The Covenant of God

Coming into a better understanding of the `New Covenant`, and the significance of the shedding of the blood of Jesus, made a huge difference to my life and my Christian walk.

A covenant in biblical times was a very solemn promise made by one person to another, or by a group of people to another group. The promise was made before God, who would then hold the people to account. It was sealed by the shedding of blood and by a covenant meal together. If it was made by a group of people one of them would be chosen as a representative of the rest who would seal the covenant on behalf of them all. A covenant is a serious thing. Look at the story of the Gibeonites in Joshua 9. Although they tricked the Israelites into a covenant, God honoured that covenant.

In the old covenant God`s people were required to keep the Law. But even God`s special friends, such as Moses (who was a murderer), David (who was an adulterer and murderer), and Abraham (who was dishonest and took matters into his own hands), all failed to keep it. So God made a new covenant, and sent Jesus to be the covenant representative. It was His blood that was shed to seal that new covenant.

It helps me to understand the point of Holy Communion. It`s the covenant meal, shared to celebrate the making of a new covenant. He made a covenant to love us with an everlasting love, not because He was in danger of failing to do that, or changing His mind, but so that we would know that whatever happens or whatever we do He won`t stop loving us.

I guess I`d believed deep down that God`s love is like ours, so often fickle, here today but gone tomorrow, affected by everything the other does, and withdrawn if the loved one is not dutiful and obedient. Thank God for His grace in choosing to make a covenant with us that we can`t break, because He sealed it with His own blood, that of Jesus.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for Your love for us. Thank You for Jesus who opened the way for us to enter into Your love, and for sending the Holy Spirit to bring us revelation about Your love. Please reveal more of Your love every day and enable me to walk confidently in the knowledge of Your love for me. Amen.