Reestablishing Covenant (4/10/23)

Nehemiah 9

4/10/2023

Image by Vickie McCarty from Pixabay 

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Read: Nehemiah 9 (AMP)
Biblical Lesson…

What is a covenant? Covenant has multiple definitions according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, but the closest one to that established in the Bible is an  "agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action." Yet, this barely touches the surface of the depth and importance of what it meant in ancient times and to particular cultures, where a man's word showed his honor, integrity and righteousness.

In Nehemiah 8-9, the Israelites are reminded of the Mosaic covenant that their ancestors made with God, where they agreed to obey God's laws in order to receive the blessings of God.  The Israelites through Ezra's reading of Mosaic laws, including the Ten Commandments, recognized the failure of their ancestors and themselves to live under the covenant, which led to their own captivity and slavery.  Basically, the lesson can be summarized in accordance to 1 Corinthians 15:56, "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin [by which it brings death] is the law." Thankfully, the Lord's mercy endures forever and repentance and intentionally turning their hearts back to God through worship and obeying His laws helped the Israelites reestablish covenant.

Today's Version…

Consider people, cultures and cities today. What similarities and differences do you notice about the actions of society regarding their obedience to God's laws? How does the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ affect man's obedience to God's laws and repentance? Is there a new covenant or an additional covenant with Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection? What is the covenant, if any, that comes through Christ?

What to do…

Challenges for the week:

  1. Pray that the Lord will give you eyes to see and ears to hear any revelation He wants to give you regarding the concepts of covenant(s) from which He has given the church; 

  2. Look at Romans 8, journal the answer to the questions above; and

  3. Praise and worship the Lord every day this week.