Thinking of the word "covenant" today. Mused on the word "lovingkindness" and the Hebrew word "checed" a long time ago. Probably due to recent work projects where I'm examining contracts between two parties. In the work scenario, one party is trying to protect itself and make demands, while the other is scheming to see what kind of low bar it can set for itself and get away with. In the real world, covenants between two parties rarely have the best interests of both parties in mind.
At first I thought this might color my view of the covenant love God has for us, and I realize that, in fact, the opposite is true. It makes the reality of God's love all the more striking. Because it is a one-sided covenant between the Lord and us, for we are receiving a far greater benefit from this relationship than God is getting. My life for His grace? That's the steal of the millennium.
And this picture is striking because unlike two parties looking out for their best interests, God is only looking out for ours. The equivalent real world example would be one party trying to get away with a low bar, and the other party making it even lower, and then quintupling the compensation. The differentiating factor that drives this inequality is the great love of God.
In 1Kings8:23, Solomon dedicates the new temple and says, "O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart." Steal of the millennium indeed.
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