What other scriptures emphasize the importance of keeping God's covenant? The Warning at Deuteronomy 29:25 “Because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He had made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.” This verse pinpoints covenant-breaking as the root cause of Israel’s coming judgment. From Genesis to Revelation, the same truth echoes: God’s covenant calls for steadfast, obedient love. Covenant Invitations in the Torah • Genesis 17:1–2 – “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.” • Exodus 19:5 – “If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations.” • Exodus 24:7–8 – After Israel pledges obedience, Moses sprinkles the blood and declares, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you.” • Leviticus 26:3–4, 15 – Blessings flow “if you follow My statutes,” but disaster comes “if you reject My statutes… and so break My covenant.” • Deuteronomy 7:9 – “The LORD your God…keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” Historical Renewals and Warnings • Joshua 24:25–27 – A stone of witness stands so Israel “may not deny your God.” • 2 Kings 23:3 – Josiah “made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments.” • 2 Chronicles 15:12–15 – Judah “entered into a covenant to seek the LORD…with all their heart,” and God “gave them rest on every side.” • 2 Kings 17:15 – The northern kingdom fell because “they rejected His statutes and the covenant that He had made with their fathers.” Songs and Wisdom Literature Echo the Theme • Psalm 25:10 – “All the LORD’s ways are loving devotion and faithfulness to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.” • Psalm 103:17–18 – His loving devotion extends “to those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.” • Psalm 111:9 – “He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name.” • Nehemiah 1:5 – God “keeps His covenant of loving devotion with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” • Daniel 9:4 – He is “the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” Prophetic Calls Back to Covenant • Jeremiah 11:3–4 – “Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant…Obey My voice…and you will be My people.” • Jeremiah 31:31–33 – God promises a “new covenant” with His law written on hearts. • Ezekiel 16:59–62 – Though Israel despised the oath, God says, “I will establish My covenant with you.” • Hosea 6:7 – “But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant.” The New Covenant and Continued Obedience • Matthew 26:28 – “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” • John 14:15 – “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” • 1 Corinthians 11:25 – “This cup is the new covenant in My blood.” • 2 Corinthians 3:6 – God “has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant.” • Hebrews 8:10 – “I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts…They will be My people.” • Hebrews 9:15 – Christ is “the mediator of a new covenant.” • Hebrews 10:16 – “This is the covenant I will make with them… I will put My laws in their hearts.” • Hebrews 13:20–21 – The “God of peace…by the blood of the eternal covenant” equips believers “in every good thing to do His will.” Living the Covenant Today • Scripture joins covenant with wholehearted obedience born of love. • Old Testament narratives reveal blessings for faithfulness and consequences for neglect. • In Christ, the covenant is fulfilled and internalized; the Spirit empowers believers to walk in God’s statutes (Ezekiel 36:27). • Keeping the covenant now means trusting the finished work of Jesus, treasuring His commands, and displaying covenant love in daily life. |
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