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144 Bible verses about the Covenant with God
I set My rainbow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.It shall come about, when I bring clouds over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the clouds,and I will [compassionately] remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again will the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.
On the same day the Lord made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates—
I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. [Gal 3:16]I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger [moving from place to place], all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession [of property]; and I will be their God.” [Acts 7:5]
Now therefore, if you will in fact obey My voice and keep My covenant (agreement), then you shall be My own special possession and treasure from among all peoples [of the world], for all the earth is Mine;and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation [set apart for My purpose].’ These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”
Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people; and they said, “Everything that the Lord has said we will do, and we will be obedient.”So Moses took the blood [which had been placed in the large basins] and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” [1 Cor 11:25; Heb 8:6; 10:28, 29]
Therefore know [without any doubt] and understand that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who is keeping His covenant and His [steadfast] lovingkindness to a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out before you, and to confirm the oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
So keep the words of this covenant and obey them, so that you may prosper and be successful in everything that you do.
“Listen closely, I have set before you today life and prosperity (good), and death and adversity (evil);in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk [that is, to live each and every day] in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments (precepts), so that you will live and multiply, and that the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are entering to possess.
“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, Nor will My covenant of peace be shaken,” Says the Lord who has compassion on you.
For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery with a burnt offering. And I will faithfully reward them, And make an everlasting covenant with them.
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and with the house of Judah (the Southern Kingdom), [Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25]not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says the Lord.“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.And each man will no longer teach his neighbor and his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me [through personal experience], from the least of them to the greatest,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness, and I will no longer remember their sin.” [Heb 8:8-12; 10:16, 17]
“I will make a covenant of peace with them and will eliminate the predatory animals from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep [safely] in the woods. [Ps 127:2; Is 11:6-9; John 14:27; 16:33]
Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My ordinances and do them.
“My covenant with Levi was [one of] life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he [and the priests] feared Me and stood in reverent awe of My name.
for this is My blood of the [new and better] covenant, which [ratifies the agreement and] is being poured out for many [as a substitutionary atonement] for the forgiveness of sins. [Ex 24:6-8]
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant [ratified] in My blood.
But as it is, Christ has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is more excellent [than the old Levitical priestly ministry], for He is the Mediator (Arbiter) of a better covenant [uniting God and man], which has been enacted and rests on better promises.For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second one or an attempt to institute another one [the new covenant].
For this reason He is the Mediator and Negotiator of a new covenant [that is, an entirely new agreement uniting God and man], so that those who have been called [by God] may receive [the fulfillment of] the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has taken place [as the payment] which redeems them from the sins committed under the obsolete first covenant.
“This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will inscribe them [producing an inward change],” He then says,“And their sins and their lawless acts I will remember no more [no longer holding their sins against them].” [Jer 31:33, 34]
Now [in Haran] the Lord had said to Abram, “Go away from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; [Heb 11:8-10]Now there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to live temporarily, for the famine in the land was oppressive and severe.And when he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Listen: I know that you are a beautiful woman;so when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me [to acquire you], but they will let you live.Please tell them that you are my sister so that things will go well for me for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you.”And when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful.Pharaoh’s princes (officials) also saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken [for the purpose of marriage] into Pharaoh’s house (harem).Therefore Pharaoh treated Abram well for her sake; he acquired sheep, oxen, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.But the Lord punished Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her and go!”And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him on his way, with his wife and all that he had.And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you, And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you. And in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed.” [Gal 3:8]
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; Walk [habitually] before Me [with integrity, knowing that you are always in My presence], and be blameless and complete [in obedience to Me].This is [the sign of] My covenant, which you shall keep and faithfully obey, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be the sign (symbol, memorial) of the covenant between Me and you.Every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, [including] a servant whether born in the house or one who is purchased with [your] money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants.A servant who is born in your house or one who is purchased with your money must be circumcised; and [the sign of] My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.And the male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai (my princess), but her name will be Sarah (Princess).I will bless her, and indeed I will also give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael [my firstborn] might live before You!”But God said, “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall name him Isaac (laughter); and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him.“I will establish My covenant (everlasting promise) between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly [through your descendants].”
and said, “By Myself (on the basis of Who I Am) I have sworn [an oath], declares the Lord, that since you have done this thing and have not withheld [from Me] your son, your only son [of promise],indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies [by conquering them]. [Heb 6:13, 14; 11:12]Through your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have heard and obeyed My voice.” [Gen 12:2, 3; 13:16; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Acts 3:25, 26; Gal 3:16]
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.‘You shall not give false testimony [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person). [Ex 23:1; Prov 19:9; 24:28]‘You shall not covet [that is, desire and seek to acquire] your neighbor’s wife, nor desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’ [Luke 12:15; Col 3:5]“The Lord spoke these words with a great voice to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, and He added no more. He wrote these commandments on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.And when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you approached me, all the leaders (heads) of your tribes and your elders;and you said, ‘Behold, the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he [still] lives.Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, then we will die.For who is there of all flesh (mankind) who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?You, Moses, go near and listen to everything that the Lord our God says; then speak to us everything that the Lord our God speaks to you, and we will listen and do it.’“The Lord heard your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear [and worship Me with awe-filled reverence and profound respect] and keep all My commandments always, so that it may go well with them and with their children forever!The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, all of us who are alive here today.
O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise and give thanks to Your name; For You have done miraculous things, Plans formed long, long ago, [fulfilled] with perfect faithfulness.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.
I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will put My sanctuary in their midst forever.
“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the]Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.For I assure you and most solemnly say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke [of the pen] will pass from the Law until all things [which it foreshadows] are accomplished.
For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through [observing the requirements of] the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. [Gen 17:4-6; 22:16-18]
Brothers and sisters, I speak in terms of human relations: even though a last will and testament is just a human covenant, yet when it has been signed and made legally binding, no one sets it aside or adds to it [modifying it in some way].Now the promises [in the covenants] were decreed to Abraham and to his seed. God does not say, “And to seeds (descendants, heirs),” as if [referring] to many [persons], but as to one, “And to your Seed,” who is [none other than] Christ. [Gen 13:15; 17:8]
And if you belong to Christ [if you are in Him], then you are Abraham’s descendants, and [spiritual] heirs according to [God’s] promise.
Be the guarantee for Your servant for good [as Judah was the guarantee for Benjamin]; Do not let the arrogant oppress me. [Gen 43:9]
But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [reverently] fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, [Deut 10:12]
This is what the Lord says, “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths And choose what pleases Me, And hold firmly to My covenant,To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.
‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as an ordinance forever.
Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will do wondrous works (miracles) such as have not been created or produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live shall see the working of the Lord, for it is a fearful and awesome thing that I am going to do with you.
So be on your guard and watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He has made with you, and make for yourselves a carved or sculpted image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you.For the Lord your God is a consuming fire; He is a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely His].
“Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the [steadfast] lovingkindness which He swore to your fathers.He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your [olive] oil, the offspring of your cattle and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your fathers to give you.
All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and goodness and truth and faithfulness To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
¶This is what the Lord says, “In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep watch over You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land [from its present state of ruin] and to apportion and give as inheritances the deserted hereditary lands, [2 Cor 6:2]
“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.
“Nevertheless, I will remember [with compassion] My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. [Ps 106:45]
I say then, has God rejected and disowned His people? Certainly not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. [1 Sam 12:22; Jer 31:37; 33:24-26; Phil 3:5]“Let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see, And make their backs bend [under their burden] forever.” [Ps 69:23]So I say, have they stumbled so as to fall [to spiritual ruin]? Certainly not! But by their transgression [their rejection of the Messiah] salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous [when they realize what they have forfeited].Now if Israel’s transgression means riches for the world [at large] and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment and reinstatement be!But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,in the hope of somehow making my fellow countrymen jealous [by stirring them up so that they will seek the truth] and perhaps save some of them.For if their [present] rejection [of salvation] is for the reconciliation of the world [to God], what will their acceptance [of salvation] be but [nothing less than] life from the dead?If the first portion [of dough offered as the first fruits] is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root (Abraham, the patriarchs) is holy, so are the branches (the Israelites). [Num 15:19-21]But if some of the branches were broken off, and you [Gentiles], being like a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share with them the rich root of the olive tree,do not boast over the [broken] branches and exalt yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you.You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”God has not rejected His [chosen] people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? [Ps 94:14; 1 Kin 19]
And so [because of the oath’s greater strength and force] Jesus has become the certain guarantee of a better covenant [a more excellent and more advantageous agreement; one that will never be replaced or annulled].
“My lovingkindness I will keep for him forevermore, And My covenant will be confirmed to him.
¶Remember [always] the word and promise to Your servant, In which You have made me hope.
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son (descendant) of David, the son (descendant) of Abraham: [Ps 132:11; Is 11:1] Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah.Josiah became the father of Jeconiah [also called Coniah and Jehoiachin] and his brothers, at the time of the deportation (exile) to Babylon. [2 Kin 24:14; 1 Chr 3:15, 16]After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor.Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud.Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob.Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah (Christ). So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen; from David to the Babylonian deportation (exile), fourteen generations; and from the Babylonian deportation to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
To show mercy [as He promised] to our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant [the promised blessing],The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
You are the sons (descendants) of the prophets and [heirs] of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed (descendant) all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ [Gen 22:18; Gal 3:16]
who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, the glory (Shekinah), the [special] covenants [with Abraham, Moses, and David], the giving of the Law, the [system of temple] worship, and the [original] promises. [Ex 4:22; Hos 11:1]To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to His natural descent, came the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), He who is exalted and supreme over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] “Yes.” So through Him we say our “Amen” to the glory of God.
For all who depend on the Law [seeking justification and salvation by obedience to the Law and the observance of rituals] are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed (condemned to destruction) is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, so as to practice them.” [Deut 27:26]Now it is clear that no one is justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing] before God by the Law, for “The righteous (the just, the upright) shall live by faith.” [Hab 2:4]But the Law does not rest on or require faith [it has nothing to do with faith], but [instead, the Law] says, “He who practices them [the things prescribed by the Law] shall live by them [instead of faith].” [Lev 18:5]Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs [crucified] on a tree (cross)”— [Deut 21:23]in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might also come to the Gentiles, so that we would all receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit through faith.
Now even the first covenant had regulations for divine worship and for the earthly sanctuary. [Ex 25:10-40]
By this the Holy Spirit signifies that the way into the Holy Place [the true Holy of Holies and the presence of God] has not yet been disclosed as long as the first or outer tabernacle is still standing [that is, as long as the Levitical system of worship remains a recognized institution],for this [first or outer tabernacle] is a symbol [that is, an archetype or paradigm] for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which are incapable of perfecting the conscience and renewing the [inner self of the] worshiper.
Today the Lord has declared that you are His people, His treasured possession, just as He promised you, and that you are to keep all His commandments;
He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. [Mal 4:4]The Lord is building up Jerusalem; He is gathering [together] the exiles of Israel.He has not dealt this way with any [other] nation; They have not known [understood, appreciated, heeded, or cherished] His ordinances. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) [Ps 79:6; Jer 10:25]
And behold, the Lord stood above and around him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your [father’s] father and the God of Isaac; I will give to you and to your descendants the land [of promise] on which you are lying.Your descendants shall be as [countless as] the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and the east and the north and the south; and all the families (nations) of the earth shall be blessed through you and your descendants. [Gen 12:2, 3; 13:16; 22:18; 26:4; Acts 3:25, 26; Gal 3:8, 16]Behold, I am with you and will keep [careful watch over you and guard] you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this [promised] land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
But God said, “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall name him Isaac (laughter); and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him.
I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore, you shall choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,and you have returned to the Lord your God and have listened to and obeyed His voice with all your heart and with all your soul, in accordance with everything that I am commanding you today, you and your children,by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding closely to Him; for He is your life [your good life, your abundant life, your fulfillment] and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord promised (swore) to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
But He chose the tribe of Judah [as Israel’s leader], Mount Zion, which He loved [to replace Shiloh as His capital].And He built His sanctuary [exalted] like the heights [of the heavens], Like the earth which He has established forever.
“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you [writing the law of God on the heart], and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouths of your [true, spiritual] children, nor from the mouth of your children’s children,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.” [Jer 31:33; Rom 11:26, 27; Gal 3:29; Heb 12:22-24]
And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.
But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
“Blessed (praised, glorified) be the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He has visited us and brought redemption to His people,And He has raised up a horn of salvation [a mighty and valiant Savior] for us In the house of David His servant—
For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.” [Is 57:19; Joel 2:32]
For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord over all [of us], and [He is] abounding in riches (blessings) for all who call on Him [in faith and prayer].For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord [in prayer] will be saved.” [Joel 2:32]
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. [Ex 19:5, 6]
I will establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the water of a flood, nor shall there ever again be a flood to destroy and ruin the earth.”
“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And [as a result] you shall be the father of many nations.“No longer shall your name be Abram (exalted father), But your name shall be Abraham (father of a multitude); For I will make you the father of many nations.
You shall observe this event [concerning Passover] as an ordinance for you and for your children forever.
He has given food to those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence]; He will remember His covenant forever. [Deut 10:12; Ps 96:9]
Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them, Who keeps truth and is faithful forever, [Gen 1:3]
Therefore, I will divide and give Him a portion with the great [kings and rulers], And He shall divide the spoils with the mighty, Because He [willingly] poured out His life to death, And was counted among the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore and took away the sin of many, And interceded [with the Father] for the transgressors. [Luke 22:37]
“Thus says the Lord, ‘If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night do not take place at their appointed times,then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and [My covenant may also be broken] with the Levitical priests, My ministers.
And I will give them one heart [a new heart], and put a new spirit within them. I will take from them the heart of stone, and will give them a heart of flesh [that is responsive to My touch], [Ezek 18:31; 36:26; 2 Cor 3:3]
And I will establish My covenant with you, and you will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord, [Hos 2:19, 20]
Therefore, [inheriting] the promise depends entirely on faith [that is, confident trust in the unseen God], in order that it may be given as an act of grace [His unmerited favor and mercy], so that the promise will be [legally] guaranteed to all the descendants [of Abraham]—not only for those [Jewish believers] who keep the Law, but also for those [Gentile believers] who share the faith of Abraham, who is the [spiritual] father of us all—
Brothers and sisters, I speak in terms of human relations: even though a last will and testament is just a human covenant, yet when it has been signed and made legally binding, no one sets it aside or adds to it [modifying it in some way].
But when [in God’s plan] the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the [regulations of the] Law,so that He might redeem and liberate those who were under the Law, that we [who believe] might be adopted as sons [as God’s children with all rights as fully grown members of a family]. [Rom 11:17-24]
To those who honor and keep His covenant, And remember to do His commandments [imprinting His word on their hearts].
“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the]Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
“This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will inscribe them [producing an inward change],” He then says,
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
And because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants who followed them, and brought you from Egypt with His Presence, with His great and awesome power,dispossessing and driving out from before you nations, [nations that were] greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day.
¶“If his children turn away from My law And do not walk in My ordinances,If they break My statutes And do not keep My commandments,Then I will punish their transgression with the rod [of discipline], And [correct] their wickedness with stripes. [2 Sam 7:14]
Remember, O Lord, Your [tender] compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old.Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.
and so [at that time] all Israel [that is, all Jews who have a personal faith in Jesus as Messiah] will be saved; just as it is written [in Scripture], “The Deliverer (Messiah) will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” [Is 59:20, 21]“This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” [Is 27:9; Jer 31:33]
But the Jerusalem above [that is, the way of faith, represented by Sarah] is free; she is our mother.
¶To Him who struck the firstborn of Egypt, For His lovingkindness endures forever; [Ex 12:29]And brought Israel out from among them, For His lovingkindness endures forever; [Ex 12:51; 13:3, 17]With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, For His lovingkindness endures forever;
“Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will proclaim justice to the nations.
For you know that you were not redeemed from your useless [spiritually unproductive] way of life inherited [by tradition] from your forefathers with perishable things like silver and gold,but [you were actually purchased] with precious blood, like that of a [sacrificial] lamb unblemished and spotless, the priceless blood of Christ. [Lev 22:20]
What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? [Ps 118:6]
He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name—[inspiring reverence and godly fear].
¶Yet the Lord was willing To crush Him, causing Him to suffer; If He would give Himself as a guilt offering [an atonement for sin], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, And the will (good pleasure) of the Lord shall succeed and prosper in His hand.As a result of the anguish of His soul, He shall see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge [of what He has accomplished] the Righteous One, My Servant, shall justify the many [making them righteous—upright before God, in right standing with Him], For He shall bear [the responsibility for] their sins.
Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal]sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness].” [Hos 6:6; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32]
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will bow down and worship before You,
Therefore, since we have been justified [that is, acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God] by faith, [let us grasp the fact that] we have peace with God [and the joy of reconciliation with Him] through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].Not only that, but we also rejoice in God [rejoicing in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received and enjoy our reconciliation [with God]. [Jer 9:24]Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all people [no one being able to stop it or escape its power], because they all sinned.Sin was [committed] in the world before the Law [was given], but sin is not charged [against anyone] when there is no law [against it].Yet death ruled [over mankind] from Adam to Moses [the Lawgiver], even over those who had not sinned as Adam did. Adam is a type of Him (Christ) who was to come [but in reverse—Adam brought destruction, Christ brought salvation]. [Gen 5:5; 7:22; Deut 34:5] But the free gift [of God] is not like the trespass [because the gift of grace overwhelms the fall of man]. For if many died by one man’s trespass [Adam’s sin], much more [abundantly] did God’s grace and the gift [that comes] by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to [benefit] the many.Nor is the gift [of grace] like that which came through the one who sinned. For on the one hand the judgment [following the sin] resulted from one trespass and brought condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift resulted from many trespasses and brought justification [the release from sin’s penalty for those who believe].For if by the trespass of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one (Adam), much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in [eternal] life through the One, Jesus Christ.So then as through one trespass [Adam’s sin] there resulted condemnation for all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.For just as through one man’s disobedience [his failure to hear, his carelessness] the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of the one Man the many will be made righteous and acceptable to God and brought into right standing with Him.Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power].
¶He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded and established to a thousand generations,
But You, O Lord, are a God [who protects and is] merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.
Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; Bind them [securely] around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. [Col 3:9-12]Do not quarrel with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. [Rom 12:18]Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. [Ps 37:1; 73:3; Prov 24:1]For the devious are repulsive to the Lord; But His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage]. [Ps 25:14]The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just and righteous. [Ps 37:22; Zech 5:4; Mal 2:2]Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, Yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favor] to the humble [those who give up self-importance]. [James 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5]The wise will inherit honor and glory, But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools. [Is 32:6]So find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. [Luke 2:52]
¶This is what the Lord says, “In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep watch over You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land [from its present state of ruin] and to apportion and give as inheritances the deserted hereditary lands, [2 Cor 6:2]Saying to those who are bound and captured, ‘Go forth,’ And to those who are in [spiritual] darkness, ‘Show yourselves [come into the light of the Savior].’ They will feed along the roads [on which they travel], And their pastures will be on all the bare heights.
You will live in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you will be My people, and I will be your God.
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].
For the Lord is good; His mercy and lovingkindness are everlasting, His faithfulness [endures] to all generations.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. [Ps 19:9; John 17:17]
Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.
He has made His wonderful acts to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and merciful and full of loving compassion.
‘For I will pour out water on him who is thirsty, And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants; [Is 32:15; 35:6, 7; Joel 2:28; John 7:37-39]
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may endure for a night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. [2 Cor 4:17]
“ Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. [Luke 11:9-13]For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened.
I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “The just and upright shall live by faith.” [Hab 2:4]
Your faithfulness continues from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands [securely].
For the high and exalted One He who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy says this, “I dwell on the high and holy place, But also with the contrite and humble in spirit In order to revive the spirit of the humble And to revive the heart of the contrite [overcome with sorrow for sin]. [Matt 5:3]
But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.
Now may the God of peace [the source of serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified the eternal covenant, [Is 55:3; 63:11; Ezek 37:26; Zech 9:11]equip you with every good thing to carry out His will and strengthen you [making you complete and perfect as you ought to be], accomplishing in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow]. [Ps 34:18; Is 57:15; 61:1; Luke 4:18]
For I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love.And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.
I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word together with Your name.
‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’ [Acts 18:10]
“My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.“Once [for all] I have sworn by My holiness, [My vow which cannot be violated]; I will not lie to David.
However, it is not as though God’s word has failed [coming to nothing]. For not all who are descended from Israel (Jacob) are [the true] Israel;
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.
And He remembered His covenant for their sake, And relented [rescinding their sentence] according to the greatness of His lovingkindness [when they cried out to Him],
But he did not doubt or waver in unbelief concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and empowered by faith, giving glory to God,
The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me; Your [unwavering] lovingkindness, O Lord, endures forever— Do not abandon the works of Your own hands. [Ps 57:2; Phil 1:6]
Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty,¶You send springs into the valleys; Their waters flow among the mountains.They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst there.Beside them the birds of the heavens have their nests; They lift up their voices and sing among the branches. [Matt 13:32]He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.¶He causes grass to grow for the cattle, And all that the earth produces for cultivation by man, So that he may bring food from the earth—And wine which makes the heart of man glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And bread to sustain and strengthen man’s heart.The trees of the Lord drink their fill, The cedars of Lebanon which He has planted,Where the birds make their nests; As for the stork, the fir trees are her house.¶The high mountains are for the wild goats; The rocks are a refuge for the shephanim. He made the moon for the seasons; The sun knows the [exact] place of its setting.[You are the One] who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretches out the heavens like a tent curtain,You [O Lord] make darkness and it becomes night, In which prowls about every wild beast of the forest.The young lions roar after their prey And seek their food from God.When the sun arises, they withdraw And lie down in their dens.Man goes out to his work And remains at his labor until evening.¶O Lord, how many and varied are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your riches and Your creatures.There is the sea, great and broad, In which are swarms without number, Creatures both small and great.There the ships [of the sea] sail, And Leviathan [the sea monster], which You have formed to play there.¶They all wait for You To give them their food in its appointed season.You give it to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are filled and satisfied with good [things].You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their breath, they die And return to their dust.Who lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters [above the firmament], Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,You send out Your Spirit, they are created; You renew the face of the ground.¶May the glory of the Lord endure forever; May the Lord rejoice and be glad in His works—He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.May my meditation be sweet and pleasing to Him; As for me, I will rejoice and be glad in the Lord.Let sinners be consumed from the earth, And let the wicked be no more. Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)Who makes winds His messengers, Flames of fire His ministers. [Heb 1:7]¶He established the earth on its foundations, So that it will not be moved forever and ever. [Job 38:4, 6]
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.