Covenant God
Deuteronomy 7:7-15
Synopsis Deuteronomy 7:7-15 2/1/2018
Moses interpreted why God had chosen Israel. He observed that the Lord had chosen Israel despite the smallness of its size because of the oath God had made to the ancestors. From this, all people can know that God is faithful to His covenants. Accordingly, Moses encouraged the Israelites to keep covenant with Him.
Covenant and Contract
Covenant is different than contract. The relationship is determined.
Contracts confer rights. They are agreements between two, more or less, equal parties. They describe the agreed upon behavior of each. They end when the contracts term ends or whenever one of the people breeches the contract.
Covenant is different. Covenant with God is very different. No one can bargain with God for better terms or more rights. Covenant is an offering. It flows forth from as an opportunity to be in relationship. the very powerful to the much less powerful – or even the powerless. It determines the way that a powerful person is willing to relate to the less powerless. That’s what makes it different than a contract.
Covenant and Natural Law
A covenant relationship with the Creator of all things takes on a slightly different character. Not only are the terms of relationship determined by the Creator, but the terms take on the form of a natural law.
God, the Creator, has determined the essential nature of relationship between Him and human beings. We, the created, respond to the opportunity of relationship within the range of our liberty. Nothing any human can do affects the nature of the covenant.
He is always faithful. He chose to create. He chose the nature of the relationship.
This is the given.
In our turn, we chose every day how we will respond to that which is given.
“If it is displeasing to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15
