Blessings or Covenant?

Blessings or Covenant?  

Gen 17:20-21 And as for Ishmael, I have heard and heeded you: behold, I will bless him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly...But My covenant, My promise and pledge, I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.

Ishmael was blessed by God, but Isaac was in covenant with God! Here is the difference between the saved child of God and the unsaved people of the world: the saved are in covenant with God and are called His children! God causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the entire world, all are benefits of His blessings, but all are not in covenant with Him (Matt 5:45). Inside of the covenant we have with God is every blessing that he has bestowed upon His children!

A covenant requires two parties to come into agreement, each one committing what they will do and/or provide under the covenant-marriage is a prime example of this. Historically, covenants in Biblical times were ratified by blood sacrifices. Our covenant with God is ratified (set in place and established) by the blood of Jesus Christ!
The Bible is our written covenant with God-every word of it is true and He is faithful to keep covenant with us! God requires, as our part of the covenant, that we walk faithfully with Him, as He stated to Abraham: "... walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers" Gen 17:1-2. The simplest fact of our covenant with God is that He desires us to walk with Him (live continually for His glory, turn our faces to Him at all times, be recreated into His image). Jesus paid a great price to ratify this covenant while at the same time bringing us back into right relationship with the Father and Creator of the Universe. Walking with Him is the only means of fully realizing the elements of the covenant.

Heb 13:20-21 "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. "