Well, the proverbial bad penny keeps turning up, doesn't it? There you have it. Thanks, Alan, for the welcome. It's good to be back again this evening and sharing fellowship again on your Bible study tonight. And it's hard to believe that the month has just slipped away, time just go so quickly but that's the way it is but it's good to be here I've enjoyed the fellowship as always and good to be here. Now to have a quick repack for benefit anybody not here previous nights or listening in to the internet in the first time we've been looking at covenant but not things the covenants is the way the covenanters would look at them and the form theologians would look at them and things like that but we're looking at things relevant to covenant rather than the Covenant itself. Of course we're not Calvinistic in any way, we're not into Reformed theology in any way, we don't believe those things, but we're looking at these things pertaining to the Covenant. The first week we looked and explained what the Covenant is. And we made the question, what is a covenant, the definition, and we looked at the actual word, what it means. It means to cut a covenant, and we looked at the applications, how men make a covenant, and the circumstances men make it, and then the circumstances where God makes it. And then we look at who makes divine covenants, the divine ones, who has the definition in the divine ones. And we saw, without going into detail tonight, that the Lord is a covenant-making God, a covenant-keeping God, a covenant-revealing God, and a covenant-enabling God. And then we move from the definition and the divine ones, but to see why make a covenant, the decision and why people would make the decision to make a covenant. And then we looked at what type of covenant could they make, the division of covenants. We saw that there's the shoe covenant, and then there's the salt covenant, and the strongest one, of course, a blood covenant. And then we looked at the words that accompany a covenant, the description of a covenant. And we saw that there are promises associated with a covenant, the terms of the covenant. In other words, if you do A, B, and C, I will do X, Y, and Z. And the oaths, the promises of the oaths that would bind a covenant, if you like, and then the book where they'd be written down. We looked at how long a covenant would last, and that would be the duration of the covenant. And we saw they're everlasting, some are temporal, some are irrevocable, and some are revocable under certain circumstances. And then we saw how the dawn, how it was entered into the covenant. That was week one. And two weeks ago, we started the first of these, moving from explaining covenant into things that extend the covenant. The first thing we looked at was the relationship between Jonathan and David. We saw how these men loved one another. But then we looked at what that revealed about covenant. We looked at the word caroth and saw, again it backs up the word bereath, which means to cut a covenant, and we applied it to three things. to the events of Genesis 17, the circumcision. Secondly, to the cross and how the saviour was cut in his head, his hands, his feet, his side and his back. And then we saw how Paul bore the marks. So then we move from that background into the things that extend the covenant. And we took the last, we've known that the last two weeks really, and we started first of all with the exchanging of robes. And we find how Jonathan took off his robes, and David put them on. We spent a lot of time in it and we saw how David was putting on Jonathan because Jonathan was there and David was putting on Jonathan and of course we saw the type for us is that we are joint heirs with Christ and we saw the importance of the believer taking off the old man and putting on Christ and becoming like him. And then we saw how the Lord Jesus left off the robes of the glories of heaven and put on humanity and went to the cross. That was the exchanging of robes. And then we came to last week and we saw the expediency of exchanging the weapons and a belt. We saw how David and Jonathan were protecting each other and the significance of how Jonathan was going to protect David from Saul and how David was going to protect Jonathan down the generations and so on. The challenge to us was that we would do absolutely nothing that would bring the Lord's name into disrepute. And we have to live worthily of our calling and not bring the Lord's name into disrepute. And then we saw how the Lord would protect us. We looked at various circumstances, but then we saw he may not do it the way we expect him to do, as we looked a little bit at Acts 8 and 9, how Paul was causing havoc, well he was Saul in those days of course, and then how the Lord saved him on the Damascus road and the trouble was changed in a way that we wouldn't have seen or done ourselves. So that was the exchanging the robes and the expediency of the weapons and the belt, exchanging the weapons and the belt. But then we move into engaging in a solemn binding agreement. And we saw that the Greek word for covenant in the New Testament is the word diathike, and it's transliterated as a contract. And then in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is the word berethe, and that means to pass through the pieces, to bind the contract. Without passing through the pieces and the contract and so on, we looked at three things. We looked at the importance of keeping the contract and how Moses learnt the hard way because he hadn't circumcised his own son and Moses learnt the seriousness of what God means and of course the application to us when God was wrangling with Moses how we need to keep our word and do what God tells us to do. We looked at one further illustration of breaking covenant. We spent a lot of time looking at Jeremiah 34 verses 8 to 22, the agreement of covenant. which was, of course, how they agreed to let their slaves go, and the acceptance of it, and they actually did it. But then the abrogation of the covenant, how they're reneged, and they brought them back into their family. And we saw the anger admonition of God in verse 12 to 22 of Jeremiah 34. And the people were judged, and the leaders were judged, and the cities were judged. And that was all of that, and then we saw the endued discipline in the church, and we saw the importance of doing what God has asked us to do, and the importance of what we promise God we will do. And then we move from the exchanging of the robes, the experience of exchanging the weapons and the belt, and engaging in a solemn binding agreement, but then we move to the entering through the peace. piece where we see in Genesis 15 where the animals are divided and so on and we saw that the Covenanters passed through the pieces that they were cut and of course the significance for us being crucified with Christ and that the Saviour's cuts at the place called Calvary. Now that's a little summary and it's a lot, well it's all in sermon audio and we don't have time to do it any further but that reminds ourselves a little of what we've covered but tonight we're moving from explaining covenant and things extending the covenant, but we're tonight going to examine experiencing covenant. And we're going to ask, is all the things we've learned, what is their relevance to this dispensation of grace in which we live in? It's all right for those things back in the Old Testament, but what do they mean to you and I tonight? And we want to look at, as our launching pad to it, the oneness of covenant and what I mean by that it's not oneness theology of course I'm going to do the trinity I'm not talking about that but if you like to look at the oneness of between David and Jonathan and see how all of that comes down to you and I tonight and we try and cover as much ground as we can. But let's go back to our proof text, our proof, our launching pad, as they call it, best way to put it, in 1 Samuel 18, verses 1 to 4, that which we've been reading as our launching pad each night to get into our studies. So 1 Samuel 18 and the first four verses where we've got all our things from. 1 Samuel 18 in verse one. And it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit, and we remember how he spent considerable time linking with that word knit, and how the two were bound together with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would let him go no more home to his father's house. And of course Saul is wanting to keep his eye on David and see what he's doing and keep him close at hand. And then Jonathan and David made a covenant and that's or phrase that we've been using for this series, making a covenant. But as he loved him as his own soul, we've pointed out each night that verse one and verse three, the love between these two men, Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Verse four. And then these other things that we've been looking at, Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave to David and his garments, even to the sword and his bow and his girdle. And we leave it there and we know that God will bless the renewing of his own inspired and fallible and indestructible and incorruptible word of truth. As I've said, we see how Jonathan and David in effect became one in some ways. I want to look at how all of this applies to us in this dispensation of grace, i.e. the church age, and to focus on this thought of oneness tonight. But the first place I want to start, of course, is the seriousness of marriage. The seriousness of marriage, I want to look at that and the covenant that is between a man and a woman. That lifelong union made by promises to each other before God and fellow man. Tragically we live in a day and age when marriage is entered into lightly with no real commitment, if they even get married at all, until death us do part means nothing and so many are in love with the idea of a big day out and are not interested in the life that follows thereafter. But what does God say about it all? Well turn with me to Malachi chapter 2. I think we maybe looked at this in the first week but we'll look at it in a slightly different way tonight. Malachi chapter 2 and we'll read from verse 14 to 16 tonight please. Malachi chapter 2 and the verse 14. Malachi 2 and verse 14. And it says, Yet ye say, wherefore, because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth. So there's the declaration. The Lord's been a witness. He's been a witness to our vows. He's been witness to our lives together. But here's the dealings, and this is sad. Against whom thou hast dealt treacherously. And there's the dealings, and this poor man has treated his poor wife desperately. Yet she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant, and there you have it. And there's the detail, she's your companion, and the covenant relationship between a man and a woman when they become one flesh. It goes on and then it says, and did he not make one? Yet had he the residue of the Spirit, and were for one, that he might seek a godly seed. And there's the desire for a godly seed. And here's the direction, take, or therefore take heed to your Spirit, and let none dwell treacherously against the wife of his youth. And there's the direction that we're to be given, we're to Let no one look after a wife, till treacherously a wife were to look after or were to protect her. And then God goes on to say, for the Lord, the God of Israel, saith he hateth putting away. In other words, God hates divorce. It's not the will of God, and God hates it. And then he goes on to say, And you take heed to your wife and to take heed to your marriage. You've made promises, you've made vows, stand over them as we've seen the importance of keeping your word in recent weeks. And I don't want to get into a sermon on marriage tonight. But I want to establish that marriage is a covenant and remind ourselves that husband and wife become one flesh. But having said all of that background, I want then to see the bradle relationship between the church and the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn with me away over to Ephesians chapter five, please. Book of Ephesians chapter five. Excuse me. Ephesians chapter five. And we know these verses very well, but they're very sobering verses for a man. and they bring a great challenge. Ephesians 5, verse 25 through verse 32. And it says, husbands, love your wives. It doesn't say tolerate her, or all the other things that people do in this day and age. We're to love her. And here's the passion. Even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Now there's a challenge for any husband in the meeting this evening. Do I love my wife the way the Lord Jesus loved the church and give himself for it? Well the challenge that is tonight, the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ. And look at his purpose, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he may present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that should be holy and without blemish. And there's the bride that's to be presented. And that's the bride that the Lord Jesus Christ loved. And that's the way I aim to love my bride. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. you love your wife as you love your own body. I'm going to challenge you. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself. For no man ever hateth his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord did church. And there's the practice, and that's how we're to love the Lord, or love our wife, just as we love ourselves. And then there's our position. For we're members of his body, of his flesh, and his bones, and there's our oneness with the Lord Jesus Christ, if you like, we're members of his body, his flesh and his bones. And then you've got the picture. For this cause shall a man leave his wife and his mother and be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. This is a great ministry, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. And you can see the seriousness of marriage and how it's a covenant and how it applies to covenant and how it applies to you and I, and particularly the husbands tonight, as all we're dealing with the husband side of it, there's the wife side of it of course, but we'll leave it at that tonight. So you see the seriousness of marriage and its covenant tonight in this oneness idea of how things are one, man and wife are one. I want to move from the seriousness of marriage to the significance of the marks. and we've looked at the marks of covenant and I want to see the significance of the marks and their oneness in this day and age. Of course in this series we've seen, in these studies we can see how often they cut a covenant as David and Jonathan did in 1 Samuel 18 verse 3. But tonight the first thing I want to do is to see the marks. And seeing the marks, of course, I'm reminded of Psalm 22 and verse 16, for dogs have compassed me, the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me, they pierced my hands and my feet. And of course, how the Lord Jesus was pierced at the place called Calvary for us at the cross and all that took place there. As we see these marks, I want to go back to John chapter 20, please. John chapter 20. And we're breaking into verse 24, please. John 20 and verse 24. And, of course, we see the Lord appearing, but poor Thomas is not there. John 20, verse 24, and it says, but Thomas, one of the 12 called Didymus, was not with them, the missing saint. And how often the Lord shows up on a meeting and the saints aren't there, and they miss the blessing. Too busy, too tired, too something else, and they miss the Lord showing up. And it says, because Thomas, one of the 12 called Didolemus, was not there when Jesus came, the momentous appearing. So the missing saint, the momentous appearing. The other disciples therefore said unto him, we have seen the Lord in the magnificent report. You know, it's one thing to hear of a magnificent meeting. It's one thing to hear of a magnificent night when the Lord Jesus came into the meeting and the Spirit of God was in the place and the Lord moved. It's one thing to hear about it, but it's another thing altogether to be there. We need to make sure we're in our place, that we don't miss it when the Lord shows up. He was going to say, but he said unto them, except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. The mistaken unbelief. Now, tragically, out in Cookstown tonight, in Donna Cloney, and across Northern Ireland, there are so many people who say, I will not believe. And here's Thomas. taking the place of the agnostic really, I will not believe unless I see it for myself. Then it goes on to say, and after eight days, so there's the mentioned time, you've got the missing saint, the momentous appearing, the magnificent report, the mistaken unbelief, but the mentioned time, eight days, now stop and think. The first time the Lord appeared, it was resurrection Sunday, the day of his resurrection. So that's day one, you count forward a day, that's the next Lord's day. So it's the Lord's day after the resurrection, and this is yet days. So you see the mention time. And again it says, again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them, and you see the meeting. But at least he's there, at least he's in his place this time. Now what happens? Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you in the Lord's in the midst. The preciousness from the Lord's in the midst. I know that we'll be noised abroad from here, that the Lord's in the midst, that the Lord's in the house. But we go from the missing saint, and the momentous appearing, and the magnificent report, and the mistaken unbelief, and the mentioned type, and the meeting, and the Lord in the midst, but we've got the Saviour's marks. Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hand, and reach thither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And the Saviour shows him the marks. And he shows him the five man-made things in heaven, the hands, the feet, and the side, and you see the marks. Funny, Crosby's great hymn, When my life work is ended, and I cross the swelling tide, when the bright and glorious morning I shall see, I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side, and his smile will be the first to welcome me. I shall know him. I shall know him. I shall know him and redeem, by his side I shall stand. I shall know him, I shall know him by the print of the nails in his hand. We'll know him. But one day, of course, Israel will understand who he is by those marks. Go back to Zechariah chapter 12, please. Zechariah chapter 12. Younger in the faith, the last book of the Old Testament's Malachi, where we've already been, and the penultimate book, the book before Malachi, is the book of Zechariah, so it's not hard to find. Zechariah, chapter 12, and the verse 10, please. And we're thinking how Israel will know him by the marks. Zechariah 12, verse 10, it says, and I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness firstborn. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced. And then we'll see the marks, because in Hebrew, or Zechariah, go over to the next chapter, chapter 13, and verse six. And it says, one shall say unto him, what are these wounds in thy hands? Then he shall answer, those with which I was wounded, the house of my friends. And you see these marks. and seeing the marks and we're looking at the oneness and the significance of the marks and how they apply to us. You see the marks but I want you to see the symbolism. because I want to quickly look at some symbolism as the markings, as we see them applied in this dispensation of grace. Go away to Matthew 26, and when I ask you to leave Matthew 26, stick a finger or a bookmark or something on it because we may well come back to it depending on how time's going later on. Matthew 26 and verse 26, and of course it's the familiar verses regarding the Lord's Supper. Matthew 26 and verse 26. And it says, and as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it and break it and give it to the disciples and said, take eight, this is my body. And he took a cup and gave thanks and give it to them saying, drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the New Testament. And we saw in a previous week, that word testament is the same word which is used for covenant in the New Testament, which is shared for many, the remissions of sin. So you see this New Testament, the New Covenant, or well the word is the same word this New Testament but you see the symbolism which we have on the table here every Lord's Day. Now we'll come back to that Lord's Day in due course but one thing before we move on in previous studies we saw that in making covenant the parties would pass between the pieces. Now go over to John chapter 6 please John chapter 6 in verse 53. As we're seeing the moving between the pieces, and what does it mean? Of course, John chapter 6 is where the Lord is talking about being the bread of life, and He's the true bread, and the life-giving bread, and the satisfying bread, the heavenly divine bread, the life-sustaining bread, and in verse 51, the living bread. But we're at verse 53 of John 6, and it says, Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, as I in him. and the living father hath sent me and I live by the father so he that eateth me even shall he live by me and hopefully from that we can understand something of a little deeper of the marks of Christ. and something more than the literalness, but how they are symbolically applied in this day of age. Now I must leave that or I'll never get finished tonight. So the seriousness of marriage, the significance and the marks, but as we major in the oneness tonight, I want you to see the striking of hands in covenant and ask then, how does that apply in this day and age, the striking of hands? Of course, when we make a deal or we're giving our word, we'll often stick our hand out and we'll shake hands It used to be when a man shook hands, his handshake was his word and his bond. And when we get back to those days, sadly, it means nothing today. But where did all of this originate from? Of course, it comes from the word of God. Go back to Job chapter 17, please. I'm trying to cover a lot of ground tonight. I'm trying to go through it as quickly as I possibly can. Job chapter 17, and we're in verse three. And it says, lay down now, put me in a surety, and of course surety is a bound or binding with thee, bind with me, who is he that will, what? Strike hands with me. And here's this striking of hands. Now the Hebrew word for strike is a very interesting word, it's the word toka. And this word is used 69 times in the Word of God. And it means to clap, to give a blow, to strike or clap hands, or the bit we're after is to strike or pledge oneself. However, in some cultures, this striking of hands is much stronger in that they would cut each other and co-mingle the blood. Now, with that thought in mind, that they would commingle the blood and the striking of hands. Turn with me to Isaiah 49, please. The prophecy of Isaiah chapter 49. And we're breaking in the verse 14, please. Isaiah 49 and verse 14. Isaiah 49 and verse 14. And it says, but Zion said, the Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. So there's the forsakenness. Can a woman forget her suckling child? Of course not. What woman could ever forget her suckling child? That she should not have compassion upon the son of her womb. So there's the forsaken, the forgotten unlikely. Yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee. So God said, even a mother forgets. I'm not gonna forget. So you've got the forsaken, the forgotten that's unlikely, the faithful God, he won't forget. But look what he said. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hand. The walls are ever before me. There's the fact. God has graven us in these hands. Of course we see what the saviour did at the place called Calvary and you can see another dimension to all of us this evening. The striking hands and how they're graven in to the hands and you see the eternality of the standing before God and of course this was speaking of Israel originally. and how anyone can read a replacement theology into something when God's graven them in the palms of his hand, well, that's beyond me. But of course, in New Testament times, brandings were put on soldiers and servants and servants in the temple. Now, here's the challenge to me this evening. When I shake hands, is it obvious that I'm a servant and a soldier of Christ? Am I a servant and a soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ? And is it obvious when I shake hands and give my word to something that my words may bow? Paul could say in Galatians 6, verse 17, from henceforth let no man trouble for me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Of course he bore the physical marks of his whippings and his beatings and his stonings and all that Paul suffered and endured. And for you and I, it may not be so much physical, but in all our dealings, let us bear the marks of Christ. Let us be obvious and let it be obvious that we are his and that people can depend on our handshake. and depend on her word. Now I must leave that tonight because I want to get the rest of the things finished. But if we consider what this oneness in covenant means, we see the seriousness of marriage and how man and wife are one. We see the significance of the marks. We see the significance of the striking of the hands. But I now want to come to the sharing of possessions and names and how that applies in covenant. Because the sharing of possessions and names And I want to look at what the Lord Jesus has given to us and then in turn what we should give to him. So firstly to him, what he gives to us. And of course as we look at him, he is our source. Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 8 please. He is our source. As we consider what he gives to us. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. And we all know the verse but it's good to turn to them and look them up. 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 9. For ye know, and there's a certainty, absolutely no doubt about it. It's not a possibility, it's not a consideration, it's absolutely certain. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And there's the character of the Lord in his grace. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. And you see the sharing of possessions, which is the thought of this oneness to us, what he has given us. For our sakes, he became poor. There's the condescending cost that ye through his poverty might be rich. And there's our change and what comes to us. Of course, when we consider what the Lord left aside in the presence of the Father, the place of no sin, the place of the glory, the street of gold and all the angels and all the rest have to come to earth to take upon himself the form of humanity and everything that the taking of that as we've seen in previous nights as he set aside that and he came and he put on humanity as we were thinking about we have to put on Christ and he put on humanity and of course the things of humanity, the thirst, and the rest, that he needed sleep, and the emotion, as he displays it at Lazarus' tomb, and how he raises him in the hunger, how he feeds the 5,000, all of the things that humanity meant, and the weakness after 40 days, and the wilderness bottling the devil, and then the troubles of life, and the hatred of others, and ultimately the death on the cross as he bore our sin at the place called Calvary, and everything that we have and are in him, and tonight everything that he set aside and everything that he gives us and how that ought to thrill our souls tonight, what the Saviour paid and what the Saviour has given us in return. So he's our source tonight, but then there's our standing in him. Go back to Romans 8 and verse 17, please. We've got, he's our source of everything, but then our standing in him tonight. And of course, Romans 8 verse 17 is a great word. and if children, then heirs. Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. And where did we start? Way back in the early part of the study, David was putting on Jonathan as the heir to the throne. And of course, tonight, we are joint heirs with Christ. Does that not thrill our souls this evening? what we are and our standing in him. If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Oh, that times we would stop and think who we are. So many saints have such a low self-esteem, but if we'd stop and consider who we are. One old preacher said that the people meeting in the streets only knew that we are the children of the king that stop and doff their cap at us. You see our source. and you see our standing in Christ tonight. But then there's our supply. That great verse in Philippians 4 verse 19, but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Jesus Christ. Can we see tonight that we have, as we consider the sharing of possessions and names and so on, we have his riches. Our supply is the bank of heaven, and that's sufficient for all our need tonight. child of God, he'll supply all your need, whatever circumstance you're in tonight, wherever it is or whatever it is, whether it's physical, whether it's financial or anything else, he's going to supply all your need tonight. And surely that's what he gives us. But as we see this sharing of possessions and name, that's him to us. But what about to us, to him and the church tonight? How the early church looked after each other is an example and a challenge to my heart this evening. You see, resulting from Pentecost, go way back to Acts chapter two a wee second, please. Acts chapter two and verse 44. Of course, we know All about Acts 2 and what took place in Pentecost and the giving of the Apostles Doctrine and all the rest of it. But Acts 2 verse 44, and it says all that believed, and there's conversion. All those that believed, all those that were converted. And it says we're together. There's the union, they're all there, they're all in their place. None missing. They're all there. I know that that would be the place across the province at all the meetings. It would all be there. All that we believed were together and had all things common. So there's no disagreements. There's union. There's unity in the assembly. I know we'll get back to that in Northern Ireland tonight. Conversion, union and common. But look at the possession. And sold their possessions. And they're good. And part of them, to all my end, there's the division. They give what they sold to the needy, as every man had need. There's the qualification, the conversion, the union, the common, the possession, the division, and qualification. Now let me make one thing absolutely plain and abundantly clear before anybody gets the wrong idea. I am not, and I repeat, I am absolutely not saying in any way that we should sell everything we have. That, frankly, is foolish. And at the end of the day, this experiment in the early church did not work. But what we can take from it tonight and learn is from their willingness and their compassion and their care one for another. And the challenge to my heart tonight is this. Have I got that caring, compassionate heart? And that's what I need to have. Do I care for the saints of God? Have I got consideration for them? That was there in the early church and it comes to my heart as a challenge tonight. Have I got a caring, compassionate heart or have I got a cold heart? What a challenge. So you've got something from Pentecost but then they continued and provided. Turn over a couple of pages to Acts chapter 4 and verse 34 please. Chapter 4 and verse 34. And it says, neither was there any among them that lacked so the saints are provided for. For as many as were possessors of lands and houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold. There's the selling of the possessions. And led them down at the apostles' feet. There's the set place. And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And there's the sharing of the provisions. So you've got the saints provided for, the selling of possessions, the set place, and the sharing of provisions. And then there's this sincere pilgrim. Joseph by who by the apostles was certainly in Barnabas which is buying interpreted the son of consolation a Levite and of the country of Cyprus having land sold it and brought the money and let it at the apostles feet. So we further evidence tonight of how the early church cared one for another. I know that we would learn something of that compassion to help those in need around us. So you've got the resulting from Pentecost to continuing the provision and then the spreading of practicality. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 2. Sorry, we're already over in 2 Corinthians. I should have asked you to keep your finger there. Apologies. 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 2 and then verse 14, please. 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 2. And it says, how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty, so you've got deep poverty, abounded unto the riches of their liberality. Here's these people of nothing, but they're given liberally. Verse 14, but by an equality that now at this time in your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance may also be a supply of your want, that there may be equality. And you see, despite their poverty, the liberality of the giving. And again, oh, that we would learn something of that sacrificial giving to the Lord's work. But we can see how we're one in Christ and we can see what he gives to us. but the responsibility on us to give to him and his work. And we can see this sharing of possessions that came in the New Testament. So you've got the seriousness of marriage. We're thinking of this oneness of covenant and how it applies into the New Testament and how it applies to you and I today in this dispensation of grace. You've got the seriousness of marriage, the significance of the marks, the striking of the hands, the sharing of possessions, but then simply a name and covenant. Often in covenant they would take one another's name. Clay Trumbull in his book The Blood Covenant writes this, to exchange names therefore is to establish some participation in one another's beings. Let me repeat it, to exchange names therefore is to establish some participation in one another's being. Now, how does that apply today? Lillian's sitting down there. You take the name Thompson in marriage. We're talking about this oneness and taking a name. She wasn't always Thompson. Before she married me, her maiden name was Todd. Her son Mark and Claire got married last year, and she changed their name from Steele to Thompson. And you can see that quite clearly in modern society. Are there any biblical equivalents? Yes there are. Come away back to Genesis 17 again. I don't think there's been a night in the series we haven't been in Genesis 17 for one reason or another. And we go back to it again tonight. Genesis chapter 17 and this time we're in verses 4 to 7. This is God meets Abraham or Abram as he was then. We're thinking of the oneness of taking a name under covenant and how it applies biblically and then applies in the New Testament and applies today. Genesis 17 verse 4. So the covenant's with Abraham and there's no doubt who it's with. And there you have the confidant stated. And you've got the confirmation of the promise. And we've talked earlier in previous nights about the promises and oaths associated with covenant, and here it is again. And I shall be a father of many nations. There's the covenant promise, the confirmation of God's promise. But here's this change of name now. Neither shall thy name be any called Abram, but thou shalt be called Abraham. And look what God does now. He inserts an H and an A into it, and we'll come back to it. For a father of many nations have I made thee, and I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee, and I will establish my, what, covenant between me and thee, and they cede after thee in their generations, so there's no end to it. So how does replacement theology fit into it? after they and their generations for an everlasting covenant. It's an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. So you got the complete blessing. But you see this change of name here. Now you can run your eye down to verse 15 because it doesn't finish. And God said unto Abraham, as he now is, as for Shirai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Shirai, But Sarah shall be her name. Now, how does that fit in with the idea of taking each other's names? Here, for Sarah, of course, he's changed the I to an H. But how does it all fit together, taking each other's names? Well, we know that God's name in the Hebrew, if you take the Hebrew word letters, it's YHWH. And we tend to think that that's Yahweh or Jehovah. But we don't know. Because, of course, the Jews would never write... In Hebrew, they don't use the vowels, so you've got to understand what to put in. For my name, Martin, how do you take the A and the I out, and you're left with M-R-T and N. How would you know what letter's missing? And how would you know where to put them in, if you're left with M-R-T-N? And over the centuries, they lost what vowels actually went into God's name, and they don't know what it is. And of course, it means they cannot blaspheme him tonight. But going back to the Y-H-W-H, there's two H's, and can you see what God did? He simply took one H and he dropped it into Abram to make Abraham. And he took the other one and he dropped it into Sarai and made her Sarai. and you see how God put his name, if you like, part of his name into their name. Have you more New Testament use to that? Of course we have. In Acts 11, verse 26, we'll not turn to it, but it says, and the disciples were called, what? Christians first in Antioch. Sorry, the disciples were first called Christians first in Antioch. So first thing before you're a Christian, you're a disciple. We need to understand that tonight. A disciple is someone who forsook all to follow the Saviour, to use a simple definition. And when we do that, then we get called Christians. Now what does Christian mean? The word Christian is the word Christ, obviously, and the Greek word I-A-N-S, and that means to belong to Christ. So a Christian is someone who has forsaken all to follow Christ and belongs to him. And can you see how we own his name tonight? And you can see how the name then fits into this idea of where it comes from in the Old Testament and covenant. And we're thinking of the oneness, how we own his name. We are one in him and we own his name tonight. So we've got the seriousness of marriage, the negligence of the marks, the striking of hands, the sharing of possessions, and the name is simply a name. And then I want to see something of sharing of friendship that goes back into covenant. Of course, friendship is a term that comes from Old Testament covenant. So let's look up some verses to back it up quickly. We'll just talk, we're not too bad. 2 Chronicles chapter 20, please. 2 Chronicles chapter 20. We're thinking of this idea of friendship. And of course in Exodus 33 in verse 11, Moses is described as the friend of God. And the word for friend of God there, the Hebrew word is the word rea, and it means more of an associate. So with that in mind, and bear in mind we're thinking of friendship, but Moses is described as the friend or the associate of God. But 2 Chronicles chapter 20 in verse seven, and it says, art not our God, who did strive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people, Israel, and gave us it to the seed of Abraham, thy friend forever. Now note the phrase, Abraham, thy friend forever. When we come to Isaiah 41 and eight, we'll not turn to it. But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, my friend. So he was Abraham, thy friend, And now he's Abraham, my friend. Now, in those two verses, in 2 Chronicles 20 and verse 7, and Isaiah 41 and 8, they're much stronger than the word Reah that was used for Moses back in Exodus 33, 11, the friend of God. Here in 2 Chronicles 20 and Isaiah 41, it's not the word Reah, but it's the word Ahab. And that's a much stronger word. And Abraham in covenant relationship with God is the friend of God. I think we need a turn to Proverbs 27 and verse six. Do we see it again? Proverbs 27 and verse six. Proverbs 27 and verse six. Yes, Proverbs 27, verse 6. And it says, faithful are the wounds, what? Of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Now see that word, faithful are the wounds of a friend. That word friend is that word echa. And you can see here something of the depth of the meaning of the word. And of course that takes us to Judas Iscariot, and to the events of Calvary. Turn with me to John chapter 15, do we see it please? John chapter 15, and we're bearing in mind this thing of friendship, the oneness of friendship, and then the strength of this meaning, the faithful of the wounds of a friend, and we're now looking at Judas Iscariot in John's Gospel chapter 15 please. John 15, verse 13. And it's just as John 6 was when the Lord talked about, I am the bread of life, of course, John chapter 15, he's talking about, I am the true vine and all that goes with that. But in verse 13, he says, greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life, for what? His friends. And how the Lord let us down his life for us. You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth, but I have called you friends. For all things I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. So you have those representing proof how he lays down his life for his friends, those requirements that we do his command, and love's revelation what we are in him. And you can see tonight this idea of friendship and covenant and how it applies to you and I in this day and dispensation how we are the friends of God and friends of the Lord Jesus. One last thing as we come to a close. The seriousness of marriage as we're thinking of this oneness, the seriousness of marriage of man and wife as one, the significance of the marks that mark and show we're one, the striking of hands and how we're one, the sharing of possessions, the simply a name, the sharing of friendship, the sharing of a memorial meal as a reminder of covenant. Often they would make, have a meal as a memorial for the covenant. Now I want to finish these Bible readings by looking at the memorial. We'll go all the way back firstly to Genesis chapter 31, please. Genesis chapter 31. And we'll be finished in a couple of minutes. Genesis chapter 31. And verse 43, please. And the thought here, the background here of course is Jacob has, you remember how he has slipped away from Laban. He's taken his wives and his children and all his animals and so on. But Laban has caught up with him. And in verse 43, It talks about, and Laban answered and said unto Jacob, they've got this mind, he's got a mind for covenant. Laban answered and said unto Jacob, these daughters are my daughters, these children are my children, these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine. What can I do this day? unto my daughters or unto my children which they have borne. Now here's the bit. Now therefore let us, or come now, let us make a covenant, I and thou, and let it be for a witness between thou and thee. So they're making this covenant of friendship and we know what happens, they make their heap of stones and all the rest of it. And now we find the purpose in verse 49. And we find in verse 49, it says, in this path, for I said, the Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent from one another. So they're reconciled, they make their covenant, the Lord's gonna look after them. So you've got the meal for covenant, the Mizpah and the purpose of covenant, but here's the memorial meal of covenant. Look at verse 54. Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount and called his brethren, what? To eat bread and they did eat bread and they tied all night in the mount and early in the morning and Laban rose up and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them and Laban departed and returned unto his place. But you see that they had this memorial meal as part of their covenant, and then they had all the other things to remind them, but they had this memorial meal. As I close, as I said earlier on, I want to finish off with that which we do every Lord's Day because we partake in the memorial meal of the Lord's Supper. 1 Corinthians chapter 11, please, and we all know these verses, but that's where I want to finish today. 1 Corinthians 11. It's what we do every Lord's Day, as we remember Him and what He did for us. And you see how this all comes into the New Testament then, and how it comes into this dispensation, and how we do so many things that we don't even realise what we're doing. And here's this memorial meal that the Lord has instituted. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 23, For I have received of the Lord Jesus that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he gave thanks, he break it. And of course, what did he do back in Genesis? He took bread. Take ye, this is my body, which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me. And after the same manner also he took the cup, and when he had supped, he supped, saying, this cup is a new testament of my blood. This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death, what, till he come. And there's the memorial meal that we take every week. remind ourselves of what he did for us at the place called Calvary, the Memorial Main. In these studies, I haven't looked at the types of covenant in the Abrahamic or the Old or the New or any of the North or any of the rest of them. And I certainly haven't gone into the relationships between them. I leave that for someone else. But these studies, I've learned a lot of things that I never knew before and put together. And I hope you have also. But not only have I learnt, they've been a challenge to me. And I think for me now, it's not just to be a hearer of the word, but to be a doer. And I trust that'll apply to every one of us. I hope this series has been a benefit to us all. I'm gonna close by standing to sing the words of the hymn number 364, please. 364, when my life, work has ended, and I cross the swelling tide, When the bright and glorious morning I shall see, I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side, and a smile will be the first to welcome me. That great hymn of Fanny Crosby which we quoted earlier on. We'll sing the first and the fourth