What is the Book of the Covenant?

As I read Exodus 24 this morning I noticed that Moses read from the Book of the Covenant after he visited God on Mount Sinai. It raised the question: what is the Book of the Covenant? With a little research I have the answer. Exodus chapters 20-23 is known as the book of the covenant. This is the Law that David referred to in Psalm 1 when he talks about meditating on the Law of God, day and night. 

The Book of the Covenant

In Exodus chapter 24, God invites Moses, Aaron and his two eldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, and the 70 elders who had been appointed to be judges over the people to come up on Mount Sinai to worship from afar. The rest of the people are not invited and remain at the bottom of the mountain. Only Moses is called to come nearer. When Moses comes back from his visit with God, he proclaims to all the people the Lord’s commands and judgements. And what do the people say? “…all the people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!’” (Exodus 24:3). 

To be sure the people knew the words God spoke regarding this covenant, Moses wrote them all down and these writings are referred to as the Book of the Covenant in v. 7. This is the first record of a written record of God’s Word and helps me understand what Moses was doing for 40 days.

The following morning, Moses wakes early and builds an altar to the LORD, with 12 pillars representing the 12 tribes of Israel. He presents a burnt offering and a peace offering of young bulls to the LORD. The burnt offering is an offering of consecration. In the Bible, consecration refers to the act of dedicating yourself to the service and worship of God. The peace offering was made to obtain peace with God in order to assure communion with God, so it represented fellowship with God. For the peace offering, the meat was roasted and a portion was given to the people and the rest given to God. This illustrates the need to be dedicated to the Lord before you can have peace and fellowship with him.

 

Moses reserves half of the blood from the sacrifices in basins, and sprinkles the altar with the rest. Then he reads the Book of the Covenant to the people. After Moses finishes reading the Book of the Covenant to them, they say, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (v. 7). Then Moses takes the blood in the basins and sprinkles it on the people saying, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words” (v. 8). They accepted it and agreed with it, and because blood represents life (see Leviticus 17:14), its sprinkling on the congregation represented an essential commitment between God and His people.

 

The blood covenant

These actions make this a blood covenant. Many cultures had blood covenants. Often, it required the drinking of blood. The Israelites were forbidden to drink blood, and so Moses bound them to the covenant by sprinkling them with the blood of the covenant. 

Other well known blood covenants in the Bible include the covenant between God and Abraham, which was sealed by circumcision and the new covenant, between God and believers sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Why blood? In Hebrews 9:11-23 we see that God's covenant is ratified by blood (Hebrews 9:11-23).

Photo credits: FreeBibleImages

 

Yahweh Sabaoth meaning

In my quest for a more intimate prayer life, I’ve been studying the names of God so that when I say hallowed be thy name, I can actually use his names and know what they mean based on the original language and their first use in Scripture. For instance, when I praise Jehovah Jireh (The Lord will provide), I know that Abraham used that name when God provided the ram for the sacrifice to spare Isaac. I praise him for Jesus, who took my place as the sacrifice for sin. I’m still working through the compound names of God, and the growing understanding enriches my prayer life. Today I want to talk about Jehovah Sabaoth (Yahweh Sabaoth). 

 

Jehovah vs. Yahweh

Before we look deeper into the name Sabaoth I want to address the Jehovah vs. Yahweh dispute. The difference can be traced back to Latin-speaking Christian scholars. Ancient Hebrew YHWH had no vowels (pronounced Yahweh). Since the letter “Y” does not exist in Latin, they replaced the Y with J, and the Latinized version of YHWH became Jehovah. There are other theories, but instead of going into things that might divide us, let us agree that Yahweh and Jehovah mean the same thing and focus there. In the Old Testament it is written as LORD in all caps.

 

Yahweh Sabaoth Scripture

 
We first find the use of Yahweh Sabaoth in 1 Samuel 17:45 in the well-known passage where David goes out to meet the giant Goliath in battle. The armies of the Philistines and Israelites met in the Elah Valley (bout 11 miles from where David lived). They had reached a standoff, but each morning and evening for 40 days, Goliath, a Philistine champion who stood nine feet tall, walked onto the battlefield and challenged the armies of Israel to a winner-take-all contest. He defied the army of Israel and challenged them to send out a man to fight him. Losers would become servants to the winners. Instead of someone stepping forward, the Israelites fled with fear. 
 
Goliath was intimidating and well-armored. He wore a bronze helmet and armor plating that weighed 150 pounds! The shaft of his spear was the size of a weaver's beam, and the head of it weighed 20 pounds. Plus, he had a shield bearer walking before him.

David wasn't old enough to serve in the army, but three of his older brothers were in the ranks. As the youngest, David’s father regularly sent him to check on his brothers' welfare and to bring home news of the war. One day, as he talked with his brothers, Goliath came forward with his threats and the challenge to fight to the death. David asked, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26).
 
David’s questions irritated his brothers, but when David offered to fight the Philistine and Saul heard about it, he called for David. Saul took one look at him and said he was too young and inexperienced, but David was not afraid. He conveyed his shepherding experience of killing both lion and bear to rescue a lamb and that “…this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them since he has taunted the armies of the living God” (v. 36). Notice that he makes this about God, not about himself. He gives the credit to God as he says, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (v. 37).
 
David trusted God. He rejected the armor King Saul tried to provide, and in contrast to the heavily armored Philistine, David chose five smooth stones from the brook, put them in his bag and faced Goliath with his sling and shepherd’s stick. When he stepped up to meet the giant’s challenge, the Philistine mocked David saying, “‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods” (1 Samuel 17:43). 

Yahweh Sabaoth meaning

David’s response? 

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted" (1 Samuel 17:45). 

His confidence was in the greatness of God.
 
So, what is the meaning of Yahweh Sabaoth? First, I should mention that Sabaoth is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Tsebaoth. It means “that which goes forth.” It is a military term that means armies or hosts. Hosts means hordes and refers to both angels and men. That means he is the Lord of the host of heaven and those who live on the earth. The name conveys his majesty, power, and authority. It reveals that He is able to accomplish what He determines to do. Yahweh Sabaoth means the leader and commander of the armies and is used in Scripture almost 300 times.
 
What we can learn from David and his recognition of the LORD of Hosts? We need to get our eyes on the Lord instead of the giants we face to gain perspective of God’s power. As you call on the name of the Lord of Hosts, realize that God is for you. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” Romans 8:31.
 
 
 

What are living stones in the Bible?

In 1 Peter 2:5, Peter uses the metaphor “living stones.” Today as we delve into this metaphor, we will answer two questions. First, what do living stones mean in this passage, and second, are you a living stone? We find the living-stones Scripture in 1 Peter 2:5, but before we go there, I want to point back to 1 Peter 1:23 for context. It says, […] you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. He is speaking to people born again through the living Word of God.

 

 

Then in chapter two, he continues with an example of what that looks like lived out in daily life:

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. (1 Peter 2:1-2)

 

Because we have been born again, these things should no longer have a place in our lives. Putting off in the Greek is the word used for taking off clothes. It means we are to strip ourselves of these things. Malice means evil thoughts, deceit refers to deceitfulness in all its forms, and hypocrisy is acting like you are something other than you are. In this context, it is about pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that you do not possess. Envy is pretty clear-cut, but what about slander? Here it refers to gossiping. These things dressed us in the past but should be stripped off and set aside when born again.

 

In verse 2, we see how we are to grow in respect to our salvation by feeding on the Word of God. I’m not discounting spiritual experiences, but as exciting andin Ephesians 2:20-22. Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

 

These living stones are the church built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Peter uses the metaphor of living stones to illustrate the secure and intimate relationship believers have with Jesus. It creates an image of how God joins Jesus and his followers into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.

 

If you are a living stone

When talking to my husband about the meaning of living stones, he pointed out that stones are God-made while bricks are man made. The only way to become a living stone is through God's way—Jesus. 

As living stones:

 

You have new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

You are an integral part of the building of God and have security in Christ (John 6:37)

You are placed by God where he wants you to be (1 Corinthians 12:18)

You are connected to others in the body of Christ (Romans 12:5)

Meaning of Psalm 91 prayer

 
I continue in my quest for a prayer life in line with God’s will, and as I write this, Hurricane Ian has just ravaged Florida and is moving north. I lived through Hurricane Charley and decided to relocate after that adventure in terror. In my case, weather experts predicted the storm would land in Tampa. It crawled along the southwest side of the state as a category 2 and changed to category 3 after passing Ft. Myers. I lived in Pt. Charlotte at the time. It was getting close. I had 13 people sheltering in my home since it was boarded up and built to withstand a cat 3. We ate food out of my fridge before we lost power creating a Super Bowl party atmosphere, but instead of a game, we watched radar and weather updates.

We stared in disbelief as the storm upgraded to a 4. In a blink, it wobbled, turned, ready to make landfall, and headed straight toward my neighborhood. The power blinked out. The weather experts were gone. We stood in the twilight of a boarded up house. We had maybe 10 minutes before it hit. I ran to the bedroom and emptied the walk-in closet. The contents turned into a haphazard mountain on my bed with no time to be embarassed. We jammed people and pets inside and prayed as the wind and rain clawed at the roof. Our metal front doors bowed like the wolf was huffing and puffing, and I wondered if they’d blow in.

Hurricane Ian brought back all these memories. With this huge storm the National Weather Service issued warnings of the highest risk of “life-threatening” storm surges between Tampa and Fort Myers and severe flooding to low-lying escape routes. When you live in Florida, you know more people die of the flooding than the wind. The governor ordered mandatory evacuations for large swaths of the state. I lay awake praying for people in the storm's path, including many close friends. As I looked to God’s Word, I came across Psalm 91. It talks of God’s protection and rescue from danger. Could that prayer apply in this circumstance?

Psalm 91 prayer

The Psalm 91 prayer talks of making God our refuge and dwelling and that no harm will overtake you, and no disaster will come near your tent. It’s easy to claim this when disaster looms toward us. But again, I remind you to view God's Word within the context in which it was written. When we don't, it is easy to manipulate it to our circumstances to mean what we want it to mean. So let's take a look at whether or not we should call upon the Lord in this way.

The first verse talks about God as our refuge and dwelling. What does that mean? The Hebrew word for refuge maḥăsê (makh-as-eh') means refuge or shelter from rain or storm, from danger or falsehood. It’s a place of hope and trust. And the word for dwelling means continuance; residence; state of life. So this is more than a place to hide when trouble comes. It’s where we are to live in our relationship with God.

Commentary on Psalm 91

Ancient commentaries on the Hebrew scriptures (Midrash Tehillim and Zohar) explain that Moses wrote Psalm 91 while ascending into the cloud hovering over Mount Sinai. In this instance, God had called him to come up. Ex. 19:16 describes the scene this way: “On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.” To the Israelis below “the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain” (Ex. 24:17). Psalm 91 was Moses's prayer as he obediently climbed into what looked like an active volcano, and he stayed on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights in the presence of God. That is the context for this prayer for safety and protection.

I can’t help but notice that Satan quoted this Psalm to Jesus when he tempted Him in the wilderness (vs. 9-12). He told Jesus to throw Himself 450 feet straight down from the pinnacle of the temple. If Jesus fell for this, it would result in a double sin. First, it would show that He wasn’t trusting God the right way. His actions would create danger and test God. This would result in the sin of presumption, daring God to prove Himself and catch Him. Jesus answered Satan with Scripture, Deuteronomy 6:16, "Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, Thou shalt not put the Lord, thy God, to the test.’"

Jesus was "led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil" following His baptism. He was led there by the Spirit of God. (Just like Moses was following what God called him to do.) Both were faced with difficult circumstances but followed God’s will in those difficult circumstances. At other times God called people out of danger. Like Lot and his family when called to leave Sodom. 

 

Jesus knew never to use God's power to test God. We don't go against what we know is God's will, to force Him to take care of us. We are not to live recklessly on purpose and then expect God to get us out of the mess. Taking risks to be obedient to Him is one thing, but unnecessary risks are another matter. The point is to listen to God. Seek His will. When we surrender our lives to God's grace through faith in Jesus, He sends His Holy Spirit to live within us. If He is not your refuge and dwelling place every day, that’s the first order of business to take care of. Talk to God about this. Know that he loves you.

There is a place we can live in safety, peace, and joy in Jesus. As believers, we experience God’s protection and goodness spiritually, but we cannot always expect it in the physical realm. Keep your eyes trained on your eternal destination as you find yourself facing dangers in this world. Meditate on His Word. He offers peace, not as the world knows peace. Once you are His, you are His forever. You are safe eternally. But if you are not one of His sheep, He is not your Shepherd, but He wants to be. It's up to you.

Meditate on God’s Word: Psalm 59:16

Colossians 3:16 tells us to “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.” Memorizing Scripture is as an excellent tool for spiritual growth. Once memorized the Word lives on and works on within you. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 tells us to bind God's law on our foreheads, teach it to our children, talk about it wherever we go, and make it an integral part of our lives.” Memorizing Scripture make that possible and Psalm 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Meditating on God’s Word renews our mind and transforms our thinking so we may discern God’s will. 

 

With that said, I have to admit I’m not as diligent about memorizing Scripture as I’d like to be, but I’m working on it. Currently, as I seek to grow in my prayer life, I figured memorizing Scripture would be the perfect way to meditate on God’s Word and incorporate it in my prayers and so in searching out bible verses to memorize, I looked for those I could incorporate in my prayers.

My current memory verse

My current memory verse is Psalm 59:16, written by King David. This Psalm is filled with his complaints about his life at the time, and includes imprecatory prayers calling for the judgement of his enemies, but also includes prayers depicting his confidence in God. I chose verse 16 as my memory verse.

I’ve learned much as I’ve meditated and memorized this verse and truthfully, I think I’ll memorize verse 17 too. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me just share a few snippets of things God has taught me with these few words that I took the time to memorize and meditate upon.

But as for me: David transitions from talking about his enemies in the fist eight verses to the faithfulness of God. He knows his enemy is strong but he trains his eyes on God, his stronghold. He opens this verse with “But as for me….” With all that is going on, he has a plan of action. I mean he had a lot going on! And he had a plan that included God. The next part of the verse explain it.

I will sing of your strength. First of all, I was reminded of the hard life David was living as I meditated on this phrase. His plan starts with singing of God’s strength. I thought, “What songs do I know that sing of God’s strength. Nothing came to mind, so I started looking. Everything current spoke about how He is my strength. Hmmm. Not what I was looking for. As I pondered it, I thought of the song Miriam sang after the Israelites crossed through the Red Sea and God closed it over Pharoah and his army. Many of the Psalms sung speak of God’s strength, but I was looking for songs I could sing as part of my prayer life. As I lay on the massage bed at the Chiropractor office, this past week, I meditated on this part of the verse and asked God to help me learn to sing of his strength. “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” came to mind. This started me down a path of (for me) long forgotten songs: Give to the Winds thy Fears, God Is a Strong Salvation, Eternal Father Strong to Save, and then I remembered a praise song from the 80s, called Ah Lord God, based on Jeremiah 32:17, ‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You. This song was my go-to song for a decade or more as I prayed for a wayward loved one.

The more I meditated the more my thoughts brought me to songs I did know, and the same held true for the next part of the verse, Yes, I will joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning. This not only renewed by thinking about his lovingkindness but note the word “joyfully” and the word “morning.” Wow! That called for an attitude adjustment in my morning mood!

My meditation takeaways from this short verse

Even with enemies surrounding him, David kept his eyes on the Lord. He had a plan to do that. He focused on God's strength and lovingkindness and looked to God as his stronghold.

Scripture meditation is easier when you memorize it. Even if you don’t, take time to meditate on God’s Word. You’ll be amazed at what God will do with it in your heart.