Thoughts on Discipleship by Dr. W. A. Dillard - HTML preview

RE-THINKING THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

As the end of the present age rushes toward closure, the tiny nation of Israel comes ever more into focus politically and religiously. With the mighty nations of earth thousands of times more powerful economically, politically, militarily, and in population, one may wonder why this is so. It is because God has revealed plans for that nation beyond this age. They shall be grafted back into the root from which they were cut, and which the present “Israel,” the church now occupies by faith. Rom. 11.

Much is said about ownership of the land mass physical Israel occupies. Arabs claim it as a gift from Abraham their father through his firstborn, Ishmael. On the other hand, present day Jews claim the land as a gift from their father Abraham through Isaac.

God promised that land plus a lot more surrounding it to the seed of Abraham. Therein lies the rub for those whose vision and understanding is limited to fleshly matters.

Nominal Christians, and those whose origin, understanding, and practice is foreign to the New Testament ministry of Jesus, get caught up in the controversy as well.

They fail to understand that God chose to use a distinct, fleshly lineage of people to set the stage of spiritual heritage for His greatest work among mankind, namely His redemptive work in Jesus, and the maturation of disciples in the New Testament Church through His New Testament (covenant). Built by Jesus, the human expression of His New Covenant, His church, was purchased with His own blood. Moreover, it was given extraordinary power by the abiding Holy Spirit, enabling it to persevere throughout all ages. With this in mind, the apostle Paul explained the meaning of the Abrahamic promise. When the promise was made to Abraham’s seed, there was never a plurality mentioned, but it was always singular, “Seed.” Gal. 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” He went on to explain that the Seed under consideration all the time was not a nation of fleshly people, but the Seed is specifically Christ Jesus.

He will inherit all that land as well as the nations of this world. The good news is that those who are in Christ will inherit with Him. Those looking for inheritance and legitimacy apart from Christ will find nothing but extreme disappointment.

FOR THOUGHT: How does it make you feel to realize that you may be a recipient of the fullness of the Abrahamic covenant through faith in “The Seed.” Does it make you want to learn more and live more fully in the teachings of “The Seed?” How will you begin to do that as an interested disciple?