The Gift of Covenant
A covenant is a bond or agreement between two parties. Biblically it is a sacred agreement between God and man.
In the children's classic Mary Poppins, Mary says to the children that something said was a 'piecrust promise, easily made and easily broken.' God's promises are not piecrusts. His word is true and will stand the test of time.
In the Garden, the covenant God made with Adam was that he would not eat any of the fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil, God sought them out. When Eve confessed that they had done so, God made another covenant. This one was harsh but deserved. He cursed the serpent, Eve and Adam to a life of enmity, struggle and pain.
In the story of Noah, we are told that he was 'a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.' Because of man's wickedness and evil ways, God said he would destroy the world and kill everything in it, but he instructed Noah to build the ark, saying in Exodus 6:18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So, enter the boat--"
Noah trusted God. Exodus 6:22 So Noad did everything exactly as God had commanded him.
His second covenant with Noah was that the world would never again be destroyed by flood. To mark this promise, he gave the sign of the rainbow in the sky.
God made covenant promises with Abraham, Moses, and David. And then he established a new covenant through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ.
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Had he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
God's word is true and cannot be broken. It is something we can always cling to.
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