God’s Covenant of Prosperity

Victory Christian Centre, Hutt City, New Zealand

Psalm 111:1, 5 (AMP)PRAISE THE Lord! ….. _ 5 _ _ He has given food and provision _ _ to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; _ _ He will remember His covenant forever _ and imprint it [on His mind].

At the beginning of the lockdown we have emphasised God's Protection.

Now, after the lockdown it's time to emphasise God's Provision.

The Covid-19 lockdown and its ensuing lack of productivity has resulted in a considerable economic downturn. The effect of this economic downturn has not fully realised yet, largely due to a massive government spend-up.

• We are now in "faith territory" concerning God's provision for our lives
• The need to walk by faith is stronger today than it was, say, last year

This is a good time to look to God and His faithfulness in a renewed way, and build up our faith on His wonderful promises.

Psalm 111:5 tells us that our God is a covenant-keeping God.

Our God is also a prayer-answering God.

• When Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed His own blood, He confirmed God's New Covenant (Agreement) with His people
• This covenant includes access to God's provision for our lives. Phil. 4:19
• God is able to fulfil His covenant with His people irrespective of the economy around us. (God is not limited by the economy of the world)

Genesis 26:1–6 (NKJV)_ There was a famine in the land , besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. 2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you._ _ 3 **Dwell in this land, _ and _ I will be with you and bless you** ; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and_ _ I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;_ _ 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." 6 _ _ So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. _

• There was a famine in Canaan in Isaac's day
• The prevailing thinking of the day was that if things are tough in Canaan, just go down to Egypt (Abraham went to Egypt in a famine. Gen. 12:10)
• (The Nile Delta in Egypt [incl. Goshen] was very fertile even without rain)
• God told Isaac:
  • Do not go down to Egypt (like your father did)
  • Dwell in this land (even though there is a famine in this land)
  • I will be with you and I bless you (despite the famine)

The moral of the story:

• God is able to bless you and prosper you in post-Covid-19 (famine) days
• Your prosperity is not determined by what's around you (your environment)
• Your prosperity is determined:
  • By what's in you
  • and by what's on you
• Abraham was a covenant man (Genesis 15:18)
• His son Isaac also became a covenant man with God (Genesis 17:7)
• The blessing of God also came on Isaac
• The blessing of God also formed his thinking within him

Hidden Object Lesson:

• If your father is/was not a prosperous man, don't follow him to Egypt
• God said: Live in the land of which I will tell you (Genesis 26:2)

Do what I will show you, not what you saw your father do!

Genesis 26:12–14 (NKJV) _ Then Isaac sowed in that land , and_ _ **reaped in the same year a hundredfold; _ and _ the Lord blessed him**._ _ 13 The man_ _ began to prosper , and_ _ continued prospering _ until he _ became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him._

• Isaac sowed in the land & reaped a huge harvest despite the famine
• God blessed him
  • Isaac began to prosper
  • He continued prospering
  • Until he became very prosperous

Genesis 26:15–33 (NKJV)Now _ the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father , and they had filled them with earth._ _ 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we." 17 Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there._ _ 18 And_ _ **Isaac dug again the wells of water _ _which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them.** 19 Also_ _ Isaac's servants dug in the valley , and_ _ found a well of running water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him._ _ 21 Then they dug another well , and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah._ _ 22 And_ _ **he moved from there and dug another well, _ _and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, "For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."** 23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba._ _ 24 And_ _ the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham; _ do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake." _ 25 So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and_ _ there Isaac's servants dug a well. 26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army._ _ 27 And Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?" 28 But they said, "We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you . So we said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you,_ _ 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace._ _ You are now the blessed of the Lord. ' " 30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank._ _ 31 Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 32 It came to pass the same day that_ _ Isaac's servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, "We have found water." _ _ 33 \So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day._

• In that part of the world, wells of water meant "prosperity"
• The Philistines (satan) tried to stop Isaac's prosperity by filling in the wells
• Abimelech became jealous & felt threatened by Isaac & sent him away
• After Isaac moved away, he re-dug the wells of his father Abraham
• His servants dug another well & found water but the Philistines claimed it
• His servants dug still another well but the Philistines claimed that one too
• Isaac moved again and dug another well, this time he was able to keep it
• Then God appeared to him again and re-affirmed His blessing on his life
• Abimelech visited & said: We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you
• Then his servants dug still another well & found water once again
• Isaac called this new well "Shebah" which means "oath" or "seven"

Proposition : Each well represents a business!

• Isaac wasn't satisfied when he "began to prosper"
• He continued to apply himself and "continued to prosper", until he "became very prosperous"
• Don't limit yourself or the blessing of God on your life

Robert Kiyosaki , author of the book called "Rich dad, poor dad" speaks about the 7 streams of income of millionaires.

Earned Income – (wages/salary)

Profit Income (business)

Interest Income (investment)

Dividend Income (shares)

Rental Income (property)

Capital Gains (property)

Royalty Income (intellectual property)

Ecclesiastes 11:2 (NIV)_ Invest in seven ventures, _ yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

Be: Diligent Proverbs 10:4

Industrious 1 Kings 11:28

Resourceful Proverbs 1:4 GNB

Frugal

Generous Proverbs 11:25

Don't be: Lazy Proverbs 10:4

Lavish yourself

Overly cautious

Have: An above-average work ethic

An above-average decision-making process

There is a need to disciple God's people in the area of:

• Money
• Money management
• Money making

Luke 16:8 (KJV)… the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.