God Has Always Been בְּרִית God

Berith (ber-eeth'): Covenant, treaty, binding agreement

This week's Hebrew word is berith, meaning promise. But it's not a promise like a pinky-promise kids make.

A berith is a solemn, binding agreement, not just a contract, but a covenant. And what's so striking about the covenants in Scripture is that God keeps initiating them. He didn't have to. He is God. He owes us nothing. And yet, over and over, He binds Himself to His people with promises, signs, and sworn oaths.

With Noah God makes a covenant never to destroy the earth by flood again, sealed with a rainbow. With Abraham God makes a promise of land, descendants, and blessing to all nations, sealed with a smoking fire pot passing through the pieces and a baby from a barren old womb. With David God makes an everlasting kingdom and throne. Each berith builds on the one before it, all of them pointing forward to the same promise: Jesus.

And then Jeremiah 31 announces something breathtaking: a berith chadashah — a new covenant. One written not on stone tablets but on human hearts. Forgiveness that goes all the way down. A relationship with God that doesn't depend on our ability to keep up our end.

This is the covenant we now live in. And the God who has never broken a single covenant promise is the same God who holds you today.

What does it mean to you that God has bound Himself to you in covenant?

Scriptures where we find "berith":

Genesis 9:16 — "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures..."

Jeremiah 31:33 — "I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people."

Psalm 105:8 — "He remembers His covenant forever, the promise He made for a thousand generations."