Spiritual Gifts to Abraham, Part 1

Recently, we all celebrated Thanksgiving. Families gathered together for a meal together. We gave thanks for the great bounty that we have been given in our country, at the same time realizing that the source of our blessings is Almighty God and the promises given to Abraham. You know, one of the fundamental beliefs of the United Church of God is with the title Promises to Abraham, and reading from this fundamental belief, we believe in God's enduring righteousness. That righteousness is demonstrated by God's faithfulness in fulfilling all the promises He made to the Father of the Faithful, Abraham. As promised, God multiplied Abraham's lineal descendants. We believe that God through Abraham's seed, Jesus Christ, is making salvation available to all humanity regardless of physical lineage. Salvation is therefore not therefore a rite of birth. It is freely open to all whom God calls, and those who are regarded as descendants of Abraham are those of the faith heirs according to the promise. So this is one of the fundamental doctrines and teachings of the United Church of God, and we believe that our blessings, the physical blessings that we enjoyed on Thanksgiving and that we enjoy throughout the year, actually, in our country come because of those promises that God has given to the patriarchs.

But I want to ask us a question. On Thanksgiving Day, did we think about the other side of the promises as much as we should have thought? And that is the spiritual promises that God made. The national promises are great, but the spiritual promises are so much greater. And so today I would like for us to consider the spiritual promises that God gave to Abraham more deeply and to be really more deeply thankful for them. Let's go back to Genesis 12 and read the promises as they began to be given to Abraham. Genesis 12, verses 1-3. Genesis 12, 1-3.

I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. And so that includes everyone, doesn't it? All nations, not just Israelites, but in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Now we read just a little bit more about these promises in Genesis 22.

Genesis 22. This is the chapter where Abraham showed that he was willing to obey God to the point of sacrificing Isaac, his own son. He had Isaac up on the altar ready to kill him, and he would be the offering that God had told him to make.

But God stopped him just at the very last minute, and once he saw that Abraham was going to carry through and obey what he had been told to do. So Genesis 22, verse 15.

Notice verse 18. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed my voice. Later on we're going to see that this seed in this verse is actually referring to the spiritual promises, primarily. In fact, it's referring to Jesus Christ. We'll see a verse in the New Testament on that. So the promises then were given to Abraham. They were national promises, national greatness, but even more they were spiritual promises that would involve all the families on the earth. They were going to look at those spiritual promises.

We know that the national promises come through the tribe that was given the birthright, Joseph. But what about the spiritual promises? Did they come through the same tribe or a different tribe? Well, let's go to a few verses in the Bible that will give us the answer. 1 Chronicles 5. We have an interesting verse or two here. 1 Chronicles 5, verses 1 and 2.

Now, the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel. Yes, Reuben was the first of the sons of Jacob. He was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, he went into one of the handmaids of Jacob, his father. Because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright. But that is verse 2, an interesting verse. 2 And yet Judah prevailed over his brothers. And the New International Version says Judah was the strongest of his brothers. So think of that. Judah then has a preeminence.

Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him come a ruler. Implication, that ruler...well, there would be rulers coming from Judah. Certainly King David himself was one of those. But perhaps the ruler, Jesus Christ, could be implied here as well. From him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph's. So it's interesting that as far as the promises, there were national promises that came through the birthright to Joseph, the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. But Judah has a preeminence, and a ruler comes from Judah. And Judah prevailed over or was stronger than his brothers. It's interesting that then as we develop this, that the spiritual promises are not going to come through the same tribe as the birthright. Let's go to Genesis, Chapter 49. We begin to develop this a little bit further. Genesis, Chapter 49. Most of us are very familiar with this chapter. It's the blessings upon the twelve sons of Jacob. Just before Jacob died, he gathered everybody together in verse 1, and he said, Gathered together that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days. We already know that in the previous chapter, Jacob had given promises or blessings to the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. We remember the crossing of the hands. The right hand went upon the younger one, Ephraim. And the left hand went upon the older one, Manasseh. Joseph didn't like that, so he tried to get his father to change it, but he said, I know my son. And Ephraim would become a company of nations and would be greater. Manasseh, though, would become also a great nation. Well, in this chapter, Chapter 49, we have all of the twelve sons of Jacob, blessed by Jacob, their father, shortly before his death. We are probably very familiar with verses 22 through 26 on Joseph, who had the birthright. And he would be a fruitful bough. He would be greatly blessed. As you go on down to verse 25 and 26, the blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors. It just shows all the greatness of the birthright promises that were given to Joseph. But what about Judah, the one that was the strongest of the brothers, and the one, as we'll see, through whom the spiritual promises would come? Let's go back to verse 8. Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's children shall bow down to you. Now, that might remind us that Joseph had a dream about his brothers bowing down to him. And yet here we also have this about your father's children. That would be the siblings then of Judah shall bow down before you. This shows a preeminence on the part of Judah. And again, 1 Chronicles 5, 2 says Judah was the strongest of his brothers. Your father's children shall bow down before you. Verse 9, Judah is a lion's web. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion who shall rouse him. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, till Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey on the vine and his donkey's coat on the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine and his clothes and the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. Well, what does all this mean, this poetic-type language? The Expositor's Bible commentary is a help to us, and I want to read from it, verses 8 through 12, from the Expositor's Bible commentary. Jacob foretold a future for the tribe of Judah that pictured him as the preeminent one. Though he did not have the right of the firstborn, he did not have the birthright, Judah had been chosen over all the others as the royal tribe. The royal tribe. Judah prevailed, 1 Chronicles 5-2, and NIV was the strongest over his brothers, and thus became heir to the throne.

In verse 8, still made up of the poetic images, Judah is described as a victorious warrior who returns home from battle and is greeted by the shouts of praise from his brothers. In verse 8, the parallelism in verse 8 is intended by the statement, Your father's sons will bow down to you. And then verse 9, where it mentions Judah being a lion's whelp, the image of the victorious warrior is extended with the picture of Judah as a young lion. The young lion is pictured as sleeping in its den after having just devoured its prey. Who dares to arouse him? Verse 10, the picture is filled out with a description of a young warrior as a king.

He is the one who holds the scepter. Now, what is a scepter? The scepter, the dictionary definition of scepter, is a rod or staff, highly ornamented, very ornamental, held by rulers on ceremonial occasions as a symbol of authority and sovereignty.

So, and we read here in verse 10, the scepter shall not depart from Judah. For he is the one who holds the scepter and the ruler's staff. The point of Jacob's words is that Judah will hold such a status among the tribes of Israel until one comes to whom it belongs. Those who reign from the house of Judah will do so in anticipation of one to whom the kingship truly belongs.

The word shiloh, found in English versions, is simply an untranslated form of the Hebrew expression, meaning one to whom it belongs. It's just untranslated from the Hebrew, but it means one to whom it belongs. Who does it belong to? Well, even in my New King James version, shiloh is capitalized, and to him, him is also capitalized. Obviously, they believe it's talking about Jesus Christ, which certainly is true. Until shiloh comes, the one to whom the scepter really belongs, and to him, to Christ, shall be the obedience of the people. And that is very true in the millennium. Everybody will be obedient to the government of Christ.

So, and it says here that it implies that it will be beyond the boundaries of Israel and include other nations as well. And the Expositor's Bible commentary goes on to have a reference to Daniel 7, where the Son of Man is given authority and glory and sovereign power. All people, nations, and men of every language worship Him. What about verses 11 and 12? He will read this again, binding His donkey to the vine and His donkey's coat to the choice vine.

He washed His garments and wine and its clothes and the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine and His teeth whiter than milk. Here's what the Expositor says about verses 11 and 12. These verses draw an extended picture of the reign of this one from the tribe of Judah. In His day, there will again be plenty for everyone.

Poetically, this idea of plenitude is expressed with the images of the donkey tethered to the choices of wines and clothing washed in vintage wine. The sense of the imagery is that the wine, symbolic of prosperity and blessing, is so plentiful that even the choices, wines will be put to such everyday use as tethering the animals of burden and vintage wine will be as commonplace as wash water.

Verse 12 returns to the picture of the king of Judah. His eyes are darker than wine and His teeth whiter than milk. He is the picture of strength and power. So this description of Judah I had never looked at quite as closely myself, but it fits right in with 1 Chronicles 5, where Judah prevailed over his brothers and is pictured as the preeminent Son and chosen over all the others as the royal tribe. And indeed, He is the royal tribe because, of course, in a few minutes we'll see, of course, that Jesus Christ came from the tribe of Judah. So it's interesting that two of the great-grandsons of Abraham carry on then the national and the spiritual promises that were given.

Joseph is the one through whom the national promises will go and Judah is the one through whom the spiritual promises will go. Two of the great-grandsons of Abraham. So Judah is given preeminence over the other tribes. The ultimate ruler, Jesus Christ, would come from Judah. Well, let us just a few other verses here in the book of Genesis. Genesis 29 and verse 35, it'd be good to go back to the birth of Judah and see where he fit into the, as far as the sons of Jacob are concerned.

In Genesis 29 and verse 35, you could go back to verse 31 where Leah begins, verse 32, Leah begins to bear children to Jacob. Her first one was Reuben. And then the next verse, the next one was Simeon. And the next verse, Levi. And then verse 35, She conceived again and bore a son and said, Now I will praise the Lord. This is the fourth son that she is born to Jacob. Therefore she called his name Judah, which means praise.

And she stopped bearing at that point. But the very name Judah, fittingly, means praise. And isn't that fitting that as far as the spiritual promises, certainly our praise toward God and promises of, well, salvation for all of mankind would come through the tribe, one that would be from the tribe of Judah. You know, the preeminence of Judah is also evident here in the book of Genesis. In chapter 37, we won't read that, but this is where Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers.

They saw him coming. They said, this dreamer, they took him, they threw him into a pit. And Reuben was going to later deliver him out of that pit. But in the meantime, Judah got aside with his brothers and said, Why should we let him die in the pitless? These Ishmaelites were coming by with spices headed toward Egypt. That's just selling into the Ishmaelites and making money off of them. So that's what they did. So Judah's role as a spokesman and a leader is very evident. Later on, when there was a famine in the land and Jacob heard there was corn and grain in Egypt, then he sent his ten sons to Egypt, but holding back Benjamin.

And so when they appeared in Egypt, then Joseph, of course, accused them of being spies. He recognized them. He spoke to them through an interpreter. And they did not recognize him. And he then bound Simeon to keep him and said, You bring back that other brother if you want any more grain.

You will not sin you again unless you bring this other brother you claim you have. And so they went back and when their grain began to get low, then Jacob said, Go get some more grain for us.

And it was Judah who spoke up and said that we cannot go unless we take Benjamin. Finally, we know that Jacob gave in and they went. Well, then Joseph arranged so that he wanted to really test and try his brothers. And they put his golden cup in Benjamin's grain, sack of grain, and they headed out. And then Joseph sent out and said, you know, what have you done? They went searching through the bags of grain to found the golden cup of Joseph in Benjamin's sack.

And they came back. And it was Judah who begged Joseph to just take him. Well, let's read that in chapter 44 because, again, it shows Judah's preeminent role as a leader and a spokesman among the brothers. In chapter 44 and verse 18, you can even before that, Joseph said, what is this that you have done? And in verse 16, Judah said, what shall we say to my Lord? What shall we speak? How shall we clear ourselves?

Verse 18, Judah came near to him and said, oh, my Lord, please let your servant speak. And it explains how much Benjamin means to his father. And just to cut on through this, in verse 32, Judah is still speaking. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, if I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father forever. Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my Lord. Let me, Judah, be a slave and let Benjamin let the lad go with his brothers.

For how shall I go to my father if the lad is not with me? Lest perhaps I see the evil that will come upon my father. So Judah was willing to himself be the slave instead of Benjamin. Certainly shows his preeminent role, his role of leadership. We've got a little bit more of, you might say, the preeminence or the strength of the tribe of Judah in Numbers 13.

When the spies were sent to spy out the land, one spy was chosen from each of the tribes. And when they went to spy out the land, they came back. But first of all, let's pick up who a couple of the spies were in Numbers 13, verse 6. From the tribe of Judah, Caleb, the son of Jafuna. So here was the representative, the spy of the tribe of Judah. By the way, in verse 8, the representative, the spy from Ephraim was Joshua, the son of Nun.

Well, they came back and ten of the spies said the people are strong, the cities are fortified and large, and we don't stand a chance. We're like grasshoppers, they went on the sale a bit later. Guess who stood up and said we can do it? Verse 30. Then Caleb, a Jew from the tribe of Judah, Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it. So Caleb was strong, and along with him, not brought out in this chapter, was one other, Joshua. In chapter 14 and verse 30, though, only...

Well, let's read the verse, Roman numbers, 14 and verse 30. Except for Caleb and the son of Jafuna and Joshua, the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land, which I swore I would make you dwell in it. Anyone 20 years and older. The only two that were 20 years and older were Caleb and Joshua.

You might say an ancient Jew and Brit. All the others said were afraid, liked faith. So it's rather interesting that the strength of Judah comes up as far as going in to take the land. One other verse in the Old Testament that would be also good before we get into the spiritual promises and how they come on over into the New Testament and through Jesus Christ. Let's go to Psalm 78. Psalm 78 and verse 67. Psalm 78 and verse 67. Interesting verses here. Moreover, he rejected the tent of Joseph.

Well, Joseph had the birthright. Did not choose the tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim was the leading half of the birthright. But God rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah. Mount Zion, which he loved, and he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth, which he has established forever. He also chose David, David being from the tribe of Judah, his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds, from following the ewes that had young he brought him, to shepherd Jacob, his people in Israel, his inheritance. So he, that is, David shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

So what about this, though, where God rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim? Did you know when the Israelites first came into the land of Canaan, and each of the tribes had their own land given to them, that the tabernacle, the tent that they had all during their years in the wilderness, and they brought it across the Jordan River, and they set it up in a city by the name of Shiloh. And it was there in Shiloh, around pretty close to 400 years. I didn't get the exact number of years, but at least 300 or 400 years it was in Shiloh.

And it was during the time of Saul, King Saul, that there was war with the Philistines, that the Philistines were stronger, and they took the Ark of the Covenant out of the tabernacle, and they took it back to some of their cities. Well, they began to have disease and death in several of their cities, wherever it went.

So they began to realize they'd better get rid of the Ark. And they put it on a cart, and they sent it back toward Israel, and it came to a place or two along the way, but it never made it back to Shiloh. It was in the time of David that David learned or knew where it was, and in the meantime, David had conquered Jerusalem and Zion and made his own headquarters, and so he brought the Ark of the Covenant, and the tabernacle was set up on Zion at that time.

Shiloh, did you know Shiloh was in Ephraim? And that's what it means here, that he rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim. That's where the tabernacle, where the Ark of the Covenant, that was their spiritual headquarters, you might say. That's where the temple was the tent. It was not a building, it was a tent for several hundreds of years.

David built a nice house there in Jerusalem, and then he looked and said, God's house, God dwells in tents, and I dwell in this nice house, I want to build a temple. But God said, no, you shed too much blood and your son Solomon will be the one that will build the temple on Mount Zion. So that's what it means here, that he rejected Shiloh in Ephraim, and chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, for the building of the temple site.

Well, all this fits into the spiritual promises in one way or another. We're especially taking a look at the preeminence of the tribe of Judah, and that this was indeed the royal tribe. When we come over to the New Testament, we begin to see how the promise is then. And remember, this is almost not quite 2,000 years after they have been given to Abraham. But with the birth of Jesus Christ, let's turn to Matthew 1. The lineage of Jesus Christ then is very easy to prove, of course, that it was through the tribe of Judah.

In Matthew 1, verses 1 through 17, verse 1, the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. And it gets right down, begins with Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac. Isaac begot Jacob. Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Oh, Joseph is not included here.

See, Joseph is not in the lineage of Jesus. It was Judah. Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. And Judah begot Teres and Zira by Tamar. Tamar was actually his daughter-in-law who he had relations with unknowingly. You can read a whole chapter about that back in Genesis. And then it goes through Peres, on down. So here's the lineage of Jesus Christ given from Abraham on down to verse 16.

Notice verse 16 that Jacob, this was a different Jacob than the one in Isaac's son. Jacob begot Joseph, a different Joseph. Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. And so this Joseph here mentioned was the husband of Mary, but Joseph was not actually the, as far as blood lineage, he was not actually the father of Jesus.

He would be more like a foster father or a stepfather to Jesus. Because there was no blood connection. God the Father was the father of Jesus. And so this in Matthew chapter 1 is considered the legal genealogy. The legal genealogy would have been kept through the male head of the household. And that's what this is referring to here. When we go to Luke chapter 3, we find a totally, well not totally different, but from the time of David anyway, we find a different genealogy. And Luke chapter 3 is given also in a much different format, so you have to study these out just a bit.

There's a different format from, it's a different format from Matthew chapter 1. In Luke chapter 3 and verse 23, now Jesus himself began his ministry at about 30 years of age, being as was supposed. Keep that in mind.

As was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Heli. Oh, you know, if you were to compare then the father of Joseph was not Heli. This is obviously different. But what does it mean then? This is a genealogy of Mary. This has to be the genealogy of the mother of Jesus. This is his blood lineage through his mother Mary. And that's what it means, as was supposed.

Jesus then being as was supposed, the son of Joseph. He was actually the, in this genealogy, he would have been the son of Mary, the mother. And it goes on down. The genealogy then is different until you get to David. They do connect with Matthew 1 with David. And Mary came through in verse 31, the son of Nathan, the son of David. David had a son by the name of Nathan, and Mary's lineage comes through that son.

If you go back and compare Matthew chapter 1, you'll see that Joseph's lineage was through Solomon, the son of David. So the lineage, the genealogy of Joseph, the legal father, was through Solomon. And the genealogy of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was through Nathan, the son of David.

So the Bible gives us then clear proof here as to where the lineage of Jesus, clearly his foster father and his mother were from the tribe of Judah. Of course, we can also read if you would like. We can go to Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 14. And it very clearly tells us then that the spiritual promises given to us through Christ, the seed of Abraham, come from the tribe of Judah, through Jesus Christ from the tribe of Judah. In Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 14, it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

So Jesus Christ then, you know, there's no doubt in anyone's mind, of course, that he was a Jew from the tribe of Judah. The spiritual promises, which are much greater than the birthright promises, then flow through the tribe of Judah down to Jesus Christ. These spiritual promises then come through Christ of the tribe of Judah. Let's understand more about how great these spiritual promises are. And I hope that on Thanksgiving Day that you even thought about the contrast a little bit, how great the spiritual promises are compared to the physical promises.

Of course, the physical promises are wonderful, but the spiritual promises are even much more. Let's go to Romans chapter 15 and verse 8. We'll read a lot of verses now about the promises, the spiritual promises that have been brought to us by Christ. Romans chapter 15 and verse 8. Romans 15 and verse 8. Now, I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made to the fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and we might say to Joseph and Judah to confirm those promises made to the fathers.

Some of the very best scriptures on the spiritual promises and how they have been brought to all families of the earth. Remember, it was stated there in Genesis that all families of the earth would be blessed. Well, the spiritual promises are for all families of the earth. Let's go to Galatians chapter 3 and verse 7. Galatians 3 and verse 7. Now, know therefore that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. So what Paul is actually saying is that even though someone may be descended from Abraham, might be, as far as the blood lineage, a descendant of Abraham, if he doesn't have faith, he's not really a son of Abraham.

Only those that are of faith are the real sons of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, In you all the nations shall be blessed. And of course, that is primarily referring to the spiritual blessings.

So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. So the real seed of Abraham, you might say, the real children of Abraham are those who have faith, those who have God's Spirit, those who are converted. Let's skip on forward in this chapter to verse 16, Galatians 3 and verse 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He did not say to seeds as of many, but as of one, and to your seed who is Christ. Now, the word seed is capitalized in my New King James Version, and properly so because it is talking about Christ.

To Abraham and his seed were the promises made. And that seed comes through the tribe of Judah. That's what we're...we spent quite a bit of time. I think it's good to go back and get some of the historical background of the tribe of Judah, that it was preeminent. It was the royal tribe. The scepter would not depart from it. The ruler would come from this tribe. And so it is proper to get that background as far as Jesus Christ then ultimately coming. And of course, he will yet come when he will bring God's promises to all nations.

So to Abraham and to his seed. But it's talking here in this instance about Christ, and how Christ would be the one that makes possible entry into God's kingdom, makes possible eternal life. Skipping on down, it talks a lot here about the law. Verse 17, that was 430 years later, cannot unkull the covenant. Of course not. What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made. Obviously, this is talking more about the physical works of the law.

There's a lot in this book about circumcision. A lot of the people in Galatia were trying to be saved by circumcision. They thought you could not be saved without it. And so Paul was just bringing out that these works of the law, the physical works of the law, they were added. Added to what? They were added responsibilities. Certainly he's not talking about God's laws beginning at this point. God's laws have been enforced already from the beginning. But here's something that was added because of law breaking, because of transgression, until Christ would come to whom the promise was made. And in verse 24, therefore the law was our tutor, those physical things they were required to do, the sacrifices and circumcision, things of that type, were like a tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

And we're justified, that means made just, or we are forgiven by faith in that sacrifice of Abraham's seed, capital S, Jesus Christ. But after faith has come, verse 25, we are no longer under a tutor. We don't need the physical works of the law in the way that had been given to the Israelites.

There's some very rich verses on the promises and how they pass on to everyone through Christ. In verse 26, this really shows how the spiritual promises, then, are available to everyone of all nations and people. For you are all sons of God, everyone. All humans are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ.

And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, you're Abraham's children. If you're Christ's, if you're of faith, and if you're of Christ, you're Abraham's descendants. Because you have the same faith and the same belief as Abraham had, and you're heirs according to the promise. So these are verses, then, that show that everyone can become Abraham's children through Abraham's seed, through Jesus Christ. Chapter 4, we might also read a few verses beginning in verse 4. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

And because you are sons, God has sent forth His Spirit, the Spirit of His Son, into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Shall we see how the spiritual promises do then come through Abraham's seed, Jesus Christ? And that the real children of Abraham are those of faith, not those of the flesh. In Galatians, Paul is combating those who believed circumcision was required. And just to make that clear, I want us to read Galatians 5, a few verses. This begins to get to really what he is combating in Galatia.

Chapter 5 and verse 1, Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

There were people trying to get them back to some of the physical works of the law, especially circumcision. And he goes on to say, Indeed, I Paul say to you that if you become circumcised, if you've got to be circumcised to be saved, Christ will profit you nothing. What good is the sacrifice of Christ if you can be saved by being circumcised? I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised, that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ. You who attempt to be justified by law. And again, it's more the works of the law. You have fallen from grace, the grace that is through the seat of Abraham, Jesus Christ, and his sacrifice.

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith, for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but faith working through love. So that again puts the spotlight on what Paul was trying to get across to the people in this book. So as through Abraham's say that we are justified, we are not justified by something we do. As through Abraham's seed, Jesus Christ, we are redeemed through Abraham's seed from our sins and the death penalty. That's the beginning of the spiritual promises. We can repent. We can be baptized. We can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. All that comes after we have been forgiven. And we can enter an everlasting covenant with God. And that, of course, is at the heart and the core of the spiritual promises. We can go on toward eternal life. The Holy Spirit is certainly the key to the spiritual promises, receiving God's Spirit. So we can have His law written upon our hearts and minds. And so we can take on the divine nature of Almighty God. Let's notice that in Ephesians, chapter 1, the Holy Spirit then, the spiritual promises begin with our sins being forgiven upon repentance. And then after baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 13, in Him that is in Christ, in the seed of Abraham, we have those spiritual promises given to us, in Him you also trusted. After you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also heaven believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the guarantee or the down payment of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory. So certainly God's Holy Spirit is a key to the spiritual promises that have been given to us.

And through with God's Spirit, then we become Abraham's children, and heirs of the promises given to Him. Let's notice some prophecies in the book of Hebrews about the spiritual promises. In Hebrews, chapter 8, these promises are so much greater than the, let's say, the Old Covenant, or greater than even the national promises that have been given. So much greater than anything else, the spiritual promises. We want to make sure that we are thankful for them. Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 6, But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

And it goes on the show that the New Covenant involves the writing of God's laws upon our hearts and minds. Yes, the spiritual promises then allow us to have the very nature and the character of God in our hearts and minds. Better promises. Are these promises sure? How can you...we know that maybe God has changed His mind. You know, people can make promises, and yet later on they can change their mind. These promises, as we'll show in a few minutes, even go back before Abraham. Maybe God...is He going to be true to His promises? Well, let's read in Hebrews chapter 6. How dependable are these spiritual promises? And the promises are eternal life in God's Kingdom. Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 11. We desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. Endure to the end. That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Yes, it does take faith and patience to inherit the spiritual promises. How sure are these promises? Verse 13. When God made a promise to Abraham because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, Surely, blessing, I will bless you, and multiplying, I will multiply you. And so, after He had patiently endured, He obtained the promise. For men, indeed, swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.

Thus, God determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath. And God wanted to make it real plain, but these promises were sure. That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. Thus, hope we have as an anchor of the soul. These promises, the spiritual promises, are an anchor, both sure and steadfast. They're immovable. Brethren, God is faithful. These promises are dependable and sure.

Let's go to chapter 10, Hebrews 10 and verse 22. Now, we can depend upon these promises. Around 1800 B.C., God gave these promises to Abraham. That goes back a long way, doesn't it? Almost 4,000 years ago. But in a few minutes, I want to show you that these promises go back a lot further than the time of Abraham. In Hebrews 10 and verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.

We don't have to have any doubts about these spiritual promises. Full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

We even sing about it, great is by faithfulness. God is faithful. He who promised is faithful. So let's consider one another to stir up the loving good words. He goes on to say, Yes, God is true and faithful. His promises are sure. He cannot lie. He changes not. From generation to generation, He's the same. We serve the same God that Abraham did, the same one that David did. He's not changed. He's the same.

I like the way that our fundamental belief puts it, promises to Abraham. We believe in God's enduring righteousness. That righteousness is demonstrated by God's faithfulness. Even our fundamental belief reflects this faithfulness that these promises are sure. The physical as well as the spiritual promises. We can count upon them. How far back did they go? Let's go to Titus chapter 1. I go back a long way. Titus 1 and verses 1 and 2. A long time before Abraham, even. Titus chapter 1, verses 1 and 2. Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth, which is according to godliness.

In hope of eternal life. That's what Paul was hoping for. Keep on fighting and enduring until the end of his life. In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. There it is. These promises are before time began. And we believe that time as we know it began with the creation of the universe.

The sun, the earth, the moon created time as we know it. And before time began, before the universe was created, God promised he had in mind eternal life. Yet these spiritual promises go back a long time. Those who believe and endure will receive the promise of life eternal. The spiritual promise is, you know, in the time of Abraham, they just began to come into a certain path then that would lead toward eventually the arrival of Jesus Christ, the seed of Abraham, which through his sacrifice would make possible justification and forgiveness of sin.

And it would be through Abraham's seed then that we have even any possibility of having eternal life. So with Abraham, the promises just narrow down to a family through whom the promises would be delivered. Let's notice a few more verses, James 1 and 12. There are a lot of verses about the spiritual promises. James 1 and 12. Blessed is the man who endures temptation. For when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life. That's what the promises are all about. He will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. Those who love him will do his will.

And God has promised to give a crown of life. Notice James 2 and verse 5. Listen, my beloved brethren, has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him? He has heirs of God's kingdom, a crown of life, James says. Let's go to 1 John 2 and verse 25. 1 John 2 and verse 25. This is the promise that he has promised us. Here's what the spiritual promises are all about, then. And what is it? Eternal life. The crown of life, heirs of God's eternal kingdom.

And the promise comes through the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ. Let's go back to 2 Timothy chapter 1. They come through the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus. So yes, the promise comes through the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ.

And what precious, precious and great promises they are. 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 2 to 4. And so, as much as we appreciated all that nice Thanksgiving meal, and we perhaps thought about the birthright promises that were given to Abraham, we thought about Joseph and the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, the company of nations and the great nation, and the fulfillment of those prophecies in our time, as much as we thought about that, I would think we should at Thanksgiving think even more deeply about the spiritual side of those promises that were given.

Because the spiritual promises are so great. In 2 Peter 1 and verses 2 to 4. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Of His divine power, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

We've gotten a lot of knowledge today. By the way, some of the things that we brought out about the tribe of Judah, the preeminence, the royal tribe, He was the strongest of the brothers, some of those things I had not realized quite as deeply. And then looking more closely at Genesis 49 and the prophecies about Judah and the scepter and all of that, I understand more deeply. So that's growing in grace and knowledge if it was the same for you as well. Through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

Verse 4 goes on to say, By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises. That's what we've been talking about this afternoon, the spiritual promises to Abraham, exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, very nature of God. That's what the spiritual side of the promises open up to us, to be a partaker of the divine nature of God, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

You know, we don't want today to in any way put down the national blessings that were given to the sons of Joseph. In the millennium, the national blessings and the spiritual blessings are going to merge together as they never have. It's going to be a time of great prosperity, and Israel will be instrumental in helping spread that prosperity. The national blessings will certainly have their role to play. But the spiritual blessings will be understood to be far greater.

But the two will work together to bring salvation to all nations in the millennium. I want to read three scriptures in conclusion. Let's go to John 4 and verse 22. John chapter 4 and verse 22. We remember Jesus at the well in Samaria talking to the woman, the Samaritan woman, about the water that would bubble up to everlasting life.

This woman said to Jesus, verse 20, Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. Well, Jesus said, woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship what you do not know. We know what we worship. We, He meant Jews. We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews. Today we have seen that that is true. Salvation is of the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ. There's no other way by which we may have that crown of life and become an heir of God's kingdom. So salvation truly is of the Jews. Let's go to Romans 2, verse 28. And we ourselves, once we put on Christ and have Christ living in us through the power of the Holy Spirit, actually become a spiritual Jew. In Romans 2, verse 28, He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision that is outward in the flesh. Man's always looking on the outward. God is not. He's looking on the inward. It's not the color of skin. It's not nationality. Circumcision is not... God's not looking for some outward physical type of worship. Verse 29, But He is a Jew who is one inwardly. And circumcision is that of the heart and the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not from men, but from God. So brethren, yes, we are to become a spiritual Jew inwardly. And we are to be circumcised in heart and be led by God's spirit. And that we can do because of what Abraham's seed has done for us, Jesus Christ, and what He continues to do for us in living in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. The final scripture is in Revelation chapter 5. Revelation chapter 5. Revelation 4 and 5 are chapters depicting the throne of God and events happening at the throne of God.

And at the time we come to chapter 5, John writes, I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Well, God the Father is the one that's on the throne. And this right hand was a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who's worthy to open the scroll and loose its seals? And no one in heaven or earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at it. So I wept much because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look at it. And now verse 5, But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep, behold the lion of the tribe of Judah. The root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. So Jesus Christ did prevail. He did overcome. He wants us to overcome also just as He did. And notice He is referred to as the lion. Same language used in Genesis 49. The lion of the tribe of Judah, one in whose hand is the scepter where it rightly belongs, and who will bring the obedience of the nations. Yes, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed. And He will help us also to prevail. So as we think about the blessings from the national birthright promises this time of the year at Thanksgiving, let's even more think about the spiritual promises that were given through Abraham's seed, Jesus Christ.