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UNLEAVENED BREAD – DAY 1
“Redemption of the Firstborn”
Fred Coulter – April 13, 2006
And greetings, brethren. Welcome to the first day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread – 2006. And a lot of things have been going on in the
world but now’s the time for us to back off from all the things in
prophecies and things that are happening in the world and concentrate on
the feasts of God. And as we know the feasts of God give us the
understanding that we need concerning His plan. Now I hope you all had a
good Passover and Night to be Much Observed, and now we are going to
focus on the Holy Days – the first day of Unleavened Bread, the Sabbath
in-between the first and last day – the Wave Sheaf Offering Day, and
then the last day of Unleavened Bread, and then soon Pentecost. Now
those three feasts pertain directly to the church, and directly to each
one of us so it’s important that we understand and learn even more. So
this year, as we have seen in understanding the little series that we
did concerning the Passover and the Night Much To Be Observed, that
there is a lot that we can learn from the commands concerning the
firstborn.
So let’s begin here in Leviticus 23 where we always begin. We’ve
progressed all the way through verse 6. Let’s begin right in verse 4:
“These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations,
which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.” Now we also find a
corresponding place in the New Testament in II Timothy 4 to preach “in
season and out of season” showing that the New Testament church did keep
the Holy Days according to the commandments of God. Now we’ve already
covered this, verse 5: “In the fourteenth day
of the first month at even [“in between the evenings,” or “between the
two evenings” or as it is in the King James “at evening”] is the
LORD’S passover.” And as we have seen, God never at any time combined
two days into one. Now notice verse 6: “And on the fifteenth day of the
same month…” Now He doesn’t say “combine this with the fourteenth.”
There are two different days. “And on the fifteenth day of the same
month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days
ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy
convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an
offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is
an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.” (Lev.
23:4-8, KJV).
Now God expects us, when we come before Him on the Holy Days, to
bring an offering as God has blessed us. So let’s go to Deuteronomy 16
and see God’s command here. And as we will see when we cover about the
firstborn today, and the sanctifying of the firstborn and what God is
doing with them, and how we fit into it, and the meaning of it for us in
the church of God today, we are going to see how important it is that
when we come before God we don’t come before Him empty.
Now verse 16: “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear
before the LORD thy God in the place which He shall choose…” And today
wherever two or three are gathered together and Christ is in the midst
of it, He’s chosen to be there so that is the place. Now if we’re able
to have a fellowship group and have more than two or three, maybe have
15, 20, 30, 50, 70, whatever it may be, then that is a place where He
has chosen to put His name. And also because as we have seen, we are the
temple of God – individually to receive the Holy Spirit, and
collectively as to what God is doing in building His church.
“…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: every man
shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy
God which He hath given thee” (Deut. 16:16-17, KJV). And then we
also know in the New Testament that the apostle Paul says that if we
give, then God is able to give us sufficiency. So God challenges us, as
we have seen, to prove Him for His blessing. So at this time we’ll go
ahead and pause and we’ll take up the offering for the first day of the
Feast of Unleavened Bread.
(Pause)
Now let’s begin in an unusual place and let’s see something that God
has commanded concerning the firstborn. Now we’ve already covered much
of that in Deuteronomy 16 when we covered it on the difference between
the Night Much to be Observed and on the Passover, and the difference
between the Passover offering there in Deuteronomy 16 that it is really
peace offerings and so forth, and those are the offerings that the
firstborn would bring.
Now let’s come here to Numbers 3 and let’s see something that’s
important, what God says and what He did the Passover night. And here’s
what He tells us, verse 11: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, And
I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel
instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children
of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be Mine; because all the
firstborn are Mine…” Now that’s important for us to understand
and realize. The firstborn belong to God, and we’ll see how that applies
to the church a little later as we go along. “…For on the day
that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me
all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: Mine shall they be: I
am the LORD” (Nu. 3:11-13, KJV). So this is really something.
At the time that He executed His judgment against all the gods of Egypt
and against all the firstborn man and beast in Egypt, then He set aside,
or He sanctified, or He hallowed them. That’s what it is. It means
“sanctified them.”
Now then there has to be a response. We can look at this as number
one on the Passover, the 14th
– redemption for the firstborn. Now then there has to be deliverance,
and we will see that. Let’s come here to Exodus 13 and we will see that
all the way through. There is first redemption and then there is
deliverance.
Now let’s pick it up here Exodus 12:51 (KJV): “And it came to
pass the selfsame day [or that is “the very day”], that the LORD
did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their
armies”, which we saw and we know was the 15th day of the
first month. It clearly tells us it was the 15th.
Now Exodus 13:1: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify
unto Me [or that is set apart, hallow] all the firstborn, whatsoever
openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of
beast: it is Mine.” Now I just want you to stop and think about
how heinous a crime that abortion is, because most of those who are
aborted are the firstborn. Now let’s continue: “And Moses said unto the
people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the
house of bondage…” Now let’s understand something: He passed over their
houses on the Passover day, and on the first day of Unleavened Bread
they come out of Egypt. So on the day portion of the Passover, as we
saw, they assembled at Rameses so they could leave. Now notice: “…for by
strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this
place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. This day [the 15th]
came ye out in the month Abib.” Then He talks about here concerning the
commands for unleavened bread.
Now he says here down in verse 11: “And it shall be when the LORD
shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as He sware unto thee
and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, that thou shalt set apart
unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that
cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’S.
And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou
wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the
firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem” (Ex. 13:1-4,
11-13, KJV). Now we’re going to see about that. First we’re going
to concentrate a little bit on the firstborn, and let’s see some things
that we haven’t understood before, or we haven’t looked at, and we will
see the theme of the firstborn coming right on down beginning with
Abraham.
Now let’s come to Genesis 11 and we will see Abraham was the
firstborn. Now there is the right of firstborn, there is the right of
the inheritance of the firstborn. And we haven’t looked at it very often
here, but Abraham was the firstborn of his father Terah. So let’s come
here to Genesis 11:26: “And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram,
Nahor, and Haran.” So Abraham was firstborn. Now we’re also going to see
that God redeemed Abraham. So there’s a firstborn – there’s a firstborn
redemption. Now let’s see this where He redeemed Abraham.
Let’s come to Isaiah 29:22. And the deliverance, the redemption, the
sanctification, and that will all tie in with what we are as those of
“the church of the firstborn” as we will see later on. So this puts us
in a status with God that is very important and really has profound
meaning for us in our understanding and relationship with God.
“Therefore thus saith the LORD, Who redeemed Abraham…” Now when did He
redeem Abraham? Well we’ll look at that in just a minute. “…Concerning
the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his
face now wax pale”, etc. So He shows the redemption of Jacob along with
the redemption of Abraham. But when was Abraham redeemed?
Now let’s come back here to Genesis 15. I know we have been there but
let’s see, and we’ll touch on this when we get to the New Testament to
see what Paul says about this also. So Abraham was redeemed. Now
remember this: beginning any relationship that anyone has with God you
first have to be redeemed, which is what? The forgiveness of your sins
and the application of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to you. Isn’t that
correct? Yes.
Now Genesis 15:5, which we know is the Passover night: “And He
brought him [Abraham] forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven,
and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto
him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and He counted
it to him for righteousness.” That’s when he was redeemed.
Now then what do we have? We have the sacrifice which parallels the
time of the sacrifice and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as we come
down through the rest of it, and we’ve already covered that. But that’s
when Abraham was redeemed.
Now let’s look at another one and see he was the firstborn, he was
redeemed. Now we know that the firstborn that was counted of Sarah
(because it’s all that opens the womb) was Isaac. Now let’s come to
Genesis 22 and let’s see when Isaac was redeemed. So this becomes very
important for us to understand. And also we’ll go to the book of
Galatians here a little later on where it says that if you are Christ’s
then you’re Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise, and that
we in the church are like Isaac, the children of promise. Now let’s see
when Isaac was redeemed. So in every case in coming before God and God
dealing with us first of all He must redeem us, and that is pictured by
the Passover. Then He delivers us, which is pictured by the first day of
the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And in delivering us our dedication to
God begins.
Now, Genesis 22:1: “And it came to pass after these things, that God
did tempt [prove] Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said,
Behold, here I am. And He said, Take now thy son, thine
only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of
Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the
mountains which I will tell thee of.” See, because God said all the
firstborn were His. And how did you redeem it? You redeemed it with a
burnt offering, you redeemed it with a peace offering, as we have seen.
Now then He also said that we were to redeem the firstborn, so here we
find where Isaac was redeemed. And we’re also going to see how he was
redeemed. And we’re also going to see that it is based upon faith, and
based upon belief in spite of the circumstances that are involved. And
we will see how God looks upon that.
Now let’s continue. And of course understand Isaac was the firstborn
of Sarah. Now verse 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 [split] the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and
went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day
Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said
unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will
go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood
of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son…” Now Isaac
was also a type of Christ. Isaac was the firstborn. We are going to see
here in just a bit Jesus was the firstborn also. So there is a great
significance in all of this and on the first day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread. Because the first day of the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, as we have seen beginning with the Night Much to be Remembered,
is a celebration or a great feast unto God for redeeming and delivering
the firstborn who are dedicated to God. Now we need to think of that in
relationship to our lives. And we need to think of that in relationship
to the way that God has called us.
Now let’s continue on here. He took the wood and laid it on him, you
could also say it was a type of Christ carrying His cross. “…And he took
the fire in his hand [he didn’t have a fire in his hand but he had a
little bowl where he had coals and so forth], and a knife; and they went
both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and
said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said,
Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt
offering?” (Gen. 22:1-7, KJV). Now notice Abraham’s faith because
he believed God.
Now hold your place here and come back to James 2 and let’s
understand something concerning the justification and that there are
things that we need to. Once we are redeemed, once we have been set
aside by God then there are things that we need to do. And as we have
seen and we know our faith, not only believing, but our faith has to
have works and has to have action. Just like the children of Israel,
when they left Egypt they had to believe God and His Word. Just like in
keeping the Passover – they kept the Passover exactly the way that God
commanded them and they obeyed Him and stayed in their houses until
morning. So with belief there has got to be obedience.
Now let’s pick it up here, James 2:17: “In the same way also, faith,
if it does not have works, is dead, by itself.” You have to do what God
says. “But someone is going to say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’
My answer is: You prove your faith to me through your works, and I
will prove my faith to you through my works.” In other words the works
are the evidence of what you believe. So if you say you have faith and
you have no works, you really have no faith. But if you truly have faith
you will have the righteous works because you believe and you act upon
that faith. And that’s what the whole Feast of Unleavened Bread is all
about – that we act upon the faith. That’s why it pictures the Exodus;
that’s why it shows the children of Israel leaving Egypt; that’s why
they had to go on their journey to meet God on Pentecost at Mount Sinai.
And in much the same way when we are redeemed; and we renew the covenant
with the Passover; and we keep the Night Much to be Observed, and the
first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread we are taking action to walk
in the way of God in obedience and we are on our way to the Kingdom of
God. So we have the same thing.
Let’s go on, verse 19: “Do you believe that God is one? You do well
to believe this. Even the demons believe—and tremble in fear.
But are you willing to understand, O foolish man, that faith without
works is dead?” So we’re going to go back and see about Abraham here
because James talks about it here.
Verse 21: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he
offered up Isaac, his own son, upon the altar?” The firstborn – Abraham
was firstborn, Isaac was firstborn. “Do you not see that faith was
working together with his works, and by works
his faith was perfected?” See, because it’s this way: If you
believe God and do what He says and have the works of faith, you are
going to have more belief because it is perfected. And the whole purpose
of our calling is to be perfected, right? Yes. So there you have it.
“And the scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Now Abraham believed God,
and it was reckoned to him for righteousness’; and he was called a
friend of God” (James 2:17-23, FV).
Now let’s come back here to Genesis 22. See, Abraham said in verse 8…
let’s read that again. Notice, he had to have the faith. Also Isaac had
to have a certain amount of faith. He had to accept the answer that his
father, Abraham, gave him. And he said: “…my son, God will provide
Himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
And they came to the place which God had told him of; 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. And Abraham stretched forth his
hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD
called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said,
Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither
do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God…” (Gen.
22:8-12, KJV). And as we mentioned before, this was over a period
of years all of this occurred from its beginning of his calling.
And so likewise with us this ties in with the scripture which Jesus
said: “…The one who endures to
the end, the same shall be saved” (Matt. 10:22, paraphrased). So
we have to have these trials and tests upon us to see: 1) do we love
God; 2) do we believe God; 3) will we obey God under all circumstances?
And that’s what the Feast of Unleavened Bread is all about, so that
every year, not only do we renew the covenant on the Passover night, not
only do we keep the Night Much to be Observed, but now on the first day
of the Feast of Unleavened Bread every year we look to God in faith. We
examine ourselves, we see what we need to do. We need to take the faith
of Christ and overcome the sin that is within us, which is a type of
leaven. But let’s understand this – all of this has to be done by the
power and the Spirit of God. Just like God had to lead the children of
Israel out of Egypt; just like God sanctified all the firstborn unto God
on the night that He killed all the firstborn of Egypt – man and beast,
and therefore on the 15th is to be a celebration unto God, as
we have seen, for the firstborn in bringing forth their offerings, in
bringing forth offerings of thanksgiving that they are the firstborn and
redeemed; also to bring forth the offering to redeem those children that
were born during the year; also the offerings, as we have seen, to
redeem the unclean animals; and also to bring the firstborn of oxen, and
sheep, and goat, and so forth and to bring those as an offering to God.
All of that together, so there’s an awful lot of meaning on this day.
And we find all of it jam-packed right here into Genesis 22 because this
is when Isaac was redeemed – the firstborn, which belonged to God.
That’s why God said to Abraham, “Take your firstborn, your only son, the
one whom you love and you go offer him.” Because why? All the firstborn
belong to God. And there’s great meaning in that for us. We are the
firstborn and we belong to God. So we need to understand that.
Now let’s see what God provided, verse 13: “And Abraham lifted up his
eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket
by his horns…” Now I’ve thought many times, as I’ve said before, that
when they went up there if the ram would have been there they would have
seen it, and they would have said, “Oh look, God has already provided a
sacrifice, hasn’t He.” So God either caused it to go over there or God
supernaturally created a ram specifically for a substitutionary
sacrifice for Isaac. And this ram then became a type of Christ as a
substitutionary sacrifice, which then redeems us, just like it redeemed
Isaac. “…And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a
burnt offering in the stead of his son.” Now here’s another guarantee
that we have. Now notice, the guarantee that comes down through Abraham…
(and this is important for us to understand) and the reason that a lot
of people lose faith is: 1) because they don’t grasp the significance of
their calling; 2) they don’t really truly believe God in a way that they
ought to. Now we’ll see that in just a minute here.
Let’s come down here to verse 15: “And the angel of the LORD called
unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I
sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing [faith,
belief, and action], and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son
[who was the firstborn that God already proclaimed that was His, and the
firstborn were to be redeemed]: that in blessing I will bless thee, and
in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and
as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall
possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations
of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice” (Gen.
22:8-13, 15-18, KJV). Now that’s something. Let’s understand we
are here because of Abraham and Jesus Christ.
Now let’s come back to the book of Galatians and let’s see the
parallel between Isaac and his redemption and being the son of promise,
and we become the children of promise. Come back here to Galatians 4 and
let’s see how important that this is. So there is a parallel for the
church. And also just like the substitutionary sacrifice to redeem
Isaac, Jesus Christ is the substitutionary sacrifice for us, and we
become the spiritual firstborn of God.
Now Galatians 4:26: “But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the
mother of us all; for it is written…” See, because the mother is the
church of the firstborn, right? Just like Sarah was the mother of Isaac
the firstborn. And that’s why in Hebrews 12 it’s called the “church of
the firstborn.” So we have been set aside and sanctified by God. “…For
it is written, ‘Rejoice, O barren who did not bear! Break forth and cry,
you who were not travailing, because many more are the
children of the desolate than of her who has the husband.’ ” (Gal.
4:26-27, FV). And we, brethren, like Isaac are the children of
promise. Now let’s understand that. Our calling is so great and
fantastic we are the children of promise just like Isaac was.
Now turn back here to Galatians 3:26: “…Because you are all sons of
God…” Now let’s look at this very carefully. “…Through faith in Christ
Jesus. For as many of you
as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor
Greek; there is neither bond nor free; there is neither male nor female
[that is in opportunity for salvation]; for you are all one in Christ
Jesus”, Who was what? The substitutionary sacrifice for us, right? Yes.
“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs
according to the promise” (Gal. 3:26-29, FV).
Now let’s come to the book of Hebrews here and let’s see something
very important. Let’s come to Hebrews 6, and this is why we need to have
the absolute faith in God and His Word, because His Word is true, God is
righteous, God cannot lie, God will not lie, and He showed by that very
act of redeeming Isaac, which then shows the redemption of us through
Christ, which we will see in just a minute.
Now let’s pick it up here in verse 13: “For God, after promising
Abraham, swore by Himself…” Now let’s understand how sure the promises
are. God swore by His existence that there would be the spiritual seed
as pictured by the stars of heaven, and we’re here because of that, see.
“…Saying, ‘Surely in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I
will multiply you.’ Now after he [that is Abraham] had patiently
endured, he obtained the promise. For indeed, men swear by the greater,
and confirmation by an oath puts an end to all disputes between
them. In this way God, desiring more abundantly to show the heirs
of the promise the unchangeable nature of His own purpose, confirmed
it by an oath…” Now let’s look at this unchangeableness of His
purpose. And His purpose then also is revealed through what? The Sabbath
and Holy Days. So here is a verse which establishes them, right? Then He
gives an oath and He gives this promise: “…So that by two immutable
things, in which it was impossible for God to lie…” Now we
need to claim that promise. You know, we have our sins and we have our
problems, we have our trials and difficulties and things that we all go
through. I do and you do, and we’re in this together. And that’s why we
need the Passover, and that’s why we need the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
that’s why we need the Spirit of God working in our lives to help us, to
uplift us, to redeem us, to rescue us, you see, and so that we can
produce the fruit and character that God wants us to have.
“…We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to lay
hold on the hope that has been set before us; which
hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both secure and steadfast,
and which enters into the sanctuary
within the veil; where Jesus has entered for us as a forerunner,
having become a High Priest forever according to the order of
Melchisedec” (Heb. 6:13-20, FV). So God is dealing with us that
way.
Now let’s come back here to Romans 3 and let’s see the redemption
that has been given to us through Christ just exactly as it was given to
Isaac. So it’s interesting to see – God redeemed Abraham, God redeemed
Isaac, God redeemed Jacob, God redeemed Joseph, and God has redeemed us.
And all of those follow in parallel.
Now here Roman 3:23, and this tells us how, in the same parallel as
Isaac was redeemed, we are redeemed with a substitutionary sacrifice of
Christ instead of the ram. Now let’s pick it up here: “For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God; but are being
justified freely by His grace…” So what we saw back there in Genesis 22
was an act of grace, wasn’t it? God provided the sacrifice, didn’t He?
Freely. But it also involved the belief and faith and works of Abraham
and Isaac, didn’t it? Yes. “…Being justified freely by His grace through
the redemption…” See, we are redeemed, and that redemption is through
Christ. And through Christ, He being the firstborn of God, because it
says there in Matthew 1:18 that He was the firstborn of the virgin Mary,
correct? Yes. Then it also says in Hebrews 1 that when He brought the
firstborn into the world He said, “ ‘Let all the angels worship
Him.’ ” So He’s the firstborn. Now He was also the firstborn from among
the dead (Revelation 1). So there we have the exact parallel that we
need in our lives and will follow through as we come along here in
Romans 3 and Romans 4.
Now verse 25: “…The redemption that is
in Christ Jesus…”, the substitutionary sacrifice. You go back and
what did John the Baptist say? John 1:29: “ ‘Behold the Lamb of God, Who
takes away the sin of the world.’ ” And it doesn’t say “sins”, it says
“sin” because the sin of the world goes clear back to Adam, and we, with
the law of sin and death, carry that in us. So he says “sin.”
“…Whom God has openly manifested to be
a propitiation through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate
His righteousness [or that is, His justification]…” Now when you have
been justified then that is the first step of being sanctified, which
then means you have been hallowed. When you receive the Holy Spirit you
have been sanctified and hallowed. And it’s up to us to keep the Holy
Spirit growing through prayer and study and all the things that God has
shown us here. It’s justification: “…in respect to the remission of sins
that are past…” Now if you have the New Testament [Faithful Version], we
have in there “Justification By Faith,” you can read the appendix on it.
It goes through and explains everything concerning it.
Now continuing in verse 26: “…through the forbearance of God [God’s
mercy, God’s kindness, God’s loving-kindness, God’s patience]; yes,
to publicly declare His righteousness [or, justification for sin] in the
present time, that He might be just, and the one Who justifies the one
who is of the faith of Jesus. Therefore, where is
boasting? It is excluded [because it’s by grace and mercy]. Through what
law? The law of works? By no means! Rather,
it is through a law of faith.” And we’ve seen the law of faith.
You believe, you act upon it, you continue in it. That’s the law of
faith. And God blesses you. “Consequently, we reckon that a man is
justified by faith, separate from works of law.” And those works of law
had to do with the rituals and the laws of Judaism, not the laws and
commandments of God, as we will see here in just a minute.
“Is He the God of the Jews only?
Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? YES! He is
also God of the Gentiles, since it is indeed one God Who
will justify the circumcision by faith, and the
uncircumcision through faith. Are we, then, abolishing law through
faith? MAY IT NEVER BE! Rather, we are establishing law” (Rom. 3:23-31,
FV). That’s what’s important. And that’s what we need to realize.
Now let’s look and see about Abraham. Here in Chapter 4, he believed God
and it was counted to him for righteousness. Let’s pick it up here in
verse 13. The promise was given to Abraham. When was that given? On the
Passover night. When was that confirmed? The Night to be Much Observed.
“For the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of
the world, was not given through law; rather, it was
through the righteousness of faith; because if those of the
law be the heirs, then faith is made void, and the promise
is made of no effect. For the law works out wrath; because where no
law is, there is no transgression. For this reason
it is of faith, in order that it might be by grace [God’s
gracious gift that we believe Him], to the end that the promise might be
certain to all the seed—not to the one who is of the law only, but also
to the one who is of the faith of Abraham, who is the
father of us all, (Exactly as it is written: ‘I have made you a father
of many nations.’) before God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the
dead, and calls the things that are not as though they are; and
who against hope believed in hope…” That’s why it’s important to
understand about the life of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their faith
and their works and their shortcomings and their sins that they had to
repent of to give us hope, to give us understanding the way that God
wants us to have. And let’s understand this: Because you are having a
problem, because you have circumstances that are greater than you can
handle, turn them to God in faith and always have that hope. Always keep
that hope going. That’s what Abraham did and look how long he had to
have hope. God, when He first brought him out of Haran and told him to
go in Canaan, he said, “I will bless you and make your seed great.”
Well, it was 25 years until Isaac was born. So we have to continue with
hope.
“…Who against hope believed in hope, in order that he might become a
father of many nations [and he did physically, and he will spiritually],
according to that which was spoken, ‘So shall your seed be.’ And he, not
being weak in the faith, considered not his own body, already having
become dead, being about one hundred years old, nor did he consider
the deadness of Sarah’s womb…” See, he had to have a child by promise by
miracle, which then was a type of the one Who became Jesus Christ. So he
didn’t have doubt, verse 20: “…rather, he was strengthened in the faith,
giving glory to God…” (Rom. 4:13-20, FV). Now that tells us how
to have our faith strengthened by giving glory to God. And so we’ll take
a little break here and then we’ll continue on and see how we are
redeemed and how we are delivered.
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