Natural and Spiritual Israel Connections

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Short Summary
The discourse explains the inseparable, divinely established relationship between natural Israel and spiritual Israel, emphasizing that the common Christian view of two separate covenants neglects this connection. Central to this relationship is the comprehensive Abrahamic covenant, which is unilateral and guarantees blessings to all of Abraham’s seed, both natural and spiritual, while its three subdivisions—Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah—are bilateral agreements requiring individual commitment. Together, these covenants illustrate how God’s immutable plan offers eternal life to both natural and spiritual Israel, though acceptance of these blessings depends on personal choice.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse on Natural Israel and Spiritual Israel and the Abrahamic Covenant

Overview of Natural and Spiritual Israel Relationship:
– Natural Israel (fleshly descendants) and spiritual Israel (the true faithful believers) share a unique, divinely established, and perpetual relationship ordained by God.
– The nominal Christian world often sees only two covenants: the Old Law (between God and natural Israel via Moses) and the New Law (between God and the Christian church via Jesus), effectively replacing natural Israel with the Christian church.
– This replacement theology is viewed as erroneous; the connection between natural and spiritual Israel endures forever, spanning the Gospel age, the Millennial or Messianic age, and all future ages.

Biblical Examples Demonstrating the Connection:
Isaiah 8:14: Jesus is a “stone of stumbling” to both houses of Israel (natural and spiritual), indicating both stumble over Him due to misunderstanding—natural Israel at His first advent, spiritual Israel at His second.
Deuteronomy 18:15 and Acts 7:37: Moses prophesied a prophet like himself (Jesus), showing Moses (natural Israel) typified Jesus (spiritual Israel).
Jewish Tabernacle and Priesthood (Hebrews): The Jewish system, including the Aaronic priesthood and tabernacle, is typical or symbolic of the Christian dispensation and the church’s work in the Messianic age.

Focus on the Comprehensive Abrahamic Covenant:
– The discourse narrows to the Abrahamic covenant and its three divisions (features) named after Abraham’s wives: Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah.
– This covenant establishes an inseparable, perpetual bond between natural and spiritual Israel.
– It embodies “life” — eternal life is granted only within its terms.
– Jesus obtained eternal human life through the Hagar (Law) feature.
– The church and the great company receive eternal spiritual life via the Sarah feature.
– Natural Israel and Gentiles who become Israelites receive eternal human life through the Keturah feature.
– The Abrahamic covenant is thus a unified covenant covering all of Abraham’s seed (natural and spiritual).

Basic Covenant Concepts Explained:
Covenant: A binding agreement, either unilateral or bilateral.
Unilateral Covenant:
– Only one party (God) obligates Himself; others are beneficiaries without obligations.
– Example: God’s covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:11) to never again flood the earth is unilateral.
Bilateral Covenant:
– Both parties obligate themselves with mutual promises and conditions.
– Example: God’s covenant with Adam (Genesis 2:16-17) was bilateral — life upon obedience, death upon disobedience.
– Old Law covenant with Israel is bilateral, requiring obedience for blessings.
Purpose of Unilateral Covenants: To assure the divine plan is unstoppable and guaranteed (Isaiah 55:11).
Purpose of Bilateral Covenants: To allow human free will and choice; God offers blessings, but individuals must choose to accept and obey (Deuteronomy 30:19: “Choose life”).

Evolution of Understanding of the Abrahamic Covenant:
– Early (pre-1880): Only two covenants recognized (Old Law and New Law).
– 1880–1909: Recognition of three great covenants: Abrahamic, Old Law, New Law.
– Post-1909 (by 1916): Abrahamic covenant seen as one covenant with three divisions (Sarah, Hagar, Keturah).
– The Abrahamic is the “master contract,” with the three divisions as “subcontracts” that execute its terms without adding or subtracting from it.

Details on the Abrahamic Covenant:
– Originates in Genesis 12:1-3, but formally established in Canaan.
– Promises include:
– Making Abraham a great nation.
– Blessing Abraham and his seed (both natural and spiritual).
– Abraham’s offspring would bless all families of the earth.
– Perpetual land ownership and worldwide leadership roles.
– Unilateral: God alone obligated Himself; Abraham had no conditions or input other than a pre-covenant faith demonstration (leaving Mesopotamia).
– This covenant guarantees fulfillment regardless of human failure or opposition.

Sarah Covenant (Sarah Feature):
– Develops the “stars” class—spiritual seed of Abraham (Christ and the Church).
– Genesis 15:5 (“as many as the stars”) and Genesis 22:17 (stars and sand) point to spiritual and natural seed.
– Galatians 3:16 & 3:29 identify Christ and believers as Abraham’s seed.
– New Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26) is the spiritual mother, representing the heavenly Jerusalem, the kingdom’s governing body.
– Bilateral covenant requiring reciprocal promises (Psalm 50:5, Genesis 24:58).
– Failure to keep this covenant results in loss of higher spiritual blessings.
– Sarah covenant is supplemental to Abrahamic, facilitating the spiritual seed’s development.

Old Law Covenant (Hagar Feature):
– Given to natural Israel (Exodus 19:5-6).
– A bilateral covenant requiring perfect obedience for life.
– Purpose:
– Acts as a “schoolmaster” to bring Israelites to Christ (Galatians 3:24).
– Prepares them for the New Law covenant.
– Provides the legal basis for the ransom and salvation through Jesus’ perfect obedience and sacrifice (Leviticus 18:5).
– It did not add or subtract from the Abrahamic but advanced its fulfillment (Galatians 3:19).

New Law Covenant (New Covenant):
– Future restoration covenant for natural Israel (Ezekiel 16).
– Bilateral: requires consecration and reciprocal promises.
– Accomplishes human restoration promised in Abrahamic covenant.
– Mechanism for naturalized Gentiles and Israel to receive eternal life.

Illustrations and Analogies:
– Abrahamic covenant as a master contract with three subcontracts (Sarah, Hagar, Keturah) that do not add or subtract but fulfill the master covenant.
– University analogy: the university offers programs (covenant), but students (individuals) must commit and fulfill conditions to receive benefits.
– Covenant blessings are guaranteed by God (unilateral), but individual participation is voluntary and conditional (bilateral).

Final Summary:
– Natural and spiritual Israel are eternally connected through the one comprehensive Abrahamic covenant.
– The Abrahamic covenant is unilateral and unstoppable by any external force.
– The three divisions (Sarah, Hagar, Keturah) are bilateral and require human response and faith.
– Eternal life and blessing flow to Abraham’s entire seed—both natural and spiritual—through this covenant framework.
– The world, including nominal Christianity, is largely blind to this profound truth.

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Key Bible Verses Referenced:

– Isaiah 8:14 — Jesus as a stone of stumbling to both houses of Israel.
– Deuteronomy 18:15 — Prophet like Moses (Jesus).
– Acts 7:37 — Stephen’s reference to Moses and Jesus.
– Genesis 12:1-3 — Promise of the Abrahamic covenant.
– Genesis 15:5; 22:17 — Stars and sand representing Abraham’s seed.
– Galatians 3:16, 3:29, 4:26 — Spiritual seed and New Jerusalem.
– Psalm 50:5 — Covenant by sacrifice.
– Genesis 24:58 — Rebekah’s promise to Isaac.
– Exodus 19:5-6 — Old Law covenant with Israel.
– Galatians 3:24, 3:19 — Law as schoolmaster; law added because of transgressions.
– Leviticus 18:5 — Obedience and life under the law.
– Ezekiel 16 — Future restoration of natural Israel.
– Isaiah 55:11 — God’s word accomplishing His purpose.
– Deuteronomy 30:19 — “Choose life” exhortation.

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This summary captures the key doctrinal points, scriptural foundations, covenant distinctions, and theological implications as presented in the discourse.

Transcript

Natural Israel and spiritual Israel share a unique and divinely established relationship. God is the one who established this relationship to which the world, including especially the nominal Christian world, is blind. Much of the Christian world sees only two covenants in the Bible. For example, they see the old law covenant and they see the new law covenant. They claim that the old law covenant was between God and natural Israel through Moses, its mediator.

And they further claim that the new law covenant is between God and the Christian church through Jesus, its mediator. So they’ve completely replaced natural Israel with the Christian church. In other words, they say God has simply dismissed natural Israel. They say there is no connection, therefore, between natural and spiritual Israel in God’s kingdom. But this viewpoint, we believe, is in error.

God indeed has established a connection between natural and spiritual Israel, and this connection endures forever. This connection never ends. It endures during the Gospel age, which of course is antitypical of the Jewish age. This natural Israel spiritual Israel connection continues through the millennial or Messianic age as well as the ages to come. There will always be a special bond between natural and spiritual Israel, as we hope to show in our few remarks today.

Let’s look at a few examples of this God established natural and spiritual Israel connection.

Isaiah, chapter 8, verse 14. He shall be for a sanctuary vote for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a jinn and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 2 Houses of Israel spoken in this Isaiah text are fleshly nominal fleshly Israel and nominal spiritual Israel. They share a bond even at this nominal level. The nominal fleshly house stumbled over Jesus at the first advent.

Why? Because they misunderstood him. Similarly, the nominal spiritual house stumbles over Jesus at his second advent. Why? Because again, they misunderstand him.

Just as God rejected nominal fleshly Israel in AD 33, he rejected nominal spiritual Israel in 1878, so we see this bond between the two Israels at the nominal level. Natural Israel’s experience experiences picture those of spiritual Israel. Let’s consider a second example where God gives us of the natural Israel spiritual Israel connection. Deuteronomy 18:15 the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren like unto me unto him shall ye hearken. Now, Moses speaking here was not referring to himself.

Note, he said one like unto me. Who was Moses referring to? We believe he was referring to Jesus. We read in Acts, chapter 7, verse 37. This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me him shall ye hear.

In his masterful discourse, Stephen shows that Moses pictured Jesus. How so? Well, Moses was a great lawgiver, teacher, leader, judge, and the head of the house of servants. Similarly, Jesus is a great lawgiver, teacher, leader, judge, and the head of the house of sons. In a word, Moses, who was part of natural Israel, typified Jesus, who is part of spiritual Israel.

Let’s consider a third example that God gives us of the natural Israel, spiritual Israel connection. We here refer to what Brother Ed mentioned a moment ago about the tabernacle. We’re here referring to Moses, tabernacle in the wilderness, and indeed the whole Jewish system, especially in the book of Hebrews, Paul shows in detail that not just the tabernacle, but the whole Jewish system is typical. It pictures the Christian dispensation. The Aaronic priesthood maps out the course of the Christian church, the true church.

The Jewish system goes further, however, because it points out the glorious work of the church, the true church in the Messianic age. So once again, we see how closely connected natural Israel is to spiritual Israel.

Now, there are other ways, many other ways in which the Bible shows this deep connection, this deep nexus between natural and spiritual Israel. However, the balance of our remarks during this hour is going to be confined to just one of those connections, one of those dimensions, and that dimension that we’re going to be focusing on is the comprehensive covenant of the Bible. Which one is that? We know because there are several covenants in the Bible, as we all know.

We are speaking, of course, of the Abrahamic covenant and its three divisions or features, which are labeled as the Sarah, Hagar and Keturah features.

Our central Ohio brethren have asked that we specifically address this covenant and its divisions from this perspective, this perspective of this connection between natural and spiritual Israel. As we believe we will see, the Abrahamic covenant establishes a very close connection between the two Israels. We hope to show that the Abrahamic covenant establishes this close connection, not just for a short time or temporarily. The Abrahamic covenant will forever establish an inseparable bond between the two true houses of Israel.

We place pivotal importance on this one comprehensive covenant, because God does. He makes it a central theme of the Bible. Our God is a God of covenants. He’s a God of agreements, and especially this agreement or covenant. Why?

Because this covenant represents life. It embodies life. No one, no one who ever was or ever will be part of the human family gets eternal life on any plane, except to be within the terms of this covenant, Jesus gained the right of eternal human life by fulfilling the terms of the Hagar or the Law feature Jesus, the church, great company and all get their right of eternal spiritual life under the Sarah feature, Israel and all Gentiles who become naturalized Israelites will get their right to eternal human life under the Keturah feature. So the Abrahamic covenant is the one unified covenant whereby Abraham’s natural and spiritual seed, his whole family get life, whether on the natural plane, the earthly plane, or on the spiritual plane, and this one unifying factor creates a perpetual connection between natural and spiritual Israel.

Now, before we examine each of these four covenants, the Abrahamic as well as the Old Law, the Serapheature and the New law, let’s look at some basic covenant concepts. What is a covenant in the Bible? Well, an oversimplified definition is a covenant is simply a binding agreement. A binding agreement in the Bible as well as among humanity today, there are many kinds or classifications of agreements. Agreements can be expressed or implied, third party, executory, unilateral, bilateral, hybrid, general sub agreements, and many others.

However, our focus today is narrow. We will identify whether each of these four covenants is unilateral or bilateral. This distinction will enable us to understand how each covenant relates, yet differs from the others. So first point, what is a unilateral agreement and what is a bilateral agreement? What’s the difference and why does it matter that we understand that there is a distinct difference between unilateral and bilateral agreements in the Bible?

Let’s first take up the unilateral. You all know what uni, the prefix uni means? It means only one. We know that a unicorn is an animal that has only one horn. A unicycle is a cycle that has only one wheel.

In a unilateral agreement, only one party to that agreement binds themselves. Only one party obligates themselves. However, God’s unilateral agreements do not mean that God is making agreements with Himself. That’s not the point of unilateral. Unilateral agreements always involve God as well as others.

Every covenant involves two or more so the uni prefix. Uni in unilateral means only one party to that agreement is obligating himself. In the case of God’s unilateral covenants or agreements, it is God who is the only one undertaking the obligation. The other parties are simply recipients. They are what we might call beneficiaries of God’s self imposed obligation.

God’s unilateral agreements involve him carrying out his objectives for the benefit of others. Let’s take one quick example that we’re all familiar with. God’s covenant with Noah. To never again permit a global flood is indeed a unilateral covenant. When we examine the terms of this covenant, we see that God, and only God, obligated himself to never again permit global destruction by flood.

Noah and his sons were obviously involved in this covenant, but their involvement was merely as recipients, merely as beneficiaries, along with the rest of the human family. Impliedly, Noah and his sons, as we look at the terms of this covenant, did not obligate themselves to do anything. God did not ask them to do anything. The fact that God and God only is the one who obligated himself to is the key identifier to a unilateral agreement or covenant.

Now let’s consider, by contrast, a bilateral covenant or agreement. Now, you all know what bi the prefix bi means. It means two A bilateral agreement exists where each party to the agreement obligates themselves to the others. A bilateral agreement requires a mutual exchange of promises by the parties, and that mutual exchange of promises can either be expressed in words or it can be implied from context. The parties mutually agree on the benefits for compliance with the agreement, and they also mutually agree on the penalties for breach or for violation of the covenant.

Foreign let’s consider as an example one of God’s bilateral covenants found in Hosea, chapter 6. Hosea, chapter 6, verse 7 from the Revised Version reads in part, but they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant. The they here is referring to the Israelites, the natural Israelites who breached the old law covenant with God. The old law of covenant, of course, was long after Adam had died. So we draw an inference from this reference to Adam in this text.

God and Adam were in a covenant relationship, and we believe that this covenant was bilateral. Genesis suggests the terms of this agreement. God agreed to give Adam life and also dominion over the lower forms of life in the earth itself. But God did not unilaterally bind himself to give Adam these blessings, regardless of what Adam did or failed to do. But rather, God’s offer to Adam depended on Adam’s reciprocal commitment to do the will of God to be obedient.

God created Adam in his own mental and moral image with the full capability to be 100% obedient. But as we all know, God told Adam not to eat of a certain tree in the garden, and if he disobeyed, he would lose all the proffered benefits that God offered So God and Adam made a bilateral agreement. They both agreed. They both agreed. Obey and live.

Disobey and die. Now why does God use both kinds of covenants or agreements, unilateral as well as bilateral? Well, let’s first consider why he employs unilateral covenants or agreements. What’s the reason that in some instances he obligates only Himself to undertake a certain course? Well, as we all know and love and appreciate, God has a plan.

We call it the divine plan of the ages. God wants us to be assured of something relative to his plan. God wants you and me to know he wants you and me to be 100% assured that his plan is unstoppable by any others. God’s unilateral covenants cannot be breached by any others. They cannot be thwarted or frustrated by others.

God will accomplish his self imposed objectives regardless of what anyone else does or fails to do. This point is beautifully illustrated in Isaiah 55:11. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing which whereto I sent it. Now if we reflect back for just a moment to the covenant with Noah, which was we had suggested is unilateral, we see this unstoppable feature.

There is absolutely nothing that Noah or Satan or anyone else can do to thwart that protective covenant.

Well, let’s now consider bilateral agreements. Why does God enter into bilateral agreements with man, especially with imperfect man? Well, we just showed that God’s unilateral covenants to fulfill his plan are unstoppable. They’re guaranteed. So in light of that, why would God enter into bilateral agreements with imperfect men which have the possibility of failure man’s part?

Well, we just saw an example of the Adamic covenant. Adam failed his part of his covenant and he lost God’s proffered blessings. Moses gives us a clear answer to this question of why God uses bilateral covenants with man. Deuteronomy 30, verse 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that I have set before you, before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed.

From this text we see that through Moses, God gives us his two word answer to the question of why engage in bilateral agreements? The two word answer is choose life. Life is a choice. God has a free will. He has the liberty of making choices.

He endowed man with the same quality. Ironically, God cannot give any individual the fullness of his blessing, the fullness of life, if they choose not to accept it.

So we distinguish what God can and does unilaterally from what he can or cannot do bilaterally. There is no doubt that God will fully and totally accomplish his blessing program. God chooses to do this. He chose to obligate Himself to set in motion this blessing program. But as to whether any individual will join in that program and receive God’s full blessing is up to them.

Now, with this background, we consider the one covenant that forever binds natural and spiritual Israel. We again are speaking here of the most dominant, the most impactful, and the most comprehensive covenant in the Bible, the Abrahamic and its three subordinate covenants, divisions or features that we’ve already identified as Sarah Hagar, Keturah, named, of course, as we all know, after Abraham’s wives. Now, before we move on, it’s important to note at the outset that Brother Russell evolved in his understanding of this comprehensive Covenant. Prior to 1880, Brother Russell saw only two covenants. He saw the Old Law Covenant and he saw the New Law covenant.

That was all because, remember, he came out of nominal Christianity, and that’s all nominal Christianity saw then, and frankly, that’s all they see today. But from about 1880 until 1909, God enlarged his understanding to see the three great covenants, and as many, if not all of us are aware, there’s two reprints with that they actually bear that specific title. The three were identified in those two articles as the Abrahamic, the Law or Old Law, and thirdly, the New or the New Law covenant.

They were identified as three and not four, because at that point, between 1880 and 1909, the Abrahamic Covenant was equated with the Sarah Covenant. However, about 1909 and thereafter, Brother Russell began recognizing a difference between the Abrahamic covenant and the Sarah feature of the Abrahamic. By 1916, Brother Russell’s understanding of the Abrahamic covenant, we believe, reached full maturation. He saw them as one covenant with three divisions, the Covenant of Sacrifice, the Old Law Covenant, and the New Law Covenant. Well, certainly the the Abrahamic, the Old Law and the New Law covenants are indeed three great covenants.

No one of us would dispute that point. But for this speaker, the best way to understand each covenant and its relationship to the others is to see them as one integrated covenant that contains three subdivisions. As presented clearly in reprint 5909, the Abrahamic is the all inclusive covenant. It contains the fullness of God’s blessing. It’s all in there.

The other three Hagar, Sarah and Kenturo are the stages or the procedures by which the Abrahamic is accomplished. We hope by our remarks today that we will be able to see the merit of this 1916 perspective.

We might ask ourselves, what does this one covenant, three divisions, relationship of these agreements mean in reality? Well, it means the Abrahamic is all inclusive. As we’ve mentioned, it contains the entire substance of God’s life giving program.

The Sarah, Hagar and Keturah features do not add a single substantive feature to the Abrahamic. The sero, Hagar and Keturah features are the procedures, the outline whereby the Abrahamic is accomplished. The following admittedly imperfect example may illustrate this. 1. Covenant, three divisions, relationship.

Assume you want to build a new house. You select a builder, you meet with the builder, and you work out all the plans, everything you agree on, the size of the house, the location, the style, the windows, the plumbing, the electrical, the interior, the roof. No detail is left out of this contract, this agreement. So after you meet and you discuss all the details, the builder then draws up a master contract and you and the builder sign it. Well, you’re not ready to break ground, but there’s a footnote here.

Because the builder has all the skills to build the house. He knows how to do it, but he does not build houses himself. So what does he do? Well, consistent with the master agreement, he prepares and signs three sub agreements, which are often called subcontracts, and he does that with three subcontractors.

Now, we’re keeping the example very simple, friends. We’re only calling, you know there’s many more than three subcontractors in building a home. Most of the time we’re just trying to keep our example simple. So all three of these sub agreements together cover the complete construction, every detail that was contained in the master agreement signed by you and the builder. Every one of those details is set forth in one of the three subcontracts.

So each subcontract is done in order. As each subcontract is done, it advances the master contract and further fulfills its purpose, and so when all three subcontracts are done, the master contract is done, every detail. So the subcontracts neither add to nor subtract from any substantive detail contained in the master contract. There’s nothing contained in the master contract that’s not also contained in the subcontracts.

So the three sub agreements are merely supplemental arrangements whereby the master contract is done. So if we apply this admittedly imperfect illustration to the Abrahamic Covenant and to its three Divisions or features the Sarah, Hagar and Keturah the Abrahamic is the master contract. The Sara, Hagar and Keturah features are the three subcontracts, and just like our illustration, God, who is the master builder, is directly involved in all four agreements. The Sera, Hagar and Keturah divisions advance the Abrahamic, but it’s important to emphasize that they do not change one substantive detail of the Abrahamic, not one.

Every blessing that God intends to accomplish through Sarah, Hagar and Keturah are inherently included in the Abrahamic. Let’s now look at the Abrahamic and its three divisions. We’re going to look at each separately, and for each covenant we want to focus on three points. First, what is each of these covenants? Is it unilateral or bilateral?

And third, how does it relate one to the other? Let’s start with the Abrahamic the Master Contract and consider each of our three focus points. First, what is the Abrahamic covenant? What is it? Well, God first mentions it as a prospective Covenant in Genesis chapter 12, Genesis 12:1 3 and there we read now the Lord said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house unto the land that I will show thee and I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee and make thy name great, and be thou a blessing and I will bless them that bless thee and him that curseth thee will I curse and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

It was not until Abraham traveled some 1,000 miles and set foot in the promised land, Canaan, that the covenant was made. We often refer to the Abrahamic as simply in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. This statement is absolutely true, but this brief expression is but the barest sketch of the full scope of the Abrahamic covenant. God reveals far more detail about the Abrahamic in Genesis, chapter 13, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 35, 46, and we probably left out a few more details are referred to or revealed in at least 10 other Old Testament books, and more details about the Abrahamic covenant are set forth in at least five New Testament books.

Now, we don’t want to misunderstand. These subsequent expressions are not more covenants, they are more details about the one covenant. God’s all inclusive covenant. The Abrahamic.

What God obligated himself pardon me, what God obligated himself to do to and through Abraham is sweeping, comprehensive, all inclusive. Just to touch on a Few of these additional details. Throughout the book of Genesis, Abraham was to be exalted and respected. He was to have countless offspring, both spiritual and natural. Some of Abraham’s children would be world leaders.

Some would even be exalted to royalty. Abraham’s family would bless many nations. Indeed, they were chosen to bless everyone else, which is the theme text of this convention. They were chosen to bless the Gentiles. Abraham and his earthly family would have extensive land ownership.

All blessings promised were perpetual. They would never depart from Abraham’s family. These are just a few, a bare handful of touch points that are contained in the one comprehensive covenant. The Abrahamic covenant is the most sweeping contractual blessing that could be conceived. Jesus, the Church, the great company, Abraham, the ancient worthies, Natural Israel as well as the world get their blessing from this covenant.

The Abrahamic covenant is unilateral. There was no mutual exchange of promises between God and anyone else. It was not made as a result of a mutual exchange of promises at all. Abraham did have to leave Mesopotamia. Now this is an important point here.

Abraham did have to leave Mesopotamia and enter Canaan. But that was a pre covenant condition that God required. What was God doing by requiring that? Well, he was requiring this demonstration of faith by Abraham before God would covenant with him. Now this makes perfect sense when we stop to think about makes perfect sense that God would require this pre covenant demonstration of total faith in God.

Why does that make sense? Because God would not waste his time making a covenant with one who did not believe that God would fulfill it. Once Abraham demonstrated his faith, God alone structured the full scope of the terms of this covenant. God did not go to Abraham and consult him about the contents or the scope of this covenant. Abraham had no input.

God did not ask for Abraham’s input. God did not impose any conditions on Abraham. God did not give or lay out all the details of his covenant and then ask for Abraham’s consent. God didn’t ask for Abraham’s consent. So every way that we look at this covenant, we see that this Abrahamic covenant was one 100% God’s creation, 100% his self imposed obligation that had no conditions to it.

The Abrahamic was solely God’s self imposed commitment. Abraham was strictly a beneficiary. It’s God’s blessing program, and that means if it’s unilateral, that neither Abraham nor Satan or anyone else can ever thwart this program.

The third focal point about the Abrahamic covenant relates to how it connects with the Sarah, Hagar and Keturah features. As we suggested the Abrahamic embodies the fullness of God’s blessing, the fullness of life to all who are or ever become part of Abraham’s seed, which we know is a big family, because Abraham’s seed ultimately includes the Jesus, the Church, great company Israel, and so on. So the Sarah, Hagar and Keturah divisions add nothing to or subtract anything from the Abrahamic. The Sarah Hagar Guttura divisions operate to accomplish the Abrahamic. Well, how do they do that?

Well, we’re going to look at each one separately. We first turn to the Sarah division, the Sarah covenant, and consider our first focal point. What is this covenant? Well, the covenant of Sarah is God’s arrangement to create or develop a certain portion of Abraham’s seed, and we often refer to that as the stars class. God embedded the Sarah division in the Abrahamic, and thus he created both simultaneously.

In Genesis 15:5, we are introduced to this idea of the stars. Look now toward heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them, and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. In other words, if you can number the stars, you can number your children. Well, who can do that?

Notice here that there’s no mention of the sand, no distinction between Abraham’s spiritual seed and his earthly seed or family. So in this particular text, Genesis 15:5, God used the stars analogy to simply say that all of Abraham’s seed would be numerous. Now, there’s a further progression and development here because after Abraham offered Isaac on the altar, God clarified that he wanted two seeds, a heavenly and an earthly. Genesis 22:17, which we read in part in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. Now from this text, Genesis 22:17, we’re still not clear who the stars class is, but the apostle Paul tells us plainly that that it is Christ.

Galatians 3:16 now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not and to seeds as of many, but as of one and to thy seed, which is Christ. But there’s a feather. A further elucidation of this commitment. In verse 29, Galatians 3:29, Paul assures us that the body of Christ, the little flock, is also Abraham’s spiritual seed.

In Galatians 3:29, we read, and if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise? So not only does Paul tell us Abraham’s spiritual seed is the Christ. But he tells us something more about the Sarah. He tells us in Galatians 4:26 that Sarah’s child, the antitypical Isaac, he says here that the antipical Isaac is New Jerusalem. Well, what is New Jerusalem?

New Jerusalem is a city. What is a city? A city is. Represents in Scripture the primary governing body of the kingdom of God. So In Galatians, chapter 4, verse 26, from the ISV translation, we read, but the heavenly Jerusalem is the free woman, and she is our spiritual mother.

So we glean from these few verses that the primary purpose of the seraph feature is to develop the main governing body of the kingdom, the Christ. However, the beautiful news doesn’t stop there, because Paul and John tell us that the great company, the great multitude, is developed under the seraph feature in 1 Corinthians 15, verses 35 to 49, which we won’t take the time to read, but those texts read, they say that the star differeth from star in glory. Some stars are the little flock, and we know that there’s even differences within the little flock category, and some stars, in fact, most of these stars that differ are Great Company.

The great company, of course, do not receive the divine nature, as we all know they are before the throne. They serve before the throne, they do not serve on the throne. The stars portion, or Abraham’s seed, includes the Great Company as a lower class of stars, but they’re still part of the stars class.

The Sarah covenant is bilateral because it requires the stars class to make a promise to God. Psalms 50, verse 5, very familiar text reads, gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. This bilateral aspect is perfectly portrayed by Rebekah when asked if she would be Isaac’s bride. We read in Genesis 24:58, and they called Rebekah and said unto her, wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

Those three words, I will go was Rebecca’s reciprocal promise. Jesus and the church must make reciprocal promises to God. Psalms chapter 50, verse 5 suggests that God and Jesus entered into this mutual exchange of promises. God promised Jesus the divine nature. Jesus promised to make and complete his earthly sacrifice.

That was his reciprocal promise. Now, Jesus theoretically could have failed his part. We know that he did not fail, but theoretically he could have. There was no guarantee that Jesus would be faithful, and the same with us.

If we breach our Sarah covenant, we either become secondary stars or we perish. When we consecrated we made a promise to be faithful to God. That was our reciprocal promise. We agreed to the benefits and we also agreed to the penalties for Pharaoh to live up to our commitment. You know, our success does not rest entirely with God.

Yes, we lean on God greatly to come off victorious. But our success does not rest entirely with God. It rests in part with us keeping our part in this covenant. Let’s look at our third focal point about the Sarah covenant. How does it relate to the other three?

Well, the Sarah adds nothing substantive to what God already embedded in the sweeping Abrahamic God predestinated the star or Isaac class. But note, he did not predestinate any particular individual to that star’s class. Becoming part of the Isaac class required an invitation and each one making a personal reciprocal promise of sacrifice. The Sarah Covenant is a supplemental bilateral arrangement that develops Abraham’s spiritual seed, which was called for in the original Abrahamic covenant. In Genesis 25:5 we read, Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

God gave the Isaac class his chief blessing. God further proposed that the Isaac class would be the channel of blessing to everyone else. For example, Paul says in Hebrews 11:40 that the ancient worthies without us would not be perfected. In a word, God designed that the stars class would be the channel of blessing to the sand class. Let’s now turn to the Law covenant, also known as the Old Law Covenant.

What is it? Our first focal point, Exodus, chapter 19, verses 5 and 6. Now therefore, if he will obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. For all the earth is mine, and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation.

God offered to natural Israel the first opportunity to gain life and to be the blesser seed, to be the royal priesthood for Israel to receive life, and this exalted blessing of course required natural Israel to obey perfectly. Because the Old Law covenant is a works covenant, it demands performance. Now God forknew Israel could not obey. So we might ask ourselves the question, why did God go through this exercise of making a covenant with somebody he already foreknew could not live up to it?

We believe that there’s two main reasons. First, Galatians 3:24. Read, read. In part. The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith.

The Law covenant taught all natural Israelites that they could not gain life by obedience. They needed a Savior and they needed to have faith in that Savior. The Law covenant made all consecrated Israelites ready to become Christians to sacrifice earthly life. This is what they were being taught. This was the schoolmaster getting them ready to become Christians at the due time.

The second reason we believe that God entered into this covenant is based on Leviticus 18:5. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgment, which if a man do, he shall live in them. Jesus not only complied with the strict terms of the Old Law covenant, he fulfilled it. He gained the right of human life that it offered. As we read clearly in the text that we just read, the life rights that Jesus procured under the law covenant is the legal basis of salvation for all.

It’s the legal basis for the ransom. Friends, the ransom is not just the death of a perfect man. It’s the death of a perfect man who has the legal right because of the old law covenant to be alive. Jesus legal right to be alive as a man enables Adam’s death sentence to be transferred to him and Adam and his family eventually released from the prison house of death. Our second focal point about the old Law covenant is that it is bilateral.

Clearly Exodus 24:7, and he speaking of Moses, and he took the book of the covenant and read in the audience of the people, and they said all that the Lord has said we will do and be obedient. God promised life to Israel in exchange for their promise to be obedient. Well, it’s obvious that there was a mutual exchange of promises. So this is obviously a bilateral arrangement. Jesus was born of a woman under the law, and so he too committed himself to God to be obedient.

And we know that he was. Let’s consider our third focal point on the Old Law covenant. How does it relate to the other three? Well, Paul answers this question in Galatians 3:19. The question, the rhetorical question is raised, wherefore then serveth the law?

And it’s referring to the Old Law Covenant. It the law covenant was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made. Now here Paul tells us that the law covenant was added meaning a prosthesis. The Greek word here is prosthetomy. It’s the word from which our English word prosthesis comes.

It was a prosthesis to the Abrahamic, and we all know what a prosthesis is. It replaces a missing limb. It does the same thing as the original limb. It doesn’t do more, it doesn’t do less.

It simply advances. It simply replaces and does what the original limb was designed to do, and that’s Paul’s point. He’s saying the law of covenant did not change the Abrahamic, but rather it advanced the Abrahamic Covenant, and as we said, the Law Covenant provided the legal basis for the ransom.

No ransom, no life anywhere. Also, the Law Covenant prepared a Jewish nucleus to become Christian to be the children of Sarah and of course Sarah’s child Isaac. The royal priesthood would be the mediator to serve the new Law of Covenant. Now one side point is that the Jews who do not die to the Old Law of Covenant condemns them until the new Law of Covenant is inaugurated. We now turn to the New Covenant, which is also called the New Law Covenant.

We’ll minimize our comments here because it is part of Israel’s future blessing that will be covered by our dear brother Larry McClellan. So this will be very brief comments. Paul tells us that the new Covenant is to take away the sins of and restore natural Israel. Now we want to keep in mind, based upon the Scriptures, particularly Ezekiel chapter 16, that this includes natural Israel taken away their sins, and all naturalized Israelites, in other words, all Gentiles who become Israelitish, of course, are included in this as well.

Our second point is that the New Covenant is bilateral. Paul teaches us that the New Covenant is typified by the old Law Covenant, which we clearly saw is bilateral. In the New Covenant, God promises the blessing of human life, but each must consecrate to get it. They must make that reciprocal promise. Our third point is that the New Covenant accomplishes human restoration that’s promised in the Abrahamic Human restitution was already part of the original Abrahamic Covenant.

And so the New Covenant is the mechanism, it’s the procedure, it’s the process by which the sand or the dust class receives eternal human life. Now one final analogy might help to illustrate the Abrahamic Covenant and its three divisions and the differences between these. Imagine a university comprised of three colleges or departments, the College of Pharmacy, Engineering and Law. The university founder has it all laid out, it’s well endowed, all the pieces are in place, and it’s designed to produce three kinds of professionals. Does the university by itself, by itself produce pharmacists and engineers or lawyers?

No. What’s needed. What’s needed are students. Students who make application, students who are accepted into one of the three programs, students who commit themselves, students who attend class, students who do the work, students who start thinking like professionals, students who pass the tests. The university by itself can only offer the programs, but it takes students who commit themselves committed to make the personal sacrifices necessary to change, to be transformed.

God’s unilateral Abrahamic Covenant guarantees blessings. But friends, it’s up to each individual to sign on. In summary, we see one unilateral covenant carried out by three bilateral or subordinate covenants. Abraham’s family consists of two main the star or spiritual class, and the sand or the earthly class. It’s all one family, even though some of Abraham’s family are spirit beings and some are earthly beings.

So we see here that to which the world, including the nominal Christian world especially, is blind. Spiritual Israel and natural Israel are closely related to each other, and this will always be the case. Spiritual Israel and natural Israel get their blessing from the exact same covenant, the Abrahamic the Abrahamic covenant is unstoppable. But whether any particular individual chooses to receive God’s proffered blessings of the Abrahamic covenant is entirely up to them in the proper exercise of their wills pursuant to one of the three subordinate covenants.

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