Friday, April 9
Read Ellen G. White, “Abraham in Canaan,” pp. 132-138, in Patriarchs and Prophets; “The Prophets of God Helping Them,” pp. 569-571, in Prophets and Kings.
“The yoke that binds to service is the law of God. The great law of love revealed in Eden, proclaimed upon Sinai, and in the new covenant written in the heart, is that which binds the human worker to the will of God. If we were left to follow our own inclinations, to go just where our will would lead us, we should fall into Satan’s ranks and become possessors of his attributes. Therefore God confines us to His will, which is high, and noble, and elevating. He desires that we shall patiently and wisely take up the duties of service. The yoke of service Christ Himself has borne in humanity. He said, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.’ Psalms 40:8. ‘I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.’ John 6:38. Love for God, zeal for His glory, and love for fallen humanity, brought Jesus to earth to suffer and to die. This was the controlling power of His life. This principle He bids us adopt.” Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 329, 330.
Discussion Questions:
1. Was God’s covenant with Noah, Abram, Moses, and us a continuation of His covenant with Adam, or was it something new? Compare Genesis 3:15; Genesis 22:18; and Galatians 3:8, 16.
2. Why is the personal, relational aspect of the covenant so important? In other words, you can have a legally binding deal, a “covenant” with someone, without any close, personal interaction. That kind of arrangement is not, however, what the Lord is seeking in His covenant relationship with His people. Why is that so? Discuss.
3. In what ways is marriage a good analogy for the covenant? In what ways does the analogy of marriage fall short in describing the covenant?
Summary: The entrance of sin ruptured the relationship the Creator had originally established with the human family through our first parents. Now God seeks to re-establish that same loving relationship by means of a covenant. This covenant signifies both a committed relationship between God and us (like a marriage bond) and an arrangement for saving us and bringing us into harmony with its Maker. God Himself, motivated by His great love for us, is the Initiator of the covenant relationship. By gracious promises and gracious acts, He woos us to come into union with Him.
