God's Covenant 

Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him,  “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.  No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.  I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.  And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.  And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17: 3 to 8) 

When Abram was ninety-night years old, God made this covenant with him.  It had been almost twenty-five years after God called out Abram.  However, the covenant is not very different from those before.  It mainly focused on Abram's offspring.  Why such a covenant?  One thing for sure is that Abraham won't be able to see it.  Or what merits would Abraham get if he has a massive or great offspring?  It seemed that no famine or war was more practical for Abraham. 

In Matthew, Jesus said, 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6: 19 to 21) 

In Psalm, it says, 

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. (Psalm 127: 3) 

We all have our treasures.  But in God's eye, our children and offspring are our treasures.  Only God can give us these treasures.  Not only that, but they could also be stored up in heaven. 

For we know that those who are truly saved will one day go to heaven.  So are our saved children.  So are their saved children, and so on.  So, if we taught our children to love God and be godly from generation to generation, then one day we will all gather in heaven.  When that day comes, we will find that we have so many heritages and rewards because we have so many godly children and offspring.  This is what Jesus talked about storing up treasures in heaven.  Well, at least that's one of the treasures in heaven we can be sure. 

Abram must have figured that out after twenty-five years.  That's why in Hebrews, it says, 

By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.  By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.  Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. (Hebrews 11: 9 to 12) 

Abraham figured out that one day there is a city, the New Jerusalem, with Jesus as the cornerstone, and other offspring as foundations with God as the architect and builder.  No wonder this is the greatest blessing and covenant that God could give to Abraham, a man as good as dead, because it will last eternally.  Now, we can all share the promise and are part of it.  Emmanuel. 

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