The Covenant Keeping God
By Eric Jinkwen : –
Deuteronomy 8:18. Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.
We need to understand and appreciate God’s sovereign love for man through the different Covenants He initiated in the history of mankind in order for us to better serve Him. God operates by Covenants. Our text says, Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. (Deut. 8:18).
Israel was at the doors of the Promise Land. Moses reminded them, that what God is doing in their midst is as a result of a covenant He made with their ancestors, not because they were great. But because of God’s love to them (Ref Deuteronomy 7:9-11).
WHAT IS A COVENANT?
- A covenant is an agreement between two parties based on well-defined terms of obligations and benefits.
- When it comes to God, His covenant is an oath or a promise He has made with man. While the Bible, New Living Translation talks about an oath, The Message talks about a promise. It says, …Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors — as it is today.
So, God’s Covenant to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, (the ancestors of the Israelites) came as an oath or a promise. And God was committed to keep His part.
Do you know that God’s word is a covenant? In fact the Bible is divided into two main parts, The Old Covenant and the New Covenant which we again call, the Old Testament and the New Testament respectively. Whatever God does in our lives or in the world is to fulfill a Covenant, that is His word or His will. When you read the Bible, read it with a background that it is a covenant, a will or a testament.
And so, there is what God has committed Himself to do for us, and there is also what we must commit ourselves to do. For example, Deuteronomy 28:1, “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that Jehovah thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth”
So, if a man will commit himself to do what God’s word prescribes, He will not need to stress for God’s part to be fulfilled. Verse 2 says, “and all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God.” Hallelujah !!!
God is committed to His part of the Covenant. He has done all the necessary to redeem and bless man. He is committed to help whoever will surrender to Him and to His will. If you have yielded to Him, be expectant, you will not sink. God is faithful and will see you through.
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Prayer: Our Mighty Father, I confess that the are God our Lord, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments. Help me Lord to fully keep your word and be led by the Holy Spirit in Jesus name, amen”
Encounter the Covenant Keeping God
Hebrews 9:20 "Then he said, 'This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.'"
A covenant is an oath or a promise made by God in favor of a man, a family or a community. The covenant of God is encapsulated in His word. The word of God is the vehicle of His Covenant and blessings. But there is an element very important about Bible Covenants that works with the Word, that is the Blood.
Covenants in the Bible are established by blood. In Hebrews 9:18-22, the writer reveals this, 18 That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal. 19 For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. 20 Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.” 21 And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. 22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
Have you seen that?
Nearly everything is purified by the blood.
There are five things we receive as results of the covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ.
- There is forgiveness of sins in the blood. You remember the song, “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
The blood of Jesus was the price paid for our eternal redemption 1Peter 1:18-19 “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
Friend, the guarantee that we are forgiven of our sins and redeemed from darkness is the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ. The guarantee that now we are God’s covenant children, is the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ. Believe that when you confessed your sins and surrendered to Jesus Christ, your sins were forgiven through the blood.
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Claim it and do not allow guilts to dominate your mind again. You are free from sins. You are forgiven and accepted into God’s family by the blood.
Prayer: Father in the name of Jesus, I give you thanks for the precious blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for my redemption and forgiveness. I declare I am forgiven; I am redeemed; I am free and saved in Jesus name, amen.”
There is Victory and Deliverance in the Blood of the Covenant
Revelation 12:11: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."
There is a fierce spiritual battle going on in the world. That battle began in heaven. Revelation 12:7-8 says, And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
Did you see where the war began?
In heaven.
There was no place found for the dragon, that is the devil and his angels were cast out of heaven and they are now operating in the earth realm. Revelation 12:12 says, Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Beloved, many of the troubles, oppressions and afflictions we see in homes, cities, and nations today are orchestrated by the devil. You should have the right perspective about that war. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that the war is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
You see, the war is not against flesh and blood, that is humans; though humans could be at the forefront. But many times, behind the negative behaviors, the wickedness of that neighbor, that colleague or that spouse, there are spiritual forces responsible.
Take note, our victory is already guaranteed in the blood. Revelation 12:11 is clear on that, we overcome the devil and his angels by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.
Friends, the blood was already shed on the cross, you need to keep your testimony in line with God’s word and no matter the circumstances you will soon see victory.
There is power mighty for victory in the blood of the Covenant. There is also deliverance and restoration in the blood. Zechariah 9:11-12 is clear about it, “As for you also, Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
And when the Lord delivers, He also makes full restoration of what was lost in the course of the battle, Verse 12 says, “Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.”
May I declare over you that in that battle, sickness and oppression, may the God grants you healing, deliverance, victory and double restoration even today by the Blood of the Covenant.
There is Life in the Blood of the Covenant
Leviticus 17:11
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul."
There are so many applications of the Blood of the Covenant that we are yet to discover. The Blood of the Covenant is not only applied in the forgiveness of sins, in protection, in deliverance and spiritual warfare, the Blood of the Covenant is also applied in the receiving of eternal life.
The passage above was not only applied in the forbidding of God’s people to eat meat with blood, but the message that comes out clear is that, there is life in the blood. Let’s read again,
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”
As we look closely at this verse, we can see that God was also referring to the time of the atoning sacrifice of Christ when men will literally receive eternal live through the blood of Jesus Christ.
This was a prophetic word, pointing to the time when sins will be completely atoned. The blood of animals on the altar could only cover sins, sanctifying only the flesh and not the souls of men.
Now Jesus came with a holy and pure blood to make complete atonement and also give us life. Hebrews writes, “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come… Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
(Hebrews 9:11-14). Hallelujah!
The blood of Jesus sanctifies us completely and secures an eternal redemption for us, giving to all believers, eternal life.
In that light, referring to the Lord’s Supper Jesus Christ said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him”
(John 6:53, 56). Praise the Lord. There is life in the blood of Jesus Christ. When you partake at the Lord Supper, you are partaking in the life of Christ. May that life in you neutralize every sickness, pains, fibroid, cancer, Hepatitis, whatever name that can be name in Jesus name, amen.
Confess aloud with me.
I am redeemed and justified by the blood of Jesus. I am forgiven and cleaned by the blood of Jesus. I am sanctified and perfected by the blood of Jesus. I have eternal life by the blood of Jesus. I have victory and deliverance by the blood of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
Encounter God through His Covenants
Genesis 1:28 "Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
The Bible is a library of covenants. In Summary we have two main Covenants: the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. We have also defined a covenant as an oath or a promise God has made to man or to creation. There are about eight important covenants we find in the Bible. Our goal in studying some of them is so thag we can understand and appreciate the provisions of these Covenants initiated by God in order that we may desire and develop an intimate relationship with Him. The first of these Covenants we find in the Bible is the Edenic Covenant; this Covenant is threefold.
- There covenant with creation.
When God spoke the different elements that make up creation day, night, trees, water, animals, etc, God actually established a covenant with each of them. In Jeremiah 33: 20 we read, “Thus says the Lord: ‘If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season… “
So, we see a covenant with the day and a covenant with the night. No one or nothing has ever been able to change or break the succession of days and night. There will always be days and night. So it is with the rest of creation: trees, animals, planets and stars. They will exist till the new earth and new heaven. Have you ever asked yourself why with all exploitations of fish, trees, animals and precious stones, they have never been exhausted? There is a Covenant . Praise the Lord!!! - The Covenant with humankind or Adam (Gen 1: 26-28).
Adam represents mankind. This Covenant makes provision for three things: the image of God, the likeness of God and the blessing of God. Each of theses are big topics on their own. Know this, you are not the results of evolution. You did not come from a monkey. You were created in God’s image and likeness. You carry the divine blessing for fruitfulness, multiplication, replenishing, subduing and dominion. Hallelujah! - The Promise of Redemption (Gen 3:15).
The fall of man was not the end of the story. God made provisions to handle and solve the problems of sin.
Beloved, God has made provisions to handle your errors and sins. Stop capitulating over your past errors and sins. Before the fall of man, the Lamb of God was already slammed.
As we learned, the blood of Jesus Christ, the Promised Seed is efficient to redeem, justify, clean, forgive sanctify us from all sins and deliver us from the power of the enemy.
Rejoice, God is operating a strong Covenant on your behalf. You are not lost. You are found.
Amen.
The next important Covenant in the Bible to examine is:
2) The Noahic Covenant.
After the fall of man, God made a promise that the Seed of the Woman will bruise the head of the serpent. The rest of the Bible stories from Genesis 3 to the New Testament is to trace and reveal that Seed to mankind, Jesus Christ.
Noah was one of the men in the lineage and ancestry of Jesus Christ. At a time when the whole earth was corrupt and evil, Noah made the difference found favour with God. May you make the difference and find favour with God in this wicked generation.
Noah was a man who feared God and walked uprithly before God. Noah executed all of God’s instructions to build an ark. God finally sent a flood that destroyed the earth and all living beings except for Noah, his wife, his children and a pair of every animals. When you find favour with God, He will exempt you from calamities and crises that are hitting the world.
After the flood, the first thing Noah did was to build an altar to the Lord and to offer sacrifices to God. Altars are very important in the establishment of Covenants. Build an altar of prayer; a place and a time you constantly meet with God. Men of altars are men of strange covenants, deep intimacity with God and great impact in the world. May you be one of them.
And So, God showed up and made a covenant with Noah and the rest of creation. We find the covenant explained in Genesis 9 and Genesis 8:20-22. Hallelujah !
This Covenant makes provision for
- A blessing to Noah and his children, “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.'”
Friends, the Covenant of fruitfulness, multiplication and dominion reiterated here is your portion. - The preservation of the earth. “Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9: 11)
- The principle of sowing and reaping that we find in Genesis 8:22, “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”
Beloved, you can be sure that according to this Covenant you are blessed and empowered to be fruitful.
The Lord ensures that those who sow should reap. God also promised to watch over His earth, His people and protect them from being destroyed by flood. I declare that you are exempted from calamities of flood. May God grow and multiply your seed sowings in Jesus name.
Genesis 12:2 "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing."
God’s purpose in calling Abraham was to recover man from the sinful situation. The Seed that God spoke about in Genesis 3:15 after the fall of man was to come from the family lineage of Noah and now Abraham.
In Abraham’s calling we see God’s purpose, plan and predestination. We also see the solution to the problems of sin and the devil.
As we read from verse 1 to verse 3, we see three provisions in the Covenant of God with Abraham:
- The promise of a land.
- Making Abraham a great nation.
- Making Abraham and his family a blessing to all families of the earth. God’s plan, purpose and predestination to save and bless all families of the earth was to be fulfilled through and Abraham and his family.
You may not well appreciate these promises To Abraham until you know whom he was before God met him.
Abraham at 75 years was living in his father’s house with his wife Sarah. Verse 1 says, “Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” Abraham’s family was living in tents.
His father Terah had moved from Ur of the Chaldeans, going to Canaan but he stopped on the way at Haran, a land that served idols. We see this well explained in Joshua 24:2, ” And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods.”
Abraham and Sarah were still childless at 75 and 65 respectively. According to Science, there was no hope of ever having a child again. May be that is why they took lot their nephew with them.
Abraham could not even dream of being a blessing to someone, talk less of being a blessing to all the families of the earth. That is the man or the couple that God decided to choose. We could call them failures in the eyes of men.
But beloved, it wasn’t anything about what Abraham could do or could not do. It was all about the one who called him, God. All that Abraham had to do was to believe that God is capable of doing what He has promised. And Abraham did believe God and followed Him (Genesis 12:4). And the rest of the story we know it. God honored His promises.
Beloved, no matter your present conditions, your tribe and social status, if you can hear God and follow His voice, you will be surprised what God can do with your life. Yield to Him and believe Him like Abraham, and you shall become a blessing on the earth. Praise the Lord!
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