2002-01-01
Good Morning Fellow Believers,
I never cease to be amazed at how God can lead us to new lessons He wants us to learn, just when we think we know everything we need on a subject. My observation is that the older I become, the more I realize how much I still have to learn from the Lord. That is why someone who teaches should never stop being a student. Even more important than that is the fact that He commands us to be open to His lessons and commands at all times. Many of these lessons arise out of our circumstances and often come when we least expect them. That’s a compelling argument for keeping our eyes on the Lord and being aware that He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there. He is there every minute of our lives, concerning Himself with our needs and encouraging our obedient faith.
All of this has a lot to do with the subject of covenants. They are a part of our lives, so that we can learn and practice God’s teaching. I am led to share some basic information about covenants, particularly the ones established in ancient Israel, contained in M.G. Kline’s, “By Oath Consigned,” (Grand Rapids, MI, 1967). Kline uses the word “suzerain,” frequently in his writing, so I decided it would be appropriate to consult a dictionary for its definition. It is a sovereignty or state exercising political control over a dependent state. One example from history of a suzerain is a feudal overlord. In the spiritual sense, God is a Suzerain over Israel in the OT. I believe that can be extended to all believers as of Paul’s ministry beginning in AC 9, when God chose to give the Gospel message to all who would believe, the Jew first and also the Gentile [RO 1: 16]. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the huge differences between God as a Suzerain and a man as a suzerain, differences that arise out of God’s ultimate supremacy and also His consistent righteousness.
Kline presents a format for covenants of the type made in ancient Israel that we can see in many examples in the Scriptures. These covenants begin with 1) a preamble, which identifies the suzerain. This is followed by 2) a historical prologue, which describes previous relationships between the parties to the covenant. Next comes 3) the stipulations and demands of the suzerain. That is followed by 4) a covenant ratification, the swearing of allegiance with curses encountered by not keeping it and blessings accrued for keeping it, listed. The next component is 5) directions for carrying out the covenant and witnesses to its authenticity. The last step is optional. It is 6) directives for the preservation and re-reading of the covenant either regularly or at specified times. There are many examples in the Scriptures where this format can be seen. Some of them are: the Ten Commandments [DT 5: 1-22], the Great Commandment [DT 6: 4-9], and God’s covenant with Israel in Moab, [DT 29: 1-15]. I hope you will read each of these passages and see the common format in them.
If you are beginning to wonder, how does this impact my life today in 2001, then let me remind you that all believers enjoy a special status as God’s children. Therefore, His claim of us as “His people” is crucial to us. The same can be said for our responsibility to respond in a righteous and obedient way to His sovereignty (suzerainty) over us. These covenants made so long ago still apply to us in their basic principles. If you are Gentile, then it’s important to remember that you are a “wild olive branch who has been grafted on to a cultured olive tree” [RO 11: 17]. You share the spiritual life of the Jews. If you are Jewish, as I am, then these covenants are already your heritage of privilege and balancing responsibility.
With all of this in mind, now read the words of DT 29: 12-15 and meditate on how important to you personally they are. “You are here today to enter into this covenant that the Lord your God is making with you and to accept its obligations, so that the Lord may now confirm you as His people and be your God, as He promised you and your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You are not the only ones with whom the Lord is making this covenant with it’s obligations. He is making it with all of us who stand here in His presence today and also with our descendants who are not yet born.” Repeatedly God has commanded us throughout mankind’s history to obey the obligations of covenants we enter into with Him, so that we can be His people and He can be our one and only God. Any careful study of the various covenants made with God will reveal they are all designed for our best long-term benefit, which is to lead to an eternal life of joy and fellowship with Him. He wants us to be victorious over spiritual death, an eternity of conscious torment in the lake of fire and sulfur from which there is no escape.
PRAYER: O Lord, Your patience and consistent presence in our lives is an amazing blessing to those who are obediently faithful. This is demonstrated in a most dramatic way in Your decision to sacrifice Your Son on the cross, opening the way to salvation, and in Your will to make the Good News available to both Jews and Gentiles. Long ago, You gave us the Ten Commandments, simple, straight-to-the-point direction on how to live our lives. What frustration it must be to You that rabbis and lawyers complicated them to the point where Jews were asked to obey 613 laws! What a shame that there is such a difference between rabbinical Judaism and Biblical Judaism! We are reminded not to allow legalism and over-emphasis of ritual to cloud the consistent simplicity and righteousness of Your word. You have claimed us as Your own people, admonishing us to obey You and not to worship idols in any form. You repeat both Your goals for us and Your principles for us to follow over and over again, because You want us to see the wisdom in them and understand them well. More than that, You never make a decision, carry out an action, or offer teaching that is not grounded in profound love for us. We come before You in humility to confess our sin, dedicate ourselves to repenting of it, and to offer You our worship, adoration, obedience, trust, loyalty, glory, honor, praise, and thanksgiving. By Your constant leadership in our lives, You bless us abundantly. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, I am led to continue on the subject of covenants from the Scriptures and M. G. Kline’s, “By Oath Consigned.” Tomorrow’s message focuses on the consequences of breaking covenants with God as seen in the Scriptures. As mentioned above, all that God does is designed for our long-term best interests. It is hard to miss the love that He has for us when we attempt (albeit imperfectly) to see things from His perspective. The effort to do this is well worth our time. We are reminded by His consistent interest and presence in our lives of the great love that is also there from Him. Peter and I also send you our love today.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn