Everything in the Bible from Abraham up to the return of Christ is about an oath. God promised to bless Abraham, make his name great, and bless all the families of the earth through him (Genesis 12:2-3). Further, “the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land’” (Genesis 12:7).[i] Abraham knew the integrity of God and that He could not lie. So when God told him to offer Isaac on the altar, Abraham understood that if he slew his son, God had to immediately resurrect him because of the oath. After the offering of Isaac, God confirmed His promise:
“By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:16-18)
When the children of Israel sinned by worshipping the golden calf, Moses told God to “remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself” (Exodus 32:13). Moses knew how to use the leverage of the oath to entreat the Lord. He did not focus on mistakes the Israelites had made in breaking the covenant. Instead, he presented a logical argument that if God could not take His people into the land, then the Egyptians would think He is a God who lies to His people and is incapable or unwilling to keep His promises. Thus, Moses literally got God to change His mind about harming His people (Exodus 32:14). When you engage the Father in an oath relationship, something happens where the ability for you to demand and see God move is phenomenal.
God will fulfill His oath to Abraham by His power and His authority. But if the people of Israel are not faithful, God must remove them from the land. Right? In doing so, however, God Himself would be in violation of His oath that the descendants of Abraham will be as the sand of the seashore and possess the land forever (Isaiah 60:21). Therefore, God must be the provision to fulfill that promise. God who is faithful to His Word must fulfill the covenant promises because the integrity of His name is at stake. That is why He sent His Son as the sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10). By the blood of Christ, God will purify us and make us faithful so that He can be faithful to the covenant.
The Scriptures tell us that Yeshua (Jesus) came to reconnect us with our Father (Romans 5:10-11). In Christ, you are connected to the oath that God gave to Abraham. When you understand this idea of the covenant, you will have leverage with God. What are you believing for? What promises do you have? I guarantee you that everything goes back to this simple oath with Abraham and the fact that in Christ you were grafted into the promises of God (Galatians 3:29). If you can grasp the simplicity and completeness of the oath you have with the Father, then the greatest power you have ever known will become a reality in your life. When you understand the oath, the mystery is unlocked and the authority of the Father will become evident. That is how the Body of Christ will be effective and move in the power and authority of the Father speaking to the world.
[i] All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).