Daily Bread – July 23, 2024 (The Third Day – Genesis 1:9-13) Exodus 24:8 – And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it upon the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which YHWH cut with you, concerning all of these words.” The covenant of God is relational, not legal – a consecration to devoted love, which God upholds through His faithfulness and tender mercies. The closest thing we have in modern times to the concept of this kind of covenant is marriage. Just as marriage is a relationship of love, so is the covenant of God (Ephesians 5:25-33).There is no better example of an Old Testament covenant than that which existed between God and Abraham. God sought Abraham out, and offered him a relationship. All men are obligated to do is to love God and obey His direction. Yet, even when they refused to be faithful, as Israel did, God in His devoted love continued to remain consecrated to them. One of the examples of God’s devoted love to Israel is found in the story of Hosea and Gomer. God commanded His prophet to marry a harlot, who refused to remain faithful (Hosea 3:1-4, 2:5-23). In order to gain her commitment, the prophet purchased her by giving her the amount that she would normally sell herself for. God’s covenant of love was established for all men everywhere (anyone who would believe) through the pouring out of His own blood (1 John 2:2; Romans 3:26; 2 Peter 3:9). Through His life’s blood, He consecrated Himself to a devoted love for us. Through His blood, He broke all other claims held over our lives so we might only belong to Him. Jesus takes His life, both body and blood, and invites us to come into the communion of this Covenant of love and dwell with Him (John 6:56). Through His own faithfulness and tender mercies, He extended to us what we could never afford. He blessed us with this Covenant, not based on any works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His great love wherewith He loves us (Titus 3:4-5; Ephesians 1:6-7, 2:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:9). This same love also strengthens us, establishes us, and perfects us. God sought us out and pursued us – loving us so much that He gave us His only begotten Son. His love will never fail. If we will only believe and dwell in this covenant love God has for us, we will discover the glorious reality of the life of fellowship with God, as well as the life of victory over sin and all the powers of darkness (Ephesians 3:17-19; 1 John 4:10, 4:16-18). Let us all believe God and obey His voice, and come into the fellowship of the covenant of love God has made for us through the consecration of His Own life (Deuteronomy 29:12; Matthew 26:28; Colossians 1:20; Acts 20:28). Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 7/23/2024
