Article 7. Gods Covenant Series

Article 7. GODS COVENANT

LAST WEEK WE SAW BECAUSE OF THE FALL MAN IS HAS DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM GOD AND HAS FORSAKEN THE REWARD OF LIFE. THIS WEEK WE SEE THAT GOD HAS SEEN FIT TO MAKE A COVENANT OF GRACE IN ORDER FOR MAN TO HAVE COMMUNION WITH GOD RESTORED.

HAVE YOU SEEN YES MAN? CARL ALLEN (JIM CAREY) MAKES A COVENANT WITH A GURU WHERE HE HAS TO SAY YES TO EVERYTHING...... A COVENANT IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE /GROUPS THAT INVOLVES PROMISES ON THE PART OF EACH TO THE OTHER, SO IT INVOLVES PROMISES ON BOTH SIDES.

OUR MODERN DAY CONTRACTS OR AGREEMENTS ARE SIMILAR - BUSINESS, FINANCE, INSURANCE OR WITH GOODS AND SERVICES THE CONTRACT HELPS TO SPECIFY TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF RETURN AND WARRANTY YOUR RIGHTS AND THEIR RIGHTS, THE SMALL PRINT ENABLE US TO FIND THE INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS AND OPT OUT CLAUSES.

BUT THESE CONTRACTS ARE SO OFTEN NOT WORTH THE PAPER THERE WRITTEN ON BECAUSE THERE OFTEN NULLIFIED AND BROKEN , JUST CONSIDER THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL WHERE MANAGERS AND PLAYERS SIGN CONTRACTS AND YET LATER DOWN THE LINE BREAK THEM.

WHAT ABOUT CLOSER TO GODS HEART THE COVENANT OF MARRIAGE,(GOD ORDAINED COVENANT TO DEATH DO US PART, IN SICKNESS AND HEALTH , FOR BETTER FOR WORSE) AS HUMAN BEINGS WE ENTER INTO ON A REGULAR BASIS AND YET ALSO WALK AWAY FROM IT ON A REGULAR BASIS .

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO GODS COVENANT OF GRACE, IT ALL ABOUT GOD, WE HAVE NO PART IN MAKING THE COVENANT, WITH HIM WE ARE NOT EQUAL PARTIES, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS IN ACCEPTING HIS COVENANT OF GRACE IS SIMPLY THROUGH FAITH WHICH IS A GIFT FROM GOD ALSO.

THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND HIS PEOPLE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TRUTHS OF THE BIBLE. IT RUNS RIGHT THROUGH IT FROM THE BEGINNING TO END.

A COVENANT IN THE BIBLICAL SENSE IMPLIES MUCH MORE THAN A CONTRACT , FOR INSTANCE.....

1. A CONTRACT WILL ALWAYS HAVE AN END DATE , WHILE A COVENANT IS PERMANENT.

(GEN 17:7 GOD PROMISED TO ABRAHAM AN EVERLASTING COVENANT) ( ISAIAH 55:3 PROMISE THROUGH DAVIDIC LINE THE MESSIAH)

2. A CONTRACT WILL INVOLVE ONLY ONE AREA OF A PERSON FOR INSTANCE A SKILL, BUT A COVENANT DEALS WITH THE PERSONS WHOLE BEING.

3. A CONTRACT IS SIMPLEY SEALED WITH A SIGNATURE - BUT THE WORD FOR COVENANT IN THE OT GIVES FURTHER INSIGHT INTO THE MEANING OF THE IDEA. A HEBREW ROOT WORD FOR COVENANT WHICH MEANS “TO CUT.” THIS EXPLAINS THE RITUALS THAT ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED A COVENANT.

• (JER. 34:18) TWO PEOPLE PASSING THROUGH CUT BODIES OF SLAIN ANIMAL AFTER MAKING A COVENANT. AGREEMENT . (GEN31:54.) JACOB OFFERED A SACRIFICED ANIMAL AND A HOLY MEAL.

• (GEN 17:10 -11) . ABRAHAM AND DESCENDANTS WERE CIRCUMCISED AS A SIGN OF A COVENANT

• (EX 24:8). THE INAUGARTION OF THE OLD COVENANT OF LAW THE SPRINKLING OF BLOOD ON THE ALTER AND THE PEOPLE.

NT APPLICATION: THIS IN NO DOUBT IN MY MIND IS ALL POINTING US FORWARD TO THE NEW COVENANT WHEN JESUS SHARES A MEAL AND TAKES THE CUP AND SPEAKS OF THE NEW COVENANT IN HIS BLOOD(LUKE 22:20). A CUT WAS MADE, BLOOD WAS SPRINKLED, UPON THE ALTER OF THE CROSS AND UPON ALL WHO RECEIVE CHRIST.

HEB 9:18 – 24. THE OLD ACTS WERE COPIES OF THE GREATER. 1PET 1:2 PETER SEES BELIEVERS “SPRINKLED WITH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST , WHICH REFERS TO OUR INITIAL ENTRANCE INTO COVENANT WITH GOD THROUGH CHRIST. BUT ALSO TO THE ONGOING CLEANSING WORK BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST (LEV 14:6,7 , 1JHN 1:7 ) THE BLOOD OF JESUS CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN. (ONGOING HOLINESS)

1. THE OLD COVENANT OF LAW. (EX 19 4-6. 20 ) .

GOD MADE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF COVENANTS ONE SPECIFIC COVENANT WAS THE COVENANT OF LAW GIVEN THROUGH MOSES AT MOUNT SINAI (EX. 20) THIS IS KNOWN AS THE OLD COVENANT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND OTHER LAWS. AT MOUNT SINAI GOD CALLS THE PEOPLE TO KEEP HIS COVENANT OF LAWS HE IS ABOUT TO RATIFY (EX 19 – 24) .

THIS COVENANT CALLED FOR A RESPONSE OF OBEDIENCE HERE WE SEE ISRAEL ENTERING INTO THE COVENANT AGREEMENT. (EX. 24:3, 7) THEY PROMISED TO DO ALL THAT THE LORD HAD SAID AND BE OBEDIENT TO HIS LAWS. SO THEN MOSES TOOK THE BLOOD OF THE SACRIFICED OXEN AND SPRINKLED IT UPON THE ALTER AND UPON THE PEOPLE (HERE THEY ARE ENTERING INTO THE AGREEMENT WITH GOD THERE PART IS OBEDIENCE TO GODS LAWS).

YET THEY CONTINUALLY BROKE THESE OATHS THEY FAILED TO KEEP THEIR PART OF THE COVENANT (2KING 23:3) AND WERE CONTINUAL CALLED BY LEADERS TO RENEW THEIR VOWS. HERE WE SEE INDICATIVE TO OUR HUMAN NATURE IS THE INABILITY TO KEEP THE COVENANT OF LAW - WHAT THEY FAILED TO DO - WE FAIL TO DO BY NATURE WHEN IT COMES GODS LAW......