8 March 2011

Psalm 26, 28; Deut. 6:16-25; Heb 2:1-10; John 1:19-28

There is a connection for Israel between doing righteousness and protection and blessing from God. That would be a typical covenant provision between a smaller country and a greater one at that time. The covenant relationship would spell out the duties and obligations of the smaller country in exchange for protection from their enemies provided by the greater country. This covenant was to be forever binding and was not entirely nullified by the failure of the inferior party to maintain the covenant. They were, therefore, instructed to tell their children about the covenant, beginning with the basis for the original covenant, 'We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.’ We do the same teach our children the basis of the covenant with the Lord and it is an everlasting covenant. One of the most important things we do is teach our children about the Lord and about the covenant of life beginning at the cross.

John is asked who he is in light of those who have come before and those who were promised to come in the prophets. John denies he is anyone of great significance but does find his mission within the prophets, reaching to Isaiah and saying I am a voice crying in the wilderness to make straight the paths for the Lord to come to His people. His life is dedicated to this one thing, preparing a people to greet the Lord in righteousness. That is, in many ways, our mission as well but we have a more complete message than John, we know the one who came after him and we have the Gospel of God’s love to preach in order to encourage people to repentance. John wasn’t worried about identity he was only worried about mission, he had lost himself in God’s plan. Have we?

If Jesus is much greater than the angels then we should pay even closer attention to Him. Jewish theology said that the covenant on Mt Sinai was attended and attested by the angels and they are God’s keepers of the covenant, its overseers. This covenant did not need angels because it had the Son who is infinitely greater than the angels. All things are in subjection to Jesus although we know that sin and rebellion against Him continue for a time in this world. Rebellion is anything which deviates from His prescription and so we see that even we are in rebellion. We have made much of salvation and justification in the church in my lifetime and we seem to have forgotten sanctification, the working out of the covenant in our lives. Should we not keep the commandments of God just as the Israelites were required to do, especially since we have also been given the Spirit of God to will and work His good pleasure?

All I once held dear built my life upon

All this world reveres, and wars to own

All I once thought gain I have counted loss

Spent and worthless now, compared to this