INVIOLABLE CONTRACT WITH YAHWEH

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By Akin Ojumu

With Sinai Mountain bellowing with thick smoke, thunder, lightning, quaking, and loud trumpets, YAHWEH laid down the terms of His contractual agreement with the children of Israel. If they kept their end of the bargain and they chose to obey all of His commandments, YAHWEH promised to bless them beyond measure.

“And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.” (Deuteronomy 11:13-15).

Should they, on the other hand, decide to breach the contract, catastrophic consequences would be the result. YAHWEH made it clear to them that failure to keep even one of the commandments would lead to severe ramifications.

“Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 11:16-17).

God’s contract with Israel is summarized in two major themes: perfect love for God and perfect love for neighbor. To do both is to inherit eternal life.

Perfect love for God:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) 

Perfect love for neighbor:
“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18).
 
For the children of Israel, perfect love for God is the cord that threads the first three of the Ten Commandments.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

“You shall not make for yourself an idol.” (Exodus 20:4)

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)

Like the children of Israel, New Testament believers are also in a contractual agreement with YAHWEH. The terms of the contract are exactly the same as the one YAHWEH had with the children of Israel. Perfect love for God and perfect love for neighbor. 

Obedience to this contract is rewarded with blessings beyond measure; the blessings of eternal glory.

“But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

To breach the contract is an invitation of God’s wrath. Eternal damnation awaits those who run afoul of God’s command.

Perfect love for God is keeping His commandments perfectly. The Lord Jesus Christ made this abundantly clear in John 14:15. Jesus’ commandments are His Words. The Bible is the Word of God. Failure to abide by what’s written in the Bible is a breach of contract with God. Those who teach error and introduce their own ideas and imaginations into the Bible are in breach of the contract with God.

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” (Revelations 22:18-19).

Loving God perfectly requires handling the Word of Truth accurately. To engage in false teaching is to have other gods besides YAHWEH and a violation of God’s Law. Propagating erroneous doctrines is making a carved image for oneself. Those who teach what’s not in the Bible attribute to YAHWEH what He has not spoken. To attribute to God what He has not spoken is to take the name of the LORD God in vain.

Disaster awaits all those who have other gods besides YAHWEH. Destruction is the reward for anyone who makes for himself a carved image. Death will be the end of all the false teachers who take the name of YAHWEH in vain.

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