March 12 - Galatians 3:15-18

March 12 - Galatians 3:15-18

Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”  meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

Paul goes out on a limb a little bit here in discussing the covenant God made with Abraham.  The standard interpretation of Abraham’s ‘seed’ had never before been quite as focused as he interprets it regarding Jesus Christ, but it made sense to him and thinking a little bit more about it – it makes sense to all of us.  Abraham probably didn’t see it that way.  The covenant was between God and all that would follow in Abraham’s line.  That was pretty much the basis for the tribes of Israel.  Abraham to Isaac to Jacob … Israel.

The noun ‘seed’ can be used either as a singular noun meaning a single seed, or it can be used as a plural noun … as it is used in Mark 4:4, “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed some fell along the path …”

But, Paul was making a point in connecting Jesus Christ to Abraham.  The covenant that God made with Abraham was fulfilled in Christ Jesus.  As we’ll see, the Israelites messed up the covenant and their inheritance was called into question because of their disobedience.

When Christ came, He renewed that inheritance and then, in turn, transferred it to all who would follow Him.

The covenant established between God and Abraham could not be set aside.  As long as one person fulfills a covenant, it remains in existence.  It is nothing like a contract between two parties that can be considered null and void when one breaks the contract.  A covenant with an eternal God is forever – until it is fulfilled.  Paul tells us that Jesus Christ fulfills the covenant.