THE GREATEST PROPOSAL

By Elizabeth Settle

"But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you." Genesis 6:18

Before my husband and I got married in 2000, we obtained a marriage license from the county clerk. It was an exciting day! We locked eyes with each other—license in hand—and realized, this just got real. But, the license was just a symbol of a greater thing: the relationship into which he and I were entering.

The word “covenant” is often compared to a marriage license, but that is not the biblical meaning. A covenant is not a piece of paper, a contract, or a physical object. It is so much greater and deeper—it is a relationship into which two parties enter. And in the Bible, it often refers to the relationship between God and His people. We see the first use of this word in Genesis 6 when God establishes a covenant with Noah, and we learn several important things from this first mention.

Covenant is God’s. God establishes His covenant. He is the initiator of the agreement. It was true with Noah, and it is true with you and me to this day. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). God is the initiator, and we are invited to respond to His covenant—to His invitation to relationship.

Covenant is for salvation. Sin has reigned over mankind since Adam and Eve severed relationship with God in the garden, but God chose—from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Moses to Jesus—to continue to be in relationship with humankind and save us from self-inflicted sin and death by inviting us into covenant. We are safe in Him like Noah was safe in the ark.

Covenant is for family. God’s promise was to Noah, but it also included his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law who also chose to follow the Lord. This is an encouragement to any of us seeking salvation for our family members. God loves family, uses family, blesses family, and desires to see our family saved. All who enter into covenant with Him become a part of His family.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the greatest proposal to an intimate covenant relationship with God. And when we accept His proposal, we become forever His.

Prayer

Lord, I thank You for pursuing me, loving me, and inviting me into safety. Thank You for salvation through covenant relationship with You. I trust You to draw [name of a loved one] into Your family as faithfully as You have drawn me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Memory Verse

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)