By Pastor Emmanuel Dania
To begin the long process of redemption, God made the first blood sacrifice, life for life. Blood for Sin became the only way. He killed two innocent animals and made coverings for the man and his wife. This was the first picture of the atonement.
Old Covenant
Mankind became so corrupted God was forced to destroy all but a remnant with a great flood. God knew man could never survive in his present state so He cut a covenant with man. He made this everlasting covenant with a man named Abram, a direct descendent
of Adam.
God promised Abram a son by his wife when she was too old to conceive. This birth would be truly miraculous. This child would be born of a free woman according to promise.
He would be the forerunner of the One who would come much later, the Christ who would take away the sins of the world. God changed Abram's name to Abraham, meaning father of nations. In his seed (Christ) all nations would be blessed.
This One would be the cornerstone of the faith, the Lord our Redeemer, Himself the child of promise, the Seed of Abraham. All those who would become partakers of His Spirit would also be of the Seed of Abraham, children of promise, and children of God!
Law
Under this first covenant, the people were like minor children, unable to manage their own affairs even though they would some day be owners of the whole family fortune. They needed an overseer, a keeper.
This overseer was given to them in the form of the Mosaic Law, the Ten Commandments and hundreds of ordinances of worship and daily life. The purpose of the Law was to teach these children how to live in the household of their Father, God.
Seven festivals were given to be enacted throughout the year. These festivals, or appointments with God, were pictures of the plan of salvation for everyone to see and understand; nothing was left to chance.
The first festival is Passover. It honours and recalls how God gave them the blood of the lamb that acted as a covering for their sinfulness and protected them from cursing and judgment delivering them from the power and ownership of the Evil One. It protected
them then just as the Blood of the Lamb protects us today if we stand in faith.
The Law contained instructions and, like every blood covenant, had blessings attached for compliance and dire curses for breaking it. Two choices were offered, life and death, blessing and cursing. God speaks through time saying to all people, "Choose Life.'
Beginnings Reference List
A. Creation
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God
John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word
Hebrews 1:1-4 Through Whom also He made the worlds
Ephesians 3:9 created all things through Jesus Christ
Revelation 4:11 for His pleasure
John 4:24 God is Spirit
Genesis 1:26,27 man in our image 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Genesis 1:28 have dominion.
B. Sin
Isaiah 14:12-15 I will
Genesis 3:1-7 Has God said?
Romans 1:18-22 they are without excuse.
Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand
Hebrews 11:6 without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Romans 5:12 through one man sin entered
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned
C. Death
Genesis 2:16,17 you shall surely die
Genesis 3:21 the Lord God made tunics of skin
Romans 5:12-14 and death through sin
D. Promises (Old Covenant)
Genesis 15 The Lord cut a covenant
Genesis 17:7 an everlasting covenant
Genesis 17:19 Sarah shall bear a son Isaac
Isaiah 28:16 cornerstone
Isaiah 43:14 the Lord your Redeemer
Isaiah 44:6-8 His Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts
Galatians 3:16 "And to your Seed," who is Christ
Galatians 4:28, 29 children of promise
E. Law
Leviticus 17:11 blood makes atonement
Deuteronomy 16 Passover
Exodus 20:1 The Ten Commandments
Deuteronomy 28 Blessings and curses of the Law
Deuteronomy 30:19 Therefore choose Life.
To be continued next week........
Best regards,
Emmanuel Dania
Tel: 01 320 8585
Cell: +234 803 404 1002
" A true helper is one that reaches out for yourc hands to touch your heart "