My covenant with him was one of life and peace and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and no wrong was found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness and he turned many from iniquity. Malachi 2:5-6
There is much talk about who we ought to be and how we ought to live. The scriptures clearly address the issues but often use words we don't like to hear. Humans like to ask questions of God but are only willing to hear certain types of answers. We ask God, "how do you want me to spend my life?" and we expect Him to instruct us in whether we ought to be a lawyer or a doctor or stone mason. It's similar to a man with no chickens, no knowledge of chickens, and no place to keep them wondering about whether he'd like an omelette or a fried egg. First things must be first and God always answers our questions with relevant information. His response to questions about purpose and vocation are usually centered around human character rather than action. Love your neighbor! Seek my face! Fear my name! Be perfect! such are the commands of Scripture. Only by walking in these directions will we find ourselves at a place appropriate for determining the smaller, less important questions concerning how we make our money and where we go to school.
The covenant of Levi is a covenant all of humanity is invited into. It is an old fashioned term for the modern evangelical concept known as "relationship with God". Today we like to sugar coat that idea but the reality of the relationship that God invites us into is just the same as it was twenty-three hundred years ago in the days of Malachi. It was a covenant of life and peace, we can look forward to those realities. It is a covenant of fear, that is our shield against apathy. The covenant bears fruit. The wisdom spouts from the mouth in a fountain of relevant instruction. There, is no shame. He who walks in the covenant of Levi need never hang his head. There is no wickedness in him and he is sought after for his teaching.
Let it be so with us dear brother and sister. Amidst the busyness of life let us not lose sight of the reality of what God calls us to.
There is much talk about who we ought to be and how we ought to live. The scriptures clearly address the issues but often use words we don't like to hear. Humans like to ask questions of God but are only willing to hear certain types of answers. We ask God, "how do you want me to spend my life?" and we expect Him to instruct us in whether we ought to be a lawyer or a doctor or stone mason. It's similar to a man with no chickens, no knowledge of chickens, and no place to keep them wondering about whether he'd like an omelette or a fried egg. First things must be first and God always answers our questions with relevant information. His response to questions about purpose and vocation are usually centered around human character rather than action. Love your neighbor! Seek my face! Fear my name! Be perfect! such are the commands of Scripture. Only by walking in these directions will we find ourselves at a place appropriate for determining the smaller, less important questions concerning how we make our money and where we go to school.
The covenant of Levi is a covenant all of humanity is invited into. It is an old fashioned term for the modern evangelical concept known as "relationship with God". Today we like to sugar coat that idea but the reality of the relationship that God invites us into is just the same as it was twenty-three hundred years ago in the days of Malachi. It was a covenant of life and peace, we can look forward to those realities. It is a covenant of fear, that is our shield against apathy. The covenant bears fruit. The wisdom spouts from the mouth in a fountain of relevant instruction. There, is no shame. He who walks in the covenant of Levi need never hang his head. There is no wickedness in him and he is sought after for his teaching.
Let it be so with us dear brother and sister. Amidst the busyness of life let us not lose sight of the reality of what God calls us to.
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