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The Covenant of the Pieces

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The Covenant of the Pieces The Covenant of the Pieces Eternal Unconditional Covenant of Grace Abram and the Covenant Romans 4: 1 ¶ What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." NOT G3364 οὐ μή ou mē oo may That is, G3756 and G3361; a double negative strengthening the denial; not at all: - any more, at all, by any (no) means, neither, never, no (at all), in no case (wise), nor ever, not (at all, in any wise). Compare G3378. GOSPEL Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. Are we grafted in? Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed." hmdah txpvm lk Kb wkrbnw V’nivrechu b’cha kol Mishpechot ha’adamah “In you will all of the families of the earth be grafted in." GOSPEL Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. THE STORY OF ABRAHAM IS ABOUT ANCIENT COVENANT MAKING BETWEEN THE WORD OF YHVH AND ABRAHAM The Memra of YHVH The Targums were authoritative Aramaic paraphrases of the books of the Tenach which were read in the synagogues along with the Hebrew of the Torah and Haftorah readings. Often when the Targums come to passages where YHVH is anthropomorphisised or seen, or where two or more YHVHs are indicated by the text, the Targums will substitute "The MEMRA [Logos] of YHVH" forYHVH. THE MEMRA OF YHVH GENESIS 15:1 ¶ After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. TARGUM ONKELOS Parasha Lech-Lecha XV. After these things the word (pithgama) of the Lord came to Abram in prophecy, saying, Fear not, Abram: My Word (Memra) shall be thy strength, and thy exceeding great reward. Hebrews 1:1 Elohim, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, THE ANGEL OF YHVH The angel according to Jewish theology, was he who discoursed with Moses and the angel in whom G-d placed His Name. The following from the Zohar is of interest in this case: There is a man, if a Man He is, Who is an Angel. This Angel is Metatron, the Keeper of Israel; He is a man in the image of the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is an Emanation from Him [from G-d]; yea, He [the Metatron] is YHVH. Of Him cannot be said, He is created, formed or made; but He is the Emanation from G-d. Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible Elohim, the firstborn of every creature: Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. RABBI -Kimchi The L-rd is the King Messiah; He is also the Angel of the Covenant. RABBI Aben Ezra The L-rd is both the Divine Majesty, and the Angel of the Covenant, for the sentence is doubled. Philo Judeus For those who cannot look upon the Son Himself, behold Him in His reflected light, even thus do they regard the image of G-d, Who is His Angel, the MEMRA [Logos], as ELOHIM Himself. Yochanan 1:1 (John 1:1): In the beginning was the MEMRA, the MEMRA was with Elohim, and the MEMRA was Elohim. According to Targum Onkelos, this MEMRA of YHVH that Abraham trusted in: And Abraham trusted in the MEMRA of YHVH, and He counted it to him for righteousness. (Targum Onkelos Gen. 15:6) Midrash Rabbah - Genesis XLIV:1 AFTER THESE THINGS THE MEMRA OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ABRAM IN A VISION, etc. (XV, 1). It is written, As for Elohim, His,- way is perfect; the MEMRA of the Lord is tried (II Sam. XXII, 31) if His way is perfect, how much the more He Himself! Rab said: The precepts were given only in order that man might be refined’ by them. For what does the Holy One, blessed be He, care whether a man kills an animal by the throat or by the nape of its neck;? Hence its purpose is to refine [try] man. 3 for it is written, And thou foundest his [sc. Abraham's] way faithful before Thee, etc. (Neh. IX, 8). ’ The MEMRA of the Lord is tried’ intimates that the Holy One, blessed be He, tried him in a fiery furnace. He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in Him (II Sam. loc. cit.); hence, FEAR NOT. ABRAM, I AM THY SHIELD, etc. Abraham prayed in the name of the MEMRA of YHVH: And Abraham worshipped and prayed in the name of the MEMRA [Memra] of YHVH, and said, "You are YHVH who does see, but You cannot be seen." (Jerusalem Targum Gen. 22:14) The Consequences of Breaking Covenant Jeremiah 34:18-20 And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not stood on the words of the covenant which they have cut with Me when they cut the calf in two, and passed between its parts, the rulers of Judah and the rulers of Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf; I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those seeking their life. And their dead bodies shall be for food to the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the earth. GENESIS 15 1 AFTER these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram; I am your shield, and your reward is exceedingly great. 2 And Abram said, O LORD God, what will thou give me, for I will die childless, and Eliezer of Damascus, one of my household, will be my heir? 3 And Abram said, Behold, thou hast given me no son; and, behold, one of the members of my household will be my heir. 4 Then the LORD said to him, This man shall not be your heir; but your own son that shall come out of your own loins shall be your heir. 5 And he brought him outside, and said to him, Look now toward heaven and number the stars, if you are able to number them; and he said to him, So shall your descendants be. 6 And Abram believed in the LORD; and it was counted to him for righteousness. 7 And he said to him, I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it. 8 And Abram said, O LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9 And he said to him, Take for yourself a heifer, three years old, a three year old ram, a three year old she-goat, a pigeon, and a young dove. 10 And he took to himself all these, and cut them in two, and laid each piece against another; but the birds he did not divide. 11 And when the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and, lo, fear and a great darkness fell upon him. 13 And the LORD said to Abram, Know of a surety that your descendants shall be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and shall be in servitude: and they shall afflict them for four hundred years; 14 But I will judge the nation which they shall serve; and afterward they shall come out with great wealth. 15 And you shall depart from this life and go to your fathers in peace; and you shall be buried at a good old age. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your descendants have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 The Hittites, the Perizzites, the Giants, 21 The Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. COVENANT H1285 ּברית berîyth ber-eeth' From H1262 (in the sense of cutting (like H1254)); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh): - confederacy, [con- ]feder[-ate], covenant, league.
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