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ROMANS CHAPTER 9
OBSERVATION STAGE
Let's take a look at this chapter in its entirety first to see what we can observe from it alone within the context of the book of Romans, and then we will double back and provide elaboration and corroboration.
The observation stage is to teach an individual to focus on the text at hand which, by and large, has all the information necessary to understand what it is saying without going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere.
Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.
(v. 9:1 YLT) "Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit,
(v. 9:2 YLT) that I have great grief and unceasing pain [= sorrow] in my heart -
(v. 9:3 ASV) For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
(v. 9:4a YLT) who are Israelites, ..."
(v. 8:29 NKJV) "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (v. 8:30 NKJV) Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (v. 8:31 NKJV) What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us? (v. 8:32 YLT) He who indeed His own Son did not spare, but for us all did deliver Him up, how shall He not also with Him ...all things grant to us? (v. 8:33 NASB) Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God [is] the one who justifies; (v. 8:34 YLT) who [is] he that is condemning [us]? Christ [is] He that died, yea, rather also, was raised up; who is also on the right hand of God -- who also doth intercede for us. (v. 8:35 NASB) Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (v. 8:36 ASV) Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (v. 8:37 YLT) But in all these we more than conquer, through him who loved us (v. 8:38 NKJV) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, (v. 8:39 NKJV) nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (v. 9:1 YLT) Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit, (v. 9:2 YLT) that I have great grief and unceasing pain [= sorrow] in my heart. (v. 9:3 ASV) For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (v. 9:4a YLT) who are Israelites ..." =
Although chapter breaks are not in the original text that author Paul wrote, we come to a dramatic change in subject matter from Romans 8:37-39 which conveys the great spiritual height of assurance of eternal life that nothing will separate the believer, the one justified by a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, the child of God, from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus to Romans 9:1-3 where Paul expresses such a great grief and unceasing sorrow in his heart that he says he could wish that he himself would be under the anathema, the curse of condemnation from Christ instead of his brethren, his kindred in the flesh, i.e., those of his race - the Jewish people for rejecting Jesus Christ, their Messiah and blaspheming God's name:
**** EXCERPT FROM ROMANS CHAPTER 2 ****
...............................................................GOTO END OF EXCERPT
(v. 2:17) Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the Law and brag about your relationship to God; (v. 2:18) if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the Law." (v. 2:19) if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, (v. 2:20) an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth" (v. 2:21) you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? (v. 2:22) You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? (v. 2:23) You who brag about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law? (v. 2:24) As it is written: 'God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'" =
God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because the Jews dishonor God by constantly breaking the Law yet hold themselves up as superior to the Gentiles. They have a unique relationship with God as His chosen people to represent God and His righteousness to the world through obedience to the law, their unique possession. They claim they rely on it faithfully.
Verse 2:17 begins in the negative: "Now you, if you call yourself a Jew" which implies a Jew who may have fallen short of some standard. The next phrase corroborates this: "If you rely on the Law and brag about your relationship to God," which implies a certain self-righteousness and false sense of security with God and a false sense of superiority over non-Jews. Then verses 18-20 provide the possibility ("If..."), of a Jew knowing the will of God and approving of what is superior all of which is attributed to learning from the Law.
Verses 19 & 20 continues the context of: 'If you are convinced because of being instructed by the Law and relying on it' and 'If you are convinced that "you are a guide to the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth." ' which suggests that what they are convinced of is not true.
Verses 2:21b-23 then deal the blow of reality: that the Jew by and large has not permitted himself to actually be taught to rely on the Law; he holds a self-righteous opinion which causes him to "brag about his relationship to God" and falsely think he is a "guide to the blind" and "a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of infants." This corroborates that obeying the Law was not a way for man to achieve eternal life, but to make one conscious of sin because it embodies the perfect righteousness from God which is beyond man's capacity, (v. 2:13). The passage goes further to ask questions that implicate Jews for a number of specific things "do you steal?", "do you commit adultery?", "do you rob temples?", "do you dishonor God by breaking the Law?" which each of these questions are answered in the affirmative by verse 24: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
**** END OF EXCERPT FROM ROMANS CHAPTER 2 ****
(v. 9:1 YLT) "Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit,
(v. 9:2 YLT) that I have great grief and unceasing pain [= sorrow] in my heart -
(v. 9:3 ASV) For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
(v. 9:4a YLT) who are Israelites ..."
(v. 9:1 YLT) Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit, (v. 9:2 YLT) that I have great grief and unceasing pain [= sorrow] in my heart. (v. 9:3 ASV) For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (v. 9:4a YLT) who are Israelites ..." =
(v. 9:1 Greek) "alEtheian legO en christO .ou ..pseudomai summarturousEs
........................"Truth .......I say in Christ, ...not .I lie, ..........bearing witness with
moi tEs suneidEseOs mou en pneumati hagiO"
me .the conscience ....my ..in .Spirit ......Holy"
Notice that in verse 9:1, Paul testifies emphatically that he is telling the truth in Christ meaning that the statement he is about to make is true that much the more because it was directed by the indwelling Christ. He further emphasizes this by stating that his conscience in telling what he is about to say bears testimony / witness with him in the Holy Spirit, i.e., Paul is under God the Holy Spirit's direction in writing this.
(v. 9:2 Greek) "hoti lupE moi ...estin megalE kai adialeiptos
........................"that grief to me is .....great, ...and unceasing
odunE .tE ......kardia mou"
sorrow in the .heart my"
The first part of Paul's message in chapter 9 expressed in verse 2 is that he is filled with great grief and unceasing sorrow in his heart.
(v. 9:3 Greek) "EuchomEn ....gar autos ...egO anathema ..........einai apo
........................"I could wish... for .myself .I ......accursed [one]..to be from
tou .christou .huper tOn adelphOn mou tOn suggenOn mou kata .............sarka"
the Christ .....for .....the .brothers ..my, .the .relatives ...my .according to .flesh"
In Romans 9:3 (ASV), "For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh," Paul declares the reason for great grief and unceasing sorrow in his heart to be due to the condemnation from Christ upon the Jews - Paul's own people.
The Greek word "EuchomEn" rendered "I could wish" in the ASV in the phrase "For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh" is in the voluntative imperfect tense.
[Syntax of New Testament Greek, Brooks and Winbery, authors, 1979, University Press, Lanham, MD, p. 95]:
"Voluntative Imperfect
Some grammarians prefer to call this the desiderative imperfect, others the potential imperfect. Whatever the name, it expresses a present desire, wish, or disposition. The imperfect rather than the present is used when there is a need to express the desire as politely and inoffensively as possible or when there is a certain amount of hesitation due ot the fact that the desire is impractical or impossible."
The word "anathema" rendered curse in the ASV is a noun meaning an object which is under a divine curse, in this case under the curse of the Christ's relative to punishment due to the Israelites' rejection of Him and their history of unfaithfulness..
Finally, the word "sungenOn" rendered "kinsman" refers to relatives by blood, fellow countryman, which is emphasized by the phrase which follows: "kata sarka" = "according to flesh" meaning physically related by blood, i.e., kinsmen, i.e., physical descendants of Abraham through Isaac.
So Paul uses the voluntative imperfect instead of the present tense in order state as politely and inoffensively as possible, that he could wish to be under Israel's anathema for rejecting their Messiah Jesus Christ. It is in fact not possible for Paul, a born again believer, to be under Christ's divine curse in place of his brethren Jews, his flesh and blood kinsmen for rejecting Christ. That Paul's kinsmen are Jews is corroborated in verse 9:4a with the phrase "who are Israelites," referring to the physical descendants of Abraham through Isaac by definition. Evidently Paul is very emotionally attached to the spiritual and temporal welfare of the Jews, his own people. Having become a believer has evidently served to heighten his concern for his fellow Israelites especially in view of his being "in Christ," (cf. Ro 8:1), and being under the direction of the Holy Spirit, (v. 9:1). By implication of this divine direction, we may conclude that God is very emotionally attached to the spiritual and temporal welfare of the Jews as well - His chosen people.
(v. 9:4 YLT) "who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises
(v. 9:5 ASV) whose [are] the fathers, and from whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is [sovereign] over all, [Who is] God blessed forever. Amen."
(v. 9:1 YLT) Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit, (v. 9:2 YLT) that I have great grief and unceasing pain [= sorrow] in my heart. (v. 9:3 ASV) For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (v. 9:4a YLT) who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises, (v. 9:5 ASV) whose [are] the fathers, and from whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is [sovereign] over all, [Who is] God blessed forever. Amen" =
Author Paul stipulates that the Israelites are special for a number of reasons:
1) THEIRS IS THE ADOPTION BY GOD AS SONS
(v. 9:3 ASV) "For I [Paul] could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (v. 9:4 YLT) who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises (v. 9:5 ASV) whose [are] the fathers, and from whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is [sovereign] over all, [Who is] God blessed forever. Amen." =
Theirs is "the adoption" from the Greek word "huiothesia," Str. #5206, which contains the root words "huios," Str. # 5207 meaning son and "tithEmi," Str. #5087 meaning to place, hence to place into sonship or place into adoption as sons.
(v. 14:1 NIV) "You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead,
(v. 14:2 NIV) for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be His treasured possession."
Notice that it is stipulated that the Israelites are the children of God "out of all the peoples on the face of the earth" as "His treasured possession."
A true Israelite is a physical descendant of Abraham through Isaac plus one who has expressed a moment of the faith of Abraham in a coming Savior through the seed of Isaac, his son, (vv. 9:6-7). He is adopted by God as His child as part of the family of God with special considerations not the least of which are enumerated in verses 9:4-5, namely a period of personally experiencing the glory of God, being part of the covenants given to Abraham and his descendants through Isaac, the Mosaic Law giving, the Temple service, the promises of temporal blessing for obedience, the patriarchial fathers and Christ Himself Who is Ruler overall is their physical descendant, their brother and fellow Israelite!
2) AND THEIRS IS THE GLORY OF GOD TO EXPERIENCE ON EARTH AND IN HEAVEN
(v. 9:3 ASV) "For I [Paul] could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (v. 9:4 YLT) who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises (v. 9:5 ASV) whose [are] the fathers, and from whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is [sovereign] over all, [Who is] God blessed forever. Amen." =
a) [Compare Ex 16:10; 24:16-18, 40:34 NIV]:
(v. 16:10 NIV) "While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud."
(v. 24:16 NIV) "and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud.
(v. 24:17 NIV) To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.
(v. 24:18 NIV) Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights."
(v. 40:34 NIV) "Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
(v. 40:35 NIV) Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."
Note that the Israelites, the children of God were uniquely and graciously provided by God with experiencing the glory of God on the earth in their mortal lifetimes as well as an opportunity for eternal glory through the Seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, namely a Messiah-Savior. This is not to say that individuals of all nations do not have the opportunity to experience eternal glory but that opportunity will be through the covenants of God which were made with Abraham and his seed through Isaac and Jacob to that end.
3) AND THEIRS ARE THE COVENANTS GOD HAS MADE WITH THEM
(v. 9:3 ASV) "For I [Paul] could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (v. 9:4 YLT) who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises (v. 9:5 ASV) whose [are] the fathers, and from whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is [sovereign] over all, [Who is] God blessed forever. Amen." =
The Greek word "diathEkai" rendered "covenants" in Romans 9:5 YLT refers to God's sovereign unilateral promises to Abraham's descendants through Isaac and Jacob without requirement on the part of them as opposed to a mutual agreement between parties. There is manuscript evidence for both diathEkai = covenants, plural and"diathEkE" = covenant, singular. The singular form must not be considered part of the original text since the singular word for covenant would then refer to the covenant of the Mosaic Law making the next phrase, "the lawgiving" in verse 9:4 redundant.
*** EXCERPT FROM 'GOD'S COVENANTS WITH ISRAEL' ***
..............................................................................OR GOTO END OF EXCERPT
(v. 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you will be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. ' " =
By virtue of the imperfect tense Hebrew verb "wayyO'mer" rendered "had said" (NKJV) which tense portrays repeated action in the past, verse 12:1 stipulates that the LORD had repeatedly said from the time when Abram was in Ur that Abram was to go from his native land Ur, (cf. Gen 15:7), to a land He will show Abram; whereupon, beginning in verse 12:2, the LORD promised Abram to make him a great nation. Notice that the phrase is not 'I will make you ruler of a great nation.' but "I [the LORD] will make you a great nation," i.e., Abram himself will become a great nation. Since a nation is an entity of a great number of individuals, and since Abram will become a great nation, then Abram, in spite of being childless for decades, is to have and live to see a great number of physical descendants over whom he will rule. Verse 12:2 goes on to say, "And I [the LORD] will bless you [Abram] and make your name great; And so you will be a blessing." So Abram is to effect a great number of the people of the earth in some great manner, affording to them great blessing over a great length of time, for it takes time for one to live to have a nation of descendants and by that become a great name throughout all the earth for all history.
Verse 12:3 continues the LORD’s declarations of Abram’s future by stating a number of astounding predictions which indicate that the LORD specifically selected Abram out of the sea of humanity in human history for His special and eternal purpose: "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Unlike the word ‘world’ which might be limited in time and geography in the context of Gen 12:3, the Hebrew word rendered "earth" in the NKJV in the context of Gen 12:3 encompasses the entire globe of the earth for all time. So the phrase "all the families of the earth" encompasses all mankind throughout history from all points of the earth.
A picture is presented of the LORD sovereignly selecting Abram from Ur of the Chaldees out of the sea of humanity to go to the promised land to be His vessel, (cf. 12:1). The LORD will then supernaturally enable Abram, whose wife has been barren and childless for decades, (cf. Gen 11:30) - both of whom are very old and unable to have children to have such a great name, i.e., have such a worldwide reputation of doing great and godly things and be such a great nation of many physical descendants that in Abram will all the families of the earth throughout history and eternity be blessed through the seed of Abram. This is evidently a fulfillment of the promise of God to provide for the eternal reconciliation of man to God relative to sin and the restoration of mankind's sovereignty over the earth through the miraculous Seed of the woman - a Messiah-Savior, evidently through the seed of Abram, (cf. Gen 3:14-15). That fact alone - that the Messiah-Savior of the world will be a descendant of Abram, will make Abram a great nation and a great name, for in him through that Messiah-Savior will be an opportunity for eternal life and blessing for all the families of the earth throughout history.
Hence an eternal time frame is in view. All of this is with an emphasis on the LORD's sovereign enablement in moving Abram to a faithful position in the land He will show Abram so as to fulfill His promises unilaterally and supernaturally. This was to begin with Abram getting out of his country, going from his family and his father's house to a land He will show Abram, (v. 12:1).
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' (v. 3:15 NKNV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel... (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you will be a blessing." =
Genesis chapter 3 declares God's plan for the eternal reconciliation of man to God and the restoration of mankind's sovereignty over the earth which chapter 12 implies will be fulfilled through the LORD's making Abram a great nation and a great name and in Abram through his seed will be an opportunity for eternal life and blessing for all mankind throughout the ages and eternity. The context of previous chapters in Genesis has indicated that mankind is sinful and estranged from God for which He has a plan for reconciling mankind to Himself through the Seed of Eve which will evidently be through the seed of Abram wherein all individuals have the opportunity to be blessed throughout history with spiritual reconciliation with God and eternal life with Him resulting in the restoration of mankind's authority over the earth.
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' "
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' " =
God spoke to
the particular serpent in the garden of Eden in a manner consistent with
one who had demonstrated highly intelligent, subtle and evil qualities but
wholly inconsistent with such an earthly creature as God had created it.
For of all the earthly creatures, only man was created to have a soul
which reflected the image of God thereby providing such high intelligence
and capacity to exercise rulership over all the other created beings on
the earth. Hence we may conclude that the serpent in view in Genesis 3 was
possessed / influenced by another highly superior created being other than
the two humans God had created; which leaves an angelic being. So for
deceiving Eve and causing her and Adam to sin, (Gen 3:1-7), the LORD GOD
cursed the serpent who was possessed by a rebellious angelic creature
named in other passages as Satan, God's adversary. God cursed the serpent
more than any other creature, relegating serpents now to crawl on their
bellies, eating dust as a sign of judgment upon Satan's rebellion.
Previous text in Genesis does not describe such an intelligent and evil
being, but other passages in Scripture corroborate this and provide more
details: 
(v. 3:15 NKNV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
TWO SPIRITUAL (NOT BIOLOGICAL) SEEDS ARE IN VIEW:
(v. 3:15 NKNV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." =
The Hebrew words "zar’akhA" and "zar’Ahh' " rendered "your seed" and "her Seed" respectively in 3:15 in the NKJV usually has a biological connotation; but in Genesis 3:15, the Hebrew words "zar’akhA" and "zar’Ahh' " refer to:
i) Those individuals - angelic and human - who deliberately follow, i.e., are given 'birth' as seed of the Agent (Satan) who possessed the serpent and caused Eve to sin. Note that that Agent is a spiritual being, not a physical one, hence seed has a spiritual connotation, not a physical one. Furthermore, all of the seed of Satan were declared by God to be at enmity with the woman and her Seed.
ii) The second word rendered seed in Genesis 3:15 which is rendered with a capital "S" in the NKJV, is portrayed as resulting in a male physical descendant of the woman, Eve, in 3:15c: "He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." The word seed when it is used to portray a physical descendant, normally refers to a seed which biologically comes from the male; but in the case of Gen 3:15, the phrase "the seed of the woman" is stipulated as opposed to the normal phrase 'the seed of the man.' Hence the word "Seed" in this case refers to a Seed which must be produced supernaturally and spiritually by God into a female physical descendant of the woman, Eve, in order to result in an individual male descendant of that woman. The Seed of the woman, Eve, is futher portrayed as representing the whole human race - a Messiah-Savior, hence the capital "Seed" - in doing battle with Satan and his seed to regain the lost sovereignty of the human race, usurped by Satan; and to provide an opportunity for every individual human being to be eternally reconciled with God relative to sin.
(v. 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." =
The word "shuph," [Str. # 7779], rendered "shall bruise" twice in 3:15 connotes a striking blow which is purposed to cause destruction.
The LORD GOD spoke to Satan who possessed the serpent in the garden and caused Adam and Eve to sin, usurping their position of authority over the world. He said, "And I [the LORD GOD] will put enmity, [i.e., decree mutual hostility] between you [Satan] and the woman [Eve, who is the mother of all humanity, (cf. 3:20)].
Notice from Gen 3:1 on, it was not Satan's intent to have hostility, but to gain sovereignty over Eve, humanity and the world. He successfully deceived and hence manipulated her and Adam so as to usurp their position and God's authority given to them by God over the earth.
... and [enmity] between your seed and her Seed =
[And there was also decreed by God to be enmity between the seed of Satan, i.e., those who chose to rebel against the LORD GOD, to be spiritually like Satan: unbelieving and rebellious angelic and human beings. They are 'birthed' by Satan in the sense of choosing to rebel against God after Satan's example. Satan evidently makes a constant effort to tempt others to follow him in rebellion against God]
and her Seed =
[= a single individual is portrayed in 3:15b considering the next phrase in 3:15c, ("He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel"), which has a single individual in view. This Individual is stipulated as the Seed of the woman, Eve, portraying a supernatural birth via a spiritually provided Seed to impregnate a female descendant of Eve to give birth to a male descendant Who will represent all of humanity in battle with Satan and his seed to regain the lost sovereignty of the human race over the world and provide an opportunity for every individual human being to be eternally reconciled with God relative to sin.
The LORD GOD then said, 'He [the single individual Messiah Savior] shall bruise [strike] your head, [ i.e., deliver a mortal blow via an act which destroys Satan and the evil he did and restores humanity to its original sinless state]
and you [Satan] will bruise [strike] his heel, [i.e., deliver a non-mortal blow, i.e., cause him injury but not mortal to His existence and purpose, giving Him the victory over sin for all humanity over Satan and his evil work which caused Adam and Eve to sin, destroy their relationship with God and lose control of their rulership over the world to Satan]
(Gen 15:4 NKJV) "And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.' (Gen 15:5 NKJV) Then He brought him outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants [lit. seed] be.' (Gen 15:6 NKJV) And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness, (v. 15:17 ASV) And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace [lit. fire pot], and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces. (v. 15:18 NKJV) In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: (v. 15:19 NKJV) the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, (v. 15:20 NKJV) and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, (v. 15:21 NKJV) and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite"
The Hebrew word "wehe'ëmin" rendered "and he [Abram] believed" in verse 15:6 in the NKJV is in the Hiphil stem in the perfect tense portraying a simple completed action by Abram as an immediate response to the LORD's words in the previous verse: "Then He [the LORD] brought him [Abram] outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He [the LORD] said to him [Abram], 'So shall your descendants [lit. seed] be."
So when Abram began believing in God's promise of innumerable descendants relative to the promises he had been making to Abram since Ur - it was in the time frame of Gen 15:4-6, whereupon God acounted it at that time to Abraham for righteousness unto eternal life, i.e., the perfect righteousness of God. So Abraham was credited with God's perfect righteousness in conjunction with God's promise to Abraham and innumerable descendants of receiving the promised land forever which God's righteousness is evidently required in order to have eternal life in order to inherit the promised land forever. Note that it was received by a moment of faith alone in the LORD's promise alone. And the entire covenant was confirmed unilaterally by the LORD, (cf. Gen 15:17-18). So it cannot be misconstrued that Abraham was expected to do anything in order to be perfectly righteous in his lifestyle in order to receive eternal life from God. There is no stipulation to that effect in the passage.
Gen 15:5-6 is not just a picture of Abram's countless descendants living long after he died with him having gone into the Lake of Fire. There would be no purpose if Abraham would never see them in person, i.e., have eternal life and instead be eternally confined and condemned to the Lake of Fire? This demonstration by the LORD was a picture of His promise to Abraham of eternal life - eternal life with countless descendants over an eternity of time through an individual seed / descendant supernaturally provided for in order to make all of this possible. For Abram was still childless and impotent and Sarai was barren. And all of God's promises to Abram and through his seed to all mankind, the LORD were unilaterally confirmed with Abram.
(Gen 17:1 NKJV) "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I [am] Almighty God; walk before Me and [so shall you] be [declared] blameless." ... (Gen 26:1 NKJV) There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. (Gen 26:2 NKJV) Then the LORD appeared to him and said: 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. (Gen 26:3 NKJV) Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. (Gen 26:4 NKJV) And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, (Gen 26:5 NKJV) because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.'(Gen 26:6) So Isaac dwelt in Gerar."
In the face of famine, the
LORD commands Isaac to remain in the land of Gerar and not go to Egypt -
similar to the LORD's repeated command to Abram to leave Ur of the
Chaldees and go to the Promised Land and remain there even in the face of
famine and not go to Egypt, (cf. Gen 12). He confirms with Isaac the oath,
i.e., the covenant He swore to his father Abraham when he went to the
Promised Land. He specifically stipulated to Isaac as He did with Abraham
that He will make Isaac's descendants, (and therefore Abraham's), as
numerous as the stars in the sky, and will give them the Promised Land;
and through Isaac's offspring, lit., seed, will all the nations of the
earth be blessed which points to a future Messiah-Savior as it did with
Abraham .
Notice that these blessings of the covenant are as a result of the "requirements,
commands, decrees and laws" of the LORD that Abraham declared as
obedient to, evidently by walking before the LORD as the LORD commanded
Abraham in Gen 17:1-2. For the covenant of the LORD with Abraham was
confirmed unilaterally by the LORD - void of any requirements for Abram to
fulfill. Furthermore, as an act of grace, the LORD consistently and
supernaturally came to the rescue of Abraham and thus enabled Abraham to
fulfill the LORD'S requirements, commands, decrees and laws despite
Abraham's frequent failures, (cf Gen chapters 12-15, 20; 17:1-2):
(v. 17:1 NKJV) "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I [am] Almighty God; walk before Me and [so shall you] be [declared] blameless.
(v. 17:2 NAS) And I will establish [provided fulfillment of] My covenant between Me and you and I will multiply you exceedingly."
(v. 17:1 NKJV) "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I [am] Almighty God; walk before Me and [you will] be [declared] blameless." =
The verb form rendered "walk" in the NKJV is in the imperative tense, a command. The second phrase rendered "and [you shall] be [declared] blameless" in the NKJV is in the imperative tense in a 'waw copulative', i.e., it is dependent upon the previous imperative, "walk before the LORD." It is not commanding Abram to be blameless, which is impossible for any mortal. The second imperative is a declaration by the LORD of Abram being blameless when he walks openly before the LORD. In the same way that a business owner can legitimately say, ‘Be open and honest with me and be working’ meaning that so long as you are open and honest with him you will have a job, (no stipulation as to performance at particular tasks); so God can legitimately say to Abram ‘Walk openly and honestly before Me and be blameless’ meaning that during those moments when Abram was open and honest in his life before God, (no stipulation as to being godly), Abram will be blameless.
It is evident that being blameless here is a declaration by the grace of God and not a reflection of actual blameless behavior on the part of Abram, as some contend. This is a grace operation by the LORD as was Abram's declaration of righteousness when he believed in the LORD's plan for his salvation unto eternal life, (cf. Gen 15:6).
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT IS CONFIRMED WITH JACOB
(Gen 28:10 NKJV) "Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. (Gen 28:11 NKJV) So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. (Gen 28:12 NKJV) Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder [was] set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. (Gen 28:13 NKJV) 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 on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. (Gen 28:14 NKJV) Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Gen 28:15 NKJV) Behold, I [am] with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.' "
Note that the promises of the LORD given to Jacob are a reiteration of the promises of the Abrahamic covenant given to Abraham and Isaac. [Return to Ro 9:7-8]
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION AS A SIGN OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
(Gen 13:14 NKJV) "And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: 'Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are - northward, southward, eastward, and westward: (v. 13:15 NKJV) for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendant [lit., seed] forever. (v. 13:16 NKJV) And I will make your descendants [lit., seed] as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. (v. 17:1 NKJV) "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I [am] Almighty God; walk before Me and [so shall you] be [declared] blameless. (v. 17:2 NAS) And I will establish [fulfill] My covenant between Me and you and I will multiply you exceedingly. (v. 17:3 NKJV) Then Abram fell on his face and God talked with him, saying: (v. 17:3 NKJV) Then Abram fell on his face and God talked with him, saying: (v. 17:4 NKJV) ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. (v. 17:5 NKJV) No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. (v. 17:6 NKJV) I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. (v. 17:7 NKJV) And I will establish [fulfill] My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. (v. 17:8 NKJV) Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’ (v. 17:9 NKJV)And God said to Abraham, ‘As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. (v. 17:10 NKJV) This [is] My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants [lit., seed] after you: Every male [child] among you shall be circumcised. (v. 17:11 NKJV) And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. =
Having formally and unilaterally ratified His covenant with Abram, more than 13 years ago, the LORD appears once again to Abram at 99 years old, declares Himself to be "El Shadday", (God Almighty), commands Abram to walk before Him and so shall he be declared blameless and the LORD will establish (begin fulfilling in real time), His covenant with a special emphasis on multiplying Abram exceedingly. Furthermore, the LORD reaffirms Abram that His covenant is with Abram and his descendants forever, (cf. 13:14-16); and then He gives Abram the new name of Abraham, declaring that he is a father of many nations which affirms God's covenant with Abram.
With the above in mind, especially the LORD's formal ratification of His covenant with Abram more than 13 years ago, God says to Abraham, (v. 17:9 NKJV), "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. (v. 17:10 NKJV) This [is] My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants [lit., seed] after you: Every male [child] among you shall be circumcised." If this is part of the LORD’s original and formally ratified covenant with Abram, it contradicts the non-participatory quality of the original when it was formally ratified. Nothing was stipulated at that time for Abram to do in a proactive way, certainly not circumcision. Furthermore, the LORD said, (v. 17:9 NKJV) "And God said to Abraham, ‘As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. (v. 17:10 NKJV) This [is] My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants [lit., seed] after you: Every male [child] among you shall be circumcised. Notice that verse 9 and the phrase "This is My covenant" in verse 10a do not refer back to the LORD’s unilateral covenant which He made with Abram more than 13 years ago, but they refer forward to what is spoken to Abram in verse 10b: "Every male [child] among you shall be circumcised." So the LORD is introducing another covenant: a command to Abram and his descendants to be circumcised as a sign of the first covenant, not as a part of it:
(v. 17:11 NKJV) "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you."
Note that circumcision "shall be a sign of [the original Abrahamic] covenant between the LORD and Abram = two covenants are in view.
[Dt 27-28; 29:1; 30:1-20 NKJV]:
(Dt 27-28)
[Deuteronomy chapters 27-28 speak of blessings and curses for Israel's past history of obedience and disobedience to God]
(v. 29:1 NKJV) "These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the [Mosaic Law] covenant which He made with them in Horeb.
(vv. 29:2-29 NKJV) [A review of Israel's past emphasizing blessings when she was faithful and curses when not]
(v. 30:1 NKJV) Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you,
(v. 30:2 NKJV) and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul,
(v. 30:3 NKJV) that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you
(v. 30:4 NKJV) If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you.
(v. 30:5 NKJV) Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.
(v. 30:6 NKJV) And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
[Notice that part of the Palestinian Covenant is a New Covenant wherein God will circumcise the hearts of all Israelites at that time so that they will love Him with all their heart and soul implying complete obedience to him; and by that they will live, i.e., experience the abundant blessings and complete fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant unilaterally through the LORD. From the history of mankind from Adam and Eve to Abraham to the Israelites and mankind the world over, it is evident that man has not and will not live godly lives of their own volition unless the LORD circumcises their hearts to enable them to do so]
[The Bible Knowledge Commentary, OT, Walvoord and Zuck Eds., Victor Books, USA, 1988, p. 315]:
"The promise that the LORD your God will circumcise your hearts (cf. 10:16) means that God will graciously grant the nation a new will to obey Him in place of their former spiritual insensitivity and stubbornness. After returning to the Promised Land with a new heart they will remain committed to the Lord and therefore will experience abundant blessing (live). Loving Him wholeheartedly ... they would not fall back into apostasy as they had done before. A new heart is an essential feature of the New Covenant (cf. Ezek 36:24-32), which will not be fulfilled for Israel as a nation until the return of Jesus Christ (cf. Jer 31:31-34)"]
(v. 30:7 NKJV) Also the LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.
(v. 30:8 NKJV) And you will again obey the voice of the LORD and do all His commandments which I command you today.
(v. 30:9 NKJV) The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the LORD will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers,
(v. 30:10 NKJV) if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
(v. 30:11 NKJV) For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.
(v. 30:12 NKJV) It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?
(v. 30:13 NKJV) Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?
(v. 30:14 NKJV) But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
(v. 30:15 NKJV) See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.
(v. 30:16 NKJV) that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.
(v. 30:17 NKJV) But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,
(v. 30:18 NKJV) I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
[Notice that obedience to the LORD results in temporal blessing and disobedience in temporal destruction]
(v. 30:19 NKJV) I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live
(v. 30:20 NKJV) that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.' "
[The Palestinian Covenant was made between God and Israel right before Moses died and Israel entered the Promised Land. Hence it was made after the Mosaic Covenant and after Israel had wandered in the wilderness for forty years until the generation that had refused to enter the Promised Land the first time had passed away. The covenant would serve the new generation of Israelites as a reminder of their special covenant relationship with God originally ratified unilaterally with Abraham. It was the LORD's promise to restore the fortunes of Israel - make them more prosperous and more numerous than their fathers as they walked in his ways, and kept His commands, decrees and laws. Then the LORD will have compassion on the Israelites and gather them from all the nations where the LORD had scattered them to the land that belonged to their fathers. And the LORD will put curses on Israel's enemies. The focus of this covenant is on what God is going to do more than what Israel is supposed to do. While Israel's prosperity is closely tied to their obedience to God's command and they will still be punished for their disobedience to God, there is coming a day when God will return them to the land and they will possess it and God will bless them forever and through the New Covenant wherein He will circumcise their hearts and the hearts of their descendants, so that they may love Him with all their heart and with all their soul, and live - live forever in the eternal kingdom - live forever in the eternal kingdom]
(2 Sam 7:8 NKJV) [God speaks to Nathan, (v. 4)] '''Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.
(2 Sam 7:9 NKJV) And I have been with you where ever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.
(v. 7:10 NKJV) Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously."
The LORD will establish a temple for David to be built by David's son Solomon. Solomon will be on the throne of Israel which throne will be established forever pointing to a future Messiah King. The LORD will punish him for wrongs but His love will never be taken away from Solomon.
This is an unconditional covenant made between God and David where God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever. It is unconditional because God does not place any conditions of obedience upon its fulfillment. The surety of the promises made rests solely on God’s faithfulness and do not depend at all on David's or Israel’s obedience. The promises of the Davidic Covenant are largely a reiteration of the Abrahamic and Mosaic Law Covenants.
This covenant centers on several key promises that are made to David.
(2 Sam 7:11 NKJV) ''' " 'Since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the LORD tells you that He will make you a house [a temple of worship].
(2 Sam 7:12 NKJV) When your days [David's, (cf. v. 5)] are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you [Solomon], who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
(2 Sam 7:13 NKJV) He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
(2 Sam 7:14 NKJV) I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of me.
(2 Sam 7:15 NKJV) But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
(2 Sam 7:16 NKJV) And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever' " '''
[The LORD promises to make David's name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. Further, the LORD will provide a permanent land for His people Israel where no longer will they have to move. The promise that David’s "house," "kingdom" and "throne" will be established forever are significant because they show that the Messiah will come from the lineage of David and that He will establish a kingdom from which He will reign forever. The covenant is summarized by the words "house," promising a dynasty in the lineage of David; "kingdom," referring to a people who are governed by a king; "throne," emphasizing the authority of the king’s rule; and "forever," emphasizing the eternal and unconditional nature of this promise to David and Israel]
2) [Compare 1 Chron 16:15-18 NKJV]:
(v. 15 NKJV) "Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
(v. 16 NKJV) The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac,
(v. 17 NKJV) And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
(v. 18 NKJV) Saying, 'To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance' "
(v. 31 NKJV) ''' "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
(v. 32 NKJV) not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
(v. 33 NKJV) But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: 'I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
(v. 34 NKJV) No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. ' "
The LORD will put His law in the minds of Israelites and write it on their hearts. He will be their God and they will be His people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know Him. And He will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Notice that this covenant - a total act of grace on the part of the LORD - was made in view of the repeated failures of the Israelites to obey God. It is the unilateral fulfillment of God's covenants with Abraham and his descendants including David and the Israelite people in view of those failures. This implies the incapacity of any mortal being to obey God except the Seed of the Woman, Jesus Christ Who is the vessel through Whom God is justified in doing this via a perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.
(v. 24 NKJV) ''' " 'For I [the LORD, (v. 1)] will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.
(v. 25 NKJV) Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
(v. 26 NKJV) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
(v. 27 NKJV) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
(v. 28 NKJV) Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
(v. 29 NKJV) I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you.
(v. 30 NKJV) And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations.
(v. 31 NKJV) Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.
(v. 32 NKJV) Not for your sake do I do this,' says the Lord GOD, 'let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!'
(v. 33 NKJV) Thus says the Lord GOD: 'On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt.
(v. 34 NKJV) The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by.'
(v. 35 NKJV) So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’
(v. 36 NKJV) Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.
(v. 37 NKJV) Thus says the Lord GOD: 'I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I will increase their men like a flock.
(v. 38 NKJV) Like a flock offered as holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem on its feast days, so shall so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.' " '''
[Notice that only after the LORD Himself has taken those Israelites living at the time from among the nations, and gathered them out of all countries, and brought them into their own land - the land promised to Abraham and all his descendants - and sprinkled clean water on them so that they will be clean and cleanse them from all filthiness and from all idols and given them a new heart and put a new spirit within them and taken out their heart of stone out of their flesh and given them a heart of flesh and put His Holy Spirit within them and caused them to walk in His statutes and keep His judgments and do them, (vv. 24-27), will there be a fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant. In view is God doing it all so that the Israelites will be a godly people. This implies that the Abrahamic Covenant will be finally and completely fulfilled through the New Covenant.
[The Bible Knowledge Commentary, OT, Walvoord and Zuck, Eds, Victor Books, 1988, p. 1297]:
"God's restoration will not simply be an undoing of Israel's sin to bring her to a state of neutrality. Rather it will involve the postive implanting of a new nature in Israel's people that will make them reighteous. Jeremiah called this work of God the 'New Covenant", (cf. Jer 31:31)."
*** END OF EXCERPT FROM 'GOD'S COVENANTS WITH ISRAEL' ***
(v. 9:4 YLT) "who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises
(v. 9:5 ASV) whose [are] the fathers, and from whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is [sovereign] over all, [Who is] God blessed forever. Amen."
A cont.) TO THE ISRAELITES: THEIRS IS THE ADOPTION BY GOD AS SONS, AND THE GLORY OF GOD TO EXPERIENCE ON EARTH AND IN HEAVEN, AND THE COVENANTS GOD HAS MADE WITH THEM, AND THE LAW GIVING, AND THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVICE OF WORSHIP OF GOD IN THE TABERNACLE AND THE TEMPLE, AND THE PROMISES WHICH ARE CONNECTED WITH THE COVENANTS GOD GAVE TO THE DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM THROUGH ISAAC AND JACOB, cont.
(v. 9:1 YLT) Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit, (v. 9:2 YLT) that I have great grief and unceasing pain [= sorrow] in my heart. (v. 9:3 ASV) For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (v. 9:4a YLT) who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises, (v. 9:5 ASV) whose [are] the fathers, and from whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is [sovereign] over all, [Who is] God blessed forever. Amen" =
4) AND THEIRS IS THE LAW GIVING
(v. 9:3 ASV) "For I [Paul] could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (v. 9:4 YLT) who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises (v. 9:5 ASV) whose [are] the fathers, and from whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is [sovereign] over all, [Who is] God blessed forever. Amen." =
The Law is exclusive to the Jews:
(v. 19 NIV) "He [The LORD, (v. 2)] has revealed His word to Jacob, His laws and decrees to Israel.
(v. 20 NIV) He has done this for no other nation; they do not know His laws. Praise the LORD."
b) [Ro 2:13-4, 17, 3:1-2 NIV]:
(v. 2:13) "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (v. 2:14) (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law" =
Paul provides a perspective of Gentiles - those who do not have the Law, for it was instituted exclusively for Jews, yet they have the capacity to do by nature, i.e., out of their consciences, things required by the Law.
Notice that the lawgiving is unique to the Jews, not to the Gentiles.
(v. 11:26) "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse -
(v. 11:27) the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today;
(v. 11:28) the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known."
5) AND THEIRS IS THE SERVICE OF WORSHIPPING GOD IN THE TABERNACLE AND TEMPLE
(v. 9:3 ASV) "For I [Paul] could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (v. 9:4 YLT) who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises (v. 9:5 ASV) whose [are] the fathers, and from whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is [sovereign] over all, [Who is] God blessed forever. Amen." =
The worshipping of God was uniquely instituted for the redeemed of Israel, (Ex 30), within the unique Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem built by Solomon, down to the last detail from the building and the clothing of the priests, to the precise rituals and the meaning behind each, (Exodus chapters 24-31; 1 Kings chapters 5-9:9)
(v. 25:1) "The LORD said to Moses,
(v. 25:2) Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.
(v. 25:3) These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze;
(v. 25:4) blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair;
(v. 25:5) ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood;
(v. 25:6) olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;
(v. 25:7) and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.
(v. 25:8) Then have them make a sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell among them."
Notice that God will dwell unquely among the Israelites in the sanctuary of the Tabernacle - a building made exclusively for them to worship God.
In view of the fact that Paul stipulated covenants and lawgiving in the list of unique blessings of God upon the Israelites, and since covenants and the Law, (which is a covenant) are promises, then we have in view the promises to Israel which are closely connected to those covenants.
a) Abrahamic Covenant Promises
(v. 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.
(v. 12:2 NAS) [The LORD said to Abram] And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing."
(v. 5 NKJV) "Then He brought him outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants [lit., seed] be.' "
(v. 17:2 NAS) "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and I will multiply you exceedingly."
(v. 13 NKJV) "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 on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.
(v. 14 NKJV) Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
(v. 15 NKJV) Behold, I [am] with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.'"
(v. 13) "Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
(v. 14) But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.
(v. 15) You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.
(v. 16) In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."
iii) God Will Be With His Children - Israel, And Watch Over Them Wherever They Go
(v. 13) "There above it stood the LORD, and he said: 'I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you [Jacob] and your descendants the land on which you are lying.
(v. 14) Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
(v. 15) I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.' "
(v. 27) "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant [David], saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer."
Notice that God promised that David would build the Temple but later repented and gave the promise to Solomon, David's Son.
[2 Sam 7:12-16 cf. 2 Chr 6:15 NIV]:
(v. 12) "When your [David's] days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring [Solomon] to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.
(v. 13) He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
(v. 14) I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men.
(v. 15) But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
(v. 16) Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' "
ii) God Promises To Protect And Redeem Israel Out Of Egypt
(v. 22) "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.
(v. 23) And who is like your people Israel - the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for Himself, and to make a name for Himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?
(v. 24) You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.
(v. 25) And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised,
(v. 26) so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you.
(v. 27) O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, `I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer."
iii) God Allowed No Man To Oppress Israel Or Her Prophets
(v. 15) "[David said:] Remember His Covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,
(v. 16) The Covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac.
(v. 17) He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
(v. 18) Saying, 'To you I will give the land of Canaan, as the portion of your inheritance.'
(v. 19) When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,
(v. 20) they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
(v. 21) He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:
(v. 22) 'Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.' "
(v. 1) "When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.
(v. 2) 'I am about to go the way of all the earth,' he said. 'So be strong, show yourself a man,
(v. 3) and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go,
(v. 4) and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' "
(v. 20) "The LORD has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
(v. 24) You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it - as it is today.
(v. 25) Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.' "
(v. 1) "When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do,
(v. 2) the LORD appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.
(v. 3) The LORD said to him: "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
(v. 4) As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws,
(v. 5) I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'
(v. 6) But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them,
(v. 7) then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.
(v. 8) And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?'
(v. 9) People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them - that is why the LORD brought all this disaster on them.' "
c) Mosaic Law Covenant Promises
(v. 1) "When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.
(v. 2) 'I am about to go the way of all the earth,' he said. 'So be strong, show yourself a man,
(v. 3) and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go
(v. 4) and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' "
(v. 1) "When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do,
(v. 2) the LORD appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.
(v. 3) The LORD said to him: "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
(v. 4) As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws,
(v. 5) I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'
(v. 6) But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them,
(v. 7) then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.
(v. 8) And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?'
(v. 9) People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them - that is why the LORD brought all this disaster on them.' "
d) Palestinian Covenant Promises
(Dt 27-28)
[Deuteronomy chapters 27-28 speak of blessings and curses for Israel's past history of obedience and disobedience to God]
(v. 29:1 NKJV) "These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the [Mosaic Law] covenant which He made with them in Horeb.
(vv. 29:2-29 NKJV) [A review of Israel's past emphasizing blessings when she was faithful and curses when not]
(v. 30:1 NKJV) Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you,
(v. 30:2 NKJV) and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul,
(v. 30:3 NKJV) that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you
(v. 30:4 NKJV) If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you.
(v. 30:5 NKJV) Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.
(v. 30:6 NKJV) And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
[Notice that part of the Palestinian Covenant is a New Covenant wherein God will circumcise the hearts of all Israelites at that time so that they will love Him with all their heart and soul implying complete obedience to him; and by that they will live, i.e., experience the abundant blessings and complete fulfillment of the Abrahamic