Aaron Cozort
A Covenant Kept
In Abraham’s day, God said, “And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly… And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee” (Genesis 17:2, 7).
Multiplication.
“For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.” There is addition. Numbers added to another number. There is subtraction, numbers removed from another number. But nothing grows a number’s size like multiplication. God doesn’t promise to add to Abraham’s descendants, but to multiply them.
Blessings Abound.
The active servant of God in Israel had a promise to Him. It was a definite promise, but it demanded faith and obedience. If they would obey God, if they would walk in His statutes, then…
“…I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” – You will have blessings of the land.
“Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing” – You will have sufficiency – not a claim for riches, but needs supplied.
“you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.” – There are provisions and security and an opportunity for contentment.
“I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.” – There is a picture here of an animal, perhaps a lamb, lying in the grass content and safe, with no reason to be afraid of attack forces around you.
“You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.” – The strength of God to fight on your side. When five men can chase away a hundred enemies, and a hundred men can defeat ten thousand, the skill is not in the men, but in the Lord who fights for them.