Living the Covenant*

The word "covenant" is used 272 times in scripture. The first mention of covenant comes in the story of Noah. As God told Noah His plan to flood the earth because the intent of men's hearts was only evil, He also said: "But with thee will I establish my covenant (berit - alliance, agreement, friendship; divine ordinances and laws with divine signs); and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy son's wives with thee." (Gen. 6:18, 9:8-10). Noah had found grace with the LORD, and he and some animals from every living thing of all flesh would be saved in the ark. The LORD also promised Noah as part of His covenant that He would not destroy flesh by waters of a flood again (Gen. 9:11). He gave Noah and man a sign of this promise: "...This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth...when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: and I will remember my covenant...the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." (Gen. 9:12-17). The everlasting covenant of God was not just with Noah, but with all living creatures of flesh, and with the earth. God also made a covenant with Abraham. Abraham fell on his face before the LORD, and received this promise from God: "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Gen. 17:7-8). The current crisis that we see oer the land which was called Canaan, is over the requirement of this covenant that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was and is to be their God. There are those in the area of conflict, who are the seed of Abraham after the flesh, for he eventually had many children. However, God's everlasting covenant requires that He, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is their God, and not another god. Jesus said that God could raise children of Abraham up from the stones. There was also another requirement of Abraham in this everlasting covenant with God. All members of his household must be circumcised by the time the child is eight days old: "...my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant." (v. 10-13). Science has since confirmed what God already knew: the clotting factor in blood is not fully developed until the eighth day of life. When Abraham's son Isaac was miraculously born in Sarah's old age, the LORD made clear that His covenant would continue with Isaac, although Abraham also loved Ishmael: "But my covenant shall I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year...I will establish my covenant with him, and with his seed after him." (v. 17-21). Later, after the children of Israel were delivered out of the slavery of Egypt, the priests would have a requirement to fulfill in God's covenant with them. They would be required to keep the lamp of the LORD, that was in the tabernacle, burning with pure olive oil as a statute forever. They were to make and place twelve new cakes on the pure table before the LORD in the tabernacle every sabbath: "Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant." (Lev. 24:1-8). Today, there are those in Israel making plans to construct a third temple so that they may keep this covenant with God, as He commanded. We have a role that is required to be fulfilled in the covenant also. When Moses and the people were in the wilderness, the men of Israel had joined themselves with the women of Moab and Midian in idol worship. A plague broke out among the people because of the anger of God. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron the priest, killed an unrepentant Israelite and his idolatrous foreign wife with his javelin, and the plague was stopped. Because of the zeal of God in Phinehas, the LORD made a covenant with him and with his seed after him: "Behold I give unto him my covenant of peace...the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." (Num. 25:11-13). David, who was raised up and anointed by God to be ruler over the people of Israel spoke of the everlasting covenant that God had made with him, and his role in that covenant. David said that he spoke by the Spirit of God, with the Word of God in his tongue. As a ruler, he was to rule justly, in the fear of God. He was to be as light, and he knew that his salvation was in the everlasting covenant that God had made with him (2 Sam. 23:1-5). Isaiah wrote the Word of the LORD concerning the land being emptied and spoiled. The whole earth, in fact, would languish and fade away, and the haughty people of the earth also: "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." (Isa. 24:1-5). We have broken the covenant. Remember, judgment begins at the house of the LORD. However, God offers His cleansing and renewal to us, as a free gift, as well as His everlasting covenant: "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." (Isa. 55:1-3). David, when he had sinned, sought the renewal and cleansing of the LORD in repentance (Ps. 51). David is a witness to us of this covenant of mercy and forgiveness with God. As God prophesied about raising His people up to Ezekiel, He spoke about cleansing their sin and transgressions. The LORD promised to bring the Messiah, like David, to rule as King over His people forever. They shall dwell in the land that God has given them, "...even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore." (Ezek. 37:21-28). In the Book of Hebrews, we are reminded that the blood of the everlasting covenant, through Jesus Christ whom God raised from the dead, makes us perfect in every good work to do His will, working in us in a way that is well pleasing in His sight (Heb. 13:20-21). We have the covenant with God as we live and walk in that covenant before Him. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 7/17/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and endtimeschool, also on Facebook.