God's Unbreakable Bond To You

When was the last time you really let God know your true feelings? What is churning up inside of you? What’s breaking you today? What are you hearing God say to you? If you persevere with a redemptive faith you will know God is with you even in your deepest struggles. But in face of crushing defeat, such as an old guy like Abram who faced the facts that his body is nearer to grave than the cradle, boy, sometime it is just tough to hang on to God, isn’t it? Yet Abram stake his life on the promise of God, even if it circumstances looked awful! And God credited his faith as righteous!

How do we proceed from here on…

3. PROCEED WITH THE “PASS BETWEEN THE PIECES” COVENANT GOD

What guarantees do you have that God will do what He says? For Abram, God responded with an ancient custom of cutting a covenant that Abram could understand. It is weird to us but not to Abram which is what gen.15:7-18 is all about. The custom of making a covenant, or cutting a covenant, where an animal is cut in half and the parties involved would pass between the half pieces. Significance: the parties involved are making a self-maledictory oath that goes something like this “May it be so done to me if I do not keep my oath and pledge.” The smoking firepot with a blazing torch show of v.17 symbolize God passing through the pieces making an oath. It was a dramatic picture of God saying he will do what he says. It was God who condescended to Abram’s need for a guarantee. Faith in God is not blind, it is bolstered by a covenant. Our trust in Christ is not blind, we have symbols of bread and the cup, reminding us the new covenant made in Jesus’ blood, that He suffered a very real death so that we can rise in the resuurection with great hopes for the future. This is what we as believers proceed on as a guarantee that God will fulfill His plan to bless you and I. It is His unbreakable bond to you!

A story is told by John MacArthur,

Homer and Langley Collyer – sons of a respected NY doctor. Both college grads. Homer studied at Columbia U to be a lawyer. When old Doc Collyer died in early part of 1900’s, sons inherited the family home and estate. These two bachelors- set for life.

But the brothers chose to live a secluded life. Boarded windows, padlocked doors. All utilities including water shut off. No one was seen coming or going from the house. House looks empty. By the time WW2 ended no one in NY society remembered Homer and Langley.

Mar 21, 1947, police received anonymous phone tip. Man died inside the boarded up house. Police tried to force their way in but could not. Entered by 2nd story window. They found Homer’s corpse on a bed. Died clutching Feb 22, 1920 issue of the Jewish Morning Journal, though he had been totally blind for years.

What else they found – the brothers were collectors of junk – broken machines, auto parts, boxes, appliances, folding chairs, musical instruments, rags, all sorts of stuff, and bundles of newspapers. Enormous amount of debris blocked front door. Investigators forced to use upstairs windows for weeks while excavators worked to clear path to the door.