How do we know which OT promises apply to the Church?

There are many promises in the Old Testament, made to different groups of people. Promises to Adam and Eve, to Noah, Abraham, to Jacob and to his descendants at various points through their history. The Church is definitely the recipient of some of those promises, because she has been adopted into Abraham's family and made an heir to the Abrahamic covenant.^[1,2,3] It follows that we should also come under the covenants made with Adam and Noah, because they are ancestors of Abraham. But what about promises made to the tribes of Israel? Surely they are not all applicable to us. Some promises were given to a specific generation^[4], or tribe^[5], or family^[6], or individual^[7]. Do we inherit Judah's blessings because Christ is our brother^[8] and our bridegroom^[9]?

Teachers, and others, often compile lists of promises^[i,ii] and encourage us to claim them^[iii,iv]. The more sure I am that a promise applies to me, the more faith I will have in claiming that promise for my life. Also, we shouldn't just claim the promises that we like, but also the responsibilities that go with them, and accept the consequences of not meeting those responsibilities (i.e., curses^[10]). In fact, both blessings and curses are forms of promises. Because Christ has become our righteousness^[11], we are in a good position to claim the blessing promised to those who keep God's law. But if we aren't under that law^[12], can we still claim the same blessings for obedience? A new law brings a new set of blessings (and curses).

My opinion is that we are not under the Levitical law, so we cannot claim the promises given to those who keep that law, neither do we need to fear the curses outlined in that law. We are recipients of a new, and better, covenant^[13].

It stands to reason that, while we are in our corruptible bodies, we inherit the blessings and curses given to Adam and Eve. Depending on how you interpret 1 Cor 15^[14], we are either free from the curse of Adam (and the blessing of Adam?) now, or once our bodies have been transformed into everlasting bodies ^[vii]. I'd be interested to hear other opinions about our standing with regards to the Adamic promises (both blessings and curses). Has any one read Derek Prince's Blessings and Curses? A friend recommended it to me, but I haven't read it yet.

What about that old favourite, Jeremiah 29:11-13^[4], often quoted to encourage people? The passage is specifically addressed to the exiles in Babylon (verse 4). I suppose that the verses are mainly showing God's character, which is unchanging^[15,viii], so it's probably okay to use them out of context.

I think that we need to understand the scope and audience of an Old Testament promise before we try to claim it for our lives, or on behalf of others. Otherwise we could become confused or disillusioned if it seems the promise isn't being fulfilled.

[1] Romans 11:13-20 (New International Version)
¹³I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry ¹⁴in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. ¹⁵For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
¹⁷If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." ²⁰Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.

[2] Luke 3:8 (New International Version)
⁸Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

[3] Galatians 3:29 (New International Version)
²⁹If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

[4] Jeremiah 29:1-14 (New International Version - UK)
A Letter to the Exiles
¹ This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
² (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.)
³ He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
⁴This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
⁵ Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.
⁶ Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.
⁷ Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.
⁸ Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have.
⁹ They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them, declares the LORD.
¹⁰ This is what the LORD says: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfil my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.
¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
¹⁴ I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, declares the LORD, and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.

[5] Deuteronomy 33 (New International Version - UK)
Moses Blesses the Tribes
¹ This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death.
² He said:
The LORD came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.
³ Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand. At your feet they all bow down, and from you receive instruction,
⁴ the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.
⁵ He was king over Jeshurun when the leaders of the people assembled, along with the tribes of Israel.
⁶Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.
⁷And this he said about Judah:
Hear, O LORD, the cry of Judah; bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause. Oh, be his help against his foes!
⁸About Levi he said:
Your Thummim and Urim belong to the man you favoured. You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.
⁹ He said of his father and mother,'I have no regard for them.' He did not recognise his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over your word and guarded your covenant.
¹⁰ He teaches your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel. He offers incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
¹¹ Bless all his skills, O LORD, and be pleased with the work of his hands. Smite the loins of those who rise up against him; strike his foes till they rise no more.
¹²About Benjamin he said:
Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.
¹³About Joseph he said:
May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below;
¹⁴ with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield;
¹⁵ with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
¹⁶ with the best gifts of the earth and its fulness and the favour of him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
¹⁷ In majesty he is like a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim; such are the thousands of Manasseh.
¹⁸About Zebulun he said:
Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents.
¹⁹ They will summon peoples to the mountain and there offer sacrifices of righteousness; they will feast on the abundance of the seas, on the treasures hidden in the sand.
²⁰About Gad he said:
Blessed is he who enlarges Gad's domain! Gad lives there like a lion, tearing at arm or head.
²¹ He chose the best land for himself; the leader's portion was kept for him. When the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the LORD's righteous will, and his judgments concerning Israel.
²²About Dan he said:
Dan is a lion's cub, springing out of Bashan.
²³About Naphtali he said:
Naphtali is abounding with the favour of the LORD and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake.
²⁴About Asher he said:
Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favoured by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil.
²⁵ The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.
²⁶There is no-one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.
²⁷ The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!'
²⁸ So Israel will live in safety alone; Jacob's spring is secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drop dew.
²⁹ Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places.

[6] Genesis 17:20 (New International Version - UK)
²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.

[7] Joshua 1:9 (New International Version - UK)
⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

[8] Hebrews 2:11-17 (New International Version)
¹¹Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. ¹²He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." ¹³And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."
¹⁴Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. ¹⁶For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. ¹⁷For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement forthe sins of the people.

[9] Ephesians 5:25-32 (New International Version)
²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰for we are members of his body. ³¹"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." ³²This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

[10] Galatians 3:10 (New International Version - UK)
¹⁰ All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.

[11] 1 Corinthians 1:30 (New International Version - UK)
³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God— that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

[12] Romans 6:14 (New International Version - UK)
¹⁴ For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

[13] Hebrews 7:18-22 (New International Version)
¹⁸The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless ¹⁹(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
²⁰And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.' " ²²Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

[14] 1 Corinthians 15:22-53 (New International Version - UK)
²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
²³ But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
²⁴ Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
²⁷ For he has put everything under his feet. Now when it says that everything has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.
²⁸ When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
²⁹ Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptised for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptised for them?
³⁰ And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?
³¹ I die every day— I mean that, brothers— just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.
³² If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
³³Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.
³⁴ Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God— I say this to your shame.
The Resurrection Body
³⁵ But someone may ask, How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?
³⁶ How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
³⁷ When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.
³⁸ But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.
³⁹ All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.
⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendour of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendour of the earthly bodies is another.
⁴¹ The sun has one kind of splendour, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendour.
⁴² So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;
⁴³ it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
⁴⁵ So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
⁴⁶ The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
⁴⁷ The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.
⁴⁸ As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
⁴⁹ And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

[15] Malachi 3:6 (New International Version - UK)
⁶ I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

References:

1. www.smilegodlovesyou.org/promises.html – A list of bible promises.


2. thepromisesofgod.org – A list of bible promises.


3. biblepreachingresource.com/handling.htm – About “obeying God's promises.”


4. www.mentoring-disciples.org/claiming.html – About personalising and claiming God's promises, a “largely untapped secret to answered prayers”.


5. www.spirithome.com/promises.html – A brief introduction to biblical promises and an exhortation to prayerfully discern whether a certain promise applies to you or your situation.


6. www.jimfeeney.org/countonGodspromises.html – An assurance that we can rely on God's promises.


7. www.fellowship.to/Removing%20the%20Curse.htm – A list of verses relating to the curse of Adam. Specifically: Rev 22:1-6, Gen 3:14-24, Rom 8:18-23, 2 Cor 5:1-4, 1 Cor 15:22,45.


8. www.tecmalta.org/tft133.htm – About God's immutability.

As your days, so shall your strength be.

The following verse is a blessing pronounced by Moses on the tribe of Asher, just before Moses' death.

Deuteronomy 33:25 (New International Version)
²⁵ The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.

Deuteronomy 33:25 (New King James Version)
²⁵ Your sandals shall be iron and bronze;
As your days, so shall your strength be.

Where "strength" = דּבא (dôbe', Strong's H1679), from an unused root (probably meaning to be sluggish, that is, restful); quiet: - strength. That means we have "your rest will be as your days," meaning, supposedly, their days (and ours, if we also inherit this blessing) will be restful. That's nice, but, according to the Blue Letter Bible folks, דּבא may be used poetically to mean death (as explained here). That would give us something like "your death will be like your life," which holds very little meaning for me. (This is the only occurrence of דּבא in the bible).

If we can find a New Testament verse that supports the rest (or strength) idea, then I will be more comfortable accepting that we are heirs of this blessing and that it refers to rest and not death, and that we can take this verse as saying "God will give you rest in your days". We can generalise the idea a little, to "God will give you enough grace and strength for each day such that it won't be overly burdensome and you will be able to find rest". This is supported by some NT verses:

Matthew 6:25-34 (New International Version)
Do Not Worry
²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 11:29-30 (New International Version)
²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 6:8,11 (New International Version)
⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
...
¹¹Give us today our daily bread.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (New International Version)
¹³No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (New International Version)
⁹But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Note that many of these verses speak of strength for today. God seems to like to give us enough grace, enough strength, enough material resources, enough wisdom to carry out His will for today. Tomorrow He will give us what we need for tomorrow.

Matthew 10:19 (New International Version)
¹⁹But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,

Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version - UK)
⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I consider not having to worry about how we are going to making it through tomorrow to be restful, so these ideas are closely related.

Here's another thought about rest. Consider this passage:

Isaiah 32:17 (New International Version - UK)
¹⁷ The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence for ever.

This states that righteousness leads to peace and the ability to rest in confidence. The Hebrew word for quietness is שׁקט (shâqaṭ): A primitive root; to repose (usually figuratively): - appease, idleness, (at, be at, be in, give) quiet (-ness), (be at, be in, give, have, take) rest, settle, be still. Because Christ has become our righteousness (1 Cor 1:30), we should be operating out of a place of quiet assurance. I'm not sure if this also means we should strive to be more righteous to have more rest, but more likely to trust in Christ and the rest He offers.

1 Corinthians 1:30 (New International Version - UK)
³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God— that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the idea that we should strive to be more righteous in order to receive more rest? Any other comments on rest, in general?