78 n est o f th e “p rom ised possession.” So Jesu s’ “ cu p ” a n d “b re a d ” p led g e th e “ new c o v e n a n t,” a n d th e com ing possession (1 Cor. 11 :25, 2 6 ) . ( 3 ) A b ram p a id tith e s to Melchise- d e c as rep re sen tin g th e M ost H igh a n d as owning H is suzerainty. A view o f giving n o t to b e lo st sigh t of — trib u te to th e L o rd an d G iver of all. ( 4 ) H e refu sed th e spoils of Sodom , lest its king shou ld say, “ I h a v e m ad e A b ram rich.” H e w ould h a v e no “un righ teou s m am m o n ,” no “ ta in te d m on ey ” ; w ou ld lay him self u n d e r no ob lig ation to th e w o rld , n o r give it cause to flatter itself th a t it h a d p a rtn e rsh ip w ith C h rist an d th e sain ts; n o r le t any sh a re th e ho n o rs w ith th e M ost H igh o f w hom h e w ou ld say, “A ll my sp ring s a re in T h e e .” II. The Covenant With Abram. 1. The context of the Covenant. ( 1) “A fte r these th ing s.” In y ie ld ing th e choice to Lot, th e spoils to Sodom , a n d th e tith es to Melchise- dec, A b ram p le a sed th e Lo rd , as such co n d u c t alw ays must. W h en w e p lease H im H e is p le a sed to p lease us; to reveal H im self in new an d fuller light, an d reassure us of H is grace. ( 2 ) T h is c h a p te r ( 1 5 ) is in th e m id st o f a series of c o v e n a n t assurances. But it is the d o cu m en t itself. H e re th e prom ise is m ade, sealed w ith sacrificial b lo o d , con firm ed b y a n oath , d e liv e red an d a c c ep ted (v . 6 ). 2. The content of the Covenant. ( 1 ) T h e L o rd H im self, “ I am th y shield a n d th y exceed ing g re a t re w a rd ” (v . 1 ). T h is w as th e u n sp e ak ab le g ift” (2 Cor. 9 : 1 5 ) . T h e re is no possession like a person. W h en th a t is Je h o v a h n o th ing is left to b e desired . Consciously to p o s sess H im is th e id e a l experience of faith. O u r ag e h as alm o st lo st sight o f it. It p u ts p re c e p t b e fo re P e rson (se e ed. p a g e .) ; w o rk b e fo re w o r
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sh ip ; gift b e fo re G iver. C hristian ity w ithou t C hrist is as co ld as it is co n trad ic to ry . Je h o v a h first g av e H im self (2 Cor. 8 : 5 ) . ( 2 ) A n heir, th e “S e ed .” “O u t o f th in e own bow els” (v . 4 ) . F rom th a t d a y it w as c e rti fied th a t “ sa lv a tion is of th e Jew s” (J o h n 4 : 22 ) . A b ram has spiritual seed (R om . 4 : 17 ) , b u t th e generic Seed m ust be, also, his own flesh (M a tt. 1 : 1 ) . “S e e d ” m ay b e in d i v idu a l o r collective. Ind iv idually it h ere refers to Christ, collectively (a ) to th e Jew ish p e o p le ( b ) to “the Christ,” th e Church, reg en e rate Jew s (R om . 2 : 29 ) , a n d e n g ra fte d G en tiles (R om . 11: ). “T ell th e sta rs” (v . 5 ) . Im agine th e “Syrian sta rs,” th e countless glories! h u n d re d s o f m illions in th e m ilky w ay alone, a n d billions as invisible as w ere th e u n b o rn sain ts d e stin ed to “shine as th e stars fo r ev e r a n d ev e r” (D an . 1 2 : 3 ) . L o t h a d th e occasional bow (G en . 9 : 1 3 ) fo r a to k e n ; A b ram th e nigh tly stars th e assu r ance, a t once o f th e glory, th e full ness a n d th e c e rta in ty o f th e prom ise. E lsew here (G en . 1 3 : 1 6 ) th e c om p ariso n is to th e “d u st o f th e e a rth ” (th e countlessness o f th e a tom s) for A b ram ’s seed a re heirs b o th o f h e a v en an d o f e a rth (2 Cor. 3 : 21 - 23) . ■(3) “Give thee this land” (v . 7 ). So th e H eb rew em phasizes this an d only this con ten t. T h e lan d is n o t on ly to b e his se ed ’s b u t his own. H e n ev e r h a d a fo o t o f it (A c ts 7:5; H eb . 11:39, 40 ) . The land g u a ran te e s th e literality of all p re d iction s o f fu tu re Jew ish g lo ry in th e land , an d m ak es a physical resu r rection o f A b ram an d his co-heirs as ce rta in a s th e D ivine hono r. ( 4 ) O th e r item s, such as th e en jo ym en t an d im p a rtm e n t o f blessing (G en . 12 : 2 ) ; dealing w ith friend s a n d foes (G en . 12 : 2 ) ; a n d th e ev erlasting ten u re (G en . 1 7 : 7 ) a re invo lv ed in v erse 1, a n d in th e im p lied resurrec-
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