Episode 8: Covenant Renewal

Daily Reading:

Day 1: Deuteronomy 5-9

Day 2: Deuteronomy 29-32

Day 3: Joshua 1-2, 23-24

Day 4: Judges 1-2, 19-21

Day 5: 1 Samuel 13-15, 28: 3-25

Day 6: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Day 7: Group Meeting Experience on: Deuteronomy 6:1-19

Have you ever read through the book of Deuteronomy? If you read it as a book of covenant renewal, there is more meaning to it than just a recitation of laws. Chapters 1-5 begin with a new generation of Israelites, you see after 40 years of wilderness wandering, the first generation of Israelites who left Egypt had perished, except for Caleb, Joshua, and Moses. Moses is speaking to this new generation, reminding them of the covenant and calling them to covenant faithfulness. Moses begins his conversation with this new generation by recounting the failings of their mothers and fathers, all the while reminding them that God has never left or abandoned them. At the end of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the new generation that everything will be work out if they only listen and obey God. And if they don’t listen and obey God, things will go sideways really quickly.

The rest of our reading this week illustrates what happens when we forget our covenant relationship with God. The readings from Joshua 1-2, 23-24 highlight Israel’s entry into the Promised Land and Joshua’s final charge to the people, urging them to remain faithful to their covenant with God. Joshua reminds them of God’s faithfulness and the blessings they have received, emphasizing the need to reject foreign gods and serve the Lord wholeheartedly. However, even in these early moments, the seeds of covenant failure are sown. The promise to drive out all the Canaanites is left incomplete, and Joshua warns that disobedience will lead to disaster. This sets the stage for Israel’s struggle to maintain its covenant relationship with God in the generations to come.

In Judges 1-2, 19-21, the cycle of covenant failure becomes tragically clear. After Joshua’s death, the Israelites repeatedly fall into idolatry, abandoning their commitment to the Lord. Without strong leadership, they spiral into moral and social chaos. The shocking stories in Judges 19-21, including the violent acts in Gibeah and the ensuing civil war, reveal how far the people have strayed from their covenant responsibilities. Rather than living as a holy nation under God’s rule, they devolve into lawlessness and brutality, demonstrating the devastating consequences of forsaking their covenant with God.

The failures of Israel’s leaders are further emphasized in 1 Samuel 13-15, 28:3-25, where King Saul disobeys God’s commands and prioritizes his own desires over covenant faithfulness. His impatience and partial obedience in sparing King Agag and the best livestock reveal a lack of trust in God’s authority. Saul’s rejection of God ultimately leads to his downfall, culminating in his desperate consultation with a medium in 1 Samuel 28. This act of defiance underscores his complete departure from the covenant as he seeks guidance outside of God’s will. Together, these readings illustrate how covenant failure—whether through disobedience, idolatry, or misplaced trust—leads to devastating consequences for both leaders and the community as a whole.

Human failure is an undeniable part of our story. When we fall short, it’s often in dramatic and painful ways. From the very beginning, the Bible reveals a pattern of failure: God calls us to one thing asks us to follow his way, but we are drawn to distractions, tempted by the whisper of a serpent saying, “Did God really ask that of you?” NT Wright captures the essence of sin well: “Sin is not just ‘doing things God has forbidden.’ [It is a] failure to be fully functioning, God-reflecting human beings.” If sin had never entered the story, there would be no need for multiple covenants in scripture. Yet, even in the face of our failures, God consistently reaches out to us with grace and love.

As we approach the season of Lent, we are invited to take a sober look at our lives, examining the sins we’ve carried or ignored over the past year. Lent is a time to reflect on our covenant relationship with God and ask hard questions: Where have we broken our promises to God? Where have we failed to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? Where have we fallen short in loving our neighbors as ourselves? Confronting these truths isn’t easy, but it’s the starting point for covenant renewal.

This week’s scripture readings are a stark reminder of the depths of human sin, but they also reveal the unfailing love of a God who continues to pursue us. As we reflect, let us not only grieve our failures but also respond with gratitude and love for the God who meets us in our brokenness and calls us back into covenant relationship with God. It is through God’s grace that true renewal is possible.