Wednesday Night Bible Study | 02.10.2021
Audio
Notes
Big Picture Overview – Understanding Isaiah in Its OT Context (Part 3)
Romans 4:13-18
13 For the epangelia [“promise”… or “announcement” … or summons to what is fitting or decreed” (i.e. call)] to Abraham and his spermati [“seed”/ “offspring”/ “remnant”] that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”— in the presence of the God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your spermati [“seed”/ “offspring”/ “remnant”] be.”
Romans 9:3-11…
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong (1) the adoption, (2) the glory, (3) the covenants hai di-a- thῆ -kai, (4) the lawgiving, ἡ no-mos-the-si-a (5) the worship, and (6) the promises hai ep-an-ge-li-ai. 5 To them belong (7) the patriarchs [3 – A. I. & J.], and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, Who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. 6 But it is not as though ὁ lo-gos [the word] of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his sperma [(singular/neuter) “seed”/ “offspring”/ “remnant”], but “Through Isaac shall your sperma [(sing.)“seed”/ “offspring”/ “remnant”] be named.”
See Gen. 15:5-6 – 5 And He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your tza-re-ka [seed/offspring/descendants] be.
6 And he believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness.
Gen. 21:12 - But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
Gal. 4:23,28 - His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise. … Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
John 8:33,37 – 33 They answered him, “We are offspring [sperma] of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
37 “I know that you are offspring [sperma] of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.”
Genesis 1-3ff. “Adamic Covenant” – Parts 1 & 2
Part 1 - Gen. 1-2 - “Edenic Covenant”
… in Reformed Theology, see “Covenant of Works” …
including (a) Gen. 1:26 ff - Imago Dei & the Creation Mandate/Commission and (b) Gen. 2, especially (i) Gen. 2:15 and (ii) Gen. 2:16-17 command re fruit, with 2:17 prohibition re tree of the knowledge of good & evil. cf. Hosea 6:7 - “But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with Me.”
Part 2 Gen. 3:8-19 Post-Fall Curses & Grace, esp. the Gen. 3:15 Protoevangelium version/part of Adamic Covenant (i.e. Gospel Promise, … in Reformed Theology under the “Covenant of Redemption”).
Genesis 6 & 9 Noahic Covenants
Gen. 6:18 B’rit with Noah. Command: Noah & family must come into the ark. First use of Hebrew term b’rit in OT.
9:8-17 – What is most commonly called the “Noahic Covenant” Again, the use (now repeated) of Hebrew b’rit (9:9, 9:11, 9:12, 9:13)
Unconditional, Universal & Everlasting!!! Notably Universal: with Noah AND ALL Noah’s seed, … AND ALL living creatures,… AND for perpetual generations! The Sign/Token is for the LORD (!) and is famously the rainbow.
Further problems with humanity, summarized in Genesis 10-11, particularly with Nimrod & the people/kingdoms/cities that come from him (including Babel & Assyria/Nineveh) … culminating with the Tower of Babel (!) all set up the major contrast/tension with the LORD’s plan/promise/covenants with & through Abram.
Genesis 12-28ff. Abrahamic Covenant(s) – including the promises running from 12:1 (and expanding) forward, the specific b’rit of 15:18ff. … the b’rit olam of 17:7ff.,… and the LORD’s magisterial covenant oaths in 22:15ff.