Friday: Further Thought ~ Covenant Primer
Further Thought:
Read Ellen G. White, “Abraham in Canaan,” pages 132-138, in Patriarchs and Prophets; “The Prophets of God Helping Them,” pages 569-571, in Prophets and Kings.
“The yoke that binds to service is the law of God.
Image @ Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
The great law of love revealed in Eden, proclaimed upon Sinai, and in the new covenant written in the heart, is that which binds the human worker to the will of God. If we were left to follow our own inclinations, to go just where our will would lead us, we should fall into Satan’s ranks and become possessors of his attributes. Therefore God confines us to His will, which is high, and noble, and elevating. He desires that we shall patiently and wisely take up the duties of service. The yoke of service Christ Himself has borne in humanity. He said, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.’ Ps: 40:8. ‘I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.’ John 6:38. Love for God, zeal for His glory, and love for fallen humanity, brought Jesus to earth to suffer and to die. This was the controlling power of His life. This principle He bids us adopt.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pages 329, 330.
Discussion Questions:
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Summary:
The entrance of sin ruptured the relationship the Creator had originally established with the human family through our first parents. Now God seeks to re-establish that same loving relationship by means of a covenant. This covenant signifies both a committed relationship between God and us (like a marriage bond) and an arrangement for saving us and bringing us into harmony with its Maker. God Himself, motivated by His great love for us, is the Initiator of the covenant relationship. By gracious promises and gracious acts, He woos us to come into union with Him.
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I believe that all the Divine Covenants are progressive revelations of the Everlasting Covenant and are all grace-based, gospel-bearing, faith-inducing and mission-directed.
I believe that the LORD’s purpose of His Everlasting Covenant is to reveal the true character of the LORD, to transform His people’s hearts and minds into His image, to restore the broken relationship by His substitutionary sacrifice to wipe their slate clean.
Many like Abraham and the heroes of Heb 11 trusted and believed the LORD and He imputed and imparted His righteousness to and in them, just as He will to those of Spiritual Israel who believe.
However too many misunderstood the character of the LORD and the purpose of His Everlasting Covenant despite His many object lessons and explanations so many in literal Israel although having the gospel preached to them pursued the law of righteousness but did not attained to it because they did not seek it by faith but as it were by the works of the law and even spiritual Israel without faith end up having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.
I am reminded that the LORD’s Covenants are not negotiable, literal Israel’s response of “we will do it” did not change the Covenant only the people’s perception of it and the LORD spent the rest of time trying to show them the true meaning of His grace-based Covenant starting with the sanctuary services. Just like the perception of the church in the Dark Ages that they could buy indulgencies did not change the LORD’s Covenant with Spiritual Israel.
Christ Fulfills the Law
Matthew 5:17;
Do not think that I come to destroy the Law or the Prophet.I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
It is time to share the Good News that Jesus is coming back. The world is not out of control, humans are! This is what we get when we let go of God's hand! But thanks to Jesus, we can always reconcile with perfection through love! May we focus on His sacrifice for us!
JC- the bible says-For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travailed in pain together until now. Roman 8:22. I would like to say this world is out of control. I can list a lot of natural disasters that is occurring as well as man-made disaster. Many now are speaking about climate changes. Is the world out of control from those disasters?
Greater love hath no man than this that he laid down his life for his friend. John 15:13
Further Thought ~ Covenant Primer
It is the same 'old' covenant the Lord wants to re-establish with his people from Eden. The 'type' and the 'antitype' are the same. What it was and supposed to be, the Lord wants to repair. He wants us to love him with all our heart, soul, strength and might and our neighbor as our selves. This is His law and his will. Love is shown in service to both Jesus and humans. To obey the Lord.
I do not think that marriage is a good analogy for the covenant. God and man are not equal. He has the power and right to destroy man for breaking and rejecting the covenant but in a marriage spouses do not have the right nor power to destroy the other for unfaithfulness. However being faithful in keeping the covenant with God brings blessings as faithfulness to marriage covenant leads to happiness.
This week’s study was truly an enlightening learning experience! I did not anticipate the many new insights into what is termed 'Covenant', the contract between God and His children. I noticed that the Father started to lay the groundwork in Eden and faithfully continued His work to redeem humankind from the consequences of its parent's folly.
The Father always demonstrated His loving patience, encouraging His children to get to know Him better, to learn to trust Him and begin to understand that He wants only that which is best for them. Finally, His last Covenant revealed what was at the heart of all His previous Covenants - His Love re-creating His children in His own Image, to again relate to Him as their heavenly Father.
It took mankind many generations, thousands of years, to learn the true identity of their God and with that, who they are. The Father developed the to be 'reborn' man with each new Covenant, little by little, more and more in His own character each time. This needed to be an ongoing process and was only possible by encouraging man to trust Him and develop a personal relationship with Him. It is wonderful and marvelous to observe God’s love patiently working to cause His children to want to become like Him, grateful for His love and wanting to love Him back.
Though at times He needed to be stern, His corrections were always undergirded by His caring expressions of His Love for them to encourage them to keep their faith strong.
I see God’s Covenants with man in the same way as the earthly father’s effort on behalf of his young children, to help them mature and develop a good character, a kind heart and keen mind. John6:38KJV – “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him who sent me."
This was the Father’s ultimate gift to assure that the erring children would find their way home. I think that at the heart of all Covenants is the effort by our Creator to show humankind the right way to conduct their life and so be equipped to live in His kingdom.
He gave us more than just practical advice, He ultimately provided His Spirit to guide us home, to help us discern which was the Father’s Way of Truth and Light and to encourage us to walk it by faith in his heavenly kingdom here on earth; He restored His spirit in our hearts!
Why do I believe the 1st covenant given to literal Israel is grace-based, gospel-bearing, faith-inducing & mission-directed?
One of the reasons is this meeting between the LORD and Moses in Ex 34:1-7. See below.
This is the clearest explanation I have found that the LORD, himself, gives of His true character and the fascinating fact is it is given in the context of the LORD giving Moses the Ten Words/Instructions on Mt Sinai.