Copr. 1997, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.
INTRODUCTION: OUR LESSON THIS WEEK DEALS WITH COVENANTS--CONTRACTS.
FIRST WE LOOK AT THE COVENANT WITH GOD, AND IF WE HAVE TIME WE'LL
BRIEFLY LOOK AT THIS IN TERMS OF THE MARRIAGE COVENANT.
I. ELEMENTS OF A CONTRACT
A. WHAT MAKES UP A CONTRACT? ASSUME YOU WERE ADVISING SOMEONE
ON HOW TO ACTUALLY BUY A CAR THAT THEY HAD ALREADY SELECTED,
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM THEY SHOULD DO?
1. WE'LL GET YOUR LEGAL ADVICE?
2. ANSWER:
a. AGREE ON THE TERMS (THE LESSON CALLS IT
EXCHANGING PROMISES): I WILL PROMISE TO GIVE YOU A
SPECIFIC SUM OF MONEY AND YOU WILL PROMISE TO GIVE
ME THIS SPECIFIC CAR.
b.CONSIDERATION (LESSON CALLS IT OBLIGATIONS) THE
PROMISES OBLIGATE EACH PARTY TO DOING SOMETHING. IN
THIS CASE EXCHANGING THE MONEY FOR THE CAR.
GENERALLY, UNDER THE LAW IF YOU DO NOT PROMISE
SOMETHING OF VALUE YOU DO NOT HAVE A CONTRACT: IF
YOU JUST SAY "I'LL GIVE YOU SOME MONEY" OR "I'LL
GIVE YOU A CAR" THERE IS NO CONTRACT BECAUSE THERE
IS NOT CONSIDERATION (NO OBLIGATION) THAT WAS
EXHANGED.)
c. PERFORMANCE (LESSON CALLS IT "MEANS" TO MEET THE
OBLIGATION.) IN A CONTRACT YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY DO
WHAT YOU PROMISED TO DO. IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM WE
HAVE A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE NEED HELP WITH FULFILLING
OUR SIDE OF THE CONTRACT.
II. GOD'S CONTRACT WITH JUDAH
A. LETS LOOK AT GOD'S COVENANT WITH JUDAH. READ JER 11: 1-5.
B. WHAT WERE THE TERMS OF THE K? THE PROMISES? (OBEY AND I
WILL BE YOUR GOD WHICH MEANS THAT I WILL GIVE YOU A WONDERFUL
HOME.)
C. WHAT CONSIDERATION WERE THE PEOPLE GIVING TO GOD? THAT IS,
GOD SPEAKS OF "TERMS" THAT CAME OUT OF THE WILDERNESS? (THE 10
COMMANDS: EX 19:4-6. AND THIS REALLY GOES BACK TO AX IN GEN
17:1,2,7,8.)
D. READ JER 11:6-11. DID THE PEOPLE PERFORM ON THE CONTRACT?
(NO. GOD SAYS THEY BROKE THE CONTRACT. OFTEN CONTRACTS WILL
SPECIFY THE PENALTY FOR BREAKING THE CONTRACT, AND GOD SAYS
HERE (v.8) THAT THE PEOPLE KNEW THE PENALTY FOR
NONPERFORMANCE. IN LEV 26 GOD HAD SET OUT THE BLESSINGS AND
THE CURSES THAT WOULD FLOW FROM KEEPING THE CONTRACT OR
BREAKING THE CONTRACT.)
III. TODAY'S COVENANT:
A. THAT WAS THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE JEWISH NATION. IS THIS
CONTRACT STILL AROUND?
1. IS IT STILL OPEN?
2. ARE WE STILL BOUND BY THE TERMS?
B. LETS TURN TO JER 31:31-33. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME A "NEW
COVENANT" IS MENTIONED IN THE OT.
1. WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION OF GOD TO CREATE THIS "NEW"
CONTRACT? (HE SAYS THAT THE PEOPLE BROKE THE OLD ONE EVEN
THOUGH HE WAS HUSBAND TO THEM.)
2. WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS "NEW CONTRACT" (LETS GO
BACK TO THE ELEMENTS OF A CONTRACT:
a. PROMISES
b. CONSIDERATION
c. PERFORMANCE
3. ARE THE PROMISES DIFFERENT? (NO. NEW: 31:33 "I WILL BE
THEIR GOD AND THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE." OLD: 11:4 "YOU
WILL BE MY PEOPLE AND I WILL BE YOUR GOD."
4. IS THE CONSIDERATION OR OBLIGATION DIFFERENT? (IT
LOOKS LIKE THE TERMS ARE OBEDIENCE AGAIN FOR US. BUT IT
LOOKS LIKE GOD HAS US OBEY IN A DIFFERENT WAY, SO LETS
LOOK AT PERFORMANCE.)
5. IS THE PERFORMANCE THE SAME? (NO. 11:8 SAYS "THEY
FOLLOWED THE STUBBORNESS OF THEIR EVIL HEARTS." 31:33
SAYS "I WILL PUT MY LAW IN THEIR MINDS AND WRITE IT IN
THEIR HEARTS." IT SEEMS TO ME THAT GOD IS THE PRIME MOVER
HERE: HE IS WRITING IT IN THEIR HEARTS)
6. LETS LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE TO SEE HOW CHRIST TAUGHT THIS
IDEA.
IV. EXAMPLES OF THE NEW CONTRACT.
A. READ MATT 19:16-20. DOES IT SOUND LIKE THE PROMISES AND
OBLIGATIONS OF THE CONTRACT --OBEDIANCE-- IS THE SAME? (IT
DOES.)
B. LETS READ ON. READ MATT 19: 21-25. WHEN THIS MAN REALLY
KNEW THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT, IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR HIM.
1. v. 25 SAYS THE DISCIPLES WERE AMAZED. WHY DO YOU THINK
THEY WERE AMAZED? (BECAUSE UNDER THE CONTRACT AS THEY
UNDERSTOOD IT, YOU WERE BLESSED IF YOU OBEYED.)
C.LETS READ ON. MATT 19: 26.
1. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
2. WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE PART OF
THE NEW CONTRACT? (THAT IT CAN BE DONE ONLY THROUGH GOD'S
POWER.)
3. CONSIDER THAT JESUS' NEXT STORY IS THE STORY OF THE
LABORERS WHO CAME TO WORK AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND ALL GOT
THE SAME WAGES.
a. WHAT DOES THAT TELL US ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE
OBEDIENCE --THE PERFORMANCE-- THAT GOD WANTS UNDER
THE NEW CONTRACT? (HE WANTS US TO COMMIT TO HIM. TO
MAKE A DECISION TO OBEY.)
4. DID THE RICH MAN WANT TO COMMIT TO CHRIST? WHY NOT?
(HE DEPENDED UPON WHAT HE HAD MADE: MONEY. GOES BACK TO
THE IDEA OF IDOL WORSHIP. HE ALSO WAS DEPENDING ON WHAT
HE HAD DONE, ANOTHER TYPE OF IDOL WORSHIP. INSTEAD JESUS
SAYS THAT GOD CAN DO ALL OF THIS AND SHOWS THAT IT IS A
GIFT BY THE LABORERS STORY.)
D. LETS CONSIDER THE LANGUAGE OF JER 31:33 AGAIN: "I WILL PUT
MY LAW IN THEIR MINDS AND WRITE IT ON THEIR HEARTS."
1. WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP IS THIS? WHAT DO YOU THINK
THIS MEANS? (GOD'S LAW "NEEDED TO TOUCH THE LIFE DEEPLY
AND INWARDLY IN MIND AND WILL." THOMPSON, p.581)
2. SO ASK YOURSELF, "HAS GOD'S LAW TOUCHED MY LIFE DEEPLY
IN MIND AND WILL?"
--NOT JUST "AM I OBEYING," "BUT, IS IT PART OF
MY WILL, MY ATTITUDE?"
--THIS DRIVES US TO OUR KNEES BECAUSE ONLY GOD
CAN CHANGE THE HEART. ONLY GOD CAN GIVE US A
NEW HEART AND A NEW WILL.
(LET ME READ YOU SOMETHING THAT WAS IN THE TEACHER'S HELPS AND
NOT IN YOUR LESSON. IT IS A QUOTE FROM PAT AND PROPH p.431:
NOTHING BUT THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST CAN
ENTITLE US TO ONE OF THE BLESSINGS OF THE
COVENANT OF GRACE. THERE ARE MANY WHO HAVE
LONG DESIRED AND TRIED TO OBTAIN THESE
BLESSINGS, BUT HAVVE NOT RECEIVED THEM BECAUSE
THEY HAVE CHERISHED THE IDEA THAT THEY COULD
DO SOMETHING TO MAKE THEMSELVES WORTHY OF
THEM.... WE MUST NOT THINK THAT OUR OWN MERITS
WILL SAVE US; CHRIST IS OUR ONLY HOPE OF
SALVATION.") (SEE ALSO GAL 4:22-26.)
V. WANDERING WIFE:
A. READ JER 2:2 AND 3:1-3. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE LITTLE
WOMAN? (ADULTRY, DIVORCE.)
1. I SUPPOSE MOST OF US HERE KNOW WHAT GOD IS TALKING
ABOUT BECAUSE WE HAVE EITHER HAD A GOOD FRIEND WHO HAS
GONE THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF ADULTRY OR WE HAVE GONE
THROUGH IT PERSONALLY.
2. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE ONE WHO IS LEFT? (NO GOOD.)
3. BY USING THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP I THINK GOD WANTS
TO GIVE US A SENSE OF HOW MUCH HE LOVES US AND HOW HARD
IT IS ON HIM WHEN WE DISOBEY. ANYONE WHO HAS A GOOD
MARRIAGE AND HAS CONSIDERED ADULTRY HAS GOT TO HAVE
ASKED, "HOW MUCH WILL THIS DAMAGE MY SPOUSE THAT I LOVE?"
I THINK GOD CALLS ON US TO LOOK AT OUR RELATIONSHIP TO
HIM THAT WAY.)
VI. NEXT WEEK: THE PRAYING PROPHET.