Covenant Relationships

Covenant Relationships (Genesis 22:17)

Genesis 22:17, “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;”

Abraham set up a sacrifice to God to confirm the covenant, and God took a burning lamp through the midst of the sacrifice as a sign of His promise. Genesis 15:17-18, “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:”

A covenant is an agreement and a promise between God and man. It is also called a testament. God has made several covenants with man. A covenant may be conditional or unconditional. Here are a few:
(1) Noah's covenant (Genesis 8).
(2) Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3,7; 13:14-18; 15:1-21).
(3) Mosaic covenant (Exodus 19-24).
(4) Davidic covenant (II Samuel 7:12-17).
(5) New Covenant (Jeremiah 31-33; Hebrews 8:7-13; 10:9-22).

In the Old Testament, God made a covenant with Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17). A covenant can also be made between people. A covenant is an agreement that goes far beyond a mere business contract; it is a serious promise of commitment to one another. We find two such examples of covenant friendship in the Bible.

In David's celebrated friendship with Jonathan, we discover that Jonathan used the word covenant to describe his commitment to his friend. Jonathan and David made a covenant with each other. The word “covenant” comes from a root word meaning “to cut”; it literally has the idea of a blood covenant. I Samuel 18:3-4, “Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.” Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

Another illustration of covenant friendship is found in the book of Ruth. Both Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, were locked in poverty and the grief of widowhood. Following the loss of her sons, Naomi decided to return to her home in Israel. Ruth's insistence on accompanying her reveals the depth of her feelings for Naomi. Ruth 1:16, “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:”

Ruth changed her geographical location, culture, and living conditions to venture into a new and strange world with Naomi. Their friendship brought mutual encouragement and support. Naomi offered Ruth guidance, spiritual maturity, and love. In turn, Ruth pledged her devotion, support, and youthful strength to Naomi. From these two Biblical stories, we can see that making a covenant of friendship with someone else is no small thing. It means loving those friends as ourselves, being one in spirit with them, in effect choosing to make them our very family. In Jonathan and David's friendship, Jonathan's vow was sealed by the gifts of his clothing and weaponry, which identified him as the heir to a king. To give these gifts was to invite David into his heart and life as a brother, an equal. It was a commitment to protect David through any means necessary. Making a friendship covenant is an intentional vow to uphold our friends through the storms of life, using all of the resources at our disposal to do so. It is a commitment of permanent kinship that establishes a bond as strong as blood.

Marriage is a covenant, not a contract. I thank God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ for my wife, whom He has blessed me with. We have been married now for 24 years and it is only by the grace of God that we have the marriage that we have today. On the 20th of May 2000, we made a covenant to one another before God when we exchanged our marriage vows.

Points to Ponder:
The faithful person is reliable.
What a friend we have in Jesus
One true friend is more valuable than several superficial friends who can cause problems.

Questions to Consider:
Are you reliable?
Is your word reliable?
When you tell someone you are going to do something, do you do it?
Do you keep your promises?

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, for saving my soul, for Your gift of eternal life, and for being a faithful friend. You used a friend and a co-worker who lead me to You. You did not forget me, nor You did You leave me alone. Help kindle a fire within me and inspire me to zealously give myself to the business of bringing sinners to Christ. Help me to have that same passion for others in Jesus name, AMEN.

If this post has blessed you in any way
please share this website and its articles with others:
www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com