ESOCS Devotional 19 July 2024 – Covenant Relationship With God
MEMORY VERSE: “Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” Deuteronomy 7:9 NLT
TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 7:6-11
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.
11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
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God’s election of Israel was a free gift, which was based upon His gracious love for them and His faithfulness to their forefathers. Although this gift of being God’s possession is unconditional and irrevocable, to gain the experiential benefit of God’s blessings requires Israel to uphold their obligations under the covenant, and obey God, their sovereign ruler.
God kept His word, and will continue to do so. God states further, “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” God is faithful, and always keeps His end of the agreement. God had made a covenant with Israel, and keeps His covenant, no matter what circumstances might occur. God does not change. But part of the agreement is that God will bless obedience and discipline disobedience.
In fact, God blesses those who love Him and keep His commandments to an extent that reaches well beyond just the generation that obeys Him. God rewards obedience by showing His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation. The phrase ‘a thousandth generation’ might mean an indefinite time. God’s lovingkindness is illustrated throughout the history of Israel. God consistently fathers and shepherds them toward their best interest, teaching them lessons and showing them the constructive path forward. A part of God’s fathering and shepherding is to discipline His people. God judges unrighteous behavior. God already said He did not choose Israel as His own possession because they were a great people. In chapter 9, God says to Israel: “Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people” (Deut. 9:6).
God’s acceptance of Israel as His people is by grace. God’s acceptance of Israel as His children is unconditional, and irrevocable (Romans 11:29). But that does not mean there are not consequences to their choices. They are in a covenant relationship with God, and in order to secure the blessings of God, their ruler, the vassals must live in obedience. Unrighteous behavior brings judgment even for those whom God has accepted unconditionally as His own possession.
Since God is holy, the people He chooses for Himself must also be holy, a principle that continues under the New Covenant. As God lives by high standards, so must His people keep those same high standards, as an example to the rest of the world. Just as a human government sends out ambassadors to other nations to represent it in its affairs within those nations, God chose Israel to represent Him. Every believer falls under this category by grace and faith; and must be obedient to God’s word because they are in a covenant relationship with God. As obedience brings blessings, so disobedience or unrighteousness brings judgment.
- Have you made up your mind to keep your own part of the new?
- Father, let your unconditional love and grace always be sufficient for me in Jesus’ name.
Further Reading: Ezekiel 34:17-end; Mark 15:16-32; Acts 8:26-end
ESOCS Devotional 19 July 2024
