Week 2: Bible Covenant Stories revealing God’s Covenant Relationship with Israel
Lovingkindness – a Covenant word – Mercy (chesed)- show kindness, show mercy, bow head towards, compassion. Isaiah 55:3— I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. The covenant of the House of David was one of praise and worship, honoring God and coming into His presence. We are the temple. Jesus has made the blood sacrifice. Our service now is ______________.
Psalm 63:3,4 – Because your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live.
When Jesus, in the Passover, said, “This is the blood of the new covenant, the disciples had a thorough understanding of what entering into covenant meant. Anyone that was the seed of covenant heads, was heir of ___________________. Galatians 3:29-And if you belong to Christ, you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
David and Jonathan entered into covenant in 1 Samuel 18:1-4. They exchanged coats (character) and weapons (protection and provision).
Story of Mephibosheth: Injured in a fall fleeing from David’s armies who had just killed Saul and Jonathan in 2 Samuel 4. (David was grieved and angry that they had been killed.) They then went to live in Lodebar, a dry, desert place. In 2 Samuel 9 David searches out offspring of Jonathan to honor the covenant and finds Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth is sure David is going to kill him, refers to himself as a ‘dead dog’, but instead David has him live in the palace and eat at the King’s table everyday and gives him servants to plant and harvest the land.
It’s a picture of Israel’s covenant with God and our covenant with God.
- lived in the house of Machir (to tumble in ruins, to perish, to be brought low, decay), son of Ammiel (people of God) in Lodebar, a dry desert place.
- David – ‘one who loves, lover’. Example of, and like, our _______________, who loves no matter what.
- Saul – ‘one who asks demandingly’-one who is selfish, always wants for himself. Saul is type of Adam race – selfish, only thinking of themselves. Saul was an _________of David, just as flesh is at ___________ with God.
- Jonathan – ‘Jehovah giveth’ – God gives. Jonathan is a type of Jesus. Jonathan was son of Saul as Jesus was son of man. Jonathan had the _________ of David like Jesus had the _________ of God.
4.Mephibosheth – ‘one who dispels, or gets rid of, shame’ –type of the_____________, who have made Jesus Lord and put away the shame of sin.
Mephibosheth was raised by the family of Saul, but ended up in the house of David. The redeemed grow up in the family of sinful man, but end up in Lord’s house. The people of God (Ammiel) gave birth to ruins, perishing, decay (Machir) when they went to Lodebar. The Palace is the home of the king, type of kingdom of God. Lodebar is a dry desert place, pastureless, no food, type of the world of sin.
David searched for Mephibosheth because of Jonathan and brough him to his palace, his kingdom. God searches for us (dead dogs) because of _____________ and brings us into fellowship with Him. We are to eat at His table daily and walk in the authority and blessing of being a King’s son. Matt 8:11-The son of man has come to save (protect, rescue, heal, make whole, preserve, deliver) that which was_________.
Mephibosheth was in a dry, desert, pastureless place, crippled and without hope, as we are in the world, yet born to be in the palace. He was in Jonathan’s loins when covenant was made. He was the son of the covenant, but didn’t know it, just as we don’t always know it. Mephibosheth was lied to by Saul’s household about David, that David was cruel and out to get him. We, of Adam’s race, are lied to about God. Saul hated David and did not want David’s influence in his life or family. Jonathan was son of Saul as Jesus was son of man, but refused to walk in his father’s hate.
Ruth and Naomi.
Boaz showed kindness (covenant word) to Ruth just as Rahab, his mother, showed kindness to the Israelites. Rahab live in the wall of Jericho. Read her covenant request with the spies in Joshua 2 and 6:23. Read about Ruth and Naomi in the book of Ruth.
Boaz was the kinsman redeemer, only a kinsman could ___________, buy back, the property and wife of a dead relative. Jesus took on flesh to be a kinsman for us.
Boaz (swiftness) could recognize the beauty of character of an outsider because of his mother, Rahab (proud). Salmon (clothing, covering) married her. Salmon ___________ the sin of pride. Boaz and Ruth had Obed (serving). Obed was the grandfather of David.
Naomi (pleasant, delightful, agreeable) was married to Elimeleck (God of the king). Elimeleck died after they moved to Moab, a terrible place. Their sons, Chilion (pining, destruction) and Mahlon (sick,weak) also died after marrying Orpah (declining, backsliding) and Ruth (friend, companion). Naomi decided to go back to Israel and told the girls to go back to their families. Ruth, instead, entered into ___________– where you go, I will go, your God will be my God, with Naomi. Naomi wanted to change her _________ to Mara (bitter). Instead Ruth took care of her and Boaz took care of Ruth, and God blessed all of them.
Noah
Gen. 9:8-17 – God makes ___________with Noah and every living thing. Never will all flesh be cut off by flood nor will the earth be destroyed by flood. The sign of this covenant between God and Noah, all creatures, and the earth, for perpetual generations (forever) is the________. The __________ will be seen. Seen is ra’ah: to see, literally or figuratively, appear, behold, consider, gaze, take heed. Same word as provide in Jehovah Jireh, the God who sees ahead and____________.
Bow (rainbow) –gesheth-bending, a bow for shooting. In Gen. 49:24-26 when Jacob pronounces ____________ on his sons, he says about Joseph that his bow (gesheth) remained in strength, even though attacked. God’s defense (bow) was there for Joseph.
Remember that exchange of __________ speaks of covenant partner’s defending the other. They are also signs of the _____________. The bow in the rainbow shows covenant and God’s defense and promise.
Psalm 40:3 – He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise (laudation from the heart) unto our God; Many shall SEE it (ra’ah – see it for provision and as a sign of covenant) and FEAR (reverence) and TRUST in the Lord. Genesis 22:14 – And Abraham called the name of the place (where he was to sacrifice Isaac and then provided the ram), The Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” The Lord-Will-Provide is Jehovah Jireh (ra’ah).
In Acts 9:16, 17, Paul quotes Amos 9: ‘After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild it ruins, And I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things.’
Joseph had defense that was seen –we praise because we know we have God’s defense and when we praise, others see it – praise is a sign. How do you see praise? _________________ How does this compare with the mark on the wrist? ____________________________
Praise is a sign to all mankind to call them to seek the Lord.
Color of the rainbow – whole spectrum – all the aspects of light. Jesus is the light.
Gen 37:3,4 – Jacob gives__________, his oldest son of Rebecca, the love of his life, a coat of_____________. Lots of color in clothing was not common at that time. The brothers knew what that meant. They knew covenant. They knew the sign of the rainbow, and they knew the exchange of coats was exchange of character – also, covenant heads exchanged coats. That coat screamed protection, defense, father’s character, covenant head.
Gen. 37: 5-9 – Joseph has his dream and it fuels anger, even Jacob gets mad, but Jacob kept the matter in his mind.
Gen. 37:23, 32 – the brothers get rid of Joseph, but strip him of his coat of many colors, and they dip it in blood. Our covenant is dipped in blood. What connection do you see here? ________________________________________________________________
Jesus is called the Son of Man, and we, the Children of God – Jesus took our _________ and we are given His ___________.
1 John 3:1 – Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
How do we carry this to Israel and the End-times?
Who is the Blood Covenant for? _____________________________________
Genesis 21:12b – for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Genesis 21:2a – Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, . . .
Galatians 3:29 – And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
When is it in effect and for how long? _____________________________________
End-time Realities:
Daniel 7:25a — He (beast, anti-Christ, end-time person) shall speak pompous words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and laws.
2 Timothy 3:1 – But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.
2 Corinthians 2:14 – Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
Israel and the Body of Christ are forever linked for the wonderful forever and the difficult present.