Monday, July 10th 2006
Read: Exodus 19
This chapter is enough to put the fear of God into any careful reader. We’ve been celebrating that Yahweh is a covenant God, and here He offers a covenant to his people. This is important for us, as we in The Salvation Army are the most covenanted people in history. Covenant is the biggest distinctive in The Army. And yet, most of us don’t really understand it.
Rob Dolby is a Salvo Warrior. He says this: “You can’t make God love you more, but you can let Him trust you more.” How? Covenant. Those people who take seriously God’s rules and commands—even when they don’t fully understand the reasons behind them all—live lives that God can trust.
How does God show his trust? With His character, with responsibilities, and with power. He doesn’t drop His name and character on anyone who chooses to use it. He doesn’t deploy just anyone on difficult missions. And He doesn’t delegate His authority and power to every Christian, or else we’d be seeing lots of dead people coming back to life, lots of deaf people hearing, and lots of blind people seeing.
He can’t trust most Christians with his power. Got it? Good. Let’s move on.
What are the terms of the covenant? The people had to commit to obeying and God promised to make them His possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.
This is serious stuff. Even though they agreed to covenant, it didn’t mean that the people and God were buddy buddy. There were strict restrictions to handle with care. Otherwise, they’d break their covenant.
Q: You might be a Salvation Army soldier. How can you take the terms of your covenant Articles of War and Orders and Regulations as seriously as these people? Read the Articles of War at the back of the booklet and ask the Holy Spirit to expose areas where you are breaking your covenant.
How do you think God might advance the Revolution if every Solider embraced the covenant they’ve signed?
Monday, July 10th 2006 continued…
Read: Exodus 20
The people had just entered covenant with God, a brave act through which their promised obedience opened them up to massive privileges and benefits.
The promise was made. God descended on the mountain. And He outlines the terms of the covenant. He drops some serious rules for them to follow.
Historically, this is a Revolutionary act. When the Ten Commandments were given they set the moral standard for civilization. God outlines His commands for the people and everything seems hopeful.
How did the people respond in this first covenant conversation? Pathetically. They were scared out of their wits, they stood at a distance, and they shook in their socks. Not only that, but they gave up. Before they’d even tried to fulfill their end of the covenant, before they’d even engaged in one battle along with God, they threw in the towel.
To Moses, they whined, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die” (v.19).
Now, if you’re a slacker Christian, like most Christians, you don’t get it. But if you’re hungry for God, you know what just happened. Here the people of God had a great set up in which they could listen directly to Him. And they said, in effect, “No thanks. Not interested. Can’t do it.”
This is what most keen Christians struggle for their entire lives—to hear God consistently and clearly. And the people of God gave it up. Pathetic.
But, if you think about it, you might just want to include yourself in their number. God has given you the same opportunities of covenant (read 1 Peter 2:9). And yet, most people, maybe you, abandon responsibility and say to the Moses of today (maybe your youth leader or Corps Officer or DYS), “You speak to us—that’s fine. And you listen to God for us. We can’t do it ourselves.”
The thing is that in such instances, when God had given a covenant to Israel (or when we make promises with Him) God is trying to help us fear him. He is trying to get us to live in such a way that we are rightfully fearful of not pleasing the Lord. In other words, in such covenant situations, God gives lists of rules that we may know how to be obedient and that he might instill in us a desire to please him in every circumstance.
Q: Have you given up the benefits of covenant by giving up the responsibilities of covenant?
Why not crack open the Articles of War to renew your Revolutionary covenant?
Youth Department