In his song, Zechariah remembered God’s covenantal faithfulness. Luke 1: 72 He (God) has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. [1]
A covenant is an agreement that God initiates with His people by His authority. It gives promises and lists obligations for Himself and us. Some type of sign often ratifies it. The sign for the Abrahamic covenant is circumcision. God’s covenants are eternal in nature.
The History of Abraham’s Covenant
God made a promise to Abraham as he followed God. Genesis 12: 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.[2]
God repeated these same promises to Abraham. Genesis 15: 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” 6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.[3]
God tested Abraham to see how willing he was to be obedient to His instructions. Genesis 22: 16This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you… 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.[4]
This covenant revealed how God would redeem sinful humanity to Himself. The descendant of Abraham who would bless all the families on earth was Jesus. Many scholars think that God gave Abraham this covenant about 2000 years before Jesus was born. Abraham’s descendants often broke their promises to God. However, God always keeps His promises even when we humans do not.
God’s Trustworthy Character
God’s covenantal faithfulness gives us insight into His character. We have a gracious God who invites us and provides a way into a relationship with Him. Through keeping His promise for a Messiah, God gives us a foundation for trust and hope in our faith journey.
Micah 7: 19 Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! 20 You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago. [5]At the first Christmas, God gave us the gift of Jesus, who would pay the price for our sins.
Our response to God’s faithfulness calls for our obedience. Knowing God’s faithfulness transforms how we view our worship and daily living. It encourages us to remain steadfast in our faith. Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.[6] To learn more about God’s covenantal faithfulness, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-gift-of-song
[1-6] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.