Luke 1:72-73

“He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant – the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.”

Zechariah’s beautiful song of worship after the birth of his son, John the Baptist, celebrated how God had led his people in the Old Testament. Fundamental to God’s dealings with his people was his covenant. This was the understanding that underpinned God’s relationship with the people of Israel. Importantly, a covenant is two-way. God made certain promises about what he would do, and then he expected the people to fulfil their side of the relationship in response. Although he longed for them to live in partnership with him, he never imposed it.

Zechariah pointed back to the covenant that God established with Abraham. To show the intense seriousness of the covenant, God made it with an oath. That might seem strange, since we are used to people using oaths in order to appeal to a higher authority. Clearly, God is in a completely different position as he is the highest authority, so when he made an oath, he did so in his own name, affirming the total seriousness and unchangeability of the covenant.

With the coming of Jesus, a new covenant was established through his death on the cross. Central to the old covenant were the sacrifices that people made in the temple, but now, through Jesus’ death on the cross, the ultimate price was paid once for all. There would be no need for further sacrifices. It is on the basis of this new covenant that we can now enter into a daily two-way relationship with God. We can be confident that what God has established can never be changed. He offers to live in covenant relationship with us as we live in obedience to him. Just as with the people of Israel, God will never impose himself on us, but offers to walk with us if we will live in covenantal partnership with him.

Question

In what way does your covenant relationship with God shape your life?

Prayer

Loving God, thank you that you are willing to live in partnership with me each day. Amen