(Genesis) Genesis 17:8

And now today, friends, we return back to the 17th chapter of the book of Genesis. If you have your Bible, will you turn there to the 8th verse? Now last time, you'll recall, we said that the 17th chapter of the book of Genesis is the key chapter of the book. Some think of the Bible.

At least it's an outstanding book, that is, this chapter is. And the thing that's important here is the covenant. Thirteen times the word covenant occurs.

God makes this covenant here with Abraham. And there are two things that are in the covenant. God promised him a seed.

He'd be the father of many nations. And second, He'd give him a land. Now, we're looking at that last part, verse 8. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.

And again, there's something that's important in this covenant. God tells him what He will do. God says, I will.

I will make thee exceeding fruitful. I'll make nations of thee. I will establish my covenant.

I will give unto thee, and thy seed. And I will give you this land for an everlasting possession. Now, we notice the word everlasting before.

And that means God has made a covenant with these people. That's an everlasting covenant. And since it is, it's not one that'll be easily broken.

It's not one that's going to run out. God gave them an everlasting, an everlasting possession. Now, they have been in that land on three occasions.

It's theirs. But the important thing is, they only occupy it under certain conditions. And God, first of all, sent them down into the land of Egypt, and they were dispersed there.

And that's where they became a nation. They went down a family, about 70, came out a million and a half at least. And then they were put out at the Babylonian captivity because they went into idolatry, were not witnessing for God.

Then we find that they went out again in 70 A.D., after they had rejected their Messiah. They went out of that land. And actually, they've never been back.

Three times God predicted they'd be put out of the land. Three times He said they'd be returned. They've been returned twice.

When they're returned the next time, I take it that it means that they'll never go out of it again, at least. That's when the millennium takes place, is when God gathers them and brings them back in the land. I do not consider the present return to the land a fulfillment.

I rather regard anyone that makes that statement dealing with sensationalism. And there's so much of that in prophecy today, an attempt to make it very sensational. Well, it's sensational enough if you just take it as it is.

But the important thing is, we ought not to be adding to it or have God say something He didn't say at all.