In a year that we have specifically focused on “For His Name’s Sake”, the Lord has been bringing Lifespring into a much deeper understanding of who He is and what “His Name’s Sake” even means!
It has shifted our collective perspective from being focused on our current situations and to considering life from a heavenly one. It has led us to re-examine our motivations when we serve others and to challenge if we are doing things for our own name’s sake or if we are partnering in the work God is doing – and has been doing – For the sake of His own name.
As I felt the Lord place this phrase on my heart for Lifespring, “Be faithful as I am Faithful” I was sent into a deep study of covenant.
There are SO MANY KINDS OF COVENANTS in the Bible. Some of them are made between individual people, some were made between nations, between kings and their descendants… but of course the ones that might catch our attention most are the ones between God and the people of God.
In the Sinai Covenant, God invited Moses and the Israelites to enter into the next level of relationship with him.
Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.
Exodus 19:3-8
When the people agreed to do that, God provided them with the law… the law was not given to the people as a way for them to attain salvation/deliverance, it was given to them as a response to the salvation/deliverance God had provided for them to leave Egypt!
Because God had already made another covenant, centuries before that to Abraham.
Abraham, as you and I are, was a human being. Created uniquely in the image of God! And, not-so-uniquely, plagued by doubts and disbelief.
Just as reliably as we humans tend to doubt, we see the theme of God’s patience with the doubts of Abraham. This theme runs throughout all of these passages with Abraham and God…
“Yahweh neither rebukes Abraham for his doubt nor removes the requirement that Abraham go on believing. Rather, Yahweh repeats the earlier promise and seals it with the most solemn of oaths. The worth of Yahweh’s own word and reputation is not at stake if the promise is not fulfilled.” (Dr. John Kessler)
We have the benefit of reading these stories and accounts from the Bible and we know that eventually Abraham and Sarah did have a son – even though it was absolutely impossible in the natural – and God fulfilled his promise to Abraham.
And then he remained in covenant with Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, even when they built up a golden calf and worshiped it instead of the One True God who had delivered them out of slavery…
We also know that a New Covenant was brought to all of us through Jesus. And as we receive Jesus as our Lord and our Saviour, we agree to enter into a covenant relationship with him; with God!
Faithfulness, on the part of Abraham, in the midst of this Promise Covenant… required him to
- Wait expectantly and believe God would do what he said he would
- To follow God’s directions, no matter how impossible they seemed in the moment
- To make choices in his present that aligned him with the future promises God had spoken to him
Faithfulness, on the part of the Israelites, required them to
- Remember what God had done for them in Egypt
- Choose to enter into the covenant and to live by the guidelines/way of life the Lord outlined for them
- Remain as true to those rules as they possibly could
- To repent and RETURN TO YAHWEH when they fell short
What does faithfulness look like for us, here at Lifespring, in this season?
How will we choose to be faithful today?