Sneaking in a Covenant

#Covenant #Gibeonites #GodofCovenant #CovenantKeepingGod

“Even though God had not desired of Israel to make a covenant with the Gibeonites, He held Israel responsible to be faithful to it.” Norbert Link and Bill Grams

I am learning a tough class in this season – the kind that puts the fear of God in you, wounds and then heals you. I am learning that God is not really flexible about covenant. No not really. He takes His words serious and expects of us – has indeed loaned us of His Strength – His Might to do the same. We are expected to be on guard over our mouths and watch what we promise others – and even when we have been caught up by the rush of the moment, to release ourselves only by Way of The Redeeming Covenant.

There are these ancient people – and sometimes they are us now – called Gibeonites. They are very good at getting you to agree with them without your having all the facts. You are genuine, they are fearful of you (or the prospect of doing life etc. without you) so they figure out ways to get you to say things you should never say. e.g. ‘I Will…’. Have I said in this post that God is serious about Covenant? If I haven’t, let me just say it here again, for my own sake at least – “GOD IS SERIOUS ABOUT COVENANT”. When we enter into covenant rashly both sides suffer – and greatly so.

So once a king of Israel, their impressive very first king, allowed it to enter his mind that there was an exit clause in which he could do away with the other party – the sneaky Gibeonites – and it would be considered and excused as Kingly so it would not count as the breaking of covenants [and all the other excuses we have for sneaking in a covenant dissolution without consulting God and the other party…]. This king, allowed it to slip from his mind [as we often do] that he was ruler among his brethren, and that he was a parent and grandparent – and more so that God did not share the frailties of man’s ability not to remember the promises he has made, and that He [when referring to God the H is in Caps] – God – Out-began and will Out-end us. So it took three years of a nation’s severe hunger, and restitution which meant the routing out of seven of a dead kings’ flesh and blood to make things right for an entire nation.

Covenants – broken promises, have a way of sneaking in and holding entire nations, families in terrible places. So today – if it means putting on your mask and running very fast for thirty minutes away from the other party as you listen to God’s counsel about the bond you are about to enter into – that alliance – do what it takes. It is far better believe me to look ridiculous now than…yes it is far better. Don’t put yourself in a place where neither God nor yourself ever wanted you to be. Shalom.

Scripture Reference: Joshua 1:3-27, 2 Samuel 21, Isaiah 30:1

“if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself,a and press your plea with your neighbor. Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,like a bird from the snare of the fowler.” Proverbs 6:2-5

#OpenYourEyes #ThereisYetHope #WeHaveaRedeemer

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