Gtcotr/ws073113
Key Scripture: Psalms 89:34 My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing
which has gone out of my lips.
God
is a covenant God. In today’s world the word covenant has come to be recognized
as more of a legal term rather than a spiritual practice. Since it was God who
first created covenant it will do us good to look at the Bible’s definition and
discover how God intends for us to practice this New Creation responsibility.
When
the Bible speaks about covenants it is talking about a promise made by one
person involving another or an agreement made between two parties. Covenant is
personal and it involves a commitment backed up by a vow. A vow is a solemn
promise that a person makes before God. The Bible instructs us to not make or
take our covenant vows lightly … God doesn’t! When God is asked to witness a
covenant, He takes it seriously.
Ecclesiastes 5
4 When you make a vow to God,
don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all
the promises you make to him.
5 It is better to say nothing
than to make a promise and not keep it.
It
is important we not promise to do something which we do not want to do or that
we have no intention of doing. However, if we vow … we must realize that God
expects for us to keep that which we have promised and perform our covenant
responsibilities.
God
does not discourage commitments, in fact He does right the opposite. God
encourages commitments and He also encourages us to keep the commitments we make.
Let’s
explore some of the things the Bible has to say about covenants:
Covenants
can be:
·
Unilateral Covenants (Genesis 17:4 & Hebrews 6:13&14)
·
Bilateral Covenants (Genesis
31:44)
·
Conditional Covenants (Deuteronomy 28)
·
Unconditional Covenants (Judges 11:30-36)
·
Covenants offered for acceptance (Matthew 11:28)
·
Covenants withdrawn before acceptance (Luke 17:27)
·
Some covenants can be voided by authorities (Numbers 30:3ff)
·
Covenants can be broken (Psalms 55:20; Matthew 19; 1Co 7)
·
Covenants can be dissolved by God in His time (Matthew 19:6)
One
might suggest that there is nothing special about a covenant. They seem no
different than the contracts and other agreements we are used to seeing all the
time. I beg to differ …
You
see a covenant is different than a contract in the very nature of a covenant.
The
nature of a contract implies, “I am going to protect myself against you … it’s,
my good at your expense … I will if you will … and if you don’t you’re going to
pay and I will expose you for what you are!”
However
the covenant nature God offers to us and intends us to enjoy with others says,
“I am going to give myself to you … it’s your good at my expense … I will even
if you won’t … and even if you don’t, I am not going to hurt you, expose you or
make you pay.”
Let’s
take a look at the well studied covenant of David and Jonathan
1 Samuel 18
1 Now when he had finished
speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and
Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 Saul took him that day, and
would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore.
3 Then Jonathan and David
made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan took off the
robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his
sword and his bow and his belt.
Jonathan’s
motivation for covenant was love … a love which demanded action. Jonathan so
loved that he gave:
·
His
Robe – This elevated David from shepherd boy to prince … covenant places us on
equal footing with the right to stand together.
·
His
Armor – Jonathan did not protect himself against David but rather was more
interested in David being protected. He gave David his sword, his bow and his
belt.
o Note: David had
earlier refused the armor of King Saul but here he accepts the armor of
Jonathan
o We are not meant to
be in covenant with everyone. Covenant is special and must be meaningful to be
covenant.
God
joins people together first for what they can give to the relationship, not
merely for what they can get. Someone who approaches relationships based on the
thought of “What can I get out of this” or “What can they do for me” is missing
the boat. Selfish acts no do not a covenant make or keep.
Some
covenants are meant to last a lifetime and beyond!
Deuteronomy 7:9
"Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the
faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those
who love Him and keep His commandments;
Important Points
1. God is a covenant God.
2. Covenant says, “Your good at my expense.”
3. We should choose our covenants carefully.
4. What God has joined together, let no man put
asunder.
