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Discussion on the Abrahamic Covenant for a Q&A

December 1st, 2014

I appreciate your thoughts on this…
I’m responding to a question dealing with the Abrahamic Covenant. I like to link GQ articles to my response, but the following article didn’t seem quite right. After the first 3 paragraphs, the article is excellent. But, might the first 3 paragraphs need a rewrite? The first 3 paragraphs of the article repeatedly state that the Abrahamic Covenant was unconditional; requiring nothing of Abraham or his descendants. However, Abraham was required to walk before God and be blameless (Gen 17:1,2) in order for the covenant to be made, and to practice circumcision (Gen 17:9-11,14) in order to maintain it. My response (written, but not yet submitted) would conflict with the first 3 paragraphs of the GQ article.http://www.gotquestions.org/Abrahamic-covenant.html

What is the Abrahamic Covenant?
What is the Abrahamic Covenant? How is the Abrahamic Covenant related to premillennialism and amillennialism?
GOTQUESTIONS.ORG
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    Ed Chait likes this.
  • Ed Chait Abraham was able to obey because God changed his heart. Otherwise, God’s Master Plan would depend on human obedience (yikes!)

    And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:6)
    November 29 at 9:34am · Edited · Like
  • John Edward Rasmussen In the Abrahamic Covenant, we see the traditional covenant ceremony – Abraham cuts the animals up, but in this covenant, only God walks through the pieces, taking the obligations of both sides upon himself. That is part of what makes it unconditional.
    November 29 at 10:01am · Like · 3
  • Tim White Interesting discussion. Man has never been able to fulfill a covenant with The Holy One. The failure of man in every system (Adamic, Noaic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, etc) seems to be the reason of the different systems of relationship; to show the wisdom of God in giving His Son, truly our only hope. The ultimate consequences is that we will all gladly and fully say, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain…”
    November 29 at 10:34am · Like · 3

  • Ed Chait a sorry lot we are
    November 29 at 10:37am · Like · 2
  • Jed Kramer Thanks all. Good insight. It seems that most OT covenants demonstrate components of the New Covenant, God’s completed work of salvation. It can’t be earned, but must be received by faith. Faith is the requirement. It is the faith component we see illuminated in the Abrahamic covenant.
    November 29 at 2:14pm · Like · 1
  • Ed Chait And even our faith comes from God, so He also should be credited for that component.
    November 29 at 2:17pm · Like · 2
  • Jed Kramer God is the Holy One; a just God who also abounds in love and mercy. To him alone is due all worship, honor, and glory! He works in us and through us to accomplish his will. While he does not need us, he chooses to use us … which is perplexing given the facts that Ed & Tim point out. God also grants us the freedom to choose him or reject him, to choose obedience or disobedience. I am convinced that God’s will will be done regardless of our disobedience…even Abraham’s. If Abraham had not exercised the faith that God gave him, wouldn’t God use another person to accomplish his will? I don’t believe that God stripped Abraham of his ability to choose obedience by circumcising his heart or giving him faith. This is why Abraham is revered. He chose rightly and is an example for each of us to do the same. If God alone is responsible for whether or not we are saved or whether we do his will, then we are also free from the consequences of those “choices”. It also makes our relationship with him meaningless. A meaningful, loving relationship requires two parties who choose the other.
    November 29 at 2:40pm · Like
  • Ed Chait I agree with you Jed, yet God gets every bit of the glory. I don’t know exactly how that works, but He gets all the glory.
    November 29 at 3:15pm · Like

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