COVENANTS – PART 2
Covenants With Ourselves:
A New Year’s resolution is a type of covenant people make with themselves. When people sin, they often promise themselves that they will not do it again. In the Old Testament, Job made a covenant with himself to act more godly -- Job 31:1. Promises like this are covenants with ourselves.
Political Covenants:
Covenants can also be made between a ruler and his people or between two nations. When David was king of Israel, he made a covenant with the Israelites -- 2 Samuel 5:3. The people promised to submit themselves to David’s authority. David promised to rule the nation justly and according to YHVH’s Law. Old Testament Covenants between nations were similar to modern treaties or alliances. King Solomon entered into a covenant with Hiram, King of Tyre. That covenant was a trade agreement between the two nations -- 1 Kings 5:12.
Covenants With YHVH:
When people participate in a covenant with YHVH, it is not much different from the covenants people make with each other. A promise is made and people have obligations to fulfil. Because YHVH is involved, these covenants are more serious and significant than the covenants between people. The blessings from YHVH are greater, and the consequences for not keeping the covenant are much harsher.
Old Testament Covenants:
The Old Testament tells the story of YHVH’s involvement in the history of the Israelites. At many crucial points in history, YHVH made Covenants with a select number of people to direct and bless them as they tried to follow Him. YHVH’s Covenants with His people changed as their relationship with YHVH changed. Even though different people were involved with the Covenants as time went by, the central idea behind YHVH’s Covenant remained the same throughout Israel’s history. YHVH wanted to establish a deep relationship with His people so they could live in a way that glorified Him.
YHVH’s Covenant With Adam and Eve:
The very first Covenant YHVH made was with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. YHVH created them and gave them a wonderful place to live. In return for this gift, Adam and Eve were to take care of the garden and not eat the fruit from one particular tree -- Genesis 3:3. When Adam and Eve disobeyed YHVH and ate the forbidden fruit, the covenant was broken, and YHVH no longer allowed them to live in Eden. Adam and Eve’s disobedience to YHVH had enormous consequences. People were separated from YHVH by sin, and they weren’t able to re-establish that relationship on their own. Every Covenant made between YHVH and people that followed had to be initiated by YHVH as a result of YHVH’s Grace.
YHVH’s Covenant With Noah:
Even though most people were very disobedient to YHVH after Adam and Eve’s first sin, YHVH was still merciful, and He wanted to re-establish His relationship with people on earth. The person He chose to be the main recipient of this Second Covenant was Noah. If Noah agreed to build an ark, he and his family would be spared from the great flood YHVH was going to send to earth to punish the disobedience He saw. After the flood, YHVH said His Covenant with Noah involved the entire earth. YHVH told Noah; I establish My Covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth -- Genesis 9:11. The sign of this covenant was the rainbow. Each time we see a rainbow, it is a reminder of this promise from YHVH. Even though YHVH’s Covenant with Noah did not allow all people to have a completely personal relationship with Him, it was a sign that YHVH was giving people another chance to live according to His Will.
YHVH’s Covenant With Abraham:
In Genesis 15, YHVH visited a man from Ur named Abram. If Abram would pledge to YHVH His complete allegiance, YHVH promised He would be blessed with a large and prosperous family, and YHVH would lead him to wonderful lands -- Genesis 12:2. Even though it did not seem very likely that Abram’s family could ever be large [Abram had no children and his wife, Sarai, was almost 100 years old], he believed YHVH’s promise. Because of his faith, the Covenant was sealed and YHVH considered Abram a righteous man. YHVH told him: No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations -- Genesis 17:5. From the beginning, YHVH made it clear that His Covenant with Abraham was not an equal partnership, and in order to maintain his Covenant with YHVH, Abraham had to fulfil some very strict requirements. First, YHVH required Abraham and all of his male descendants to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant. Secondly, YHVH Commanded Abraham to be completely obedient, to be blameless -- Genesis 17:1. In time, Abraham’s faithfulness to the covenant would be tested when YHVH asked him to sacrifice his Isaac. For the rest of his life, Abraham trusted and obeyed YHVH. In return, YHVH kept His Promise to Abraham by giving him thousands of descendants.
YHVH’s Covenant With Israel:
In the Old Testament, the most important covenant between YHVH and His people took place when the Israelites were at Mount Sinai. In this meeting, YHVH gave the Israelites guidelines for living that would last for a very long time. In fact, most of the rules YHVH gave to the Israelites are still practiced by many believers around the world today! The Covenant at Sinai was an extension of YHVH’s earlier Covenant with Abraham. YHVH’s Promise to Abraham was made to one man and his descendants. When YHVH gave Moses the Covenant at Sinai, He was changing it to include all of Israel. YHVH told Moses: [Israel will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation] -- Exodus 19:6. Imagine what this honour must have felt like to the people who had just recently been slaves in a foreign land. Out of all the people in the world, YHVH had named Israel to be His chosen nation. But being YHVH’s chosen nation came with huge responsibilities for the Israelites. As a nation of priests, YHVH expected them to be holy and obedient to Him. At Sinai, YHVH gave Moses the Law that would govern Israel and tell them how they should live. The Law let the Israelites know what YHVH expected of them in order to maintain the Covenant. The Law YHVH passed down to Moses had two main parts. The first part was the Ten Commandments, which were a short list of guidelines for righteous living. Sometimes when we think of the Ten Commandments, we think they are just a list of simple rules. But when believers violated one of these Commandments, they were disobeying the very Words of Almighty YHVH! YHVH gave another, more extensive list of Laws that were written down in the Book of the Covenant -- see Exodus 21:1-23. This provided a much longer list of rules than the Ten Commandments, and they remind all believers that being in a relationship with YHVH is not a half-hearted endeavour. YHVH expected believers to follow them as a sign of their commitment to the Covenant. YHVH also provided a means for believers to renew their Covenant with YHVH. The most important passage in the Bible for understanding covenant renewal and the nature of Covenant is the Book of Deuteronomy. The entire book describes a particular Covenant renewal ceremony that occurred at a critical point in Israel’s early history. The Sinai Covenant was renewed just before Moses’ death, before the transition of leadership to Joshua, and before a major military campaign to possess the Promised Land. Covenant renewals are also recorded in the time of Joshua -- Joshua 8:30-35; Joshua 24:1-28 and, much later, during the reign of King Josiah -- 2 Kings 23:1-3. Eventually, YHVH’s Covenant with Abraham was fulfilled when the people of Israel marched into the Promised Land of Canaan and grew to become a great nation.
COVENANTS – PART 1
A covenant is also an arrangement between people who commit to do certain things for each other. A covenant is an extremely serious promise that requires trust, faithfulness, and loyalty in order for the covenant to be kept. When each person involved in the covenant does his part to keep it, he or she is blessed with a deep and wonderful relationship. But when covenants are not kept, the consequences are extremely severe. Covenants are a major theme in the Bible. YHVH’s first Covenants were made with Old Testament people like Noah, but covenants appear in all parts of the Bible. In fact, another way to say Old and New Testament is to say Old and New Covenant. YHVH made covenants with Abraham, King David, and the Israelites. However, the most important covenant in the Bible is YHVH’s Covenant with all people through the work of His Son, Yeshua Moshiach. YHVH’s Covenant gives everyone the opportunity to have a close relationship with Him. It gives meaning to our lives and provides us with guidelines about how we should act. If we accept YHVH’s Covenant with us, He will bless us here on earth, and we will live with Him in heaven for eternity.
What Can We Learn From YHVH’s Covenants?
YHVH Keeps His Promises:
YHVH said to Noah: yes, this is the sign of My Covenant with all the creatures of the earth. -- Genesis 9:17. Noah stepped out of the ark onto an earth devoid of human life. But YHVH gave him a reassuring Promise. This Covenant had three parts:
1 -- never again will a flood do such destruction;
2 -- as long as the earth remains, the seasons will always come as expected;
3 -- a rainbow will be visible when it rains as a sign to all that YHVH will keep His Promises. The earth’s order and seasons are still preserved, and rainbows still remind us of YHVH’s Faithfulness to His Word.
Many of YHVH’s Covenants Include Us:
Adonai told Abram; Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. -- Genesis 12:1-2. When YHVH called Abram, he moved out in faith from Ur to Haran and finally to Canaan. YHVH then established a covenant with Abram, telling him that he would found a great nation. Not only would this nation be blessed, YHVH said, but the other nations of the earth would be blessed through Abram’s descendants. Israel, the nation that would come from Abram, was to follow YHVH and influence those with whom it came in contact. Through Abram’s family tree, Yeshua Moshiach was born to save humanity. Through Moshiach, people can have a personal relationship with YHVH and be blessed beyond measure.
YHVH’S Covenants Require A Personal Response:
YHVH promised to bless Abram and make him great, but there was one condition. Abram had to do what YHVH wanted him to do. This meant leaving his home and friends and traveling to a new land where YHVH promised to build a great nation from Abram’s family. Abram obeyed, walking away from his home for YHVH’s promise of even greater blessings in the future. YHVH may be trying to lead you to a place of greater service and usefulness for him. Don’t let the comfort and security of your present position make you miss YHVH’s plan for you.
Yeshua Established A New Covenant Between Us and YHVH:
After supper He took another cup of wine and said: This wine is the token of YHVH’s New Covenant to save you -- an agreement sealed with the Blood I will pour out for you. -- Luke 22:20. In Old Testament times, YHVH agreed to forgive people’s sins if they brought animals for the priests to sacrifice. When this sacrificial system was inaugurated, the agreement between YHVH and man was sealed with the blood of animals -- Exodus 24:8. But animal blood did not in itself remove sin [only YHVH can forgive sin], and animal sacrifices had to be repeated day by day and year after year. Yeshua instituted a [New Covenant] or agreement between humans and YHVH. Under this New Covenant, Yeshua would die in the place of sinners. Unlike the blood of animals, His Blood [because He is YHVH] would truly remove the sins of all who put their faith in Him. And Yeshua’ sacrifice would never have to be repeated; it would be good for all eternity [Hebrews 9:23-28]. The prophets looked forward to this New Covenant that would fulfil the old sacrificial agreement -- Jeremiah 31:31-34, and John the Baptist called Yeshua [the Lamb of YHVH, who takes away the sin of the world] -- John 1:29.
YHVH’S New Covenant in Moshiach Offers Us Forgiveness:
Our High Priest has been given a ministry that is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the Old Laws, for He is the one who guarantees for us a better Covenant with YHVH, based on better promises. -- Hebrews 8:6. This passage contains a quotation from -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 and compares the New Covenant with the Old. The Old Covenant was the Covenant of Law between YHVH and Israel. The New and better way is the Covenant of grace -- Moshiach’s offer to forgive our sins and bring us to YHVH through His Sacrificial Death. This Covenant is New in extent -- it goes beyond Israel and Judah to all the Gentile nations. It is New in application because it is written in our hearts and minds. It offers a new way to forgiveness, not through animal sacrifice, but through faith. Have you entered into this New Covenant and begun walking in the better way?
Human Covenants:
A covenant is a framework of trust, responsibilities, and benefits that connects two people. It can apply to almost every human relationship from personal friendships to international trade agreements. There are three different kinds of covenants that take place between people: covenants between friends, covenants with ourselves, and political covenants.
Covenants Between Friends:
Covenants can be between two best friends like David and Jonathan -- 1 Samuel 18:3. Their covenant not only sealed their friendship forever, but it also made sure they would be loyal to each other no matter what the circumstances. King Saul [Jonathan’s father] was jealous of David and wanted to kill him. Because of their covenant with each other, Jonathan saved David’s life by telling him to run and hide. Marriage is another kind of covenant relationship -- Malachi 2:14. This helps explain the many Old Testament Laws on marriage and divorce. When people get married, they are not making simple promises that are easy to keep. A marriage covenant involves a deep commitment to which each person must be completely dedicated.
The judgment of God doesn't always come in the same generation in which it was pronounced. God's judgment against Baasha in 1 Kings 16 didn't happen in his own lifetime, but in that of his son. Sometimes the gap between lightning and thunder is even longer. God's plans come to fruition when his plans require, not when we would want them to.
Shabbat Shalom all
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From one of my very favorite chapters:
“At that time,” declares יהוה, “I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be My people.” Thus says יהוה, “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness— Israel, when it went to find its rest.” יהוה appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you will take up your tambourines, and go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the planters will plant and will enjoy them. For there will be a day when watchmen on the hills of Ephraim call out, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To יהוה our God.’ ” For thus says יהוה, “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise and say, ‘O יהוה, save Your people, The remnant of Israel.’ Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, and I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; a great company, they will return here. With weeping they will come, and by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, on a straight path in which they will not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.”
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The secular world attempts to convince believers that the Bible is full of fairy tales, myths and legends. Many would rather put their trust in an unproven theory such as “Nothing exploded and caused everything we can see, hear, taste, smell and touch today.” Sounds kind of silly if you read that out loud, doesn’t it? Of course that violates the first rule of thermodynamics that matter cannot be created or destroyed — Our Creator must have designed that first rule. For those who put their trust in the Creator, we understand a basic principle, in the beginning God. Because all of the secular theories defy all of the laws that they have established the only logical explanation is Genesis 1;1. So the silly fairy tales don’t come from the Bible, they come from man’s attempt to discredit our Creator.
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