Berit

"But what God does in Christ is not essentially unlike what God was already doing in creation and in covenant- emptying himself, sharing His love, creating partnership."

What is covenant? By this quote it is the act of servanthood, love, and community. What else could it be? I see it as a promise, a commitment, and a responsibility as well. Throughout the Old Testament, God established covenants with great men who's stories are told in Sunday School every year. God made a promise, or a covenant, with Noah that he would never again use the waters to flood the earth and rid it of life. He symbolized this promise with a dove and an olive branch. He made a covenant with Abraham that he would be a father to many, and established that through the birth of his son, Isaac. The stories go on... all stories that we know. So what do we see in these stories?

I think the covenant that God establishes in these instances creates a back bone or a cornerstone to the whole story. The story that has captured us and is lived out in our lives every day. Needless to say, the idea of covenant is an important one.

The Hebrew word "berit" translates into a couple of things. Translated into English it means "covenant" (hence it's relevance to this topic). Even closer to the translation it means promise, or pledge. In the Hebrew culture, "berit" is a promise made by a lord to his servant that he will protect and provide for his servants. This is a promise that is not required, but voluntary. However, this type of covenant is one that must go both ways. The servant must reciprocate and uphold his end of the promise. God's "berit" doesn't require the participation of the servants. In Abraham's situation, he was simply selected.

We, like Abraham, are simply selected. But where do we go from there? Michael Lodahl, the author of the book "The Story of God" states, "To say that God is a covenantal God is to suggest a divine interest in our cooperation, a divine commitment to partnership, a divine power that is empowering and affirming of the other." The relationship we have with God must be one that involves us committing to Him. I think this applies to our relationships with others. We need commitment and partnership with those who's lives are a part of our own. In Samuel I, Jonathan and David made a covenant under God to each other in their friendship.
What can we do to establish "berit" in our relationship with our Father as well as our friends?