Lesson Two: Covenant
Reading: Exodus 3: 6- 15
The first time a covenant is mentioned in the Bible is after the great flood. Noah gets off the arc and prepares an offering to the Lord. God smells the incense and makes this Covenant, never again will the Lord flood the earth as He did. God then puts a rainbow in the sky to serve as a reminder to all who see it. The rainbow is a symbol of God's promise to His children. A promise of mercy. We then see God make a covenant with Abraham later in Genesis. God tells Abraham that He will establish a covenant with Him. He will be Abraham’s God and Abraham will be the father of nations. God promises Abraham that his children will be as many as the grains of sand and stars in the sky. He tells Abraham that his offspring will follow God and be blessed. God then proceeds to tell Abraham what's to come. That his children will serve God and be blessed but also that down the line they will become bondservants for 400 years in a different land. This continues down the line. God makes a covenant with Isaac. Then with Jacob, who wrestles with God. Physically wrestling, Jacob would not quit until God blessed him. God then gave him a new name, Israel, which means "he who strives with God". From then on all of his descendants were called Israelites. Then God forms a covenant with Joshua and this continues until we get to Moses.
After Joshua died the Israelites began to be oppressed by Egypt. After dwelling in Egypt for many years a new Pharoh felt threatened by the Israelite's size and strength. They were made slaves, whipped, and killed for years. Trying to cut their size down, Pharaoh purges the Israelites, killing all Israelite boys under the age of two. Moses however is saved, and his sister sends him down the river in a basket to protect him. Pharaoh's daughter finds the baby and adopts him. Moses grows up and leaves Egypt, he marries and meets God in the burning bush. With Israel still in bondage, God speaks to Moses.
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READING
And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
Pause to elaborate and explain if anyone has questions.
So God makes a new covenant with the Israelites: they will be His people serving only Him and He will deliver them out of Egypt becoming their deliverer. God gives the Israelites a name to call Him by, I Am the I Am, which is also known as YHWH. So God does this, He frees His people from Egypt through Moses and sets before them a law to live by. YHWH keeps His end of the deal and establishes Israel as a nation, they get the promised land and become known to the nations as God’s holy people. The God of Israel is known and feared by the nations as the one true God. After seeing this covenant established so many times what is a covenant? If God makes them and they are so prevalent in the Bible what significance do they hold?
A covenant is stronger than a promise and more personal than a contract. The most well-known covenant would be marriage. While in this day and age, marriage has lost some of its significance, it still holds a lasting covenant between two people before God. When you marry someone else you are promising to remain with that person till death parts you. That means through thick or thin, good days and bad, as well as financial gain and loss. No matter what you both are committed to each other and vow to only love the other. A covenant withstands time and trial. Unlike a promise, a covenant is not blown off by convenience, and unlike a contract with loopholes, stipulations, and an expiration date; a covenant is forever. Now every covenant does have outlines similar to a contract. For instance, in marriage, it is between the two. In God’s covenant with Israel, He asks them to obey the Law that is given to Moses. They all hold significance and they are all personal to those that participate. However unlike a contract j just because we fail sometimes does not mean God breaks HIs side. Even with the Israelites failing and worship of Idols God never left them. He remained. In a covenant just because one side gives up doesn't mean the other does. They both work to maintain it despite what's happened.
So why is a covenant important to know? Does it even matter? It does, a covenant is what God has made for us. God gives us all the chance to enter into a covenant with Him. In the womb God knew us, He crafted and created each person. He calls us all by name as He did with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He calls to us every day wishing that we choose Him as our God, and serve Him. God wishes to convene with us and form a relationship. He wishes this so that He may give us His blessings and all that entail. God wishes to save us from the evil which was introduced in the fall.
Just as with Adam and Eve we are given a choice. Choose evil that separates us from God and wrecks havoc on our lives and all around us, or choose God. Deciding to live by His Law and enjoy the promises and joy of it. God extends His covenant to all who desire it. No one is excluded because of circumstance, status, or birth. It is truly the only unbiased offer that exists in our world.
The covenant given to Israel was considered incomplete. God doesn’t intend for only one person to enter into His covenant but all His creation. He wishes for a complete restoration and with this covenant, there are certain drawbacks. We see the Israelites needed a sacrifice annually, which is difficult to do when you need a spotless and perfect lamb. We also see that people need help with following the guidelines of the covenant. There is also a separation between God, His priests, and the rest of the world. God recognizes the need for something more to help His people remain holy before Him.
So God works on a new covenant. A covenant that He can form with all people. One where He might have the chance to guide His people daily on an individual level. One where no more sacrifices will be needed and everyone will be born again. This covenant will fulfill every need and ultimately be the highest price to pay.
Points for discussion:
Have you ever made a promise that you later broke? How did that fair for you?
Has someone ever broken a promise to you? How did that make you feel?
Has God given you a promise yet?
Are you interested in forming a covenant with Him?
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