Immediate Word

In the words of the old adage, "money makes the world go round" -- and people find all sorts of creative opportunities in pursuit of profit. One example in the news this week is the growing popularity in Iraq of "terrorism insurance": life insurance policies with riders specifically covering violent death. But even in relatively safe circumstances, we depend on many types of insurance to protect our property (house, auto, etc.) or ourselves (medical, life, etc.). In the next installment of The Immediate Word, team member George Reed examines the nature of God's covenant with us -- and our tendency to sometimes treat it instead as a sort of insurance policy. The Old Testament Lesson for April 2 (Jeremiah 31:31-34) outlines the new covenant; and though God offers us a covenant relationship, many people act as if it's a contract -- and expect that if we lead reasonably moral lives and believe in Jesus, God will protect us from the bad things that sometimes happen and grant us passage to eternal life. Here's a preview:

Covenant Or Contract?

A recent New York Times article discussed how some enterprising businessmen in Iraq have developed a new product -- terrorism insurance. ("New Business Blooms in Iraq: Terror Insurance," http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/international/middleeast/21insurance.html) In a very unstable environment, they have found a way to profit from the instability and the fear of the people. In the past, we have seen such dynamics played out more in terms of offering safety in exchange for loyalty -- but where safety and loyalty are in such short supply, monetary compensation will do.

One may wonder about the deliverance of those peacekeepers this week. Was their release a payoff from God for their faithfulness -- or do we need to look at Christians' covenant relationship with God in different terms?

Jeremiah brings a word from God about a new covenant and John records Jesus' words that he will "draw all people to myself." Are we to understand God's call to covenant as an invitation to enter into a relationship where we offer our loyalty and in return are offered safety, or at least compensation in the world to come? Or could God's covenant mean just a little bit more?

This week we will look at the idea of "covenant" as we find it expressed in Jeremiah and John (as well as other scriptures), and ask the question: "How can we best understand what God is doing in offering covenant to us?"

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The Immediate Word Team
TIW@csspub.com