Isaiah 43:16-19 (NKJV) Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea. And a path through the mighty waters, Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick): “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
We read about God’s unwavering commitment to His chosen people in this passage. This unwavering commitment displays His faithfulness to them. If we want to understand God’s faithfulness, we need to experience it personally as He journeys with us. In addition, we need to understand that God’s commitment is based on His covenant with His chosen people in the Old Testament, and with the church in the New Testament because God operates through covenant relationships.
A blood covenant between two parties is the closest, most enduring, solemn, and sacred of all contracts. Entering a blood covenant with someone means you promise to give them your life, your love, and your protection forever. It is a binding and unbreakable agreement based on blood resulting in the union of two parties where all assets, talents, debts, and liability are mutually shared.
God is a covenant-watching God. The Israelites were operating under two covenants: the Mosaic covenant which is a conditional covenant, and the Abrahamic covenant which is an unconditional covenant. Under the Mosaic covenant, God would honour His word to protect, provide, and honour all covenant obligations if His people abided by the law. However, because God is holy, He must judge sin whenever the Israelites violated the law. As for the Abrahamic covenant, since it is unconditional, men’s weakness would not be able to thwart God’s plan of sending the Messiah to restore us through His work on the cross. The blood of the New Covenant has caused all the families of the earth to be blessed with the righteousness from the Lord and assured us of His presence in our hearts. He did all these is so that He can journey with us.
The sign of the covenant is through the physical circumcision in the Old Testament and the circumcision of the heart in the New Testament. If we take time to meditate or process the meaning and obligation, we will be blown away by the grace of God towards us. Can you imagine that the Almighty God would bind Himself to love us with such commitment to the point of being cursed if He failed to fulfil the obligation? Of course, God being perfect will never break the covenant, but He has chosen to be bound to His creation through this covenant. Covenant commitment is the highest expression of love that is comprehensible to man.
Sermon Series: Are You Ready for Something New in Your Life?
透过盟约理解神的信实
以赛亚书43:16-19 耶和华在沧海中开道，在大水中开路。他必使车辆、马匹、军兵、勇士都出来，（他们一同躺下，不得起来）。 他们灭没，如熄灭的灯火。耶和华如此说：不要记念从前的事、也不要思想古时的事。 我要行一件新事、这事必发生。难道你不知道吗?我必在旷野开道路，在沙漠开江河。
我们在这段经文中读到 神对祂选民坚定不移的委身。这坚定的委身显示了 神对他们的信实。如果我们想要理解 神的信实，在祂与我们同行时我们需要亲身经历这份信实。此外我们要知道，上帝的委身是基于祂在旧约中与其选民的盟约，以及新约中与教会的盟约，因为上帝通过圣约关系运作。
两造之间缔结的血约是所有契约中最紧密、最持久、最庄严和神圣的。与某人立血约意味着你承诺永远给予他们你的生命、爱和保护。这歃血为盟的协议具有约束力并且不能解约，立这约的结果就是两造之间共享所有的资产、才华、债务以及责任。
神是守约的 神。以色列人是在两个约下运作的。一个是摩西之约，是有条件的约；一个是亚伯拉罕之约，是无条件的约。在摩西的约下，如果祂的子民遵守律法， 神将遵守祂的承诺，给予保护、供应并履行所有盟约的义务。然而，因为神是圣洁的，因此当以色列人违反律法时，祂必须审判罪。至于亚伯拉罕之约，由于它是无条件的，人类的软弱将无法阻止 神差派弥赛亚通过十字架上的工作来拯救我们的计划。立新约的血使世上所有的家庭都得着从神而来的义，并使我们确信祂就在我们心中。祂做了这一切，好叫自己与我们同行。
盟约的标志，在旧约是通过肉体的割礼，而在新约则是以心灵的割礼。 如果我们花时间默想或理解这其中的意义和义务，那么我们将被 神对我们的恩典所震撼。你能想象全能的 神用这样的承诺来约束自己来爱我们，乃至于若祂没有履行义务也会承担诅咒吗?当然，完美的 神永远不会违背圣约，但祂已经选择通过这个盟约与祂的创造捆绑在一起。盟约承诺是人类所能理解的爱的至高的表达。
讲章系列：你准备好迎接生命中的新事物了吗?