Covenant rights and the application of faith:
The Hebrew word for covenant means “betweenness” emphasizing the relational
element that lies at the basis of all covenants. A covenant is a permanent
arrangement. Biblical covenants are based on the Word of God. In fact God
swore by Himself when cutting them (Psalms 89:34-37). All covenants took an
element of faith.
1) Noah built the ark on dry ground, when he had never seen rain. The sign of
this covenant was the rainbow (Genesis 9:13). The purpose of the Noah’s
covenant was the divine promise that God would never again destroy all sinful
humanity by a flood (Genesis 9:11).
2) Abraham went out, not knowing where he was going. By making a covenant
with Abraham, God promised to bless his descendants and to make them His
special people. Abraham in return, was to remain faithful to God and to serve as
a channel through which God’s blessing could flow to the rest of the world
(Genesis 12:1-3). In Abraham’s covenant, the sign was circumcision (Genesis
17:11).
3) Moses went to Egypt, even when he had previously ran from there for his life.
The Mosaic covenant sign is the Sabbath (Exodus 31:13, 16-17). Israel’s pledge
to obey the Lord on the basis of which Moses sprinkled the “blood of the
covenant” on them (Exodus 24:8).
4) Jesus went to the cross. Jesus’ sacrificial death served as the oath, or pledge
that God made to us to seal this new covenant. He is determined to give us
eternal life and fellowship with Him in spite of our unworthiness. The covenant of
promise (Ephesians 2:12-14) are God’s guarantees that He will provide salvation
in spite of people’s inability to keep their side of the agreement because of sin.
This is still God’s promise to any person who turns to Him in repentance and faith.
The New Covenant is the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. Jesus shows His
concerns about the women with the spirit of infirmity 18 years (Luke 13:10-17).
Tears don’t move God, faith moves God. You see the women didn’t know her
covenant rights, therefore she didn’t act on it. We see many times in the Bible
where Jesus told people “your faith has made you whole”.
Because we have been given the power, we have to use it, by basing our
authority on the Word of God. We see in Galatians 3:7-14,29 that if we are
believers in Christ we are heirs according to the promise.
A blood covenant was so binding that if one broke it, they would be put to death.
Since God cut our covenant with the shed blood of Jesus, and swore by Himself,
we know it is forever binding. You see God knew we were unable to keep it so He
made it available to all through faith. That’s why the just need to live by faith.
Our covenant is not based on what we do, but on the completed work of Jesus
(Hebrews 8:6-12). Our part is to believe.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 14, 2006