Scripture:
Genesis 17:1-10; Jeremiah 31:31-34; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Mon, 7 March 2022

God’s Covenantal Promises to Abraham’s Descendants

Observation:

How did God reveal that His covenantal promises to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) included the generations beyond (vv.7-10) and were also to be understood in the light of the new covenant (Jer 31:31-34; 1 Cor 11:25)?

Deeper Reflection
GENESIS 17 MARKED A TURNING POINT IN GOD’S covenantal promises to Abram (renamed “Abraham”) in two ways.First, it was the first occasion that the covenant was extended to include Abraham’s offspring. The covenant was not just between God and Abraham, but also between God and Abraham’s offspring after him “throughout the generations” (vv.7, 9). In Genesis 12:2, God promised to make Abram into a “great nation”. God told Abram that his descendants will be as countless as the dust of the earth (Gen 13:16) and as the stars in the sky (Gen 15:5). Just as God promised, Abraham had his own offspring who over time became a multitude of nations. God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants was for the purpose of a relationship with them (“to be God to you and your offspring after you”, v.7).Second, the command to keep God’s covenant was not just directed to Abraham, but to his descendants as well (vv.9-10). All of them were to observe God’s covenantal obligations (requirements), thereby keeping His covenant.This turning point in God’s covenantal promises to Abraham reflects a transition from understanding God’s covenant as one made by God with Abraham, to a covenant made by God also with all subsequent generations of Abraham’s descendants. The Bible makes clear that all people who have faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ are descendants of Abraham.4 God’s will and purpose are for His covenant to be passed on from generation to generation. As believers in Christ, have we wholeheartedly committed ourselves to pass on the knowledge of God’s covenant to our own and subsequent generations?
44 See Romans 4; Galatians 3; and Romans 2:25-29.
Application:

How does my understanding of the scope and nature of God’s covenantal promises impact my decisions in life and ministry?

Prayer:
Lord God, please help me to see Your heart for the generations and to do my part to make known your covenantal promises in Jesus Christ to all generations. Help me not only to understand what Your covenant means for myself, but to embrace it and pass it on to the next generation as well. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for leaders
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

Download this Building Fund QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Download this General Fund for East QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Download this General Fund for WDL QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Daniel 10:11-12, 14-19
Tue, 26 September 2023

A Man of High Esteem

Observation:

What significant observations can you make about Daniel being called “man of high esteem” (vv.11, 19)?

Deeper Reflection
One of the heavenly beings called Daniel “man of high esteem” (v.11). This honour was bestowed on Daniel emphatically, in that it was repeated twice (v.19). This “high esteem” did not come from man, but from God Himself. God gave this honour to Daniel toward the end of his life when God called him to “enter into rest” (Dan 12:13). As a youth, Daniel “made up his mind not to defile himself with the king’s choice food” (Dan 1:8), and as an old man, he was faithful to God in spending time with Him in his “three times a day” devotion, even if it means to be thrown into the lions’ den (Dan 6:10). Daniel was finishing well in his life with “humbling yourself before your God” (v.12). When we think of finishing well in terms of successful accomplishments, we must be careful that we are not exalting ourselves.It is not for us to see ourselves in any way as a person of high esteem before God. It is for God to say that to us (2 Cor 10:17-18). Daniel never saw himself as a “man of high esteem”. A key emphasis in Daniel 10 is Daniel being greatly overwhelmed by the holiness and glory of God represented by the heavenly being with an awesome appearance (Dan 10:5-10, 15-18). And it was in this encounter with God when he was called “man of high esteem” that Daniel said, “How can such a servant of my Lord talk with such as my Lord?”50 (v.17). The man highly esteemed by God saw his unworthiness before God.
50 I have theologically translated “my lord” to “my Lord”, since the heavenly being is a representation of God.
Application:

What does being highly esteemed by God mean to me?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for pastors and staff: To be able to see oneself as God sees
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

Download this New Life Fund QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Download this General Fund for BPJ QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.