statements:

Gene 22:15 (KJV) And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham OUT OF HEAVEN the second time, 16 And said, (picture God raising his right hand) BY MYSELF HAVE I SWORN, said the LORD, for because you (Abraham) have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only [son]: 17 That (these were God’s promises to Abraham under oath and ratified) in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice.

Note: Because this “mother COVENANT” was executed under oath and ratified by God himself, the ACCESSION COVENANT by Abraham’s descendants need not be made under oath again, and need not be ratified again by God himself.

It is very evident that God, and his Spokesman who became Christ were, and still are actively pursuing the second half of their two-phased plan in Genesis 1:26, and that is, to create man after their likeness.

Gene 1:26 (KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our image (phase 1), after our likeness (phase 2):…

The Israelites, numbering some 3 million, were God’s materials.

Numb 1:45 (KJV) So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel; 46 Even all they that were numbered were SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND AND THREE THOUSAND AND FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY (603,550).

47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

Comments on their number: Bible commentators estimate that if all of the six hundred thousand (600,000) men of war had a wife, their number would double to one million, two hundred thousand (1,200,000). Assuming further that every couple had at least two children, that would yield an additional two million, four hundred thousand (2,400,000) persons. Hence, the adults and children could total 3 million more or less.

So God, through Moses, wanted to present to them His berith. With that mandate, Moses went on his way to free the Israelites from Egypt where they were in bondage.

Let’s rewind a little to Exod 6:2 where God introduced himself to Moses:

Exod 6:2 (KJV) And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I [am] the LORD. 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] (or by the authority of) God Almighty (this was obviously the Spokesman speaking for the reason that no man had seen God the Father nor heard his voice, John 5:37)

4 And I have also ratified my COVENANT with them (i.e., Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

GOD’S PROPOSITION TO THE ISRAELITES

6 Wherefore SAY unto the children of Israel, I [am] the LORD, and I WILL BRING YOU OUT FROM UNDER THE BURDENS OF THE EGYPTIANS, AND I WILL RID YOU OUT OF THEIR BONDAGE, AND I WILL REDEEM YOU WITH A STRETCHED OUT ARM, AND WITH GREAT JUDGMENTS:

Note the main feature of God’s berith for the Israelites which was LITERALLY the same thing he gave to Abraham:

7 And I WILL TAKE YOU TO ME FOR A PEOPLE, and I WILL BE TO YOU A GOD: and you shall know that I [am] the LORD your God, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

For comparison, let’s rewind some more to Gene 17:7 to see God’s original berith for Abraham:

Gene 17:7 (KJV, the LORD speaking to Abraham) And I will ratify my COVENANT between me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU, and to your seed after you.

Let’s go back to Exod 6 to see God’s OFFER to the Israelites:

Exod 6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to ABRAHAM, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I [am] the LORD.

GOD NEGOTIATES FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH

Note that God did not say, “Would you like me to take you for a people and you take me as your God?” Instead, God dictated his term in the form of a command, a decree. He was speaking from a “position of strength”.

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, so they were not free to make a decision on God’s offer.

9 And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened NOT unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel BONDAGE.

It was exactly for to free them that God sent Moses to get them out of Egypt.

PROPHETIC BACKGROUND

In the first place, the Israelites were in Egypt because God sent them there. God told Abraham about it long before Isaac was born.

Gene 15:12 (KJV) And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13 And he (God) said unto Abram, Know of a surety that your seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterwards shall they come out with great substance.

To grasp the significance of God’s action, we need to remember that God was looking for material human beings to be created ‘after His own LIKENESS’.

Gene 1:26 (KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our image (human), after our likeness (spirit):…

Isai 46:9 (KJV) …I [am] God, and [there is] none else; [I am] God, and [there is] none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, MY COUNSEL SHALL STAND, AND I WILL DO ALL MY PLEASURE:

So God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and brought them to Sinai where He presented to them his “Terms”.

To see the FINAL form of the Berith, let us give it a legal-sounding title and supply the sub-titles:

GOD’S BERITH FOR ABRAHAM
ACCESSION BY THE ISRALITES

Section I. State-of-the-Nation of the Israelites

Exod 19:1 (KJV) In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they [into] the wilderness of Sinai.
2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come [to] the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and [how] I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.

Section II. GOD’S OFFER (introduced by the pre-condition “IF”):

Exod 19:5 Now therefore, IF (first condition) you will OBEY MY VOICE indeed (note that obedience is pre-requisite befitting a superior being), and (second condition) keep my COVENANT (to be their God and them his people, Exod 6:6-7), THEN you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me ABOVE all people: for all the earth [is] mine:

Comments: If the Israelites were placed “above” all people, then all other people were ranked “below” them. This debunks the idea that all men are equal. God instituted a hierarchy because God’s government is hierarchical. This is not about race – this is about hierarchy.

The other reason all men are not equal is because there are people who are blessed, such as the Israelites; and there are people who are under curse, such as the Canaanites:

Gene 9:24 (KJV) And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his (i.e., Ham’s) younger son had done unto him (Noah – Canaan gave him a homosexual treatment). 25 And he said, Cursed [be] Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. 26 And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. {his servant: or, servant to them} 27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. {enlarge: or, persuade}

Let God continue with his offer to the Israelites.

Exod 19:6 And you shall be unto me a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, and a holy nation. These [are] the words which you (Moses) shall speak unto the children of Israel.

The word ‘kingdom’, Heb mamlakah, means ROYAL. God’s offer to the Israelites was ROYAL priesthood. This BERITH therefore was about ROYAL priesthood.

Clearly, if, and when, they shall have met God’s pre-conditions, then, and only then, will God make them priests and a holy nation.

It is the same offer God made to the Gentiles through the apostles:

1Pet 2:9 (KJV, Peter speaking to Gentile converts) But you [are] a chosen generation, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth (meaning teach) the virtues of him (God the Father) who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

It should be mentioned that the Levitical Priesthood under the Order of Aaron was NOT royal priesthood. We will discuss more of it later on.

Section III. ISRAELITES’ RESPONSE

Exod 19:7 And Moses came and called for the ELDERS of the people and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

This must have taken quite a while because the dissemination of information was limited to word-of-mouth. Note that Moses called only for the elders of the people. The elders most likely had to return to their respective constituents to relay the message for deliberations, and to come back to Moses to convey their response. Moses therefore had to meet every elder at least twice.

8 And all the people answered together (unanimously), and said, All that the LORD had spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

Note: the Israelites agreed to God’s offers THREE (3) TIMES and this was just the first.

AGREEMENT-IN-PRINCIPLE

In this study, we need to consider not just the letters of the law but also the principles involved every step of the way in God’s law-making process. We need to “know” God’s ways and his thoughts.

Prov 23:26 (KJV) My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes OBSERVE MY WAYS.

Psal 81:13 (KJV) Oh (I wish) that my people had hearkened unto me, [and] Israel had walked in MY WAYS!

Note also that the Israelites agreed to God’s BERITH even before the Ten Commandments were given. This was therefore an AGREEMENT-IN-PRINCIPLE in that it identified ONLY the fundamental terms that were agreed upon, namely, they were to obey God’s voice thus making obedience top priority; keep his COVENANT to be their God; and become ROYAL PRIESTS which was their main task once they have become God’s people. This means they should undergo training in priesthood. Their appointment as royal priests therefore was NOT IMMEDIATE.

One thing was very clear at that point in time: God and the people became contracting parties. They had “struck a deal” so-to-speak. This berith therefore was a COVENANT, not Testament, although in Hebrew, they are the same. Now we can call this berith a COVENANT. The book that Moses wrote was therefore accurately called the BOOK OF THE COVENANT in Exod 24:7.

Exod 24:7 (KJV) And he (Moses) took the BOOK OF THE COVENANT, and read in the audience of the people:…

Section IV. GENERAL PROVISIONS

This COVENANT had three (3) main provisions, namely: (1) COMMANDMENTS, (2) JUDGMENTS and (3) STATUTES. These are the “every word” that man should live by:

Deut 4:13 (KJV, Moses recalling the time God gave the Covenant) And he declared unto you his COVENANT, which he commanded you TO PERFORM, [even] TEN COMMANDMENTS (the 1st provision); and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
14 And the LORD commanded me at that time (at Mr. Sinai) to teach you STATUTES (the 2nd provision) and JUDGMENTS (the 3rd provision), that you might do them in the land whither you go over to possess it.

Levi 26:15 (KJV, the LORD’s warning) And if you shall despise my STATUTES, or if your soul abhor my JUDGMENTS, so that you will not do all my COMMANDMENTS, [but] that you break MY COVENANT (clearly the statutes, judgments and commandments were part of the covenant): 16 I also will do this unto you…(the penalties were then enumerated.)

Luke 4:4 (KJV) And Jesus answered him (the devil), saying, It is written, That MAN shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God (given in the commandments, judgments and statutes).

Section V. Definition of Terms:

• Commandments: Code of Conduct on how to become ROYAL PRIESTS, foremost of which were the Ten Commandments;
• Judgments: Laws governing inter-personal relationships such as Parents and Children, Husbands and Wives, Neighbors and Neighbors, Enemies and Friends, Masters and Servants, etc.;
• Statutes: also called Ordinances, such as Festivals, Health and Food Laws, Taxation (Tithing), Personnel Appointments, etc.,

NEXT – PART 12 – The first set of provisions, the Commandments

In studying the Commandments of God, let us not forget OUR assignment:

Mala 2:7 (KJV) For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the LAW at his mouth: for he [is] the messenger (Heb. Malak, AMBASSADOR) of the LORD of hosts.■

(Based on the writings of Moses)

-by Belo Alvaran

In our previous discussions, we have established that God gave twin sons to Abraham’s son Isaac and his wife Rebekah.  At the same time, in Gene 25:23, God made known to Rebekah a prophecy about the two boys and that was – the elder, who was Esau, shall serve the younger who was Jacob.  When the boys reached adulthood, Esau SOLD his birthright to Jacob, thus the prophecy began to be fulfilled.

Gene 25:23 And the LORD said unto Rebekah, (this was the LORD’s prophecy for the two boys) Two nations [are] in your womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from your bowels; and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and THE ELDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER.

…27 And the boys grew: and Esau (the elder) was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob (the younger) [was] a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28 And ISAAC LOVED ESAU, because he did eat of [his] venison: but REBEKAH LOVED JACOB.

29 And Jacob sod (boiled) pottage (he probably served as cook for the family every now and then being a tent dweller): and Esau came from the field, and he [was] faint:

Sod – an old English form of seethed; boiled

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray you, with that same RED [POTTAGE]; for I [am] faint: therefore was his name called Edom (meaning red).

Jacob’s offer:

31 And Jacob said, SELL ME THIS DAY YOUR BIRTHRIGHT.

Esau’s response:

32 And Esau said, Behold, I [AM] AT THE POINT TO DIE: AND WHAT PROFIT SHALL THIS BIRTHRIGHT DO TO ME?

Sale was under oath:

33 And Jacob said, SWEAR to me this day; and HE SWORE UNTO HIM: and he SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT unto Jacob.

Swear means make an oath.  Esau made an oath that he sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil soup.  A vow is recognized by God as irrevocable.  One of his laws says. 

Numb 30:2 (KJV) If a man vows a vow unto the LORD, or SWEARS an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceeded out of his mouth

Note that there was no deception involved – Jacob simply offered to buy Esau’s birthright and Esau agreed to sell it.  There were no complicated behind-the-scenes maneuverings by both sides.  It was a one-shot deal which was completely above board!

Gene 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: THUS ESAU DESPISED [HIS] BIRTHRIGHT. (He practically gave it away just like that!)

The LORD, who became the Father, did not like Esau’s behavior.

Mala 1:1 (KJV) The burden of the word of the LORD TO ISRAEL by Malachi. 2 I have loved you (ISRAEL), said the LORD. Yet you say, Wherein have you loved us? [Was] not ESAU Jacob’s brother? said the LORD: yet I LOVED JACOB, 3 And I HATED ESAU, …4…They (Esau’s children) shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them,…The people against whom the LORD has indignation FOREVER. 5…The LORD will be magnified (made known) from the border of Israel (not from the border of Esau).

Paul explained the Father’s position:

Hebr 12:9 (KJV) Furthermore we have had FATHERS of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the FATHER OF SPIRITS, and live?…16 Lest there [be] any…profane person, as ESAU, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For you know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Parallelism:  We are the Church of the Firstborn and entitled to the birthright blessing from God our Father.  But many of us have taken our calling lightly, thus in effect, selling our birthright.  There are many buyers around us looking for a bargain.

Reve 3:11 (KJV) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have (the birthright), that no man take your crown.

We are just giving you something to ponder.

On the strength of that sale, Jacob became legally the firstborn which entitled him to the blessing of Isaac his father.  Isaac, however, was not privy to God’s prophecy and chances were that he might have put his foot down on this ostensibly lopsided contract between his two sons.  Rebekah, seeing the LORD’s prophecy for the lads was being fulfilled, stepped in and advised Jacob to impersonate his twin brother so as to receive his father’s blessing.  Her plan went without a hitch – Isaac issued the blessing, albeit unwittingly, thus clinching the sale in Jacob’s favor.   

Let’s see Esau’s reaction in Gene 27:

Gene 27:41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand (Isaac was very old and about to die); then WILL I SLAY MY BROTHER JACOB.

42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to REBEKAH: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, your brother Esau, as touching you, does comfort himself, [purposing] to kill you.

Rebekah advised Jacob to go to Haran for a few days:

43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee you to Laban my brother to HARAN (in Syria); 44 And tarry with him A FEW DAYS until your brother’s fury turns away; 45 Until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets [that] which you have done to him: then I will send, and fetch you from thence: why should I be deprived also of you BOTH in one day?

Rebekah took the side of God

Note that Rebekah was sorry, but not repentant because she had nothing to repent of.  Lest misunderstood, Rebekah did not do Jacob any favor although it would appear to onlookers that she did.  From all indications, she took the side of God and abetted God’s prophecy for the two lads even to her own detriment.  Strong was her faith in God.

Jesus, and God his Father, want us to take their side:

Matt 10:37 (KJV, Jesus speaking) He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Luke 11:23 (KJV, Jesus speaking) He that is not with me is against me:…

JACOB GOES TO HARAN

Jacob stayed in Haran for not A FEW DAYS only but for 20 years, Gene 31:38.

Let’s follow Jacob on his way to Haran and see whether indeed God would bless him according to his newly acquired birthright:

Gene 28:10 (KJV) And Jacob went out from Beersheba (where his father Isaac lived, located in the southern part of the mini-State of Israel today), and went (northward) toward Haran (where Abraham originally came from in ancient Syria).

11 And he lighted upon a certain place (Luz, which he renamed Bethel), and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put [them for] his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. (He most likely took one large stone to lay his head on and used smaller ones for support to stabilize it.)

12 And he dreamed, and behold a LADDER set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

Section I.  GOD’S OFFER

Gen 28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I [am] the LORD GOD OF ABRAHAM your father, and the GOD OF ISAAC: the land whereon you lie, to you will I (future tense) give it, and to your seed;

Note that God had two references now – ABRAHAM and ISAAC.  Let’s see if Jacob would also accept him as his God and become his third reference.  Let God continue:

14 And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the WEST, and to the EAST, and to the NORTH, and to the SOUTH: and in you and in your SEED shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 

Section II.  ACTS TO BE PERFORMED BY GOD

Gen 28:15 And, behold, I [am] WITH YOU, and WILL KEEP YOU IN ALL [PLACES] WHITHER YOU GO, and will BRING YOU AGAIN INTO THIS LAND (Luz, which Jacob renamed Bethel); for I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU, until I have done [that] which I have spoken to you of. (We shall see that Jacob returned to Bethel later on at God’s instruction)

16 And Jacob awoke out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew [it] not.

…19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city [was called] Luz at the first.

Section III.  JACOB PROPOSES AMENDMENTS TO GOD’S OFFER

20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, (repeating God’s terms) IF God will be WITH ME, and will KEEP me in this way that I go, and (Jacob’s added terms) (1) will give me bread to eat, and (2) raiment to put on, 21 So that (as part of God’s offer) I come again to my father’s house in peace;…

Section IV.  ACTS TO BE PERFORMED BY JACOB

…THEN SHALL THE LORD BE MY GOD.

In short, Jacob negotiated two added items with God.  God’s silence was, from all indications, acquiescence because when he introduced himself to Moses and to the Israelites, Jacob’s name was added among his references:

Exod 3:6 (KJV, God introducing himself to Moses and later on to the Israelites) Moreover he said, I [am] the God of your father, the GOD OF ABRAHAM, the GOD OF ISAAC, AND the GOD OF JACOB…

In conclusion, clearly, GOD BECAME THE GOD OF JACOB!  God said so!

UPDATES

Item I.  GOD FULFILLS HIS COMMITMENTS TO JACOB UNDER THEIR COVENANT:

To summarize God’s blessings to Jacob, God gave him two wives and two concubines, eleven children (Benjamin was not yet born at that time, Gene 32:22) and thousands of livestock.  In short, he became a rich man. 

However, when Laban his father-in-law saw that Jacob was being blessed by God, he stopped being kind to him until one day, God instructed him in a dream to return to the land where he came from, Gene 31:13.  God was now fulfilling the terms of their berith. Jacob and his wives decided to leave without farewells and return to Beersheba.  Laban pursued them and caught up with them at Mizpa, but God warned Laban in a dream not to harm Jacob, hence Laban was constrained to make peace with his son-in-law.

Here we can see again that God was keeping His part of the COVENANT with Jacob.  Let’s follow the story in Gene.32 to see God in action.

ANGELS OF GOD MEET JACOB

Gene 32:1 (KJV) And Jacob went on his way (from Mizpah where he had just met with Laban), and THE ANGELS OF GOD MET HIM.

2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This [is] God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. {Mahanaim: that is, Two Hosts, or, camps – i.e., God’s camp and Jacob’s camp)}

We can see that God was WITH Jacob, and, most important, God was KEEPING him in the way as God promised under their COVENANT.  In short, God was fulfilling His part in their COVENANT.

JACOB’S JOURNEY HOME

To appreciate Jacob’s situation, Jacob was traveling along the Jordan River apparently for continued water supply for his livestock. 

After twenty years of hiding from Esau (Gene 31:38), Jacob was to pass through Esau’s territory.  The Bible didn’t say whether Esau was still angry with him.

Gene 32:3 And Jacob sent MESSENGERS before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you speak unto my lord Esau; Your servant Jacob said thus, I have sojourned with Laban (their uncle), and stayed there until now: 5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace (mercy or forgiveness) in your sight.

6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother Esau, and also he comes to meet you, and FOUR HUNDRED MEN with him.

7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that [was] with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; 8 And said, If Esau comes to the one company, and smites it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

Item II.  JACOB CALLS ON GOD

Gene.32:9 And Jacob said (in prayer), O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which said unto me, Return unto your country, and to your kindred, and I will deal well with you:

10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which you have showed unto your servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands (Leah and Rachel; the other women were bondmaids who belonged to their respective mistress). 

11 Deliver me, I pray you, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, [and] the mother with the children. 

Jacob invokes God’s promise in the covenant:

12 And you said, I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

Item III.  Jacob took a part of God’s material blessings to him as PEACE OFFERINGS to Esau. 

Gene.32:13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a PRESENT for Esau his brother;

14 TWO HUNDRED she goats, and TWENTY HE GOATS, Two Hundred ewes, and TWENTY RAMS,

15 THIRTY milch (female) camels with their colts, FORTY kine (female cows), and TEN BULLS, TWENTY SHE ASSES, and TEN FOALS.

16 And he delivered [them] into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space between drove and drove.

17 And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meets you, and asks you, saying, Whose [are] you? and whither go you? and whose [are] these before you?

18 Then you shall say, [They are] your servant Jacob’s; it [is] a PRESENT sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he [is] behind us.

19 And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall you speak unto Esau, when you find him.

20 And say you moreover, Behold, your servant Jacob [is] behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the PRESENT that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. 

21 So went the PRESENT over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. 

Item IV.  OVERCOMING – GOD’S REQUIREMENT FOR JACOB

Since Jacob added his own terms to the COVENANT, God also added something to it.  In political and diplomatic terms, this is called Quid Pro Quo or QPQ (i.e., give or take in return for something).   

Gene.32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.  25 And when the man saw that he prevailed not against Jacob, the man touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26 And the man said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And Jacob said, I will not let you go, except you bless me.  27 And the man said unto Jacob, What [is] your name? And he said, Jacob.

Item V.  THE LORD CHANGES JACOB’S NAME TO ISRAEL

28 And the man said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but ISRAEL: for as a PRINCE have you power with God and with men, and have prevailed. {Israel: that is, A prince of God}

Note that ISRAEL means “PRINCE”.  The word “Israelites” therefore means “princes”. 

As an aside, some Gentiles were grafted into the Israelite olive tree, Roma 11:13.  Therefore those Gentiles are now counted among “princes”:

Roma 11:13 (KJV, Paul speaking) For I speak to you GENTILES, inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation [them (Israelites) which are] my flesh, and might save some of them…16 For if the firstfruit (who is Christ) [be] holy, the lump (the rest of the Israelites) [is] also [holy]: and if the root (Abraham) [be] holy, so [are] the branches (the different tribes of Israel). 17 And if SOME of the branches be broken off (the lost tribes), and you (Gentiles), being a wild olive tree, were grafted in their stead, (which makes them also holy), and with them partake of the root and fatness (God’s blessings) of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches…

Item V.  GOD SOFTENS ESAU’S HEART:

Prov 16:7 (KJV) When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies (plural) to be at peace with him.

This is one principle that we need to know.  If we have many enemies, more likely than not, our ways don’t please God. Having one or two enemies may be normal, but having many is abnormal living.

Gene 33:1 (KJV) And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. 2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah (the bride) and her children after, and Rachel (his favorite) and Joseph hindermost.

3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven (7) times, until he came near to his brother. 4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and THEY WEPT. (Obviously, Esau was no longer angry with Jacob)

5 And Esau lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who [are] those with you? And Jacob said, The children which God had graciously given your servant. 

6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. 7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

8 And Esau said, What [mean] you by all those droves which I met? And Jacob said, [Those are] to find grace in the sight of my lord.  9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that you have unto yourself.

Item VI.  JACOB RECOGNIZES GOD’S INTERVENTION IN HIS AFFAIRS

10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray you, if now I have found grace in your sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen your face, as though I have seen the face of God, and YOU WERE PLEASED WITH ME. 11 Take, I pray you, my blessing that is brought to you; because GOD HAD DEALT GRACIOUSLY WITH ME, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and Esau took [it]. 

Thus, Jacob’s presents, which were God’s blessings to him, redeemed him from possible, just possible, death at the hand of his brother. His gifts came from God. God, in effect, paid for Jacob’s life. 

Item VII.  GOD BECOMES THE GOD OF JACOB

Moses confirmed that in Deut 32.

Deut 32:8 (KJV) When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. (These people were His chosen materials to reproduce Himself.)  9 For the LORD’S portion [is] his people; JACOB [is] the lot (cord) of his inheritance.

The word ‘lot,’ means cord in Hebrew. Jacob was the cord, the binding rope or limit of God’s inheritance. God was to start among Jacob’s descendants His purpose in Gen. 1:26 to create man after His own likeness.

Jacob becomes the apple of the LORD’s eye

10 He (the LORD) found Jacob in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. 

We should remember this important term: apple of His eye. Jacob was the apple of God’s eye.  We shall see later on that we are also the apple of His eye.

11 As an eagle stirs up her nest, flutters over her young, spreads abroad her wings, takes them, bears them on her wings: 12 [So] the LORD alone did lead him, (in short, God was WITH him, in accordance with their COVENANT) and [THERE WAS] NO STRANGE GOD WITH HIM. 

God blessed Jacob according to the COVENANT

13  He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; 14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan (must be a good breed), and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat (oats?) and he (Jacob) did drink the pure blood (wine) of the grape.

One of God’s original offers to Jacob was to bring him back to Bethel.  God fulfilled it.

Gen 28:15 (Jacob was in Bethel) And, behold, I [am] WITH YOU, and WILL KEEP YOU IN ALL [PLACES] WHITHER YOU GO, and will BRING YOU AGAIN INTO THIS LAND (Bethel); for I will not leave you, until I have done [that] which I have spoken to you of.

Gene 35:1 (KJV) And (after Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi killed the men of Shechem after Shechem, the crown prince, raped their sister Dinah) God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to BETHEL, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God that appeared unto you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.

2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that [were] with him, PUT AWAY THE STRANGE GODS THAT [ARE] AMONG YOU, and be clean, and change your garments:

This Jacob’s action made it clear that God was indeed his God:

3 And let us arise, and go up to BETHEL; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was WITH ME in the way which I went.

4 And they gave unto Jacob ALL THE STRANGE GODS WHICH [WERE] IN THEIR HAND, and [all their] earrings which [were] in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the OAK which [was] by Shechem. 5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that [were] round about them (who were probably sympathetic with the men of Shechem), and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

SUMMARY: God abides by His berith for Abraham and confirmed it to Isaac and Jacob. God is a faithful God. 

Deut 7:9 (KJV) Know therefore that the LORD your God, he [is] God, the faithful God, who keeps berith (COVENANT, to be their God) and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

By virtue of His Berith for Abraham, God was duty-bound to give the lands He promised to Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites. 

Next: Chapter 11: God opens his berith to accession by the Israelites.  The reader might entertain a question:  Did the Israelites accept God as their God?  Prepare to be surprised!

(Based on the writings of Moses)

-by Belo Alvaran

FOREWORD

As mentioned in Gene 17:7, God’s berith for Abraham was open to ACCESSION by his descendants.  In law, ACCESSION means formal acceptance of a convention or treaty.  Here is the pertinent provision in God’s berith:

Gene 17:7 (The LORD speaking to Abraham) And I will RATIFY my berith between me and you and (through accession) YOUR SEED AFTER YOU (i.e., if they decided to accept God’s terms) in their generations for an EVERLASTING berit)…

This is the main proviso of God’s berith for Abraham

…7…TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU AND TO YOUR SEED AFTER YOU.

For a review of our previous discussions, we have established that this proviso – to be a God unto you – was the main focus, the central idea, of God’s berith for Abraham and his seed.  After Abraham acceded to it, God introduced himself to Isaac as the God of Abraham. 

Let’s fast forward to Genesis 17:24:

Gene 17:24 And (after Isaac had dug several wells in Gerar) the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I [AM] THE GOD OF ABRAHAM your father: fear not, for I [am] with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.

Let’s fast forward to chapter 26 to see Isaac’s response to God’s overture:

ACCESSION BY ISAAC

Gene 26:1 (KJV) And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And ISAAC went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell you of:

Section I.  ACTS TO BE PERFORMED BY ISAAC:

3 Sojourn in this land (Gerar),

Section II.  ACTS TO BE PERFORMED BY GOD:

and I will be with you, and will bless you; for unto you, and unto your seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham your father;

4 And I will make your seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto your seed all these countries; and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Section III.  ISAAC’S RESPONSE

6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar…

Note that Isaac simply fulfilled the OBEDIENCE requirement after God told him to stay in Gerar, thus, by his action, HE ACCEPTED GOD AS HIS GOD.  In this case, action speaks better than words.  His acceptance may be “implied” but discernibly affirmative.

There is nothing much to discuss in this berith except that Isaac acceded to God’s berith for Abraham and accepted God as his God.   

By now we should be getting familiar with God’s covenant or berith for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,and that is, TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU.  This was also God’s berith for all of us under the new dispensation:

Hebr 11:6 (KJV) …[H]e that comes to God must believe that God is God,and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Believing presupposes acceptance.  God wants to know if we accept him as our God.  This is important with God since people can make a god out of anything, even their own belly.

Jame 2:23 (KJV) And the scripture was fulfilled which said, ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Phil 3:18 (KJV, Paul speaking) (For many walk, of whom I have told you…that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end [is] destruction, whose GOD [IS THEIR] BELLY, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

We will discuss in detail later on what God requires of us.

NEXT: Chapter 10: Accession by Jacob

-by Belo Alvaran

Before ratifying his berith, God subjected Abraham to a series of what maybe called aptitude tests.

Section I.   GOD PUTS ABRAHAM TO MULTIPLE TESTS

Gene 22:1 (KJV) And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt (put to the test for good reason) Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, [here] I [am]. 2 And the LORD said to Abraham, Take now your son, your only [son] Isaac, whom you love, and get you into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you of.

Jame 1:13 (KJV) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man (i.e., with evil intent):

Comments: God as King has the prerogative to impose terms and conditions he deems necessary on his creation like Abraham in pursuit of his Plan, to create man after his own likeness mentioned in Gene 1:26. God gave Abraham several tests to determine whether Abraham was fit to be made spirit enjoying eternal life and wielding tremendous power like God. It would also determine whether he would make a good father to a multitude of nations as God said earlier in chapter 17:

Gene 17:5 (KJV) Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made you 6 And I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you.

Even today, tests and assessments are tools employed by psychologists to determine a person’s aptitude.  Here is a quote from a psychologist’s website:

Tests and Assessments

Source: https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/assessment

Tests and Assessments are two separate but related components of a PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION…TO DETERMINE IF A PERSON WOULD BE A GOOD MANAGER OR HOW WELL THEY MAY WORK WITH A TEAM…

Together, testing and assessment allows a psychologist to see the full picture of a person’s STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS.

It may not be common knowledge, but God subjected Abraham to a BATTERY OF TESTS.  Here they are, taken from the Jewish website

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1324268/jewish/What-Were-Abrahams-10-Tests.htm:

Summary of Abraham’s ten (10) TESTS OF OBEDIENCE:

1. God told him to leave his homeland to be a stranger in the land of Canaan.

Gene 12:1 (KJV) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, unto a land that I will show you:

Note that Abraham obeyed God without question; neither did he make any statement of doubt or resistance.  By bringing his wife, nephew and servants and all their belongings all at once, he showed no intention to return (animus revertendi is the legal term), which if he did, would be a sign of resistance.  His decision to relocate his entire household was therefore final and without reservations.

Gene 12:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five (75) years old when he departed out of Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. 6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land…9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. 

1.  Immediately upon his arrival in Canaan, he encountered a famine.

Gene 12:10 And there was a famine in the land (of Canaan): and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine [was] grievous in the land.

Note that Abraham did not say a word of remorse or resentment towards God for bringing them there whereas their previous residence was probably, just probably, abundant and a more comfortable place to live in.

By comparison, the Israelites MURMURED AGAINST MOSES and against God when they faced difficulties during their journey to the Promised Land. 

“Murmur” means to grumble in low tones, TO CONFER SECRETLY TOGETHER.  It is a form of criticism, and rebellion.  They wanted to return to Egypt:

Numb 11:5 (KJV) We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:

God also gave the Israelites TEN TESTS, and they failed all of them:

Numb 14:22 (KJV) Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these TEN (10) TIMES, and HAVE NOT HEARKENED TO MY VOICE; 23 Surely THEY SHALL NOT SEE THE LAND which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall ANY OF THEM THAT PROVOKED me see it:

Those Israelites who murmured died in the wilderness. 

Numb 14:35 (KJV) I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together (or murmured) against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

Parallelism: Those who criticized God’s servants have in effect murmured against God.  Paul made it clear to his Gentile converts that those who would MURMUR against God and his servants shall be destroyed:

1Cor 10:10 (KJV) Neither murmur (confer secretly together) you (to criticize God’s servants), as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (as lessons to learn from): and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Let’s continue with God’s tests for Abraham.  Abraham avoided the famine by moving to Egypt.  In short, he had to relocate his family again to avoid the famine. 

But there in Egypt, God’s tests would continue.  Most of us have gone through this kind of fiery trial one way or another:

1Pet 4:12 (KJV) Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1Cor 10:13 (KJV) There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Let’s continue with Abram’s tests:

1. The Egyptians seized his beautiful wife Sarai and brought her to the Pharaoh.

Gene 12:14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman (Sarai) that she [was] very fair. 15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman WAS TAKEN into Pharaoh’s house. …

But God intervened! 

Gene 12:17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What [is] this [that] you have done unto me? Why did you not tell me that she [was] your wife?…now therefore behold your wife, take [her], and go your way…20 And Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

Note that Abraham did not blame God nor say any indignant words for what happened to his wife, not even a minor complaint.

1. Abraham was constrained to fight a war to rescue his nephew Lot who was captured by invaders. 

Gene 14:1 (KJV) And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations (four kings in all);

2 [That these four kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar (five kings in all).

…11 And (the invading four kings) took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 12 And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these (three men) [were] CONFEDERATE (allies) with Abram. 14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained [servants], born in his own house, THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN, and pursued [them] unto Dan. 15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which [is] on the left hand of Damascus. 16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

Probably to give Abraham some encouragements, God’s representative was there to greet him:

…18 And Melchizedek King of Salem (i.e., King of Righteousness, not a literal king) brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the PRIEST of the MOST HIGH GOD.

19 And he blessed him (indicating Abram was passing the tests so far!), and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth (This was equivalent to saying “CONGRATULATIONS!”)

• God delayed giving Abraham a son through Sarai

Abraham was already a senior citizen at this time.  Note that Abraham did not exhibit any resentment or anger toward God for not giving him children through Sarai.  But he conveyed to God his sentiment in a RESPECTFUL manner:

Gene 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said (further), Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, lo, one BORN IN MY HOUSE is my heir. 4 And, behold, the word of the LORD [came] unto him, saying, This (Eliezer of Damascus) shall not be your heir; but he that shall come forth out of your own bowels shall be your heir.

Gene 18:14 (KJV) Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Note that Abraham did not complain on the delay of God’s promised heir considering his age.  It was Sarai, Abraham’s wife, who took matters into her own hands:

Gene 16:1 (KJV) Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name [was] Hagar.

2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD had restrained me from bearing: I pray you, GO IN unto my maid; IT MAY BE THAT I MAY OBTAIN CHILDREN BY HER. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 

3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt TEN (10) YEARS in the land of Canaan (he was 75 when he left Haran), and gave her to her husband Abram to be his WIFE.

As a result, Abraham had children of the flesh:

…15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, ISHMAEL. 16 And Abram [was] FOURSCORE AND SIX (86) YEARS OLD, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

Roma 9:8 (KJV)…They which are the CHILDREN OF THE FLESH (from Ishmael), these [are] NOT the children of God: but the CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE (from Isaac) are counted for the seed. 9 For this [is] the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

Sixteen (16) years later, God’s tests for Abraham would continue:

• God told Abraham to circumcise himself at an advanced age.

Gene 17:1 (KJV) And when Abram was NINETY YEARS OLD AND NINE (99), the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before me, and be you perfect. {perfect: or, upright, or, sincere} 2 And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly…

God finally amends his covenant for Abraham:

4 As for me, behold, MY COVENANT [is] already with you, and (this is an amendment) you shall be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made you. {Abraham: that is, Father of a great multitude} 6 And I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you.

Covenant to be ratified:

7 And I WILL (future tense) ratify my covenant between me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant,

This is the Main Proviso in the covenant:

TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU, AND TO YOUR SEED AFTER YOU.

8 And I will give unto you, and to your seed after you, the land wherein you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I WILL BE THEIR GOD.

9 And God said unto Abraham, You shall keep my covenant therefore (to be a God unto you and circumcision as token), you, and your seed after you in their generations.

For those who missed our previous discussion, we have established that this proviso – to be a God unto you – was present in all of God’s beriths for Isaac, Jacob and the Israelites. 

Let’s continue with God’s tests for Abraham. 

God required a token that Abraham and his descendants have indeed accepted God as their God: 

Gene 17:10 This [is] my covenant (another amendment to an existing one), which you (Abraham) shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you; Every man child among you shall be CIRCUMCISED. 11 And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin (at age 99!); and it shall be a TOKEN of the covenant between me and you.

A token is simply a sign or proof that God has an existing covenant with Abraham and that Abraham acceded to it.

Note that Abraham did not object for health reason or anything.  He went through with circumcision.  God’s tests would continue:

• The King of Gerar captured Sarah, intending to take her for himself

Gene 20:1 (KJV) And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar (in the Negev near today’s Palestinian territories in Gaza). 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She [is] my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

This was a repeat of what the Pharaoh did.  Abram was powerless to save his wife.  So God also repeated his intervention. 

Note that Abraham did not say any word against God or even to Abimelech. 

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, you [are but] a DEAD MAN for the woman which you have taken; for she [is] a man’s wife.

…7 Now therefore restore the man [his] wife; for he [is] a prophet, and he shall pray for you, and you shall live: and if you restore [her] not, know you that YOU SHALL SURELY DIE, you, and all that [are] yours.

• God told Abraham to send Hagar away after having a child with her.

Gene 21:1 (KJV) And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

…9 And Sarah saw (Ishmael) the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, MOCKING. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [even] with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very GRIEVOUS in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

12 And GOD SAID UNTO ABRAHAM, LET IT NOT BE GRIEVOUS IN YOUR SIGHT BECAUSE OF THE LAD, and because of your bondwoman; in all that Sarah had said unto you, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall your seed be called. 13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he [is] your seed.

Note that Abraham did not resist God’s decision.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave [it] unto Hagar, putting [it] on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed…

ix.   His son, Ishmael, grew up estranged from him

Gene 25:12 (KJV) Now these [are] the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham: 13 And these [are] the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah (twelve in all):…18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that [is] before EGYPT (away from Abraham), as you go toward Assyria:…

Note that Abraham did not express any ill will against God for keeping his grandchildren away from him.

We need to discuss at length Abraham’s TEST NUMBER TEN, which was the most difficult of all.

Section II.  ABRAHAM’S 10^th TEST

x.   God told him to sacrifice his dear son Isaac upon an altar.

Gene 22:1 (KJV) And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt (put to the test for good reason) Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, [here] I [am].

2 And he said, Take now your son, your only [son] Isaac, whom you love, and get you into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you of.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

…9 …and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here [am] I.

12 And he said, Lay not your hand upon the lad, neither do you anything unto him: for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only [son] from me. (In short, Abraham passed the last and most severe test of obedience!) 

To summarize, Abraham passed all the ten (10) tests that God made him go through.  It is worth noting that, while under difficulties, he never murmured nor said anything against God his creator. 

Section III.  GOD RATIFIES HIS BERITH

In most sworn statements, there is a short paragraph, called jurat, indicating before whom the oath-taker had sworn to, which is normally a public notary, or a judge so that in an oath-taking ceremony, there are two parties present:  the one executing the oath and the one administering the oath, a person in authority.  The one executing the ‘oath’ has to raise his right hand and swear before a higher authority, or before a judge, as every US President does during his inauguration.

As the HIGHEST AUTHORITY, God has no higher authority to swear by, so He had to swear by Himself.  In short, God “notarized” or “RATIFIED” His own berith.  This act of God rendered His berith legal and binding.

… Gene 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

Here was the OATH OF GOD, “SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO” BY HIMSELF and BEFORE HIMSELF.Remember this fact: God’s berith for Abraham was under oath! God had sworn by Himself!

Abraham did not see God executing the oath, but God sent an angel to tell Abraham that he did it.  The oath-taking ceremony was done in heaven by God the Father himself:

16 And (the angel) said (to Abraham), BY MYSELF HAVE I SWORN, said the LORD, for because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only [son]: 17 That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in your seed (who was to be Jesus Christ) shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; BECAUSE YOU HAVE OBEYED MY VOICE (indicating Abraham had accepted God as his God).

There it is.  God’s berith for Abraham, and for his descendants who would access it later, was RATIFIED as God said in Gene 17:7:

Gene 17:7 (KJV) And I will ratify my covenant between me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU, and (thru accession) to your seed after you.

This ratification act of God is a decree in itself and, since its subject was his covenant with Abraham, then his covenant for Abraham became part of the decree.  Henceforth, God could say “my covenant” by which he meant my decree!

RATIFICATION ONLY ONCE

Another point:  Since God’s berith for Abraham now serves as the “mother law” after ratification, there is no need for God to ratify again and again the same covenant every time someone of Abraham’s seed would access it later on.

MODERN-DAY APPLICATION OF GOD’S BERITH

THE AMERICAN SLAVES

Are there black people in the physical household of Abraham? Most blacks of old were bought INDIVIDUALLY (similar to retail trade) by the Americans from slave traders.  They became their household members and therefore covered by God’s berith for Abraham.  Here is the pertinent provision:

Gene 17:12 (KJV) And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or BOUGHT WITH MONEY OF ANY STRANGER, which [is] not of your seed. 13 He that is born in your house, and he that is bought with your money, must needs be circumcised: and (the token of) my COVENANT shall be in your flesh for an everlasting COVENANT.

Egypt is in Africa, and most of Africa was once under the Egyptian Empire.  For this reason, Africans are technically Egyptians, just as the Apostle Paul was technically a Roman because his birth place in Turkey was then under the Roman Empire.  The Africans who were imported into the United States and sold as slaves by human traffickers were therefore technically Egyptians. Consequently, because the Americans are God’s people, God had to also call the Egyptians “my people” in accordance to his berith.

Isai 19:24 (KJV) In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, [even] (Israel shall be) a blessing in the midst of the land: 25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed [be] Egypt MY PEOPLE, and (blessed be) Assyria the work of my hands, and (blessed be) Israel MY INHERITANCE.

FILIPINOS PURCHASED WHOLESALE

Question:  Are Filipinos covered by God’s berith for Abraham?  Answer: Yes. Filipinos were BOUGHT with money by Israelite US leaders in 1898 when the US government decided to purchase the ENTIRE Philippines from Spain for US$20 Million under the so-called Treaty of Paris. 

The Filipinos were therefore a purchased people of Abraham’s descendants and, as such, are part of the physical household of Abraham.  It is just right that their males are circumcised. 

ABRAHAM BECAME A FRIEND OF GOD

Gene 26:5 (KJV, God speaking to Isaac) …Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Isai 41:8 (KJV, the LORD speaking) But you, Israel, [are] my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of ABRAHAM MY FRIEND.

Next: CHAPTER 9 – Accession to God’s berith by Isaac and Jacob

-by Belo Alvaran

FOREWORD

Very briefly, the Protocol to the Berith of God prescribes that Abraham and all the males in his immediate household down to his descendants, and all persons who were bought with their money, should be circumcised. 

To reiterate, an amendment to a law is a law in itself, but it becomes part of the law that it amended.  This Protocol therefore is a part of God’s initial berith for Abram. 

Section I. CIRCUMCISION AS TOKEN OF ABRAHAM’S ACCEPTANCE OF GOD’S BERITH

Gene 17:9 And God said unto Abraham, You shall keep my berith therefore, you, and your seed after you in their generations.

10 This [is] my berith (this is an amendment to the original berith; God calls it a berith because only another berith can amend a berith) which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you; EVERY MAN CHILD AMONG YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED.

11 And you (Abraham) shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a TOKEN of the COVENANT (berith) between me and you.

The word TOKEN means proof of existence.

Note that in verse 9, God dictated the terms in the form of a commandment similar to the Ten Commandments:  “9 You shall keep my berith therefore…” This is a command.  David recognized it as such:

Psal 105:7 (KJV) He [is] the LORD our God: his judgments [are] in all the earth. 8 He keeps in remembrance his berith forever, the word [which] he COMMANDED to a thousand generations. 9 Which [berith] he made for Abraham, …

Since there were no negotiations, then this berith was a DECREE.  A decree of God is a law in itself.

Section II.  COVERAGE OF BERITH ON CIRCUMCISION

Gene 17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house,

Section III.  ACCESSION CLAUSE

or (he that is) bought with money of any stranger (Gentile), which [is] NOT OF YOUR SEED. 

13 He that is born in your house, and he that is BOUGHT with your (i.e., Abraham’s and his seed’s) money must needs be circumcised: and my BERITH (i.e., the token) shall be in your flesh…(continued in Section IV)

Please note this provision very well because this is the “accession clause”. With this provision, God allows some Gentiles, initially, to become part of the physical household of Abraham.  

Section IV.  VALIDITY OF THE COVENANT

…for an everlasting BERITH.

Note: unless everlasting has reached its end, this berith is still valid today.

More notes on the “ACCESSION CLAUSE”

Multilateral agreements normally have an “accession clause” to enable other parties to join at a later time.

For example, the agreement among the ASEAN countries has it.  The fourth item in the initial ASEAN Declaration dated 08 August 1967 says:

“…the Association is OPEN FOR PARTICIPATION to all States in the South-East Asian Region subscribing to the aforementioned aims, principles and purposes.”

That was the “accession clause” in the ASEAN Declaration.

The group had only 5 original members: Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.  Brunei joined in 1984, followed by Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Burma in 1997 and Cambodia in 1999 thus increasing the group’s membership to ten (10) countries.

GOD’S BERITH FOR ABRAHAM OPEN TO ACCESSION

God’s covenant for Abraham had an accession clause for Abraham’s physical seed who were Isaac, Jacob and the Israelites:

Gene 17:7 And I will RATIFY my berith for you and (through accession, i.e., if they decided to accept God’s terms) your seed after you in their generations for an EVERLASTING berith…

However, there is also an accession clause for those who were not Abraham’s physical seed, i.e., if they were bought with money by Abraham’s descendants.

Let’s read again the pertinent provisions

Gene 17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is BORN IN THE HOUSE, or (this is the “accession clause” for non-Israelites) BOUGHT WITH MONEY of any stranger (Gentile), which [is] not of your seed.  13 He that is BORN in your house, and he that is BOUGHT with your (i.e., Abraham’s and his seed’s) money must needs be circumcised: and (the token of) my COVENANT shall be in your FLESH for an everlasting COVENANT.

Note that the accession is at the initiative of the “buyer” who must be a descendant of Abraham, not the “seller” who belongs to other nations.   Clearly, Gentiles cannot access the covenant just because they wanted to; they need to be bought by any descendant of Abraham.

In like manner, Christ, the “seed” of Abraham, is the one who decides on who will be made spiritual children of Abraham to be reconciled to God the Father:

John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus said unto him, I am the way…no man comes unto the Father (to be reconciled, begotten and given eternal life), but by me.

We will discuss under different cover how anyone could become part of the seed of Abraham. 

Let’s continue with God’s berith for Abraham on physical circumcision:

Section V.  PENALTY FOR NON-COMPLIANCE WITH CIRCUMCISION

Gene 17:14 And the UNCIRCUMCISED man child (among Abraham’s physical descendants and those bought with their money) whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he had broken my berith (on circumcision, thus in effect not recognizing God as his God).

The same treatment is prescribed for modern-day non-believers:

Titu 3:10 (KJV) A man that is an heretic (one who doesn’t believe in God and therefore not seed of Abraham by faith) after the first and second admonition reject; 

Section VI.  SARAI’S NAME CHANGED TO SARAH

Gene17:15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah [shall] her name [be]. {Sarah: that is Princess}

This is God’s PROMISE which was part of his berith under oath.  This oath is in itself a berith as Paul mentioned in Galatians 4:22-24:

16 And I will bless her (Sarah), and give you a son (Isaac) also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be [a mother] of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall [a child] be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old (90), bear?

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before you! (This was only a wish on the part of Abraham, not a precondition to an agreement)

19 And God said (denied!), Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed; and (this is a command) you shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish (ratify, make binding) my COVENANT (berith, the same thing He issued for Abraham, i.e., TO BE HIS GOD) with him for an everlasting COVENANT, [and] with his seed after him.

God’s berith for Abraham was under oath.  In that berith, God promised Abraham a son.  God fulfilled that promise in the person of Isaac.  God’s “promise” became synonymous with His oath.  This oath was in itself a covenant as mentioned by Paul in Galatians 4:22-24. 

It should be remembered that only a covenant can amend a covenant, just as only a law can amend a law from the same law-giver:

Psal 105:7 (KJV) He [is] the LORD our God: his judgments [are] in all the earth. 8 He keeps in remembrancehis COVENANT forever, the word [which] he commanded to a thousand generations. 9 Which [COVENANT] he made with Abraham, and his OATH unto Isaac;

Gene17:20 And as for Ishmael (who was Abraham’s son with Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid), I have heard you (Abraham’s plea): Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and (this is God’s berith for Ishmael) will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget (the Arabs), and I will make him a great nation.

He did:

Gene 25:13 (KJV) And these [are] the names of the (twelve) sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:

Note that God’s pronouncement for Ishmael is also a berith in itself.  Therefore there are two beriths being identified here:  one concerning Isaac, and the other concerning Ishmael.

21 But my COVENANT (with Abraham) will I establish (confirm) with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto you at this set time in the next year.

To remind us, the word ‘establish’, Heb. quwm, item 6965 in Strong’s, means to confirm, ratify.  God would give Abraham a son through Sarah to be named Isaac to start the blessings He promised to Abraham.  In short, God wanted Abraham’s descendants from Isaac, not from Ishmael, to be the initial batch of humans to be created in God’s likeness.

God was the one who promised to give Abraham a son by Sarah.  Isaac therefore was a SON OF PROMISE, while Ishmael was a SON OF THE FLESH.  Paul made this clear in his letter to the Galatians during his first journey (probably before he became apostle to the Gentiles).  According to WCG researchers, the Galatians are partly the French today.  They are the descendants of Reuben and therefore Israelites. The other parts of the French people, the governing elite, are mostly, but not purely Chaldeans.

Let Paul explain God’s beriths, one for Ishmael and one for Isaac:

Gala 4:22 (KJV) For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid (Hagar), the other by a freewoman (Sarah). 23 But Ishmael [who was] of Hagar the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but Isaac of Sarah the freewoman was born by God’s promise. 24 Which things are an allegory (symbols or representations): for these are the two COVENANTS (margin: TESTAMENTS – these are NOT the so-called “old” and “new” testaments.  They were God’s DECREE each for the two sons of Abraham); the one decree for Mount Sinai, which gendered to bondage, which is Hagar. 25 For this Hagar is a type of Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which was under Roman occupation during Paul’s time, and is in bondage with her children.

26 But the other Jerusalem which is above which corresponds to Sarah is free, which is the mother of us all. …28 Now we, brethren (Galatian Reubenites), as Isaac was, are the CHILDREN OF PROMISE. 29 But as then he that was BORN AFTER THE FLESH (the Ishmaelites, now the Arabs and Muslims) persecuted him (Isaac, Patriarch of the Americans and British and Jews) [that was born] after the Spirit, even so [it is] now.

That will explain in a nutshell the cause of the present conflict in the world:  We can see that the Arabs, the descendants of Ishmael, born by Abraham’s cohabitation with Hagar, persecuting the children of Isaac, born to Sarah by the promise of God.  The perpetrators of the 9-11 Twin Towers attack in the United States were Arabs.  Osama bin Laden, founder of Al-Qaeda, was an Arab.  Al-Qaeda members still fighting in the Middle East are mostly Arabs. 

Iran, also Abraham’s children of the flesh through Keturah, Gene 25:1-4, has been stirring up trouble in the Middle East.

Gene 25:1 (KJV) Then again Abraham took a wife (after Sarah died), and her name [was] Keturah. 2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian (founders of the Medo-Persian Empire), and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher (Father of Ephersians or Persians), and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these [were] the children of Keturah.

We Christian converts are considered children of Isaac because we have been grafted into the Israelite olive tree and became children of Abraham by faith in the blood of Christ.  We are Jews “inwardly” because our circumcision is in the heart.

Roma 2:29 (KJV) But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit (meaning his mind is receptive to instruction), [and] not in the letter whose praise [is] not of men, but of God.

 

ANNEX I.  UPDATE ON THE SIDE OF ABRAHAM:

Abraham obeyed God’s commandment regarding circumcision. 

Gene17:23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

24 And Abraham [was] ninety years old and nine (99), when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 And Ishmael his son [was] thirteen (13) years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

Ishmael was the Patriarch of the Arabs.  His descendants are also practicing circumcision. Here is an entry in Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khitan_(circumcision)

“Khitan (Arabic: ختان‎) or Khatna (Arabic: ختنة‎) is the term for male circumcision carried out as an Islamic culture by Muslims. Male circumcision is widespread in Islam and accepted as established practice by all Islamic schools of jurisprudence. It is considered a sign of belonging to the wider Islamic community.

“Islamic male circumcision is analogous but not identical to Jewish circumcision. Islam is currently the largest single religious group in which the practice is widespread, although circumcision is not mentioned in the Qur’an itself but is mentioned in a hadith and the sunnah. Whether or not it should be carried out after converting to Islam is debated among Islamic scholars.” (End of quotes)

Gene 17 continued:

26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

ANNEX II.  UPDATE ON THE SIDE OF GOD:

God fulfilled His promise to Abraham regarding Isaac.

Gene 21:1 (KJV) And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Next: Part 8 – Abraham’s Ten (10) Tests AND the RATIFICATION

-by Belo Alvaran

God’s berith includes protection

Gene 15:1 (KJV) After these things (after Abram rescued Lot and his family from captivity) the word of the LORD came unto ABRAM in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] your SHIELD, [and] your exceeding great reward (to remind ourselves, the great reward was to be made into God’s likeness, Gene 1:26).

God provides the same protection to His children:

Psal 84:11 (KJV) For the LORD God [is] a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good [thing] will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Prov 30:5 (KJV) Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

More details in God’s BERITH for Abraham:

HEIR PROMISED TO ABRAHAM

Gene 15:2 (KJV) And Abram said, Lord GOD, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is my heir.

4 And, behold, the word of the LORD [came] unto him, saying, This (Eliezer of Damascus) shall not be your heir; but he that shall come forth out of your own bowels shall be your heir.

5 And he brought him forth abroad (outside his house), and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if you are able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall your seed be.

6 And (this is the faith of Abraham) he believed in the LORD; and (the LORD) counted it to him for righteousness.

GENTILES TO BE ADDED TO ABRAHAM’S SEED

Gala 3:6 (KJV, Paul speaking) Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness; 7 Know you therefore that THEY (Gentiles) which are of faith (meaning, those who believe God), the same are the CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM.

We shall discuss here the blessing mentioned in Gene 22:18.  Questions:  Who will bless whom, and what is the blessing?

Gene 22:18 (KJV, God speaking to Abraham) And in your SEED shall all the nations of the earth be BLESSED; because you have obeyed my voice.

THE BLESSING

Gala 3:14 (KJV, Paul speaking to ISRAELITE converts, the Galatians who became French) That the BLESSING for Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that WE (Israelites and Gentiles) might receive the PROMISE OF THE (HOLY) SPIRIT (this is THE blessing – the HOLY SPIRIT, the “earnest” of our salvation, the beginning of the process of OUR begettal by God the Father) through faith.…26 For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

…29 And if you [be] Christ’s, then are you ABRAHAM’S SEED, and heirs (of God’s blessings) according to the promise.

THE ONE WHO BLESSES IS GOD THE FATHER

2Cor 1:21 (KJV, Paul speaking to GENTILE converts in Corinth) Now He which established us (Paul and his fellow ministers) with you (his converts) in Christ, and has anointed us, is GOD (the Father); 22 Who has also sealed us, and given the EARNEST OF THE (Holy) SPIRIT in our hearts (which makes them God’s children).

GOD CHANGES COVENANT TERMS THROUGH PAUL

2Cor 6:18 (KJV) And [I] WILL BE A FATHER UNTO YOU, AND YOU SHALL BE MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS, said the Lord Almighty.

There is no record in the Old Testament where the LORD explicitly said this.  Paul was personally trained by Christ in Arabia at the time when Christ was already a spirit being, Gala 1:15-18.  Christ’s words were probably, just probably, Paul’s unwritten source.

Note the change in the terms of the berith.  Before, it was a stand-offish “I WILL BE TO YOU A GOD, AND YOU SHALL BE MY PEOPLE”. 

This time, it is a more endearing “I WILL BE A FATHER UNTO YOU, AND YOU SHALL BE MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS”. 

“People” refers to humans.  God used to deal with humans in an off-tangent manner because they could not see his face. 

“Sons and daughters” are different.  These are family members who have direct contact with their Father. His sons and daughters therefore are to become spirit beings like God.  When this happens, then God would have reproduced himself as he had planned.

To state clearly, the ONE who blesses both Israelites and Gentiles is GOD THE FATHER and the blessing comprised reconciliation with him, sonship, change of body from human to spirit and eternal life:

Roma 5:10 (KJV) For if, when we were enemies (sinners, unconverted), we were RECONCILED TO GOD by the death of his Son (when he offered himself as sin sacrifice), much more, being RECONCILED, we shall be saved by his life.

BLESSING A PROCESS

God’s blessing is a process in itself:  As Paul mentioned in Hebr 6:1, it starts with our recognizing God as our God, repentance from sin, which Paul calls “dead works”, baptism, laying on of hands by God’s true servants, further resulting to our getting reconciled with God the Father and his begetting us with his holy spirit, and eventually to our being born again as spirit being enjoying eternal life with the Father. 

These were all itemized in the doctrine of Christ:

Hebr 6:1 (KJV) Therefore leaving the principles of the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST (after discussing it over and over), let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of REPENTANCE from dead works, and of FAITH TOWARD GOD (this is the main proviso in God’s berith for Abraham), 2 Of the doctrine of BAPTISMS, and of LAYING ON OF HANDS (to receive the Holy Spirit), and of RESURRECTION of the dead, and of ETERNAL JUDGMENT.

2Joh 1:9 (KJV) Whosoever transgresses and abides not in the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST has not God. He that abides in the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST, he has both the Father and the Son.

John 7:16 (KJV) Jesus answered them, and said, My DOCTRINE is not mine, but his (i.e., God the Father’s) that sent me.

For clarity, it should be mentioned that Christ’s doctrine “FAITH TOWARD GOD” is, in essence, the same as “I WILL BE TO YOU A GOD” which was, and shall remain, the main feature of the Covenants. 

GOD’S BLESSINGS NOT FREE

God’s blessings are not free.  God requires of us something in return, a quid pro quo – he requires allegiance.

Before crossing Jordan to the promise land, Moses asked the Israelites:

Deut 10:12 (KJV) And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God REQUIRE of you…

Moses answered his own question:

…but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways (i.e., obedience to his laws), and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul…

Note that God REQUIRES not only obedience, but also love and service which together result in loyalty.  The modern term for this combination is called “allegiance”. 

ALLEGIANCE IS OWED; IT IS TO BE PAID

In English law, allegiance is the duty of LOYALTY and OBEDIENCE owed by all persons born within the King’s realm that attaches immediately upon their birth and that they cannot be relieved of by their own actions. 

Source:  https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/allegiance

In short, allegiance is automatically expected of a subject to a monarch.

Similarly, when we responded to God’s calling, we automatically owed allegiance to God who became our King. 

Isai 33:22 (KJV) For the LORD [is] our judge, the LORD [is] our lawgiver, the LORD [is] our king;…

Allegiance comes from the heart:

Matt 22:35 (KJV) Then one of them, [which was] a lawyer, asked Christ a question], testing him, and saying, 36 Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God WITH ALL YOUR HEART, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.

Lip-service is not allegiance; it is hypocrisy:

Mark 7:5 (KJV) Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not your disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well had Isaiah prophesied of you HYPOCRITES, as it is written (in Isaiah 29:13), This people honor me with [their] lips, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.

Christ described true allegiance to God the Father:

John 8:29 (KJV) And he that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone; for I DO ALWAYS THOSE THINGS THAT PLEASE HIM.

How can we please God?

Hebr 11:6 (KJV) But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that comes to God must believe that he is God, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Simply stated, we should believe God like Abraham did, and RECOGNIZE GOD AS OUR GOD.

Let’s return to God’s COVENANT with Abraham:

REAL ESTATE PROMISED TO ABRAHAM

Gene 15:7 (KJV, the LORD speaking to Abram after he proved his allegiance) And the LORD said unto Abram, I [am] the LORD that brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees (in Syria), to give you THIS LAND (Canaan) to inherit it.

REAL ESTATE ALSO PROMISED TO CHRISTIANS

Reve 3:12 (KJV, God speaking to the angel of the Philadelphians) Him that overcomes (only of the Philadelphians) will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] NEW JERUSALEM, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.

COVENANT SOLEMNIZED WITH GOD’S OATH

Gene 15:8 And Abram said, Lord GOD, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer (female cow that has not borne any calf) of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

According to Zondervan Bible commentators, in ancient times, parties to a COVENANT would solemnize their agreement by walking down an aisle flanked by pieces of slaughtered animals.  The practice signified a self-maledictory OATH that says “may it be so done to me (i.e., to be slaughtered like the animals) if I do not keep my pledge”.  

Gene 15:10 And Abram took unto him all these animals and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not… (probably due to their tiny size)…17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 

Hebr 6:16 (KJV) For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation [is] to them an end of all strife. 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, CONFIRMED [IT] BY AN OATH (by passing between the pieces):

Burning lamp, Heb. A Lamp of Fire – it was God (actually his representative, the Spokesman)! God performed the oath ritual by passing through the pieces of animal flesh!

Gene 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a COVENANT (berith) with Abram, saying, (this is the benefit proviso for Abraham’s obedience:) Unto your seed have I given (done deed) this land, from the river of Egypt (Nile River) unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

Moses reminds the Israelites of God’s covenant:

Deut 7:7 (KJV) The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you [were] the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and BECAUSE HE WOULD KEEP THE OATH WHICH HE HAD SWORN UNTO YOUR FATHERS, had the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

GOD TO RATIFY HIS COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM AND HIS DESCENDANTS

The covenant, just like human agreements, needs to be ratified by the highest authority.

Gene 17:7 (KJV) And I will establish (confirm, RATIFY, make binding) my COVENANT between me and you and (thru accession) your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting COVENANT, TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU, AND TO YOUR SEED AFTER YOU.

Note that this berith is subject to ratification indicating the one who arranged it was an Agent or Spokesman who became Jesus Christ.

God the Father and his Son were, and still are, involved in berith-making: the Son arranges it and the Father ratifies it.  They work as a team.

John 5:17 (KJV) But Jesus answered them, My Father works hitherto, and I work.

To summarize, the salient points in God’s berith for Abraham are as follows:

• God gave a piece of real estate to Abraham and his descendants without Abraham asking for it. 
• There were no negotiations and Abraham had apparently no right of refusal.  He could have refused, arguably, but the offers were all good.
• The berith therefore was a Decree.
• This berith was designed to institute God as the God of Abraham and that of his descendants chief of whom were Isaac, Jacob and the Israelites.  Abraham’s children with his other wives were not covered, initially.
• Some Gentiles were also covered in the berith, but not all; only those who were called, and believe.

By this time, it should have been clear to us that God was pursuing His Plan TO CREATE MAN AFTER HIS OWN LIKENESS and He had chosen Abraham and his descendants as materials. 

Gene 1:26 (KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:…

At this juncture, the berith was not yet RATIFIED.  Before ratification, the Protocols (Amendments)

Next: Part 7 – The Protocols

God’s Covenant for Abraham

Arranged into Legal Format

Written in Philippine English

-by Belo Alvaran

As we shall see in this article, God’s command, or rather, commands, plural, to Abram were tests of obedience.  God gave Abram aptitude tests simultaneously while issuing his berith.  The berith was ratified only after Abram had passed the tests.

Due to space constraints, we will not discuss yet the berith’s minute details.  Instead, let us see the berith in its consolidated form as gleaned from the Minutes of the Meetings between God and Abram written by Moses. 

Note that their meetings took place intermittently over a long period of time and with lengthy intervals starting from when Abram was aged 75 until when he was about 100.    

SUBTITLES were added to give it the appearance of a “legal instrument” because that is what it is – a God-devised Plan of Action, ARRANGED ON EARTH by God’s Spokesman and RATIFIED IN HEAVEN by the Almighty God, thus making it LAW.  “Whereases” were not supplied but understood to be there:

Here it is:

GOD’S BERITH FOR ABRAM

(Texts taken from Moses’ Report)

PREAMBLE:    GOD’S COMMAND TO ABRAM

Gene 12:1 (KJV) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, (this is a COMMAND, not a proposition) Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, unto a land that I will show you:

Section I.  GOD’S FIRST OFFER FOR ABRAM’S OBEDIENCE

2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and in you (“in your seed” in Gene 22:18 after Abram obeyed) shall ALL families of the earth (Israelites and Gentiles) be blessed.

Section II.  ABRAM’S RESPONSE

Gene 12:4 (KJV) So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five (75) years old when he departed out of Haran (in Syria).

5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls (servants) that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Section III.  GOD’S SECOND OFFER – TO GIVE CANAAN TO ABRAM’S SEED

7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram (upon his arrival in Canaan), and said, Unto your seed will I give this land: and there built Abram an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Section IV.  GOD’S THIRD OFFER – TO BE ABRAM’S SHIELD

Gene 15:1 (KJV) After these things (Abram had just rescued Lot from invaders) the word of the LORD came unto ABRAM in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] your SHIELD, [and] your exceeding great reward (the great reward was to be made into God’s likeness).

SECTION V.  GOD’S FOURTH OFFER – TO GIVE ABRAM AN HEIR

Gene 15:2 (KJV) And Abram said, Lord GOD, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said (further), Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is my heir.

4 And, behold, the word of the LORD [came] unto him, saying, This (Eliezer of Damascus) shall not be your heir; but he that shall come forth out of your own bowels shall be your heir.

5 And he brought him forth abroad (outside his house), and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if you be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall your seed be.

6 And (this is the faith of Abram) he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Section VI.  BERITH SOLEMNIZED

7 And the LORD said unto him Abram, I [am] the LORD that brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees (in Syria), to give you THIS LAND (Canaan) to inherit it. 8 And  Abram said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

Note:  This SOLEMNIZATION RITUAL was similar to and had the same effect of an affiant executing a sworn statement by raising his right hand before a judge or a public notary.  Instead of raising his right hand, the LORD, represented by the Spokesman, passed between the pieces of slaughtered animals.  According to researchers, this self-maledictory oath was an ancient tradition which was tantamount to saying ”may I be slaughtered like these animals if I do not fulfill my pledge”.  This was done by the Spokesman.  This was NOT YET the ratification which was done in heaven by God the Father:

9 And the LORD said unto Abram, Take me an heifer (hefer, a young female cow that has not borne a calf) of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

10 And (Abram) took unto him all these (animals to be slaughtered), and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not… (compared to the heifer, birds are too small to be divided)…

…17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 

18 In the same day the LORD made a COVENANT (berith) with Abram, saying, (this is the physical REWARD for Abram’s obedience:) Unto your seed have I given (done deed) this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

Note: Burning lamp, Heb. A Lamp of Fire – it was the Spokesman!God performed by proxy the oath ritual of passing through the pieces of animal flesh!

Section VII.  GOD’S CONDITIONS (given 24 YEARS after their initial encounters)

Gene 17:1 (KJV) And when Abram was NINETY YEARS OLD AND NINE (99), the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; WALK BEFORE ME, AND BE YOU perfect {SINCERE} 2 And I will make my berith between me and you, and (that is I) will multiply you exceedingly.

Section VIII.   ABRAM’S NAME CHANGED TO ABRAHAM

4 As for me, behold, my berith [is already] with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be ABRAHAM; for a father of many nations have I made you (this is a “done deed”, not a “deal”). 6 And I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you.

Section XIX.  ACCESSION CLAUSE

…7 And I will RATIFY my berith between me and you and (through accession) your seed after you (i.e., if they decided to accept God’s terms) in their generations…

Section X.  VALIDITY / SUNSET CLAUSE

…for an EVERLASTING COVENANT (berith)…

Section XI.  MAIN PROVISO of God’s BERITH for Abram

…7…TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU AND TO YOUR SEED AFTER YOU. (all other provisos were corollaries, i.e., they were given because of this)

Note:  This PROVISO (to be a God unto you) was present in ALL the accessions to the covenant made by Isaac, Jacob and the Israelites.  In fact, this was THE proviso that the Israelites broke when they looked to other gods. 

Section XII.  CANAAN MADE EVERLASTING POSSESSION OF ABRAM’S SEED

8 And I will give unto you, and to your seed after you, the land wherein you are a stranger, all the land of CANAAN, for an EVERLASTING possession; and I WILL BE THEIR GOD.

Note: above provision has not happened yet, hence this covenant is not yet “old.”

By this time, GOD’S BERITH WAS NOT YET RATIFIED BY GOD THE FATHER IN HEAVEN. 

We will discuss the RATIFICATION after the Protocols.

That in a nutshell is God’s berith for Abram who became Abraham.

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Now, for a thorough discussion of every point, let’s rewind to Genesis 12 where it all started to see closely what transpired before and behind the scenes:

Gene 12:1 (KJV) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, (this is a COMMAND, not a proposition, and OBEDIENCE is required) Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, unto a land that I will show you:

2 And (this is God’s “OFFER” as reward for Abram’s OBEDIENCE) I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and IN YOU shall ALL families of the earth (meaning Abram’s descendants the Israelites, and Gentiles) be blessed.

The phrase “IN YOU” was amended to “IN YOUR SEED” in Gene 22:18 after Abram obeyed.  We will see that there are HIDDEN things in God’s berith for Abram:

Gene 22:18 (KJV) And IN YOUR SEED shall ALL the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice.

THINGS “HIDDEN” IN THE COVENANT

There are things “hidden” in the verse above.  It says, “And IN YOUR SEED shall all the nations of the earth be blessed”.  Questions:  Blessed by whom? In what way shall the nations be blessed? And what is the blessing?  We will answer these and many other questions as we go on.

THE SEED

In Genesis chapter 22, God mentioned a “SEED” in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed:

Gene 22:18 (KJV) And in your SEED shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;…

According to Paul, the SEED was Christ:

Gala 3:16 (KJV) Now to Abraham and his SEED were the promises made by God. He said not, And in your seeds, as of many; but as of one, And in your SEED, which is CHRIST.

There are two kinds of seed mentioned by God.  The “seed” of Abraham in whom all the earth shall be blessed was CHRIST, but the “seed of Abraham” that shall multiply as stars and sand and possess the gate of his enemies were Abraham’s descendants, which became known as the Israelites.

Gene 22:17 (KJV, God speaking to Abram) That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will MULTIPLY your SEED as the STARS of the heaven, and as the SAND which [is] upon the sea shore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 

18 And in your SEED shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice.

Hebr 2:9 (KJV) But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory (given a spirit body) and honor (high rank or position);…16 For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the SEED of Abraham.

Gentiles became part of the seed of Abraham by “GRAFTING.” Paul explained it in Roma 11:13-25 using the analogy of “seed” which comes from plants that can be propagated by grafting.  We can see that there is consistency in God’s analogies:

Roma 11:13 (KJV, Paul speaking) For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my office: 14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation [them (Israelites) which are] my flesh, and might save some of them.

…17 And if SOME (not all) of the branches (of the Israelite Olive Tree) be broken off (such as the lost tribes of Israel), and you (Gentiles), being a wild olive tree, were GRAFTED in their stead, and with them partake of the root and fatness (God’s blessings) of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if you boast, (remember that) you bear not the root (Abraham), but the root (bears) you.

GOSPEL PACKAGED IN THE BERITH

Gala 3:8 (KJV) And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the GENTILES through faith, PREACHED BEFORE THE GOSPEL UNTO ABRAHAM, [saying], In (your SEED, who is CHRIST) SHALL (future tense) all nations be blessed.

Gala 3:7 (KJV) Know you therefore that they which are of faith (GENTILES included), the same are the children of Abraham.

Note that according to Paul, the “seed” who was Christ is the gospel.  However, according to Mark, the gospel is the coming Kingdom of God, Mark 1:14, which Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong quoted numerous times in his writings:

Mark 1:14 (KJV) Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God,

Our job as students is to reconcile the two teachings.  They are both servants of God, so their teachings must be complementary. Must be! God is not the author of confusion, 1Cor 14:33.

Let’s hear directly from Christ what he says about him and his message: 

John 5:46 (KJV, Christ speaking to the Jews) For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me: for Moses WROTE OF ME.

This was what Moses wrote about Christ, the messenger:

Deut 18:15 (KJV) The LORD your God will raise up unto you a PROPHET from the midst of you, OF YOUR BRETHREN, like unto me (i.e., like Moses); unto him you shall hearken;

Let Christ continue:

47 But if you believe not Moses’ writings (about Christ), how shall you believe my words?

Clearly, according to Christ, the MESSENGER is AS IMPORTANT as the MESSAGE.  It’s a “package deal”. If we reject the God-appointed messenger, we won’t get the right message.

However, even true messengers of God could only be partly right.  Paul was partly right when he said that Christ is the gospel.  Mark was also partly right when he said the Kingdom of God is the gospel.  Both teachers were only partly correct.

It was not mentioned by Moses that the MESSENGER, who was a PROPHET, was to become a HIGH PRIEST.  Moses’ message therefore was also incomplete.  It was Paul who wrote about it.  So we can see that our teachers complement each other’s doctrines:

Heb 2:17 (Paul addressing the Hebrew converts) Wherefore in all things it behooved Jesus to be made human LIKE UNTO [HIS] BRETHREN, that he might be a merciful and faithful HIGH PRIEST in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

We can see that God’s berith for Abram covers His blessings both for the Israelites and for the Gentiles, the “all nations” mentioned in Gene 22:18.

Gene 22:18 (KJV) And in your SEED shall ALL the nations of the earth be blessed;…

Let’s go back to Genesis 12 to see Abram’s response.

ABRAM OBEYS GOD

Gene 12:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram [was] SEVENTY AND FIVE (75) YEARS OLD when he departed out of Haran (in Syria).

5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls (servants) that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

MAIN PROVISO IN THE BERITH GIVEN 24 YEARS LATER

Note that Abram was 75 years old (Gene 12:4 above) at the time God contacted him the first time.  However, God did not reveal to Abram the PURPOSE of his BERITH until AFTER 24 YEARS when Abram was 99 years old. 

Gene 17:1 (KJV) And when Abram was NINETY YEARS OLD AND NINE (99), the LORD APPEARED to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before me, and be you perfect. {perfect: or, upright, or, SINCERE} 2 And I will make my COVENANT (BERITH) between me and you, and (this is the berith or decre) I will multiply you exceedingly 4 …and you shall be a father of many nations.

ABRAM’S NAME CHANGED TO ABRAHAM

5 Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be ABRAHAM; for a father of many nations have I made you. 6 And I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you.

ACCESSION CLAUSE and EXPIRATION CLAUSE

7 And I will ratify my COVENANT between me and you AND (this is the ACCESSION CLAUSE) YOUR SEED AFTER YOU in their generations (this is the expiration) for an EVERLASTING COVENANT…

Notes on ACCESSION clause and EXPIRATION / SUNSET clause: 

“ACCESSION” is the act whereby an entity (such as a person, or group or persons, or a state) accepts the offer or the opportunity to become a party to a treaty (or agreement) already negotiated and signed by others. It has the same legal effect as ratification. Accession usually occurs AFTER the treaty has entered into force.”

Source:https://treaties.un.org/pages/overview.aspx?path=overview/glossary/page1_en.xml

“A SUNSET provision or clause is a measure within a statute, regulation or other law that provides that the law shall cease to have effect after a specific date, unless further legislative action is taken to extend the law.”

Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_provision

In case of God’s covenant, the validity is “everlasting” hence there is no sunset clause!

KEY PROVISO of God’s BERITH for Abram:

…(Gene 17:7 continued)  TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU, AND TO YOUR SEED AFTER YOU.

8 And (these are the “OFFERS” of benefits for Abram’s accepting God as his God) I will give unto you, and to your seed after you, the land wherein you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I WILL BE THEIR GOD.

Comments: The God mentioned here is GOD THE FATHER. Jesus said so.

John 20:17 (KJV) Jesus said unto (Mary Magdalene), Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father (note that he was already a spirit being like God, but he did not say I will join again the Trinity): but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto MY FATHER, AND YOUR FATHER; and [to] MY GOD, AND YOUR GOD.

This proviso -TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU – was present in ALL the accessions to the covenant made by Isaac, Jacob and the Israelites.  In fact, this was THE proviso that the Israelites broke when they looked to other gods.

Let’s return to Genesis 17:

Gene 17:9 And God said unto Abraham, You shall keep my COVENANT (i.e., to be a God to you, Gene 17:7) therefore, you, and your seed after you in their generations.

Next:  Part 6 – The “fine prints” in God’s covenant

by Belo Alvaran

We have established previously that God’s covenants, Heb beriths, are actually decrees issued by God the Father “ratifying” any agreement entered into, or any legal instrument arranged by his “Spokesman” who became Jesus Christ.  This is a clear indication that God the Father and Jesus Christ work in tandem on the matter of covenant-making.

John 5:17 (KJV) But Jesus answered them, My Father works hitherto, and I work.

The question at this point is, what important beriths or covenants have God issued so far, and what were they for? 

MINUTES OF MEETINGS

To review what we have discussed so far, it is important that we recognize the writings of Moses for what they are:  they are MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS between him and God.  He was a party to the meetings and also the rapporteur.  (A rapporteur is a person who assists in a meeting by writing minutes and compiling reports.)

In Moses’ reports, all the details of the covenants were there but they were not arranged into legal format.  If we want to see the legal documents, we need to put them together by ourselves. And that is what we will also do in this study.  We will put together the terms of the covenants to see them in their legal document format.

We also need to be reminded that in issuing covenants, God is pursuing a two-phased plan.  Phase 1 – to create man in his image;  Phase 2 – to create man after his own likeness.

Let’s look at God’s purpose in Gene 1:26:

Gene 1:26 (KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our IMAGE (phase 1), after our LIKENESS (phase 2): …

The word “image” Heb tselem, item 6754 in Strong’s, means simply a similitude, a phantom, ghost. 

By contrast, the word “LIKENESS” in God’s plan, Heb demooth, item 1823 in Strong’s, means “concretely model”. 

The word “likeness” therefore means exact copy, or replicate looking the same as the original in material, form, size and features.  God is spirit, therefore his replicates are also spirit, and, most important, must have the mind or values of God. 

We will now examine God’s covenants which were issued in pursuit of that plan.

Let us use the word BERITH to avoid confusion. 

A berith is NOT hard to understand.  Those of us who live in a rented house, God’s berith is similar in format to the lease contract we signed with our Landlord. 

We need to know God’s beriths because we who are called at this time are going to be teachers in God’s kingdom.  All the laws of God that we shall teach to other humans are contained in his beriths.

Isai 2:3 (KJV) And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will TEACH us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Isai 30:21 (KJV) And your ears shall hear a WORD behind you, saying, This [is] the way, walk you in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left.

We in the Church of God now are being trained to become spirit teachers.  It is our voice that people shall hear from behind them.

CONTENTS OF GOD’S FIRST BERITH

To see the legal format of the berith, we need to SUPPLY the missing sub-titles:

GOD’S BERITH FOR NOAH

PREAMBLE

Gene 6:5 (KJV) And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only EVIL continually.  6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and IT GRIEVED HIM AT HIS HEART. 7 And the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for IT REPENTS ME THAT I HAVE MADE THEM.” 

8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

…13 And God said unto Noah, “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them from the earth. 

14 Make you an ark of gopher wood; rooms shall you make in the ark, and shall pitch it within and without with pitch. 15 And…The length of the ark [shall be] three hundred cubits (450 ft.), the breadth of it fifty cubits (75 ft.), and the height of it thirty cubits (45 ft.). …17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein [is] the breath of life, from under heaven; [and] everything that [is] in the earth shall die.”

Article I:  COVERAGE OF GOD’S BERITH

Gene 9:8 (KJV) And God spoke unto Noah (after the flood), and to his sons with him, saying, 9 “And I, behold, I will ratify my BERITH with you, and with your seed after you; 10 And with every living creature that [is] with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 11 And I WILL establish (make binding, ratify) my BERITH with you (namely):

Article II: PURPOSE OF BERITH

a)   Neither shall ALL flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood;

• Neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the (whole) earth.” (but God allows limited flooding in some areas!)

Article III: TOKEN OF THE BERITH:

12 And God said, “This [is] the token (symbol of existence) of the BERITH which I make between me and you and every living creature that [is] with you for PERPETUAL generations.”

Note the coverage of this BERITH: PERPETUAL GENERATIONS of man and every living creature!  It has no “sunset clause”! (Sunset clause is a legal term meaning expiration date.)

Question:  Has ‘perpetual generations’ ended?   The answer is obviously, no.  Therefore this BERITH is still valid.

Gene 9:13 “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a TOKEN of a berith BETWEEN me and the earth.”

The word “BETWEEN”, item 0996, Heb bane, means inter alia between, out of, FROM.  The more accurate translation is “FROM”.  This was a decree FROM God FOR the earth.  The verse therefore should read in part “…it shall be a token of a berith FROM me FOR the earth.”

14 “And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow (i.e., rainbow) shall be seen in the cloud:

Article IV:  IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BERITH:

15 “And I will remember my BERITH, which [is] (from me to you – i.e., Noah, his family and his seed after him for perpetual generations) and every living creature of all flesh (also for perpetual generations); and THE WATERS SHALL NO MORE BECOME A FLOOD to destroy ALL flesh (but, as it happens today, waters can destroy SOME flesh through flash floods in lowlands and tsunamis along sea coasts).

Article V:  VALIDITY OF THE BERITH

16 “And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I WILL LOOK UPON IT, that I may remember the EVERLASTING BERITH (from) God (to) every living creature of all flesh that [is] upon the earth.

ARTICLE VI : RATIFICATION OF THE BERITH

17 And God said unto Noah (apparently after some time), This (rainbow) [is] the token of the BERITH, which I HAVE RATIFIED between me and ALL FLESH (not only for NOAH, but for all flesh) that [is] upon the earth.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR:  Was there a Proposition? None. Was there any Negotiation? None. Was there Acceptance by Noah? None. This was a “done deed” not a “deal” and God did not need Noah’s assent. 

Article VII:  ACTS TO BE PERFORMED BY MAN UNDER THIS BERITH: 

None. 

Comments:  Since there were no negotiations, and Noah’s assent was not required, then this berith was a Testament or Will, not an agreement.  It was issued apparently to allow the PROPAGATION OF THE HUMAN RACE on earth to provide God with materials with which to reproduce Himself. 

To SUMMARIZE at this point, this first Berith or decree that God issued is “everlasting” and intended for “perpetual generations” of mankind and other living creatures!  With this first berith, God laid down the corner stone for the fulfillment of His Work Plan Phase 2 in Gene 1:26 and that is, to make man in his own likeness. 

To remind ourselves, God rules by beriths or covenants which could be Testament or Will that was issued under oath; or ratified if it was Agreement.  The ratification is a decree and the covenant becomes part of it, hence God can say, “My covenant” which means “My decree”.

NEXT: Part 5 – God’s Covenant with, or better yet, for Abraham, in legal format!