ICS Daily Devotions
Understanding the Covenant Will Increase Our Faith

After God sealed the covenant with Abram and changed Abram’s name to Abraham, God had to test Abraham’s commitment to the covenant. All over the world, men in blood covenant were willing to give that which was most precious to them. Would Abraham do the same for his God?

Gen 22:1-2. Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 And He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Abraham was a man of strong faith. He believed beyond the sense realm.

Romans 4:20-22 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was able to perform and therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Abraham had his hope set on the covenant he had with God. He refused to consider the negative circumstances. He considered only his covenant. This was what God was looking for. When Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son in faith and obedience to God, he set a precedent for his blood covenant partner to sacrifice His only son, Jesus. The plan of redemption was in the mind and heart of God when He cut the covenant with Abraham. When Abraham died, his covenant passed on to Isaac and all his seed to a thousand generations.

“What did Abraham believe?”

1. Abraham believed in a supernatural birth. He believed God would supernaturally bring a son into the world. God did and Abraham called him Isaac.

2. He believed God enough to offer his only son as a sacrifice. And he did.

3. He believed for 3 days that his son was as good as dead. And he was.

4. He believed God would provide a sacrifice substitute or raise his son from the dead with many children coming to him through his son Isaac. And God did.

5. He believed on that mountain, God would provide Himself a substitute sacrifice. And God did.

Isn’t it amazing that the first verse in the New Testament reads

Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Our covenant with Jesus Christ is the covenant with the same covenant keeping God with Abraham. Through all generations, God kept His promises. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We should increase our faith in our covenant keeping God!

Sermon Series: God Enlarges Man’s Faith by Covenant