Devotional & Reflection
Genesis 9: Rainbow Connection
After the Flood, God established a covenant with Noah. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth - even though we are still Fallen people. Every time we see a rainbow, think of the connection between now and way then during Noah's time. We see this word "covenant" and we wonder what it means and why it is so important. First, I will start with what it is not. A covenant is not a contract. A contract is a mutual agreement between two or more parties to do or not to do something. It is usually set forth in writing and becomes enforceable by law. A contract is transactional in nature. In exchange of you doing something, I will do something. If you do this work for me, I will pay you $x. A covenant on the other hand is a bond and a commitment. It bonds people - either God or man in an inter-personal relationship and commits people to one another. (O. Palmer Robertson, The Christ Of The Covenants, pp. 5-7). In simple terms, a covenant is a promise and commitment from God that is unilaterally decreed. E.g. God covenants to bless Noah without Noah having to earn that blessing. A covenant desires relationship - a contract seeks expected benefits. A covenant desires loyalty - a contract seeks performance. A covenant is a gift - a contract is negotiated. A covenant is therefore unilateral by grace of God (a gift) - not bilateral and not transactional. However, to continue enjoying God's blessings, God can require the recipient to observe the stipulations of the covenant. There are usually signs that serve as a token of a covenant e.g. rainbow in Noah's instance, circumcision for Abraham, Sabbath in Creation. The Rainbow connection is important, as it is a life-long and permanent sign of God's covenantal relationship with us. It is not a contractual relationship. God's grace is a gift to us. This Christmas as we exchange gifts, which sometimes become a ritualistic contract, remember God's covenant and gift. That means we give unilaterally without expecting a gift in return. If we give expecting something in return, it is more of a contract. When we give this Christmas, think of the relationship we build with each other. In our marriage, reflect whether our relationship is a covenantal or contractual one. The rich and famous sign pre-nuptial contracts. But the intention of marriage is covenantal. Employment is in the form of employment contracts. If we own a company, can the employer - employee relationship be a covenantal one (not necessarily life-long compared to marriage) - one that operates out of loyalty to each other? Reflect: Tools For Reflection:
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