He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham. (Psalm 105:8-9)

A covenant is a very powerful thing because, as we see in the Bible, covenants are commonly ratified with blood. In fact, the Hebrew word for covenant, ברית brit, is derived from a root that means, “to cut.” The implication is that relationships and alliances that are confirmed with blood — that in which the life of all flesh exists — are sacred. They are something more than a promise or contract that can be amended or, in some cases, ignored; they are bonds that are intended to last for a lifetime. In the case of the covenant God has made with His people, it endures beyond the lives of those He made covenant with; it endures for all time.

The fact that He remembers His covenant forever speaks to His faithfulness, not necessarily the faithfulness of His people. It is written, “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9). Though He initially established His covenant with Abraham, long after the patriarch died — and even during times when his descendants abandoned the ways of the Lord — the covenant remained intact. Again, not because of the people’s faithfulness but because the Lord is faithful to show mercy to a thousand generations. By the way, there have been no where near a thousand generations since Abraham.

Remember that the word “covenant” is associated with the notion of cutting flesh in order to produce blood. There is no greater example of the concept of covenant than the sacrifice made on our behalf by Messiah. From head to toe, His body was cut and pierced; He bled profusely in order to pay the debt that was due for our sins. It is His blood — not the blood of bulls and goats — that has atoned, once and for all, for those who are willing to acknowledge the need for a Redeemer and Savior. And as the old song says, that blood will never lose its power. And so we rejoice today in the knowledge that the Lord our God remembers His covenant throughout the generations, meaning that when we go to our rest, He will remember us and raise us up incorruptible.

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill