covenant

Christians tend to throw words around.

You know what I mean. We have certain words we use (most of the time around other believers or in a church-y setting) and overuse, to the point where we may forget to dwell on the meaning behind those words.

Covenant is one such word, for me at least.

I grew up in a Korean church called New Covenant Fellowship Church (NCFC)- shout out to my most faithful reader, my cousin Daniel, who is going strong there- and I remember that all of the older Korean men and women in the church referred to it simply as "Huellowship Gyoye" (which means Fellowship Church; the "f" sound is a hard for native Korean speakers to pronounce sometimes). So the word "covenant" was dropped (even the English speakers just referred to it as NCFC) and although I was familiar with the word, I never much thought about the word "covenant" which is a travesty because it is a word packed with rich meaning.

Now, I am not a theologian by profession so what follows may not be a super in-depth explanation of the idea of covenant, but it's what I have understood at this point in my life. I welcome any ideas/thoughts that you have on this topic.

So, covenant simply means an agreement between two parties. I am reading through material for my "covenant membership" class for the church I now attend, and it states that every human relationship apart from the parent-child relationship and coerced relationships (like one between a master and slave) are covenant relationships on some level. One party promises some good/service and the other agrees to offer something in exchange for it...now that sounds super "mercantilistic" (yes, I am aware that this may not be a real word) but, as a sociology major in college, I do understand that there is always a "give and take" in almost every human relationship. Even in our friendships, we see this. In exchange for your friendship, I will invest my time into continuing to get to know you, and you might call or write in order to ensure that I will keep up my end of the bargain. Now not all of these stipulatons are outlined in writing or even addressed outright, but covenant is usually marked and sealed by some external sign. Marriage is sealed by rings and a marriage license and a public declaration before witnesses. In middle school, my best friends and I wore half-heart necklaces that, when put together, read "Best Friends Forever" as an outward sign of our commitment to one another.

"Covenant" is first introduced in Genesis 3:15 when God promises that the serpent's head will be crushed; the consequences of Adam and Eve's sin will be dealt with by the coming Savior. We see it again when God makes an agreement with Abraham, He promises that He will make his name great and give him descendants that outnumber the sand on the shore or the stars in the sky.

I think of the covenant God made with Noah, and how he sealed it with the rainbow. A promise, a reminder if you will, to us- that whenever we see the rainbow up in the rainclouds we will think "ah, eventually this rain will let up. God has promised never to flood the earth completely again." How beautiful.

But there are not-so-beautiful aspects of covenent, namely, the breaking of it. You see, covenant relationships are binding agreements. They are not to be taken lightly, they are not to be broken ever. Neither party can fail to uphold their end of the covenant, without there being serious consequences.

God initiates a covenant with Israel in the Old Testament. Even though they do not seek Him like they ought (because they are unable to in their wickedness and sin) God promises grace to them. He will not destroy them. He will set apart a people for Himself. He gives them the sacrificial system by which the blood of animals will serve as a temporary hold-over for his wrath. In Deuteronomy, God promises blessing and His very presence and protection instead of curses if Israel will but obey God and serve Him alone as God. (Deut. 29:9-14, 30:16-20)

If you've grown up going to church, you know what happens. Israel turns away from God time and time again, just as we are so prone to do. We are the recipients of grace and divine love, but we squander what we've been given, we scorn God's mercy and turn aside to follow our own hearts. What Israel deserved for breaking covenant with a holy God was outlined in the Deuteronomy passage above: "...if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down before other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed...(Deut. 30:27-18) What God says carries weight. He cannot lie, so we can be sure that anything He says is a promise. When Israel sinned by turning away from Him, He couldn't just say "You know when I said I would destroy you if you sinned, well I guess I take it back. I don't really want to destory you..." No. Because He stated it, that is how it had to be. His word is reality.

Israel (and we, lumped in with them) had no hope, then. We, in effect, spit in the Creator's face...said we didn't really need Him. We made light of His great love. And what did He do?

He destroyed His own Son on the cross for us. He implemented a NEW COVENANT! He didn't break His own rules and do away with punishment. No- in an incredible show of His mercy AND justice, He poured out His wrath on Jesus, who lived a sinless life.
Hebrews 8:7-13 tells us the good news: "The time is coming, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel...it will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers...because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time (after they sin and break covenant)...I will put my law in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother saying 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sin no more."

Dang.

I read that first thing this morning and wept tears of gratitude. He knew we would sin...look at what He says "after that time"- and He exercises grace yet again to bring us near. We, who were condemned as "objects of wrath" (Eph. 2:3). Amazing. God's grace is truly amazing.