Covenant Relationships with God

Read I Samuel 18:1-4

The first step in making a covenant with someone is found in the exchange of the robes or garments. "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle."
The robe was a garment worn over a tunic by men of rank, or a garment of the High Priest. What Jonathan was saying in effect to David was, "I’m giving you my life; all that I am and all that I have." Jonathan was the Crown Prince, son of King Saul, destined for the throne. From birth he had been trained, schooled, and groomed for Kingship. He had everything to live for, possessions beyond our imagination, money, prestige, and a future to be envied. However, he was ready and willing to give it all away.
God, in his humanity, Jesus Christ wants to exchange robes with us today. He would like to take your sinful flesh and attach it to the cross and give you a new robe or garment. He left the indescribable beauty and the unspeakable glory of heaven to manifest, or robe himself in our filthy humanity in order to give to us His Robe of Righteousness.
Isaiah 61:10 states "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness," Ephesians 4:24 declares, "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Ephesians 4:24 is written in covenant language which the Jews understood far more deeply than we generally do today. Paul was emphasizing that there had been an Exchange of Life. We are now to walk in another man’s garment, taking on His Identity, reflecting His Nature, manifesting His Goodness. You and I do not carry the weight of our own identity, but we carry the identity of Jesus Christ. Our names were changed. In biblical times you were known as Joseph ben Jacob or as you and I would say, Joseph, the son of Jacob. Well, when I entered into a covenant relationship with Jesus, my name went from Tim ben Frank to Tim ben Jesus. That is why it doesn’t matter who your earthly father is, if you enter into covenant with Him, you take on his garment. This was what Jesus had in mind when He said: John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
How about you today? Are you willing to exchange your filthy flesh for the glorious robe of Jesus Christ? He is standing at your door and knocking to begin that covenant relationship. Now, will you go answer the door?

“I was born in the fire, and I dare not sit in the smoke.”
- Unknown

Read I Samuel 18:4

Have you ever said something to someone in secret and they let the cat out of the bag? How did it make you feel? Were you hurt, upset and defensive? That is how we often respond to the hurts from a friend, but in covenant relationships, we must give that up. When we get hurt, the first thing we usually do is build up walls that will not let anyone else in. Covenant goes through the walls to the exact place of our vulnerability.
The second step in creating a covenant is found in the exchanging of the belts, or the weapons. "And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle."
By giving up his personal weapons of defense, Jonathan was surrendering his ability to defend himself against attack. His entire defense was now in the hands of his "Covenant Friend". He deliberately made himself vulnerable. He also rendered himself incapable of hurting his "Covenant Friend" it was a commitment of utter loyalty holding nothing back. A Covenant does not depend upon the faithfulness of the other person. David could have broken that relationship by turning and attacking Jonathon with those weapons that he just gave up, but the principle of covenant is that you make yourself totally vulnerable to that other person.
Ephesians 6:13 demands, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” I Samuel 17:45-47 shares, “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” Deuteronomy 20:4 says, "For the LORD your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."
As our covenant partner, God Himself, is committed to fight our battles, to be our defense, and preserve us to everlasting life. It is tragic that many born again children of God are unacquainted with this provision of our covenant with God. We continue to live as though we must fight our own battles. I am amazed at how easy it is for us to have the hairs on our neck raise up and we want to go to battle for something that, in all actuality, God is taking care of. I wonder how many times our situations become so much worse because we try and fix the situation without letting our covenant-friend take care of the circumstance.
Will you become vulnerable today? Will you place all of your “weapons” in God’s hands and let Him fight for you and protect you? Here’s the hardest question, do you trust Him enough to place all of your defenses in Him? It is my suggestion that you do everything possible to enter that aspect of the covenant today.

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable.”
- Madeleine L'Engle