Contract Renewal
The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Deuteronomy 5:2
Covenant – God is a God of promises kept. That’s why you can trust Him. He is not like men who give their word and then don’t do it. When God speaks, He commits His character. He never lies and He never fails to fulfill. If we are going to hear and obey, we must first understand the absolute reliability of God. Since there are no human beings who have ever been completely and entirely faithful to us, we must take a step beyond our personal and corporate experience. We must look at the past record of God to determine His unwavering trustworthiness. That’s why the Biblical record constantly reminds us that this is the God Who rescued Israel out of Egypt, the God Who parted the Red Sea and the Jordan, the God Who sent the prophets, judged Edom and controlled Babylon. You can’t trust a person who does not present you with a history of faithful actions. You can hope, but you cannot have settled confidence. God knows this. So, He provides ample evidence of His constant stability. He is faithful.
That is the essence of the word beriyth. The basis of an agreement between God and Man is God’s faithfulness and reliability, not ours. God promises Himself that He will fulfill His agreement to rescue His creation from its own insanity. We are the beneficiaries of His beriyth.
Every beriyth contains obligations. Perhaps you can appreciate the seriousness of such an agreement if you knew that the verb preceding beriyth is often karath, meaning “to cut .” When I enter into an ancient Semitic covenant, I cut into my forearm, leaving a visible scar for all to see. I carry the mark of my agreement, demonstrating my obligation to another. God stipulates this same kind of symbolic reminder of His covenant, only He places the “cut” on the human instrument of propagation. God’s mark establishes that He is the God of life. The covenant is not a license to do whatever we please. It is a standing order to obey what God says.
Notice that Moses tells the present generation that God made a covenant with them. These are not the same people who heard the voice of the Lord at Horeb (Sinai). Nevertheless, the same agreement pertains. It is a permanent agreement made by God, but it requires constant renewal by the human partners. That’s us! We are the children of Abraham. Consequently, we must renew our obligation under God’s covenant. We have to cut the covenant into our hearts and minds if we are going to live under God’s provision and protection.
Covenant agreements demand trust. Without trust in the reliability of the parties, nothing happens. So, do you trust Him? You can’t submit without answering that question. You might comply until you have a chance to act independently, but that isn’t a covenant, is it? Renew the cut today! Renewal is not a feeling. It’s a decision to act according to the obligations, no matter what. Cut deep. Let the scar show.
Topical Index: Covenant
