Covenant Living

You are to help your brothers until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them.”

– Joshua 1:14-15

What Is Covenant Life?

This passage teaches us a valuable lesson about covenant life. The modern ideal is individualism, self-interest, and self-centeredness. We glory in the philosophy that says, “I will do what I want to do, when and how I want to do it, and I don’t care what anyone else thinks.” But the moment we are converted, such life must come to an end, for as Christians we are called to live in covenant relationship with God and with each other.

A covenant is an agreement between two or more persons; therefore, covenant life is community life, and a covenant person will seek, not his own interest, but that of the entire community. So a husband will look after the interests of his wife; parents will look after the interests of their children; and a believer in Christ will look after the interest of the whole community of believers of which he is a part.

When a believer is baptized, he confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and enters into a covenant with him. From that point on, he no longer lives for himself but for Christ. The greatest idol is self; Jesus demands that we deny self, take up the cross daily, and follow him. When a believer joins a local church, he enters into a covenant to seek the welfare of that community. He is a member of the body of Christ. In the same way, when a man marries, he enters into a covenant with his wife and ceases to be a single person. He keeps the covenant of marriage by self-denial and faithfulness to his marriage vows.

It is true that many who enter into a covenant-based life fail to live up to their promises and commitments to others. They become self-seekers instead. But the Bible detests such people. Instead, it praises those who keep their oaths even when it hurts (Psalm 15:4). Take, for example, Joshua’s agreement with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9). As inhabitants of Canaan, the Gibeonites were slated to be destroyed by the Israelites. But they deceived Joshua and the leaders into making a covenant of peace with them, and Joshua kept that covenant, even though it hurt him.

The ultimate example of one who lived a true covenant life even though it hurt was our Lord Jesus Christ. In the eternal council he agreed to become incarnate, to live a perfect life under God’s law, and to die a sacrificial death in behalf of the elect people of God. In the fullness of time he fulfilled that covenant: he was born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who are under the law. At Gethsemane he prayed for the removal of the cup of God’s wrath given him to drink. But then he prayed immediately, “Not my will but thine be done.”

Jesus Christ calls us all to live a covenant life, putting the interests of God and our fellow believers before our own. An excellent illustration of such covenant life is found in the history of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, as recorded especially in Numbers 32, Joshua 1:12-18, and Joshua 22.

The Sin of Rejecting Covenant Life

After leaving Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years due to their own unbelief and rebellion. An entire generation murmured against the covenant God had made with them and, as a result, they died in the desert. They did not enter into their inheritance of rest because of their disobedience.

Now the second generation were east of the Jordan River, ready to enter the land. They had already defeated Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan (Deuteronomy 1:4), thus gaining possession of the territories of these two Amorite kings on the east side of the Jordan River, stretching from the Arnon River in the south to Mount Hermon in the north, beyond the Sea of Galilee. They controlled hundreds of cities of the Amorites, including such fertile lands as Bashan and Gilead. The Bible speaks about “the cows of Bashan,” meaning cows that are sleek and well-fed because of the fertile land.

Numbers 32:1 and Deuteronomy 3:19 tell us that the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh possessed large numbers of livestock. So they approached Moses and the other leaders with this request: “Please do not make us cross the Jordan, but let us possess these fertile lands on the east side of Jordan” (Numbers 32:5). In this request, we can see their sinful rejection of the covenant obligations of community life. They were rejecting God’s plan and not living by faith. They were placing their own interests and that of their cattle over the interests of all the other tribes. In this way they were behaving like Lot did many centuries before. Genesis 13:10-11 tells us that “Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt . . . So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan.” Lot made his choice based on one reason – he owned many cattle. Lot based his decision on sight, not on faith.

Like Lot, these two and a half tribes were making their decision based, not on faith, but on selfish, material interests. Jesus once warned his followers, “The pagans run after all these things” (Matthew 6:32). “These things” there means money, or material possessions. Pagans live for money, making decisions based on the possibility of making more money. They have no interest in the life of faith. If the employer says, “I will give you more money if you go to New York,” they will say, “Fine, no problem. I’ll go to New York.” And if the employer says, “I will give you money if you work ninety-five hours a week,” they reply, “Oh, no problem at all. I will do anything to make another buck.” How many times have we made decisions like Lot and like these tribes! We prefer our own interests over those of God and his community.

Moses was displeased with the request of these tribes to not cross the Jordan with the others and fight the Lord’s battles. In anger he called them a “brood of sinners” (Numbers 32:14) and asked, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?” (v. 6). You see, they were not thinking about being brothers and part of the twelve-tribe community. They were only thinking about themselves. They did not want to cross the mighty Jordan to endanger themselves by fighting wars against the Canaanites. They wanted to enjoy the good life while the others fought on their behalf. In effect, they were saying, “Let the others cross the Jordan and fight the wars of the Lord. We just want to rest and take care of our livestock. We are sick and tired of wandering. We have no more stomach for battles.”

Just as these tribes rejected covenant community life in favor of a self-centered life, so there are believers who confess Jesus as Lord and take upon themselves covenant responsibilities, only to reject them. Divorce is one example; rejection of the marriage covenant proves self-centeredness. Another example is removing oneself from a local church for selfish reasons. It is a rejection of covenant community life and demonstrates sinful selfism.

Repentance and Renewal of the Covenant

Numbers 32:16-19 tells us that these two and a half tribes repented of their sins and renewed their covenant. They entered into an agreement with Moses, Joshua, Eleazar, and other leaders which included these three promises: first, that their armed men would cross over the Jordan with their brothers; second, that they would go ahead of everybody else as the vanguard to face the greatest danger of fighting; and third, that they would not return to their homes until every Israelite had received his inheritance.

Now, it is one thing to repent and renew one’s covenant promises, but it is entirely another thing to keep those promises, especially when it hurts. Yes, when God makes a promise, we can rely on it, for God is not a man that he should lie, nor does he ever change. “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ'” (2 Corinthians 1:20). He promised rest to all the tribes and he would keep that promise. But would the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh fulfill what they had promised?

Moses did not really believe their promises, but he agreed to their covenant renewal conditionally. Every promise in the Scripture is based on a condition. We are not going to be saved until we repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot say, “God, I want you to bless me, but I do not want to keep your conditions.” We think God is an old man who will forget what we said and still bless us. But we cannot fool God.

In Numbers 32:20-30 we find six conditional “ifs” which Moses placed before the tribes. The first three are found in verses 20-21: “Then Moses said to them, ‘If you will do this – if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle, and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him. . . .'” The others are found in verse 23: “‘But if you fail to do this. . . ,'” in verse 29: “‘If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord,'” and in verse 30: “‘But if they do not cross over with you armed. . . .'”

What would happen when the tribes fulfilled these conditions? “Then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return” (v. 22) If! Then! In other words, if these tribes fulfilled the conditions, then they could return to their land and be blessed. God blesses those who walk in the way of obedience.

What about our own lives? How many promises have we made when we were in tough situations? We cry out to God in repentance and renewal, with tears, and we promise this and that – only to forget the next morning what we promised! Think of the promises we made to the Lord at our baptism, to our church when we joined it, to our spouses at our marriage, to God and the church when we dedicated our children. What happened to all the promises we have made in the name of the Lord? Have we fulfilled them? The Bible tells us that as Christians we are to speak truth, to speak as the oracles of God. We are to be like God in keeping our word, even when it hurts.

Keeping Covenant Promises

Although these tribes ultimately repented, there were some consequences to their decision to obtain land on the east of the Jordan. The wives and children they left behind were deprived of the privilege of witnessing divine miracles – the parting of the Jordan River, the destruction of the walls of Jericho, and the many battles fought and won. And in later years, due to their great distance from the temple, these tribes came more and more under pagan influence, and were the first to go into captivity.

Each of us should examine our own life in this regard. How many times have we made promises to our pastor, to our elders, to our father or mother, only to renege and change our minds? But such behavior will not result in blessing. Every choice has its consequences, and every infraction will be punished..

The two and a half tribes sinned in rejecting covenant life, but they quickly repented and renewed their covenant. Now we must ask: Were they just saying idle words, or did they fulfill the promises they made to Moses and then to Joshua?

These tribes fulfilled their word to God’s full satisfaction. Joshua 4:10-13 says, “Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, armed, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.” They crossed over in front of the others, just as they had agreed to do, and they fought in every battle on the west side of Jordan, bringing victory for Israel. In Joshua 12 we find a list of the thirty-one kings they helped defeat.

The two and a half tribes promised that they would not return home until all the Israelites had received rest, meaning their inheritance. In Joshua 21:43-45 we are told, “So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”

Yet even after God gave them rest, they still did not return to their homes. As good soldiers, they waited for the order of the general. So in Joshua 22:1 we read, “Then” – meaning after they fought and defeated all those kings, got all those territories, and gave rest to many people – “Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh and said to them, ‘You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded.'” This is an amazing statement. It is akin to what God will say to his people on the last day: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of the Lord.”

These covenant people made promises and kept them. When convicted of their sins, they repented, saying, “We were selfish and we repent of it. We will go over the Jordan and fight every battle for the good of the whole community.” They put their lives in danger for their brothers. And notice that they did not just fight for a day or for a month or for a year. From careful study of Scripture (Deuteronomy 2:14; Joshua 14:7,10) we can deduce that they fought for seven long years, all forty thousand of them. These tribes paid a high price for their obedience. For seven years they were away from their wives, their children, and their possessions. Yes, they trusted in God for the welfare of their families, but they also made great sacrifices, not for themselves, but for the rest of their brothers.

How different these tribes were from the older generation, who murmured every time they faced troubles! We do not read of even one time these people murmured during their seven years of service to Israel. They trusted in God and kept their promises, obeying everything Moses and Joshua commanded.

In Joshua 1:12-15 we find Joshua reminding them of their promise to cross over and fight for their brothers: “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you. . . .” And in verse 16 we see the unconditional surrender in their reply: “Then they answered Joshua, ‘Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.'” There is no limit. And later on they add, “‘Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death.'” In other words, they were telling Joshua, “Put us to death if we do not obey you!”

This is exactly what we mean when we say, “Jesus is Lord.” We are telling the greater Joshua: “Whatever you command, we will do, and wherever you send, we will go. If we do not do it, put us to death.” That is covenant language. (PGM) Joshua was so pleased with these people that he gave them this certification in Joshua 22:2: “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded.” I pray that God will also say that we have obeyed him completely.

These tribes had learned covenant life. Joshua 22:3-4 says, “For a long time now” – that is, for seven years – “to this very day, you have not deserted your brothers.” Desertion is what they were trying to do before. When someone gets married and then walks out, that is desertion. When people come to a church and agree with everything, and then walk out, that is desertion. Deserting people are self-centered covenant breakers with no understanding of covenant life. They deny their own words while pretending that everything is all right. Proverbs 18:1 says, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment” (ESV).

These two and a half tribes had learned that covenant life is about relationship. Yes, they acted in a sinful, selfish way when they did not want to cross the Jordan and fight. But they repented, and now Joshua commended them, saying, “You have not deserted your brothers.” You see, as Christians, we are not alone; we have brothers and sisters, and everyone is connected with the others. A church is not a group of individuals who merely meet to hear the word and then rush out. As many members in one body, we are connected to one another, and we each have a particular gift we need to exercise for the common good. We are our brothers’ keepers.

Finally Joshua told them, “Now that the Lord your God has given your brothers rest as he promised, return to your homes” (Joshua 22:4). That was the order of the general. These people did not take one step until the general gave them permission to do so. So Joshua spoke to them, and in verse 5 we notice something very important. Although their military obligation was over, their covenant obligation to the Lord continued. So Joshua exhorted them, “But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

This is the same instruction Moses gave in Deuteronomy 6:5, and the same thing Jesus said when he was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 22:37-39). Covenant life is a life of relationship with God and his people.

Blessings for Obedience

Then Joshua blessed these people and sent them home (Joshua 22:6-8). When we walk in covenant, we will experience blessing; when we walk in disobedience, we experience curse. The first generation of Israelites did not enter into rest because of their unbelief; they all died in the wilderness. But this generation went home with Joshua’s blessing. This idea is still true today. There are people today who say, “In the Old Testament people had to obey God, but in the New Testament, we do not have to.” This is false. Jesus Christ said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). Our God does not change.

Covenant obedience brought blessing to these people. Now, this blessing was not just a wish or some type of magic. It was a bestowal of material and spiritual blessings in the name of the Lord after the pattern of the patriarchal blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was not just empty words; it meant something. In verse 8 we read, “[Joshua] blessed them, saying, ‘Return to your homes with your great wealth – with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing.'” Notice, they came over the Jordan empty-handed, but now they were returning with great wealth. There is a blessing when we keep the covenant and walk in obedience. The Lord is our shepherd and we shall lack nothing.

Now, certain men from these tribes, about seventy thousand of them, had remained on the east side of the Jordan to care for the women, children, and livestock. So Joshua told those who were going home, “Take all this wealth, but make sure you divide it with your brothers.” Again, this is the idea of covenant life: they could not just take home this wealth and keep it for themselves. Covenant life meant sharing it with those who did not fight but were taking care of other responsibilities.

Brothers and sisters, I hope you will not be selfish. Never live a covenant-denying, self-centered life. Instead, live a community-oriented life, for we are not alone; we are a family. If someone is in need, pray for that person and help him. His problem is your problem. That is the covenant idea. The Bible says when one suffers, all suffer, and when one rejoices, all rejoice. We are commanded to lay down our lives for our brothers (1 John 3:16).

Curses for Disobedience

Just as there is blessing when we keep God’s covenant, so also there is a curse for every infraction of it. These tribes told Moses that they would keep the covenant, but Moses did not fully believe them. So he told them, “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). In other words, they would suffer consequences for breaking the covenant.

How many of us really believe what we say matters! We make promises and enter into agreements all the time. We say “Yes” to everything, only to forget what we said a day or a week or a year later. And we think that no matter what we do, the blessing will come. But it will not. Our sin will find us out.

Initially, the two and a half tribes were self-centered and rejected covenant life. Yet they repented and promised to live a covenant life, and they fulfilled that promise. Joshua certified it and blessed them. What the Lord begins, he completes, and therefore what we begin, we must complete in order to be like him.

Self-seeking is a dangerous enterprise, especially for a Christian. A self-seeking person shall not be blessed; his sin shall find him out. The Bible gives many examples of self-centered people who rejected covenant life, and therefore received curses instead of blessings. Achan was one such person. He saw, coveted, and took gold, silver, and a garment from the plunder of Jericho. He hid these things in direct violation of the command of God. As a result, many of his fellow Israelites died in battle, and he and his family were destroyed (Joshua 7).

Another example is found in Judges 5. There was a great battle between the Israelites and Jabin, a Canaanite king. General Sisera commanded Jabin’s army, which included nine hundred iron chariots. It was the responsibility of all twelve tribes to come and assist when one tribe was in trouble. But read Judges 5:16-17: “Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.” Oh, yes, they had a number of meetings to discuss it. They had great soul-searching. But they did not show up to help. You see, they denied the unity that exists in the people of God. “Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.” That is the self-centered life. These tribes refused to come and help Deborah and Barak in their battle against the Canaanites. But in verse 18 God praises some who did understand covenant responsibility and joined their brothers: “The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.” They risked their lives and came to fight against the enemies of the Israelites. This is covenant life.

In Psalm 78 we also see God’s disapproval of the covenant-rejecting life: “The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; they did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his law” (vv. 9-10). God rejects every person who will not live by the covenantal obligations that person has toward others. Such a person is under a curse.

Application

Let us now consider a few things by way of application. First, think about how we make decisions. Are we basing them on material or spiritual things? Do we, like the pagans, run after the things of the world, rejecting covenantal obligations to pursue selfish interests?

Second, realize that true riches consist in relationships. Our relationship with the Lord, the relationship between a husband and wife, the relationship of parents and children, the relationship with brothers and sisters – that is what true treasure is all about.

Third, know that your sin will find you out. Every infraction of covenant will be revealed in due time. All those who divorced their wives or husbands made promises at one time “before God and these witnesses.” But they turned away from their promises, thinking that God would still bless them. It shall never happen.

Fourth, keep your word even when it hurts, and especially when it hurts. The unshakable man of Psalm 15 is righteous in his dealings with his fellow human beings.

Fifth, make every effort to maintain the unity of the community established by the Holy Spirit. You should not contribute to the disruption of the community. If you do, God will judge you.

Some people live under the mistaken notion that Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you: Love yourself.” But is that what he said? No, he said, “Love one another” (John 13:34). That is covenant life. In fact, Jesus said we must love one another “as I have loved you.” We do not even have the right to love the way we want to love. How did Jesus love us? By dying on the cross for our sins! Therefore, we too must lay down our lives for our brothers. This is serious community life. I hope we will not say, “Who is that person? I don’t have anything to do with him!” No, you have everything to do with that person because he has been saved by Christ and brought into the family of God. Jesus then said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (v. 35).

So brothers and sisters, let us keep our eyes on Jesus, who kept his covenant even when it hurt him by his death on the cross. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who keeps his covenant with us. He is faithful; therefore, let us also be faithful, not only to him but also to his blood-bought family, the church of God. Amen.