The apple of God's eye

October 15, 2023

Deuteronomy 7:6-8, ^NKJV
"You are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to you fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Genesis 12:1-3, ^NKJV
"Get out of your country from your family, from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed".

1. It Is An Unconditional Covenant

2. It Is A Personal Covenant

3. It Is A National Covenant

Genesis 12:2, ^NKJV
"I will make you a great nation."

4. It Is A Territorial Covenant

Genesis 12:1, ^NKJV
"Get out of your country from your family, from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.

Genesis 15:8, ^NKJV
And on that same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, 'To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.'"

Genesis 17:8, ^NKJV
Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

5. It Is A Reciprocal Covenant

Genesis 12:3, ^NKJV
And I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed".

Zechariah 2:8-9, ^NKJV
"Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'He sent me after glory, to the nations which plunder Israel, for he who touches you, Israel, touches the apple of God's eye, For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.

2 Chronicles 20:6-12, ^NIV
“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’ “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

2 Chronicles 20:15-17, ^NIV
He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

2 Chronicles 20:24-26, ^NIV
When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of
equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah to
this day.

6. It Is A Universal Covenant

Genesis 12:3, ^NKJV
“And I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed".

Galatians 3:14, ^NLT
Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.

7. It Is A Forever Covenant
Genesis 17:7-8, ^NKJV
And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Ezekiel 37:11-14, ^NKJV
Then he said to me, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off. Therefore, prophesy and say to them, "Thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, O my people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up from your graves. I
will put my Spirit in you, and you shall live. And I will place you in your own land, and you shall know that I the Lord have spoken and performed it,' says the Lord".'"

Psalm 122:6-8, ^NLT
Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say,
“May you have peace.”