As we grow in our church life, we sometimes hear the word covenant. We are given to understand it as a promise of sorts between God and His people whether individually or corporately. Even after years of exposure, we continue to think of it merely as a promise be it nonetheless from Someone Who is Faithful and True beyond measure thereby offering its meaning or potency a bit more substance. Understanding covenant however is key to our promised inheritance. We must understand covenant as God intended to the fullest extent we are able if we are to experience life as God's people - to feel the Power of His Pervasive Presence and the full Potency of His Persistent Passion, Protection and Provision!
"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah..."
Jeremiah 31:31
"This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood." Luke 22:20
God is a covenant God and we are a covenant people. The Jews and the Gentiles through specific grafting (Romans 11:16-18) are the only people on earth that are in covenant agreement with The King of the Universe, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Covenant is commitment. We cannot walk with God without truly understanding the level of commitment He has toward us! And that is one huge point to understand that our relationship to God is not based on our commitment to Him but rather on His commitment to us. Now before you get your hair in a knot or your feathers all ruffled, let us consider the wonder, amazement and glorious benevolence of our Heavenly Father who always takes the initiative where our relationship to Him is concerned. See Romans 5:8 and I John 4:19.
Historically, we can visit Genesis 8:15 through 9:17 with specific attention to chapter 9, verses 9 and 15. God establishes a covenant with Noah and all living things on the earth. In verse 9 He states that He Himself will establish the covenant. He uses the personal pronoun to emphatically state that He initiates the covenant and redundantly points to Himself. Noah does not make the covenant. God does. In verse 15 God states that the rainbow is there to "remind" Himself of the covenant He has made. It is not there to remind Noah or the inhabitants of the earth to all future generations of His promise. It is there to remind God of His promise and He says it three consecutive times just in case we don't get it the first two times (Genesis 9:15,16,17). God carries the weight of the commitment! Can we understand the magnitude of His passion for us; His love and devotion to His people?
Let us examine another covenant activity of God as found in Genesis 15:9-21 when He makes a covenant with Abram (Abraham). There is a sacrifice of blood and rather than have both parties walk through in covenant swearing the promise to be kept to each other or suffer the same consequence as the animal, God causes a sleep to overcome Abraham and then walks among the pieces of flesh with Himself, with Himself! (Genesis 15:17) What a perfect picture of substitutionary sacrifice (Hebrews 2:17; I John 2:2 and 4:10). God makes the promise to keep the covenant with Himself in place of Abraham knowing we have not the power to do anything apart from Him (John 15:5). God steps up to the plate, offers us, His people, a life of power, promise and provision and swears by Himself to do so in the event we should blow it along the way somehow. There is nothing I can do to earn it or lose it. God does it all.
"I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you."
Genesis 17:7
"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation"
II Corinthians 5:18
"He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name."
Psalm 111:9
Now be it understood that there is a response on our part for our love and appreciation, praise and adoration, respect and reverence are engaged as a result. In knowing His initiation and passion for us, can there not be a similar reply in response? Do we not easily love those who love and care for us? Is there anything we would not do to those who sacrifice openly in our defense or for our benefit? I remember a dear brother driving me to a gravel parking lot after midnight in a torrential rainstorm to seek a lost lens to my eyeglasses that I dropped there earlier that day. This brother not only got out of bed, dressed and borrowed a car to do so but upon arrival instructed me to stay in the car while he knelt (on gravel) in four inches of water under a downpour to feel around in the dark until he found my lens. That my friends is Christ like love – sacrificial, unmerited and totally engaging. I became his best friend and who would not respond in like manner to such a display of selflessness and sacrifice in one’s favor? Let's Raise the Roof with shouts of praise and thanksgiving for the power of covenant and the charge to share this wonder of God with all men!
LYRIC ARCHITECTURE: V1-V2-C-V2-S-B-V2-C-V2
VERSE I: Blessed are You, Heavenly Father; God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. You are the Author of eternal promise we receive fresh every day when we wake up. That's why we're gonna raise the roof.
VERSE II: Yours is the greatness, the power, the glory; victory, majesty, wisdom and might. Your name is Faithful, Righteous and Holy. Miracles; wonders are found in Your light. That's why we're gonna raise the roof.
CHORUS: We're gonna praise His name. We're gonna sing unto our God until His glory fills this place. We're gonna raise the roof. We're gonna praise His name. We're gonna sing unto our God until His glory fills this place.
BRIDGE: You are the Ruler of my heart, the Savior of my soul. You're the Defender of my life, the One Who makes me whole. You are the Giver of all that is good. You filled me with the Holy Ghost. You have appointed, anointed me, to bring Your message from coast to coast. That's why we're gonna raise the roof.
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
Acts 10:43; John 5:24; I Peter 3:18; Psalm 19:7; Hebrews 9:15; Ephesians 2:11-13; II Corinthians 3:5-6
TOPICAL REFERENCES
Covenant, Promises, Faithfulness of God, Propitiation, Substitution, Reconciliation, Grace,Condemnation, Salvation
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