The covenant promises Israel deliverance from her enemies, the land, and God Himself as her King and government.
Zacharias, under inspiration, points to the Abrahamic covenant and says Israel will be saved from enemies and from all who hate them. Les Feldick teaches that this master covenant consists of three promises: a great nation, a promised land, and a government ruled by the King—the Messiah. Israel is currently set aside, but these promises will be fulfilled when Christ returns and sets up His kingdom.
Luke 1:71-73 — Zacharias directly states the covenant promises Israel salvation from her enemies and from all who hate her, connecting it to God's oath to Abraham.
Genesis 12:2-3 — The foundational promise made to Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation.
God's covenant with Israel is anchored in His promise to Abram in Genesis. God said, “I will make of thee a great nation” (Genesis 12:2), and later promised, “Unto thy seed will I give this land” (Genesis 12:7). The covenant was formally made in Genesis 15:18, where the land boundaries are named. In Luke 1:68-75, Zacharias speaks of God visiting and redeeming His people, raising up a horn of salvation in David's house. The prophecy says Israel will be “saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us,” because God remembers “his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham.” The result is that Israel, being “delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.” These Scriptures show that the covenant promises involve Israel's deliverance from hostile nations, the gift of land, and a condition where the people can serve God in peace.
Les teaches that all the covenants with Israel boil down to the one master covenant God made with Abraham, repeated to Isaac and to Jacob. That covenant has three parts: Israel becomes a great nation, God puts that nation in its own land, and then God Himself becomes their King and government. Within those three promises all the other covenants are involved. Les says Zacharias' prophecy in Luke 1 is the Abrahamic covenant in view—Israel is a nation, in the land, but still needs the promised government and King. The enemies mentioned in Luke 1 are the physical nations around Israel, such as the Arabs, Egyptians, and Syrians. The covenant promises to save Israel from all who hate the Jew, so that they may serve God without fear. Israel is still God's covenant people, but they have been set aside and are spiritually blinded for the most part as a nation. God is not through with them; He will pick up where He left off. Jeremiah 31 is the final covenant given to Israel, and it is still future. Les says that after Israel rejected and crucified their Messiah, He ascended until His enemies are made His footstool, and then tribulation will come. Christ will return, set up His kingdom, and Israel will be the apple of His eye and the center of all activity in bringing people to a knowledge of God.
Les Feldick teaches that within the Abrahamic covenant all other covenants are involved. The three promises are: first, Abraham will become a great nation—Israel; second, that nation will receive its own geographical land, the promised land; third, because a nation in a land needs government, God will come as their King, Messiah, and Redeemer. Les summarizes this as people, land, and government. The entire Old Testament program moves toward bringing this covenant to fruition.
In Luke 1, Zacharias is speaking, by inspiration, about the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. Israel is already a nation and already in the land, but what Israel still needs is the promised government and King. The prophecy says Israel will be saved from her enemies, physical enemies like the Arabs, Egyptians, and Syrians, and from the hand of all that hate the Jew. This is the mercy promised to the fathers and the holy covenant sworn to Abraham.
Les explains that Israel is still God's covenant people, but they have been set aside and are spiritually blinded for the most part as a nation. He says God is not through with them and will pick up where He left off. The final covenant in Jeremiah 31 is yet future and is not appropriate to put Israel under tonight. After Israel rejected and crucified their Messiah, He ascended until His enemies are made His footstool; then tribulation comes, Christ returns and sets up His kingdom, and Israel becomes the apple of His eye and the center of all activity.
Zacharias and the Abrahamic Covenant
Les shows that Zacharias' prophecy in Luke 1 is the Abrahamic covenant being announced—Israel's enemies and those who hate the Jew are the national enemies, and the mercy promised to the fathers is the holy oath to Abraham.
Israel Set Aside but Still Covenant People
Les teaches that Israel is still God's covenant people but currently set aside and blinded; God will resume His covenant with them, and Jeremiah 31 is the final, still-future covenant for the nation.
God's Working to Fulfill the Covenant
Les explains that all of God's Old Testament dealings with Israel are moving toward fulfilling the covenant: a unique nation, a promised land, and eventually the kingdom.
Three Parts of the Covenant
Les explains the Abrahamic covenant includes a nation of people, a land, and a government—each element building on the other.
The Master Covenant
Les identifies the covenant with Abraham, repeated to Isaac and Jacob, as the master covenant: Israel a great nation, dwelling in her own land, with God as her king and government.
Three Promises in a Nutshell
Les summarizes the Abrahamic covenant as three promises: nation, land, and a king/Messiah who would also be Redeemer and Savior.
The Covenant in a Nutshell
Les says the Abrahamic covenant promises Abraham and Sarah a nation, the promised land, and a future government epitomized in the King, the Messiah.
The Coming Kingdom
Les describes the Old Testament program: after Israel rejected their Messiah, He ascended; then wrath/tribulation, Christ's return, and His kingdom with Israel as the apple of His eye.
Genesis 12:2: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
This is the first of the three covenant promises—a great nation.
Genesis 12:7: And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
God promises the land—the second part of the covenant.
Genesis 15:18: In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
The covenant is formally made and the land boundaries are specified.
Luke 1:71: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
Zacharias connects covenant mercy to deliverance from Israel's enemies.
Luke 1:72: To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
The promise is identified as mercy to the forefathers.
Luke 1:73: The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
The specific oath is to Abraham—the Abrahamic covenant.
Luke 1:74-75: That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
This describes the purpose of the deliverance: to serve God without fear.
Yes. Les teaches that Zacharias describes Israel being saved from her enemies and from all who hate her. The purpose is that Israel may serve God without fear in holiness and righteousness. This is part of the Abrahamic covenant and is still future for the nation.
No. Les says the covenant promises are not fully realized yet. Israel is God's covenant people but has been set aside and blinded for the most part. The final covenant in Jeremiah 31 is still future; it will be enjoyed when Christ returns to set up His kingdom.
According to Les, after the tribulation Christ will return and set up His kingdom. Israel will be the apple of His eye and the center of all activity in bringing people to a knowledge of God.
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