The Language of Covenant - Part 1
“.. they saw God, and did eat and drink.”
by Walter Giddings
Featured Text: Exodus 24:1-3, 9-15
(Jeremiah 31:31-32). Do The Scriptures reveal The Great I Am God of our fathers, Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, was a husband unto Israel?
31 Behold the days come, saith the
LORD, that I will make a new cove-
nant with the house of Israel, and
with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant I
made with their fathers in the day
that I took them by the hand to bring
them out of the land of Egypt; which
my covenant they brake, although I
was an husband unto them, saith the
LORD:
Jeremiah chapter thirty-one
“I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:5). Is a matter established at the mouth of at least two if not three witnesses?
5 For thy Maker is thine husband;
the LORD of hosts is his name; and
thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel;
The God of the whole earth shall he
be called.
Isaiah chapter fifty-four.
Shall we give Verse 5 a close look? Is God speaking through the end time Prophet Isaiah? To whom is He speaking? Does Israel have a “Kinsman Redeemer”? At the end of the Age (future), will He be called “The God of the whole earth”? Will that put to an end that rebel Angel Satan’s serious Case of Adverse Possession of the earth that began with Adam’s Abdication of The Throne of Dominion?
(Jeremiah 3:14,20). In a judicial matter, are three witnesses with firsthand knowledge a natural quorum?
14 Turn, O backsliding children,
saith the LORD; for I am married
unto you: and I will take you one
of a city, and two of a family, and I
will bring you to Zion:
20 Surely as a wife treacherously
departeth from her husband, so
have ye dealt treacherously with me,
O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah chapter three.
“O house of Israel.” (Isaiah 50:1). Did Israel’s Husband divorce her?
Thus saith the LORD, Where is
the bill of your mother’s divorce-
ment, whom I have put away? ...
Isaiah chapter fifty.
(Jeremiah 3:8). Is there a second witness that God divorced Israel?
8 And I saw, when for all the causes
whereby backsliding Israel commit-
ted adultery I had put her away, and
given her a bill of divorce; yet her
treacherous sister Judah feared not,
but went and played the harlot also.
Jeremiah chapter three.
“Backsliding Israel committed adultery.” Is that why there are preachers who say only The Jews are God’s chosen people. Is that why preachers say Israel is swallowed up, and “the dispersed among the Gentiles” were corrupted and became the Gentiles lost to History? Did the death of Jesus on that Tree end all this business of God being married to His Chosen People?!! We saw [Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews 8] where God makes “a New Covenant” with The Same Parties, The House of Israel and the House of Judah! Does that include Marriage?
(2 Corinthians 11:2). Paul faced his Accusers, Ananias, the chief priest, with the elders, and Tertullus, the orator, in the Trial before Felix [Acts 24]. They charged him with being a plague, a mover of sedition among all the Jews in the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. The Apostle Paul answered in open court. “After the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: [15]and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” (Verse 2 in the 2nd Corinthian Epistle) :
2 For I am jealous over you with
godly jealousy: for I have espoused
you to one husband, that I may pre-
sent you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Second Corinthians chapter eleven.
“I have espoused you to one husband.” (John 3:29). Did John the Baptist have anything to say about Marriage under The New Covenant?
29 He that hath the bride is the bride-
groom: but the friend of the bride-groom,
which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth
greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice:
this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
John chapter three.
Is the Bridegroom “he that hath the Bride”? (Revelation 19:9). Will there be a feast at the New Covenant Marriage? Does the youngest of the Apostles, John the Revelator, faithfully report:
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Bless-
ed are they which are called unto the
Marriage Supper of the Lamb. And he
saith unto me, These are the true say-
ings of God.
Revelation chapter nineteen.
“The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” Did Israel in the Wilderness recite wedding vows? (Exodus 24:1-3).
1 And he said unto Moses, Come up
unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Na-
dab, and Abihu, and seventy of the
elders of Israel: and worship ye afar
off.
2 And Moses alone shall come near
the LORD: but they shall not come
nigh; neither shall the people go up
with him.
3 And Moses came and told all the
people the words of the LORD, and
all the judgments: and all the people
answered with one voice, and said,
All the words which the LORD hath
said will we do.
“All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.” Were vows made? Did the Bride pledge to do all the words the Bridegroom said? Was there a wedding feast? (Verses 9-15). Did the wedding party eat and drink?
9 Then went up Moses and Aaron,
Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of
the elders of Israel:
10 And they saw the God of Israel:
and there was under his feet as it
were a paved work of sapphire stone,
and as it were the body of heaven in
his clearness.
11 And upon the nobles of the child-
ren of Israel he laid not his hand: al-
so they saw God, and did eat and
drink.
12 And the LORD said unto Moses,
Come up to me into the mount, and
be there: and I will give thee tables
of stone, and a law, and command-
ments which I have written; that
thou mayest teach them.
13 And Moses rose up, and his min-
ister Joshua: and Moses went up in-
to the mount of God.
14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry
here for us, until we come again unto
you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are
with you: if any man have any mat-
ters to do, let him come unto them.
15 And Moses went up into the
mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
Exodus chapter twenty-four.
(Verse 11). “They saw God and did eat and drink.” We face the question squarely. Did “Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel” fellowship with God over a meal? Was this meal a “marriage supper”? Did Jesus say, “I and my father are one”? Did Jesus often fellowship over a meal with the Apostles and Disciples? Does “Emmanuel” mean “God with us”? [Matthew 1:23].
Does Luke 24 give an account of Jesus asking two of the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus over what things they communed in grief? Did Jesus begin at Moses and all the Prophets expounding unto them in all The Scriptures the things concerning himself? “But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.” [Luke 24:16] When they sat at meat together, and Jesus “took bread and blessed and brake, and gave to them”, were their eyes “opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight”? (Luke 24:32).
32 And they said one to another,
Did not our heart burn within us,
while he talked with us by the way,
and while he opened to us the
scriptures?
Does our heart burn within us when the Holy Spirit opens to us the scriptures? In that same hour they returned to Jerusalem and “found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them.” (Verse 35).
35 And they told what things were
done in the way, and how he was
known of them in breaking of bread.
Luke chapter twenty-four.
“He was known of them in breaking of bread.” Does this happen to us today when we assemble, and have a fellowship meal after service? Does a wedding reception usually follow the Ceremony?
This past June [2024] a lady, who has been a worker bee for a corporation, and an Indiana Notary Public, and who has seen me on a regular basis since she was an injured teenager, admitted she does not understand what a covenant is! She asked me to explain covenant to her! What would you tell her?
For some reason I took a different approach. First, I identified with her. I told her for the first 40 years of life on this earth I suffered not understanding what a covenant is!!! Second, the thought occurred to me to refer the question back to her. I knew I had to be careful. People get irritated with that. Most of us get irritated with ourselves over our own ignorances. We demand an answer!
The thought occurred to me to ask her this question. Does Jesus ever fail to tend His Flock? She looked surprised. She said no. I answered, and said, since The Good Shepherd has never failed, does it stand to reason that our bountiful and providential Saviour has provided the means for us to understand the full nature of a covenant, and how it works? He would, she said. What is the one thing, I continued, that every member of a strong and unbroken family understands? She thought long and hard and looked at me helplessly. When you hear the answer, I said, you will know you knew that all along. The question just surprised you. There are far more broken families than strong families in America. Marriage is a covenant! (Psalms 78:41). How can broken families have the Marriage Covenant as their instruction when there is no example of a marriage? Some time later, as I was in remembrance of her Question, I recalled this Scripture:
41 Yea, they turned back and temp-
ted God, and limited the Holy One
of Israel.
Psalms chapter seventy-eight.
Has American Israel “limited the Holy One of Israel”? Is our ignorance of nature and function of Covenant self-induced? Peter Marshall and David Manuel in their search and research of 204 histories of American Israel wrote:
“... the legacy of Puritan New England to
this nation, which can still be found at the
core of our American way of life, may be sum-
med up in one word: covenant. We were re-
minded that on the night of the Last Supper,
to those who were closest to Him, Jesus said,
‘This is my blood of the new covenant, which
is poured out for many, for the forgiveness of
sins ....’”
“Covenant... it is a word almost never
heard in American life today, for it speaks of
a commitment to Christ and to one another
which is deeper and more demanding than
most of us are willing to make. And as a con-
sequence most of us modern American Chris-
tians are of little use to God in the building of
His Kingdom. For the building of that King-
dom, as the Puritans demonstrated, requires
total commitment.”
“Sitting on the patio that morning, we were
convicted that our own commitment to the
church community where God had placed us
did not yet measure up to that of the Puritans.”
Peter Marshall and David Manuel. The Light and the Glory. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1977. Page 146.
“Covenant... it is a word almost never heard in American life today.” Did Our Forefathers, covenant with God, covenant with each other, and make The Meetinghouse the center of Civic life, and make The Word of God their Private Law, their family Law Book, their Congregation Law Book, and their Civil Government Law Book? Were they better men than we? Did Marshall and Manuel know our forefathers were better men than we?
The Light and the Glory, page 146.
What did The God of our Fathers, in his Bounty and Providence, ordain for us that we may understand “Covenant”? When is our ignorance ever God’s fault? So, God has made Provision for us to understand the full nature of a covenant, and how we can be covenantkeepers! If we carefully recall what we have studied in thisLesson, have The Scriptures already presented us with the Answer?! Can every family, whose family Law Book is the A.V. 1611 King James Version Bible, American edition, understand God’s Provision for understanding Covenant?! Are even those in our extended family who remain single, acquainted with The Marriage Covenant? In any family, where The Bible is not a dust collector, is The Marriage Covenant living and well?!
Marriage is a Covenant!!! Even those who are single in a family, whose family Law Book is the KJV Bible, can understand a covenant! And, of course, God ordained marriage.
Can we find whether Our Forefathers, to frame our Republic, covenanted with God, and with one another, for the benefit of their Posterity, whose beneficiaries of that Trust we are [!]? Have we already seen, our Forefathers, left an extensive Record? Did we just have 8 Lessons on Covenantkeepers? Is The Language of Covenant familiar to us now? If the Marriage Covenant is our Schoolmaster to understand the nature of a covenant, and how we may become covenantkeepers, then we shall find what language?
Shall we find the words of a pledge, a promise, or even a vow?
“When in the Course of human events, it be-
comes necessary for one people to dissolve the
political bands which have connected them
with another, ...
Are the Covenantkeepers of American Israel one people under God though they be scattered like salt in solution?
“and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, ...
Is “Nature’s God” the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and us?
“a decent respect to the opinions of mankind
requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights...”
According to this Declaration, are this “one people” the creation of “their Creator”?
“…that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. - - That to secure these rights Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter, or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
“That among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” What are “these”? Is the word “these” a relative Pronoun? Do Pronouns have antecedents?
“Cedents” means “falling” or “descending into place” and “Ante” means “before”. Does this mean that the word to which the Pronoun refers usually [but not always] falls before the appearance of the Pronoun. Should we scroll back to the previous paragraph of this Quotation? In the “We hold these truths to be self evident” paragraph, what is our answer? To what do “these” refer?
“... they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights ...”
What does “unalienable” mean? If “Rights” are responsibilities, would God allow us to alienate them? Are “unalienable Rights” “certain”?
Are men in Rebellion when they alter or abolish a Beast System that punishes Good and rewards Evil? Was Thomas Jefferson wrong when he said, “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God”? What should Covenantkeepers do when a government becomes a Beast System punishing Good and rewarding Evil? Do they have a Right or Responsibility to alter or abolish it? (2 Samuel 23:1-3). Are there Scriptures that define our Responsibility in this matter? What were David’s last words?
c Now these be the last words of
David. David the son of Jesse said,
and the man who was raised up on
high, the anointed of the God of Ja-
cob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel
said,
p 2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by
me, and his word was in my tongue.
c 3 The God of Israel said, the Rock
of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth
over men must be just, ruling in the
fear of God.
Second Samuel chapter twenty-three.
“He that ruleth over Adam must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” Are Covenant-keepers in obedience to God? According to the 27 Accusations against King George III (to which he neglected to plea), was He a Tyrant in disobedience to God? Did our Forefathers succeed in preserving “just” Government?
(Romans 13:3). Are Sheep forgetful? Is Verse 3 often forgotten?
3 For rulers are not a terror to good
works, but to the evil...
Romans chapter thirteen.
Were our Forefathers well acquainted with The Scriptures? Were they better men than we? Do we have men in positions of Authority who are “despisers of those that are good” [2 Timothy 3:3]? Did “Despisers of those that [do] good” frame and persecute the January sixers?
According to Romans 13, are Rulers supposed to reward good and punish evil? What if, those who are supposed to be Rulers, reward Evil and punish Good? Re-ward Evil and punish Good? Is that God’s idea of government, or man’s?
(Galatians 5:22-23). Are those, who are duly convicted, “under the law”? Does God define His Terms? What does God say Law is?
p 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith,
c 23 Meekness, temperance: against
such there is no law.
Galatians chapter five.
“Against such there is no law.” Do Tyrants criminalize those who do good? Do Tyrants create criminal populations that devour themselves? Do they do that by weeding out the Righteous? Will God permit Tyrants to weed out the Righteous? Will the criminal populations figure it out, and take out the Tyrants? Or are the criminals too blinded in their own Sins to figure it out? Are those in Authority today in American Israel weeding out the sheriffs, the police, the Capitol police, Secret Service members, or others, known for keeping their sacred Oaths of Public Office? Do Tyrants need cooperation? Do they need other Criminals who will persecute the Righteous? Has every brutal, cruel, and ferocious Tyranny, other than the Ones we deal with now, gone into the ash can of History because their victims made the commitment to “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”?
(Galatians 5:1). Is any purported legislation, designed to forbid Obedience to God, ever a law? Does the Apostle Paul command that we maintain the Liberty to Obey our God?
Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free,
and be not entangled again with the
yoke of bondage.
Galatians chapter five.
“Christ hath made us free.” Does the “unanimous Declaration” we have been studying contain The Language of Covenant?
“... appealing to the Supreme Judge of the
world for the rectitude of our intentions,” ...
“... with a firm reliance on the protection of
divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each
other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred
honor.”
Action of Second Continental Congress July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.
“We mutually pledge ...” Is this The Language of Covenant? What is The Holy Spirit telling us? Does The Holy Spirit, alone, possess the Power of Conviction?
Bibliography
1 The Language of Covenant
Exodus 24:1-3, 9-15.
“ .. they saw God, and did eat and drink.”
Jeremiah 31:31-32. “I was an husband unto them.”
Isaiah 54:5. “Thy Maker is thine husband.”
Jeremiah 3:14. “I am married unto you.”
Jeremiah 3:14. “as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband.”
Isaiah 50:1. “Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement ?”
Jeremiah 3:8. “I had .. given her a bill of divorce.”
2 Corinthians 11:2. “I have espoused you to one husband.”
John 3:29. “He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom.”
Revelation 19:9. “The Marriage Supper of the Lamb”
Exodus 24:1-3. “All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.”
Exodus 24:9-15. “They saw God, and did eat and drink.”
[Matthew 1:23]. “Does Emmanuel mean ‘God with us’ ? ”
Luke 24:32. “He opened to us The Scriptures.”
Luke 24:35. “He was known of them in breaking of bread.”
Psalm 78:41. “they .. limited the Holy One of Israel.”
Peter Marshall and David Manuel. The Light and the Glory. Old Tappan, N.J. :
Fleming H. Revell Company, 1977. Page 146. “Covenant .. is a word almost never heard in American life today.”
2 Samuel 23:1-3. “ruling in the fear of God.”
Romans 13:3. Is Verse 3 often forgotten ?
[2 Timothy 3:3]. “despisers of those that are good”.
Galatians 5:22-23. “against such there is no law.”
Galatians 5:1. “Christ hath made us free.”
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America. “We mutually pledge to each other ... ”
