People Who are in the Covenant of Canaan (Genesis 26:1-5) 4/05/2020
The Answers of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd RUTC:
People Who are in the Covenant of Canaan (Genesis 26:1-5) 4/05/2020
Last week was about “people who are in the covenant of the ark,” and this week is about “people who are in the covenant of Canaan.” What do these people have in common? They were people who were in disasters in the world and facing hardships. They were those who held onto God’s absolute covenant within that and enjoyed absolute answers and blessings. According to the passage, there was a great famine during the age Isaac lived in. People suffer with food during a famine. Another serious problem now is the economic problem of food shortages. It is even more severe in third world country mission fields. Although developed countries provide aid, how much does it actually help? We need to prepare for this as well. What kind of preparation must we do? God gave Isaac one answer. It was to hold onto the covenant of Canaan, to stay in Canaan, and stand before God.
- What is the Covenant of Canaan? Why couldn’t they leave Canaan?
It was because of the fundamental blessing and eternal blessing that the people of God must enjoy was there. Enjoy this blessing before enjoying any other blessing. Then other things will follow. God’s absolute plan was there.
1) What is God’s absolute plan? Christ who will save all lives needed to come in this land of Canaan (v.2).
This is what “live in the land where I tell you to live,” meant. Christ is God’s method to solve all the problems of life. Christ fulfilled and finished everything on the cross (John 19:30). Enjoy the blessing of Christ in all problems.
① There is surely deliverance from all curses through Christ’s blood of the cross (John 5:24, Colossians 1:13-14, Romans 8:1-2). That is why for those who hold onto this blood covenant, all problems should change into blessings. Possess this faith.
② Christ crushed the head of Satan who works behind all problems and suffering through His resurrection (Genesis 3:15, 1 Corinthians 15:25). Pray for all forces of darkness working behind problems to crumble while spiritually fighting against unbelief. Victory will proudly be shown before Satan.
③ Christ is within me and is with me, protects me, and guides me every moment through the Holy Spirit, John 14:16-18). Verse 3 from the passage also states. “stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you.” Isaac held onto the covenant of Christ who was to come and had absolute faith during the most difficult times.
2) Why must we hold onto the covenant of Canaan, the covenant of Christ, with absolute faith?
① It is because the covenant of Christ comes from God’s absolute love and absolute grace for us.
There were no other conditions when this covenant was given. We are told to just believe because it is a gift that is given without any conditions (Ephesians 2:8-9). Why did He just give it to us? It is God’s absolute love. He created us in His image from the beginning and loved us to the end. This is the fundamentals of the gospel (John 13:1, 1John 4:10). There is a separate answer we will receive as long as we hold onto this covenant.
② There are people who ask why such God would judge people and the world.
God does not want to judge the world which is why He gives warning within problems and disasters (Lamentations 3:33). Quickly realize and return. He waits and waits. People do not realize this and follow things of the flesh and the world. That is God’s pain (John 3:16). We need to know this heart of God in order to be able to evangelize.
③ Some people ask why problems aren’t solved faster. It is so that they may receive an eternal answer.
Hold onto God’s absolute love, absolute grace, and absolute plan for me. Problems will end there as well. That is the time schedule. At that time, Satan who worked behind that will give up the evil work and leave.
- What is the covenant of Canaan? He will give us evidence to save the world in a place full of problems (verse 3).
The answer we will receive will not only just solve problems. Enjoy answers where problems become evidence and to the point where it saves the world.
1) Hold onto your most difficult times as an opportunity to receive God’s absolute evidence. All things will change into evidence.
How much evidence did God give Isaac when he held onto this covenant and stayed in Canaan?
① He planted crops of faith in that year and reaped a hundred-fold (answers of a hundred years) (verse 12). He really looked onto God. The Lord blessed him upon his faith. Truly experience this in your entire life.
② He yielded everything when he was envied by others. God provided him a well of freshwater (verse 19). Enjoy the source of blessings. It may seem like you are at loss or being mocked. God will fill you with eternal things.
③ Arguments arose but he yielded again. Isaac was a yielding person. It was possible because he was looking at something much greater. God gave him the blessing of Rehoboth of widening borders (verse 22). This is the blessing of evangelism and missions (Acts 11:19-21).
④ What is the blessing of the last conclusion? It is the blessing of the enemy acknowledging Isaac and giving up (Romans 16:20). God will bless us before Satan’s face and reveal your evidence to the whole world.
2) It is God’s strength that we need for this.
You will be afraid and shaken when problems and hardships come if you do not have strength. Make time to enjoy five deep things.
① Deep prayer of looking onto only Christ. He will let us enjoy the deep things of God. This is spirituality (1 Corinthians 2:10).
② Deep meditation done with thanksgiving. Topics to be thankful will surely come forth. Intellect to control the heart and mind will come forth (Philippians 4:6-7). Transcendental meditation is simply emptying the heart (Matthew 12:44-45). Mediation is holding onto God’s word and applying it (Psalms 1:1-3).
③ Deep breaths and deep foods. Health to overcome all weaknesses and illnesses will be given (1 Corinthians 10:31).
④ Deep devotion. The Early Church gave everything and helped each other in persecution and poverty (Acts 2:44-45). There were no human calculations. It is the financial power of enjoying an answer of a hundred years like Isaac.
⑤ Deep meetings. Help one another in difficulties and grow deeper as you share with each other (1 Samuels 22:1-2). That is where manpower (interpersonal power) is made.
- What is the covenant of Canaan? It is a blessing to leave behind for the posterity and future (verse 3-4).
1) Children will see and learn how we stand before problems and triumph over them.
This is what Abraham did really well. Isaac saw how he chose the covenant and faith before decisive times. His son had seen how God had prepared everything when Abraham absolutely obeyed and was about to sacrifice his son at Mount Moriah (Genesis 22). This is where Isaac’s faith of absolute obedience and not losing hold of the covenant of Canaan even during a famine came from.
2) Three verses God emphasized as he blessed Isaac is important.
“I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father” (Genesis 26:3), “because Abraham obeyed my voice” (Genesis 26:5), “for your servant, Abraham.”(Genesis 16:24)
May all 1st generations and parents hold onto this covenant and prepare a blessing of a true future.
Conclusion – Do not be afraid of any problem that comes with this virus. May you hold onto the covenant of Canaan and enjoy evidence.