Broadlands Bible Church
January 18, 2023
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Thesis: The first of "the covenants of The Promise", under the overarching Abrahamic Covenant, is The Palestinian Covenant found in
Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20.
Introduction: Last week we considered some preliminary issues involved in God's establishing a different covenant with Israel than the one given at Mount Sinai and we did not actually get into the details of that different covenant, which is known as "The Palestinian Covenant", or "The Land Covenant".
We did note that this "different covenant" was positioned by the progress of revelation "under" the Abrahamic Covenant's command/promise regarding a "land" which was to be abandoned and a "land" to which Abraham was to go and receive from God as the replacement for the original "land". We also considered the deceit of the tempter as he cast aspersions on Yahweh and pointed to the "living" Eve after she had eaten of the fruit of the forbidden tree. The "Land Covenant" is God's commitment to restore to man what he lost by disbelief and the consequent disobedience.
This evening we are also going to look into the issues regarding the promise of a "land flowing with milk and honey" and it's place in the final state of things.
- I. The First Major Issue Of The Deceit And God's Exposure Of It.
- II. The First Aspect Of God's "Reclamation" Plan Was The Promise Of A Land That Would Supply Man's Physical Need For Food.
- A. God's first requirement upon Abraham was that he "leave" his land and believe that He would provide him with a sufficiently nourishing land that would provide his body with what it needed.
- B. This issue of "believing" in God's supply of a good land was eventually addressed with a specific "covenant" that would provide a "good land" as an enduring provision for man as a physical creature.
- C. The biblical record of this "supporting covenant".
- 1. As a "supporting covenant" it was like unto Hebrews 6:13-18.
- 2. The main text: Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20.
- a. It is distinguished from the Covenant of the Law: 29:1.
- b. It is rooted in three realities.
- 1) The experiences of the Israelites through forty years of wandering: 29:2-3.
- 2) The difficult reality is that, thus far, "the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear": 29:4.
- 3) It is important to note that the "New Covenant" of Jeremiah 31:31-33 notably includes the provision of that which is lacking in Deuteronomy 29:4.
- a. This indicates that God is working on a long-term plan that requires the imposition of certain factors in certain times in order to bring everything together into the final reality.
- b. It also, however, does not deny the fact that there are always "some" who get the future provisions in the present (Moses, Joshua, Caleb, David, Daniel, etc. and the prophets all got "the new heart" provision that was not included in the covenant but was necessary for "life" under that covenant).
- 4) There is a New Testament validation of this in the fact that John was "filled with the spirit from his mother's womb" even though that "Spirit" was not yet universally given (Luke 11:13 compared with John 7:39).
- c. It is established by the physical facts: 29:5-8 and resulted in an exhortation to live under the terms of this covenant (29:9).
- d. It is made between Yahweh your Elohim, and all of Israel (both those present and those to come): 29:10-15.
- e. It contains an horrific curse for any whose heart turns to idolatry: 29:16-21. [Note Deuteronomy 11:26-29 and 27:13-26 and 28:15-46.]
- f. It predicts a gross failure of the nation: 29:22-29.
- g. It predicts a future return to the land: 30:1-5.
- h. It predicts a divine provision for that future return to endure: 30:6-10.
- i. It summons those present to embrace this covenant: 30:11-20.
- D. The essentials of this covenant will endure even into the New Heavens and New Earth.
- 1. This strongly implies that there is an on-going need in "created beings" for replenishment of the issues of energy and function within the context of eternal life.
- 2. There is fruit on the Tree of Life, and leaves also, for this on-going reality.