"He made Him who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God through Him"
2 Corinthians 5:21
This verse holds the truth of God’s love for us. His love has always been sacrificial, protecting His own. What I was not familiar with was Genesis 15. This chapter in the Bible is where God makes a covenant with Abraham. It is an ancient covenant we are not acquainted with, so I had read it before not realizing what it meant. The chapter opens with this verse:
After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying,
Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great.
This is also what the Lord is saying to us, knowing that Jesus made us joint heirs with Christ. God is always faithful to His promises while we are not. As ourselves, Israel was constantly returning to sin, wickedness, and rebellion against God, but the Lord remains unwaveringly faithful, implicitly kind, and with unending forgiveness. God’s faithfulness always triumphs over our unfaithfulness.
In this chapter we see God making a covenant with Abram where both parties were pledging to hold up their promises. They would then walk through the dead animal parts laid out on both sides of the ground. In essence they were saying if either party did not keep their promise, they would be torn asunder as the animal parts. However in this account God puts Abram to sleep, and He walks through the animal parts alone! If Abram and the people of God proved to be unfaithful from here on out God alone would be torn asunder on their account O what wondrous love of God!
Here again we have a beautiful example of the heart of God for us. Of course in Abraham’s time he never saw the crucifixion, resurrection, or the ascension of God’s Son as we have the ability to through the Word of God. But when you read Genesis 15, after God telling him he will be greatly rewarded, he asked God what would He give him, since he is still childless and his inheritance will go to his servant. God responds by informing Abraham his servant will not be his heir, but a child from his own body. Then God invites Abram to come outside and to look to the heavens and count the stars. Then He told him so shall your descendants be! Then we are told Abraham believed in the Lord, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Then we read in verses 7b-8:
And He said to him, "I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it. He said, "O Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?
Then we pick up where the covenant was made between Abraham and God. In this covenant God also revealed how Abram’s descendants would be strangers in a land that was not theirs for 400 years referring to Egypt. God told him He would judge that nation and the Jews would come out with many possessions. We know this was fulfilled exactly as God said it would. God always is true to His Word.
Aren’t we thankful for the sacrificial love of God for us? We love Him because He first loved us. He not only gave Himself for us in the New Testament, but also in the Old Testament.
A knowledge of both are vital to understand the whole counsel of the Word of God. The Bible is not like a buffet where we can pick and choose what we want. We must ingest the whole counsel of God for His true character. His Word is full of hidden mysteries He so desires to reveal to His own. The Spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak. We must seek His Word with a whole heart desiring His truth above all else. What you will find is how much we are loved by our Heavenly Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Teacher. It is ours for the asking. His love and His Word are infinite. There is no end to the revelations we will receive of His love for us. Through this love we will be healed and made whole allowing Him to define to us our value and our identity. Then we will realize how true His promise is: Those who allow the Son to set them free, will be free indeed! God Himself paid the price for all of us to be recipients, Jews and Gentiles alike!
In His love.
Teresa Roberts
Masterpiece Fitness
276-237-6680
Had a fabulous time participating in the annual Marine Corp Mud Run yesterday morning in Pinnacle NC as I basked in God’s love for me! Won first in my age group. The only finishline that comes to soon! So much fun!!
