Verse for the Day, 19 March 2014.

Genesis 17:1-8  When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,  (2)  that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly."  (3)  Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him,  (4)  "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.  (5)  No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.  (6)  I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.  (7)  And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.  (8)  And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God."

 

In verses 1-2 God issues Abram an impossible command, God tells Abram to be perfect, to walk and live in complete sinless perfection and upon doing so, God will then make His covenant with Abram. Abram is immediately disqualified, he cannot do it for one day, never mind a lifetime. The covenant would be broken before it even began. The only way Abram can enter into this covenant with God, is if Abram is counted as perfect by God, if Abram is made righteous in God’s sight. To our joy, we know that this had already taken place, for Abram in faith had believed and trusted in the sovereign promises of God, believing that God is able to do that which is impossible, that God and God alone is to be believed upon, trusted and served. When Abram responded in faith and belief in Genesis 15, we are told that God from that point on counted Abram as righteous, as one who is now pleasing and acceptable in God sight, as one who has recognised their own inability and God’s ability to bring them salvation. The result of this all is that God has entered into a covenant relationship with Abram, Abram is now a part of the people of God, one under God’s favour, blessing and eternal promises. This all serves to set the scene for the coming of Christ, the great work he would do and the results of this great work for all who would believe.

 

For those of us who believe in Christ, we have all had a Genesis 17:1-8 moment, when God did an impossible work in our lives, counted us as righteous, entered into a covenant with us, brought us into the people of God and made us His everlasting possession. The impossible demands of God, satisfied by Christ and applied to us! What a good, gracious and glorious God we serve!

 

Our good, gracious and glorious God, our hearts are filled with praise today, for You have done the impossible in our lives. You have taken people who are filled with sin and imperfections and counted them as righteous, made them in Your sight as blameless and perfect. You have taken those who were estranged from You and brought them into Your very own family, to live under Your blessing for eternity. May Your receive all the glory, honour and praise, for You alone are worthy of it. Amen.