Where is your Covenant?

Where is your Covenant?
Words of Faith 11-8-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 20
[16] So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD call David's enemies to account." [17] And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself. [18] Then Jonathan said to David: "Tomorrow is the New Moon festival. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. [19] The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. [20] I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. [21] Then I will send a boy and say, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say to him, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,' then come, because, as surely as the LORD lives, you are safe; there is no danger. [22] But if I say to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then you must go, because the LORD has sent you away. [23] And about the matter you and I discussed--remember, the LORD is witness between you and me forever."

The story of David and Jonathan is one of powerful friendship and spiritual kinship. The last thing in the world that Jonathan wanted was to discover that his own father, Saul, intended to commit treachery and murder against the innocent. "If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn't I tell you?" (v.9) But the evidence was mounting against Saul. Even thought he was blood and Jonathan did not want to believe these things, the evidence showed that Saul was hopelessly selfish to the point of killing even those valued by his own family.
At some point a decision would have to be made. Loyalties would be re-drawn. The ties of family are often thought to be the strongest. It is often said that "blood is thicker than water." But even Jonathan had to be increasingly aware that his father was loyal to no one but himself.
Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David. It was an open sort of covenant that withheld final judgment concerning Saul unless his own behavior condemned him. The covenant beseeched the Lord to call David's enemies to account-- literally "demand an accounting for the shedding of innocent blood from the hand of David's enemies."
Jonathan surely perceived that that his own father was among David's "enemies" whom he predicted would be called to account. The covenant was not made with the house of Jesse but with the house of David and it was on behalf of his own "house" meaning that it extended to his descendants in perpetuity.
There are times in our lives when we realize that the bonds of our spiritual family are more important than those of our earthly or ancestral family. We may face within our blood family a matter of serious injustice or we may need to seek the safety of an innocent person. It may simply involve the realization that you can no longer support a loved one whose behavior does not reflect the love of Christ. Jonathan was at that point. Saul's behavior was outrageous. A decision was made and a covenant was "cut" between David and Jonathan-- most likely with the sacrifice of an animal-- that forged a new allegiance based upon the Lord.
It might be argued that Jonathan was acting in a manner we call "tough love." We may become aware that the most loving thing that we can do for a family member is turn them over to authorities for the work of justice or refuse to enable their destructive behavior. This is tough love. But in the situation with Jonathan and David something much more foundational was going on. Saul had not responded to anything, not even the direct hand of God upon him. This was not tough love; this was a new covenant.
We could make a much stronger argument that this was a major change of allegiance based upon the anointing of the Lord rather than the claim of a birthright. Jonathan recognized that the anointing of the Lord was upon David to be king and he surrendered his claim to the throne in humility and love. This was a huge change in allegiance. This was a powerful new covenant.
For us, we might ask the question-- Where is my covenant? Is my covenant with the world or my family, my birthright or my ancestry? Or is it with the Anointed One? Where does my allegiance lie? Am I surrendered to the King, the Messiah of God born to the house of David?

Father God, You are my family. Christ Jesus is my friend. I receive the New Covenant that You have cut by the shedding of blood. I receive the new family that is by faith in the work of Jesus and I make my allegiance there. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.