RPG Adults
ISRAEL GETS READY TO MAKE A COVENANT
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8
Deuteronomy 29:1-15
Exodus 19:4-6
“…if ye will obey my voice indeed,
and keep my covenant, then ye shall
be a peculiar treasure unto me…”
ISRAEL GETS READY TO MAKE A COVENANT
A covenant is a solemn pledge made between two parties. It is a commitment with an oath. As such a covenant cannot be broken, every party has to remain committed to it. The Lord commanded Moses, and he had Israel to make such a covenant in Moab. This was before they crossed to the Promised Land, and before the death of Moses. It was needful for Israel to ensure that they remained in one accord as they moved forward. This is the background of the covenant that they made.
The need of a covenant came from God who commanded Moses to make that covenant. When Moses called all Israel, he told them to remember all that the Lord had done for them in the forty years that He led them in the wilderness. The Lord took them out of Egypt with a strong hand but that was only a brief encounter. However, forty years was a long time and they did not have a permanent home but were always on the move.
They could not provide for themselves food or clothing, but God provided substitutes to meet these needs. During that time, their clothes and shoes did not wax old. They entered Canaan with the same clothes and shoes that they had left Egypt in. This was in itself a great miracle. The Lord also provided them with food that fell on their camp every day. This food could not be identified and Israel called it “manna” which means “what is it?” It was not wheat, corn or grapefruit, but it had all the nutrients of different foods and it was sufficient for them all that time. Moses mentioned that they had not eaten bread or strong drink all that time. All those wonders that Israel witnessed were a manifestation of God’s greatness and ability to do all things. There was no other nation or people that the Lord had done great things as He did to His chosen people. The march of Israel into Canaan could not be restrained by any force, except the Lord alone. The command of the Lord was to sustain their commitment to Him. The experiences of the wilderness called for such a requirement.
THOUGHT: God’s covenants are designed for our protection.
PRAYER: Father, may I always be truthful.