Chapter 13 - Promise is Not Nullified by Law

Chapter 13

THE PROMISE IS NOT NULLIFIED BY LAW

(Galatians 3:15-18)

Before we begin our study let us pray,

Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,

Holy Father we come before You in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Holy Father please bless this time of our study and would You please provide us the spiritual wisdom to be able to better understand and comprehend Your Word. We ask this so we can truly come to know You, Your Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Truth of Your Word.

Amen

INTRODUCTION

In our previous two studies we found the following two major principles of the Christian faith:

1. We are justified by faith Jesus Christ.

And,

2. There is no justification from the Law.

To see this let us read what the Apostle Paul wrote in,

Galatians 2:15-16

""[16] We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' [16] know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified."

To help us better understand the above truths, the Apostle Paul, explained the relationship between the promises of God and the Mosaic Law. To do this, he first teaches us that the promises of God are not nullified by the Law. This teaching is the topic of this study and is recorded for us in,

Galatians 3:15-18

"[15] Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. [16] The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. [17] What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. [18] For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise."

To better understand the above teaching we will expand upon some of its key points. However, before we do, it will be very helpful for us to first review the promise God gave to Abraham and how it applies to the born again believer in Jesus Christ.

To accomplish this we will,

1. Review the promise God gave to Abraham.

2. Discover that all who are born again believers in Jesus Christ are heirs of the promise.

3. Find that the inheritance for those who are in Jesus Christ is eternal life.

Let us begin by reviewing,

GOD’S PROMISE

As we study the promise we must be careful to recognize that, as it is frequently done in the Scriptures, it is a twofold promise. First it was for then, the Old Testament times and secondly, it was and is for, the New Testament times.

With this understanding we go to the second time God spoke to Abram and read their conversation concerning the inheritance God was going to give him. This conversation is recorded in,

Genesis 15:1-16

"[1] After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." [2] But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" [3] And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." [4] Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." [5] He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." [6] Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. [7] He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." [8] But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?" [9] So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." [10] Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. [11] Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. [12] As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. [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. [14] But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. [15] You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. [16] In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.""

Let us notice the following verses,

1-6 … As we saw in previous studies, Abram's belief and faith in God to fulfill His promise was credited to him as righteousness.

7 … This refers to the time when God told Abram to leave his father's house and follow Him (see Genesis 12:1-6).

13-14 … God told Abram of the future 400 year bondage of his descendents and about their ultimate return to the Promised Land of Canaan.

15 … God also told Abram this would happen after he passed away.

16 … God foretold that after the Amorite’s sins reach their full term, is when He will return Israel to their inheritance.

It is noted that the above promise relates to the nation of Israel during the Old Testament times. And as we know all this was fulfilled during Israel's stay and exodus from Egypt.

Let us now read what God said concerning the promise when He spoke to Abraham for the third time. This conversation is recorded in,

Genesis 17:1-7

"[1] When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. [2] I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." [3] Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, [4] "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. [5] No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. [6] I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. [7] I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”

Let us notice the following verses,

2 … Later we will see how God confirmed His covenant with Abram.

4-5 … Abram was to be the father of many nations. Consequently, God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means "the father of a multitude."

7 … It must be noted that the usage of the English word “descendents” can be misleading. This is especially true when we read what Paul wrote in Galatians 3:16.

To clarify this situation and see the consistency between the Old and New Testaments usage of verse 17:7, it will be helpful to read this verse as it is translated in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament. This version, which is also known as “LXX” is a Greek translation of the original Hebrew Old Testament. Since, in the early New Testament days the Septuagint was considered to be the Bible of the Greek speaking church, the authors of the New Testament, such as Paul, quoted from this version for their writing of the New Testament Scriptures.

With this background let us now read the following English translation of the Septuagint’s translation of,

Genesis 17:7

“And I will establish My covenant between thee and thy seed after thee, to their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be their God and the God of thy seed after thee.”

As a side note, the King James Version of the Bible also uses the Septuagint word “seed” and not the word “descendents.”

It is also pointed out that the above promise not only relates to those of the Old Testament times but it also applies to you and me of the New Testament times. The key to understanding this truth is by noting that,

ALL WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS ARE HEIRS OF THE PROMISE

This truth is recorded in,

Galatians 3:16

"[16] The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ."

With this in mind we come to realize that all those who are in Christ Jesus, which are those who are born again believers in Jesus Christ, are also heirs of the promise. To see this let us read from,

Galatians 3:26-29

"[26] You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, [27] for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Since you and I, as born again believers in Jesus Christ, are heirs of the promise, let us find out what is.

OUR INHERITANCE

To do this we go to the King James Version of the Bible and reread,

Genesis 17:7-8

"[7] And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed. [8] And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a sojourner, all the land on Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.""

Does this mean that we are to pack our bags and move to the land of Israel or Jerusalem? The answer to these questions is no. As we noted earlier, the above promise is a twofold covenant. Not only did it pertain to Israel's Old Testament physical possession of the land of Canaan but it also pertains to the promise of eternal life. To see that it also relates to eternal life and our spiritual inheritance within the New Jerusalem let us read the following description of the vision our Lord Jesus Christ gave to the Apostle John.

Revelation 21:1-7

"[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. [2] I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." [5] He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." [6] He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. [7] He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."

With the above background in mind let us now see that,

GOD’S PROMISE IS NOT NULLIFIED BY LAW

To see this we will,

1. Discover that God cannot and will not lie.

2. Explore the example of Isaac and Ishmael.

3. Summarize the message of teaching for this chapter.

GOD CAN NOT AND WILL NOT LIE

To see this let us read the introduction of Paul's letter to Titus,

Titus 1:1-2

"[1] Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness-- [2] a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,"

To help us better understand the binding nature of God's promise and His integrity, He provided us the following illustration, which is,

A COVENANT DULY ESTABLISHED CAN NOT BE SET ASIDE

In other words, the Bible teaches us that after a last will or testament is made and the person who made it dies, then it can never change, which means is it is always in force. This is why when God gave the law to Moses He also commanded a blood sacrifice to be made. This was recorded for us in,

Hebrews 9:16-20

"[16] In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, [17] because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. [18] This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. [19] When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. [20] He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.""

Let us notice the following verses,

16-17 … We are reminded about the finality of a last will and testament.

18-20 … To demonstrate the everlasting nature of His Word God commanded Moses to sprinkle blood on the scroll and people. The sprinkled blood was symbolic of death and hence was called a blood covenant.

In a similar fashion, 430 years earlier

GOD RATIFIED HIS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM

Let us recall that when God made His promise to Abraham, Abraham asked how he could be sure God would fulfill His word. In response, God told Abraham to offer to Him, a goat, a heifer, a ram and some doves. To refresh our memories let us reread,

Genesis 15:8-9

"[8] But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?" [9] So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.""

As we continue our reading we find God, through a blazing torch, accepted the animals. In other words, He ratified the covenant.

Genesis 15:17

"[17] When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces."

SUMMARY

Thus, we find that the promise given to Abraham and His seed cannot be set aside or added to, it is everlasting. Consequently, it cannot be nullified by Law. It is God's merciful promise to Abraham and all those who are in Jesus Christ.

This truth is beautifully expressed in,

Galatians 3:15-18

To help us better understand the depth and significance of what we have just learned, let us look to,

THE EXAMPLE OF ISAAC AND ISHMAEL

We begin our study of this example by reading where,

GOD PROMISED ABRAM AN HEIR

To refresh our memory let us reread,

Genesis 15:1-6

As time went by the above promise was still not fulfilled. Thus, Sarai, Abram's wife takes matters into her own hands. She decided to provide Abram a child according to the custom or law of the land. Namely, Abram was to lie with Sari’s maidservant and have a child through her. Thus,

THE BIRTH OF ISHMAEL

Ishmael's birth is recorded for us in,

Genesis 16:1-4

"[1] Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; [2] so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said. [3] So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. [4] He slept with Hagar, and she conceived..."

Let us now skip to,

Genesis 16:15-16

"[15] So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. [16] Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael."

As we continue reading the Scriptures we find that Ishmael was not to be Abram's heir. If he was, then God's promise would have been nullified by law, which as we discovered earlier this cannot be. Consequently,

GOD REITERATED HIS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM

To read it let us go to,

Genesis 17:15-22

"[15] God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. [16] I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." [17] Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" [18] And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" [19] Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. [20] And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. [21] But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." [22] When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him."

Let us notice the following verses,

15 … God changed Sarai's name to Sarah, which means princess.

17-18 … We must remember it has been over 15 years since God first promised Abraham a son. He is close to 100 years old and Sarah is barren. Consequently, this time Abraham had a difficult time believing God's promise.

19 … Consequently, God reiterated His promise to Abraham and Sarah.

20-21 … Even though Ishmael would be blessed; the covenant would be through Isaac, who was the promised son.

With this in mind, let us now read about,

THE BIRTH OF ISAAC

Isaac's birth is recorded for us in,

Genesis 21:1-5

"[1] Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. [2] Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. [3] Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. [4] When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. [5] Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him."

THE FOURFOLD MESSAGE OF THIS STUDY

First of all, we discovered that,

GOD DOES NOT LIE AND WILL FULFILL HIS WORD

To refresh our memories of this fact let us read what Balaam said to King Balak when King Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam tried to explain to the king that because God had blessed Israel He would place a curse on them. To read what Balaam said to the king we go to,

Numbers 23:18-19

"[18] Then he uttered his oracle: "Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor. [19] God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

The second message for this study is,

GOD'S PROMISE IS NOT NULLIFIED BY LAW

Perhaps the best way to reiterate this truth is by rereading the following passage,

Galatians 3:17

"[17] What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise."

The third message or point of this study is,

THOSE WHO ARE THE CHILDREN OF PROMISE ARE THE TRUE DESCENDENTS OF ABRAHAM

To see this let us read from,

Romans 9:6-8

"[6] ... For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. [7] Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." [8] In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring."

To amplify upon this truth a bit more let us read from,

John 1:12-13

"[12] Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."

Let us expand upon this truth by reading the following excerpt from Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus,

John 3:3

[3] Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

As we reflect upon all this we come to realize the tremendous blessing we have received in Jesus Christ. Before we knew Him we were as good as dead. But according to God's promise, through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been born again to eternal life with Him. This brings us to the fourth and last point of this study. Specifically,

WE HAVE AN INHERITANCE WAITING FOR US IN HEAVEN

To see this let us read from,

1 Peter 1:3-5

"[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."

CLOSING

Let us close this study by reading from the following Psalm,

Psalm 145: 1-3

"[1] I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. [2] Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. [3] Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom."

Amen and Amen

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