Today,
reply is on the error that legal and social contracts among men are
the same as everlasting and perpetual covenant relationship with
divinity. The divinity of GOD does not depend on his use of
covenant; with or without covenant, he is GOD. Even so, the
integrity and righteousness of GOD does depend on the divine
fulfillment of promise and utterance. That Israel and Judah
repeatedly broke covenant with GOD did not end the relationships of
these nations with divinity, for they were being continued because
GOD was committed to fulfilling his word to their fathers. The
fellowship shared by the Creator with mankind within the Garden of
Eden is seen continued through the device of covenant relationships
for salvation. Mankind is granted opportunity to apprehend otherwise
hidden and unseen aspects of sacred character and process. Included
are commitment, faithfulness, forgiveness, grace, and reconciliation.
It is written: Leviticus 26: 40-46, King James Version (KJV): 40
If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their
fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and
that also they have walked contrary unto me; 41 And that I
also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the
land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled,
and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42 Then
will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with
Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will
remember the land. 43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall
enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they
shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even
because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred
my statutes. 44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of
their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them,
to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I
am the LORD their God. 45 But I will for
their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought
forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I
might be their God: I am the LORD. 46
These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD
made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the
hand of Moses. One of the fighters in the “Yahoo! Answers”
public forum on Religion and Spirituality who uses the ID “Anonymous”
(no profile data appears) posted the following:
Why
do Jews believe that breaking a contract still entitles you to
benefit from the contact anyway?
Jews
had a covenant with God but they broke it. So why do Jews still feel
entitled to enjoy "God's Chosen" status and His promises
when they didn't abide by God's terms and conditions?
THE
GOLDEN ARROW: Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his
father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the
sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel. Jehoram was
thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight
years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel,
like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to
wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the
eyes of the LORD. Howbeit the LORD
would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he
had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to
his sons for ever. (2nd Chronicles 21: 4-7, King James
Version, KJV)
THE
DOUBLE DAGGER: Committed To Unchanging Promise (04/09/2019);
Continuing and Refreshing Creation (04/01/2019); Completeness,
Integrity And Wholeness? (06/21/2018); Continuing A Perpetual
Covenant (08/03/2017);
GOD is Faithful (12/03/2015); That GOD Is Faithful? (08/31/2015); We
Establish Covenant Relationship (05/01/2018)
“Anonymous”,
the keeping of a covenant with GOD is not possible relying only on
finite human willpower. Developing Christians often make the mistake
of conceiving the many covenant relationships between GOD and mankind
as having been agreements and contracts between the Creator and the
created as though they were equals. The covenants of Adam, Noah,
Abraham, Moses, and David each introduced different levels of
communication, exchange, and interaction that continued a single
revelation of divine excellence. Rather than a condition of
equality, divine law and personhood foster oneness without
sameness. The transformation of consciousness that occurs as
we live and walk in the Spirit allows the believer to realize that
the character, process and substance of covenant is altered by the
operation and presence of divine person. Using such devices as
inheritance, proclamation, promise, and prophecy, GOD, who is
immortal, incorruptible and invisible, establishes continuity where
personal relationship is regularly ended through interruptions and
instability from aging, death and mortality.
The
terms of covenant extended to the twelve Hebrew tribes (the sons of
Jacob), and the mixed multitude (some say, Gentiles) who left Egypt
with Moses were to make divinity knowable, known, accessible, and
approachable through the establishment of a peculiar nation and
people. That the accords provided were to continue as everlasting
and perpetual covenants immediately demonstrated the authority,
fullness, prerogative, and sovereignty of GOD. More than this,
features required for a genuine redemption and salvation appear that
include chastisement, commitment, forbearance, forgiveness, judgment,
longsuffering, lovingkindness, mercy, patience, renewal, repentance,
and restraint. Consider again the following that uses language from
the Bible:
1.
Deuteronomy 7: 6-10, King James Version (KJV): 6 For thou art
an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD
thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above
all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The LORD
did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were
more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all
people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and
because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers,
hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand,
and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of
Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is
God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them
that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them:
he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his
face.
2.
Exodus 31: 15-17, KJV: 15 Six days may work be done; but in the
seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD:
whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely
be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the
sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for
a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the
children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD
made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was
refreshed.
3.
Jeremiah 31: 31-33, KJV: 31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with
the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made
with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to
bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake,
although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD,
I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their
hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
There
is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually
apprehended. (For example, 4. 1st Peter 2: 6-10, KJV:
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in
Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on
him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe he
is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which
the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them
which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they
were appointed. 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light; 10 Which in time past were not a people,
but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy,
but now have obtained mercy.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be
useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
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THE
BLACK PHOENIX
Washington,
DC
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