Devotion:
God made covenants with people from the time of the flood, when God placed the rainbow in the sky as a sign of the covenant that God would never again destroy creation with a flood. When God told Abram to go to a new place that God would show him, God promised Abram that he and his descendants would be blessed in order to bless all people of the earth. These are examples of unilateral covenants, in which God promised to do certain things with no action required of the recipients in return. The covenant described in today’s passage is different. It is a bilateral covenant, marked by the structure of “If you do..., then I will respond by doing....” The thing the Israelites must do in order for God to make their lives very good is to obey God’s commands. And if they do not obey God, things will go badly for them. If they confess their disobedience and unfaithfulness to God, God will remember the covenants and not destroy them.
We Christians can become so focused on God’s love, poured out on us as grace in the new covenant, that we take too lightly the call to live according to Christ’s teachings, to follow his ways, and to do what he did during his time on earth. The awesome gift of salvation through Christ is given to us freely as grace; but if it is truly embraced, that gift should change us as we are born again in order to grow and to become disciples of Christ.
Personal Worship Option:
Almighty God, thank you for reminding us of your expectations of the Children of Israel. As we read this passage, we are reminded that you expect things from us as well. Thank you for sending Christ to be our Saviour. Help us to better learn to truly see him as Lord, the one who directs our thoughts, words, and actions. Amen.
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