8.4.25 ~ New or Renewed? Yes
Good morning!
Covenant is a wonderful term. It's easy to say, but not easy to grasp the depth of its meaning nor its vastness. When there is a treaty or covenant between a strong (suzerain) and weak partner (vassal), this is known as a Suzerain covenant/brit.
A covenant was the basic structure in the ancient Middle East of treaties between neighbouring powers. Abraham, for example, makes a brit with Abimelech, king of Gerar, at Beersheba (Gen. 21:27-32). So does Isaac (Gen. 26:28). Jacob does so with Laban (Gen. 31:44-54).
Each covenant had 6 parts:
Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet, if it's confirmed, no man can disannul, or add to it. (Gal. 3:15)
As we begin the book of Deuteronomy/Devarim, the entire book follows the pattern of a Suzerain covenant. Huh? Yep! A covenant where a stronger partner makes provision for a weaker partner to cohabitate together. No wonder Yeshua, who came to renew the covenant with His people, loved to quote from it when He was confronting the Devil.
1. Preamble
Deut. 1:1-1:5
Preamble: (Deut. 1:1-1:5) Announces the time and place, and sets out that the person initiating the covenant is Moses, on behalf of God.
2. Historical prologue
Deut. 1:6-4:49
Moses recapitulates the history that has brought them to where they are, mostly recalling the events described in the book of Bamidbar.
3. Stipulations
[a] Deut. 5-11
[b]
Deut. 12-26
[a] general provisions: Ten Commandments, Shema, etc. Recapitulation of events surrounding the making of the covenant at Sinai.
[b] specific provisions: the details of the law, with special reference to how they are to be carried out by the people as a whole in the land of Israel.
4. Deposition and regular reading
Deut. 27,
Deut. 31
The law to be inscribed on stone (stele) at Mount Ebal; the Torah written by Moses and placed in the Ark; to be read in public at a national assembly by the king every seven years.
5. Sanctions: the blessings and the curses
Deut. 28-30
Chapter 28 states the blessings and curses; Chapters 29-30 form the actual covenant renewal, together with a statement that even if the people break the covenant and the curses come to pass, return, teshuvah, is still possible.
6. Witnesses
Deut. 30:19 – 32:1
“Heaven and earth” (Deut. 4:26, Deut. 30:19 (https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.30.19?lang=he-en&utm_source=rabbisacks.org&utm_medium=sefaria_linker), Deut. 31:28, Deut. 32:1), “This song” (Deut. 31:19).
Outside of the 'death do us part,' in Moses' departure from this world, the entire book of Devarim is a Suzerain Covenant on a monumental scale. God has taken an ancient political formula and used it for an entirely new purpose (Rom. 8:3,4, 16,17).
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. (Rom. 8:16,17)
Usually political covenants were made with equal parties. But in Devarim, it's a spiritual covenant between God (Suzerain) and man (Vassal); two unequal parties. Wow! What amazing grace!!! The caveat, however, is that both parties have their role to keep it. Just as every Israelite, as we saw in Exodus 19 - 24, and throughout Deuteronomy, is party to the covenant, in the renewing of the covenant with this 2nd generation, they are co-responsible to fulfill their part of the covenant.
In America, we'd know this as "We the people..."The major difference between our Declaration of Independence and God's covenant is, every covenant partner in Scripture had to know it, teach it to their children and recite a specific portion of it when they brought their first fruit offering to the Temple (Deut. 26:5-9). Welcome to the 16th day of counting towards the first fruit of the oil :-)....Feast of Tabernacles is coming soon!
This covenant isn't about political power! It's about sharing a history and destiny together. Then again, isn't that what marriage is all about?
For us, it reminds us that God has taken an entire nation to be His “partners in the work of creation” by showing all humanity what it is to construct a society that honors each individual as the image of God...mind boggling (Psa. 8:4; 111:5).
What is man, that You are mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?(Psa. 8:4)
He has given meat unto them that fear Him: He will ever be mindful of His covenant. (Psa. 111:5)
Just as a ketubah is a written record of the obligations undertaken by a husband toward his wife, the book of Devarim is the written record for God and the people who will inherit the Promised Land. The four previous books of the Torah lead up to this moment, and all the other books of Tanach, the Gospels and all the Apostolic Scriptures are a commentary to it – an account of how it worked out in the course of time. It's a Middle Eastern document that serves as a role model of what might be achieved when humanity as a whole worships the one true God who made mankind in His image (Gen. 1:26-28).
Are you part of His Covenant (Eph. 2:12,13)?
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. (Eph. 2:12,13)
Happy 2nd day of the week!
Shalom,
Alan
A covenant was the basic structure in the ancient Middle East of treaties between neighbouring powers. Abraham, for example, makes a brit with Abimelech, king of Gerar, at Beersheba (Gen. 21:27-32). So does Isaac (Gen. 26:28). Jacob does so with Laban (Gen. 31:44-54).
Each covenant had 6 parts:
- They began with a preamble, establishing the identity of the person or power initiating the covenant.
- A historical prologue, reviewing the history of the relationship between the two parties to the covenant.
- The provisions of the covenant itself, the stipulations, which were often stated in two forms, general principles, and detailed provisions.
- A provision for the covenant to be deposited in a sacred place, and read on a regular basis.
- The sanctions associated with the covenant, namely the blessings that would follow if it was adhered to, and the curses that would occur if it is broken.
- A statement of the witnesses to the agreement – usually the gods of the nations involved.
Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet, if it's confirmed, no man can disannul, or add to it. (Gal. 3:15)
As we begin the book of Deuteronomy/Devarim, the entire book follows the pattern of a Suzerain covenant. Huh? Yep! A covenant where a stronger partner makes provision for a weaker partner to cohabitate together. No wonder Yeshua, who came to renew the covenant with His people, loved to quote from it when He was confronting the Devil.
1. Preamble
Deut. 1:1-1:5
Preamble: (Deut. 1:1-1:5) Announces the time and place, and sets out that the person initiating the covenant is Moses, on behalf of God.
2. Historical prologue
Deut. 1:6-4:49
Moses recapitulates the history that has brought them to where they are, mostly recalling the events described in the book of Bamidbar.
3. Stipulations
[a] Deut. 5-11
[b]
Deut. 12-26
[a] general provisions: Ten Commandments, Shema, etc. Recapitulation of events surrounding the making of the covenant at Sinai.
[b] specific provisions: the details of the law, with special reference to how they are to be carried out by the people as a whole in the land of Israel.
4. Deposition and regular reading
Deut. 27,
Deut. 31
The law to be inscribed on stone (stele) at Mount Ebal; the Torah written by Moses and placed in the Ark; to be read in public at a national assembly by the king every seven years.
5. Sanctions: the blessings and the curses
Deut. 28-30
Chapter 28 states the blessings and curses; Chapters 29-30 form the actual covenant renewal, together with a statement that even if the people break the covenant and the curses come to pass, return, teshuvah, is still possible.
6. Witnesses
Deut. 30:19 – 32:1
“Heaven and earth” (Deut. 4:26, Deut. 30:19 (https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.30.19?lang=he-en&utm_source=rabbisacks.org&utm_medium=sefaria_linker), Deut. 31:28, Deut. 32:1), “This song” (Deut. 31:19).
Outside of the 'death do us part,' in Moses' departure from this world, the entire book of Devarim is a Suzerain Covenant on a monumental scale. God has taken an ancient political formula and used it for an entirely new purpose (Rom. 8:3,4, 16,17).
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. (Rom. 8:16,17)
Usually political covenants were made with equal parties. But in Devarim, it's a spiritual covenant between God (Suzerain) and man (Vassal); two unequal parties. Wow! What amazing grace!!! The caveat, however, is that both parties have their role to keep it. Just as every Israelite, as we saw in Exodus 19 - 24, and throughout Deuteronomy, is party to the covenant, in the renewing of the covenant with this 2nd generation, they are co-responsible to fulfill their part of the covenant.
In America, we'd know this as "We the people..."The major difference between our Declaration of Independence and God's covenant is, every covenant partner in Scripture had to know it, teach it to their children and recite a specific portion of it when they brought their first fruit offering to the Temple (Deut. 26:5-9). Welcome to the 16th day of counting towards the first fruit of the oil :-)....Feast of Tabernacles is coming soon!
This covenant isn't about political power! It's about sharing a history and destiny together. Then again, isn't that what marriage is all about?
For us, it reminds us that God has taken an entire nation to be His “partners in the work of creation” by showing all humanity what it is to construct a society that honors each individual as the image of God...mind boggling (Psa. 8:4; 111:5).
What is man, that You are mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?(Psa. 8:4)
He has given meat unto them that fear Him: He will ever be mindful of His covenant. (Psa. 111:5)
Just as a ketubah is a written record of the obligations undertaken by a husband toward his wife, the book of Devarim is the written record for God and the people who will inherit the Promised Land. The four previous books of the Torah lead up to this moment, and all the other books of Tanach, the Gospels and all the Apostolic Scriptures are a commentary to it – an account of how it worked out in the course of time. It's a Middle Eastern document that serves as a role model of what might be achieved when humanity as a whole worships the one true God who made mankind in His image (Gen. 1:26-28).
Are you part of His Covenant (Eph. 2:12,13)?
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. (Eph. 2:12,13)
Happy 2nd day of the week!
Shalom,
Alan
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